Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Making Sense of the Bible by David Whitehead

This is a good book for new Christians or older Christians unfamiliar with the Bible. Whitehead wants to help us become more familiar with the Bible.

He explains why there are so many translations and how to choose the right one for our own use. He reminds us of the heart attitude we should have, focused on God, and how to know if it is ours. He helps us understand the various writing styles found in the Bible.

He explains that the Bible is an epic story of God and how He interacts with His creation. To help us see that he looks at Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. He explains the gospels and their various viewpoints, as well as the epistles (letters), giving a short synopsis of each.

He helps us understand the narrative of the Old Testament and the various perspectives offered, giving a synopsis of each of the historical books. He explains the role of poetry and its literary features, and that of Revelation. The majority of the books in the Bible are prophetic books so he shows their significance, again giving a short synopsis of each.

This is a very readable introduction to the Bible. Whitehead has included a checklist for reading through the Bible chronologically as well as suggestions for reading more on each topic.

The author says in his introduction that this is a book about learning how to read the Bible. (15) “The goal in reading the Bible,” he writes, “ is to get to know and interact with the God of the Bible.” (11) This book will help you understand more of what you are reading in the Bible. Knowing God better and interacting with Him more is beyond the scope of this book.

David Whitehead began writing www.thedailybibleverse.ord in 2009. He is the lead pastor of Grace in Manhattan and a church-planting coach for Redeemer Presbyterian Church's City to City. He and his wife and two daughters live in Manhattan.

Bethany House, 175 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

No comments: