Recommended Reading
On this page we feature our Pastor's pick of recommended Christian books that he has found to be of lasting spiritual benefit.
In The Glory of Christ, we have an abridged, 'easier to read' edition of John Owen's richest and most mature piece of writing, his meditations on the glory of Christ. Owen tells us that the work began in his personal meditation and study on John 17.24, and later was shared with his congregation. The book was Owen's last completed work, written at the end of his life; 'his dying testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus'.
In these pages Owen shares with us the glory of Christ he had seen and pondered. And, as the wise Pastor he was, helps us to see Christ's glory more clearly and to love him more dearly. I know of no other book that can stand comparison with this, as I know of no other English theologian and teacher of God's Word to equal Owen's gifts.
Publisher: Banner of Truth Trust, Paperback, 184 pages
Price £5 + Postage
The book can be bought online here: https://banneroftruth.org/uk
Dr. Arnold Dallimore has written a book on Charles Haddon Spurgeon that is sympathetic to Spurgeon's profoundly influential ministry. Using Spurgeon's two volume autobiography and other dependable sources, Dr Dallimore produced a concise record of Spurgeon's life. He set out 'to understand and present something of the inner man- Spurgeon in his praying, his sufferings and depressions, his weaknesses and strengths; in his triumphs, humour, joys, and incredible accomplishments'.
It's no easy task to depict 'so tremendous a personality' as that of Spurgeon in a brief volume, but Dr Dallimore has done so with great success. A book that will meet the need of those wanting to know more about what God accomplished through Spurgeon's unique ministry.
Publisher: Banner of Truth Trust, Paperback, 280 pages
Price £7 + Postage
The book can be bought online here: https://banneroftruth.org/uk
Few Evangelical Christians know of Hans Urs von Balthasar, fewer still have read his books. That's a pity. For, Catholic as he was, Balthasar writes out of a most profound understanding of Scripture and deep personal devotion to Jesus Christ, his Person and Work. His theology begins with Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scriptures, continues with Christ and, gloriously, never moves away from the Christ of Scripture.
His presupposition, that Christ is Truth; that we being not by searching for 'truth', but listening to Christ, echoes, the thoroughly 'Reformed', presupositional theology.
He had an unrivalled knowledge of Christian writings, from the Apostles to the Middle Ages and moderns. He was recognised, by those qualified to judge, to be 'perhaps the most cultivated man of his time' and 'the most learned man in Europe'.
Balthasar's output was immense, from short devotional pieces and essays, to his intimidating theological trilogy in 15 volumes, 'The Glory of the Lord'. His bibliography comprises 119 books, 532 articles, 114 contributions to other books, 110 translations of both ancient and modern authors, 103 forewords and afterwords to books by other authors, 93 book reviews and 13 critical editions of various writers.
This short book on the Apostles' Creed, was one of his last books, distilling his immense thought into a few pages; his focus throughout is on God's self-revelation as One and Three; the Trinity; the theme that shapes the Creed and the structure of the Christian faith. He knows Christianity to be the reception of the self-gift of God, who himself is loving self-gift in his own eternal essence. Balthasar's writings have many remarkable similarities with Jonathan Edwards; in places almost word for word.
There are a few direct references to his Catholic identity; that was true of the writings of St Athanasius, Chrysostom, Augustine, Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, etc – all of whom were read and respected by such leading figures of the Reformed faith as Luther, Calvin, John Owen, Thomas Goodwin, C. H. Spurgeon, Herman Bavinck, etc.
When I change an electric plug, I need a screwdriver to hand. When I light a candle I need a match. And when I want to understand what I read in the Bible I often need a dictionary.
Bible dictionaries come in two sorts. There are those that tell me about a range of subjects, and give 'background' information. Useful, but not essential; mostly the Bible itself provides the background we need.
Then there are Bible dictionaries that explain the origin, development and range of meanings of words in the Bible. These I regard as almost essential, and always have one close to hand when 'searching the Scriptures' – when 'dividing the Word of truth' (2 Timothy 2.15). Now there's a case in point: 'dividing': that comes from a Greek word meaning to cut straight; to make straight; to handle skilfully. It's in the present tense and the active 'voice': I am always to be actively careful to handle God's Word with the skilful care it requires; not to jump to conclusions or allow my pre-formed ideas to squeeze the text into the meaning I want it to have!
So which word Dictionary do I recommend? There is the huge 10 volume 'Kittle Theological Dictionary of the New Testament' – superb, but too much. There is the smaller, not so good, five volume NIDNTTE (never mind!), still too much. So my firm recommendation is the well-proven classic: Vine's Expository Dictionary – one volume and using English as its 'guide' language. Every home should have one! Available new, but many second-hand copies are available.
A friend once said to Archibald Brown that the sermons he found most helpful and enjoyable were simple sermons. 'What do you mean by a simple sermon?', his pastor replied. The answer was, 'One that is all about the Lord.' This book contains many of Archibald Brown's outstanding sermons on the Person and Work of Christ. It takes the reader to the heart of Brown's ministry with an attractiveness and relevance that will never dim.
The sermons are 'simple' Biblical discoveries of the glory of Christ. In a sense the title says it all. Heart-warming, Christ glorifying, at times gloriously bold in their perception of the true beauty of the Lord.
A quote from the sermon, 'He spoke of me', a profound sense of the inner life of the Holy Trinity:
'Oh, how infinitely precious Jesus must have been to the Father! How the coming of Christ occupied the Father's thoughts. May I say it without undue boldness? It looks as if God the Father could think of nothing else. And when the Holy Ghost writes the Book he too can never get away from that face. Every story, every incident, all serves to picture him.'
Publisher: Banner of Truth Trust, Paperback, 296 pages
Price £8.00 + Postage
The book can be bought online here: https://banneroftruth.org/uk
Commentaries on Scripture do for us what Philip did for the Ethiopian diplomat; they help us understand the Scriptures. When it comes to Bible commentaries the Preacher's warning certainly applies: 'To the making of many books there is no end'! (Ecclesiastes 12.12)
Where to begin? I'd recommend a one volume commentary on the whole Bible as good a place to start. Regrettably, many are no more use than those C. H. Spurgeon found to be 'A pile of paper, valuable to housemaids for lighting fires' or 'Families will best use these commentaries by lining their cake tins with them'.
But there are excellent one volume commentaries. I recommend the New International Bible Commentary. A team of 43 evangelical scholars, under the skilled editorship of Prof. F. F. Bruce, produced an accessible, reliable and always helpful aid for Bible study or just to shed light on a passage of Scripture you're struggling to understand.
This book is available 'new' from many sellers online. There are also plenty of 'used' copies offered by the usual online sellers, for very little money.
Publisher: Banner of Truth Trust, Paperback, 176 pages
Price £5 + Postage
The full title of this book was 'The Heart of Christ in Heaven towards Sinners on Earth'. The author is Thomas Goodwin, a contemporary and colleague of John Owen – while Owen was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, Goodwin was President of Magdalen College; for many years they shared a Sunday afternoon pulpit, and co-authored the 'Savoy Declaration'.
Some people find Goodwin easier to read than Owen, some find him less easy (I'm one of those). But this little book, is a pearl of very great price!
Here Goodwin unfolds the 'heart of Christ' in his caring, patient, tender affections for his people, in all our weakness, failures and unworthiness. Goodwin has the sensitivity of a gentle pastor. He looks deeply into the compassion and kindness of Christ in glory. In my opinion, he sees more of the Saviour's tender heart than any other preacher and pastor, of whatever period, that I know of. As Goodwin was enabled to set out the Saviour's profound love for those he redeemed, he left us a book of unique beauty, helping us to see that 'never was there such love as this'!
A book to hold to, to keep close at hand; all the more when the dark clouds of doubt drift across your heart and soul. If you're able only to summon up enough stamina to read just one book by a Puritan maybe it should be this one?
The book can be bought online here: https://banneroftruth.org/uk
Few minister of the gospel have been as richly gifted as Jonathan Edwards. Hugh Martin referred to Edwards as 'that greatest of metaphysical divines'. Maybe that's claiming too, but only a little too much. It's beyond doubt that in depth of insight, heart affection and sheer mental ability Jonathan Edwards had few equals.
This exposition of 1 Corinthians 13 glows with a blend of Christ-centred affection and rich insight into Scripture. The concluding chapter on heaven has been said to be 'perhaps the most beautiful in all Edwards's writings'.
It's entirely appropriate that for this book to be described as 'beautiful'. Jonathan Edwards stands alone as a Reformed theologian who took seriously the transcendent divine attribute of 'beauty'. He integrated 'beauty' into the spectrum of his theological vision, together with truth and goodness, in a way no other Puritan aspired to. His comprehensive meditation on the fullness of the glory of God has been equalled only by very few and this volume is among Edwards's supreme achievements as a theologian and a preacher. 'Charity and Its Fruits' would be among those enduring and soul-altering books to keep were you to be cast away on a deserted island.
Publisher: Banner of Truth Trust, Paperback, 384 pages
Price £7.75 + Postage
The book can be bought online here: https://banneroftruth.org/uk