James H. Charlesworth & Craig A. Evans - The Pseudepigrapha And Early Biblical Interpretation

This book contains a number of well-written essays on the "Old Testament" "Pseudepigrapha" and how such works were first interpreted. The insights to I Enoch and Jubilees, along with 4 Ezra and various books of the Apocrypha were particularly enlightening.

It is interesting to note the possible (dis)connection between the Apostle Paul and his theory of sin entering the world through one man and the teaching in the book of Sirach that sin enters the world through the woman. Perhaps both are true? Or, perhaps, Paul was trying to address an issue that he felt was untrue?

This is one of the books that puts early Christianity in its context more than many of the others because works such as Sirach are, in this book, evaluated as being just as important and relevant as the "canon" of Scripture itself.

For those interested in early Christianity, early Judaism, the "canon" of the Bible, and the writings of the New Testament in the context they were written in, this is an essential piece of literature to have.

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Charles Spurgeon - Lectures To My Students

Preachers often quote Spurgeon today because he had an ability to explain Christian truth to ordinary people with pointed, memorable statements. The people who heard and read his words were effectively taught theology and enjoyed it. He was a dogged defender of the Bible as God's truth.

There was another side to Spurgeon's Character, he had a sensitive and loving nature that was the spur to him preaching the gospel, so that as many people as possible could hear the good news about why Jesus Christ came to spend time on earth, building a church for eternity. This also showed through in his warm pasturing of his congregation and the setting up of a college for future ministers of the gospel.

Spurgeon realised that he could influence the church beyond his own lifetime if he could encourage future pastors to trust the Bible, love people and preach the truth fearlessly. To achieve this he collected his lectures to his college students and published this book. It has been a classic of pastoral theology ever since and is still used to train ministers to this day.

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Archibald Alexander Hodge - Outlines Of Theology

A. A. Hodge composed Outlines of Theology for his congregation—making the tone of this succinct systematic theology more pastoral than dogmatic. Hodge credits his father’s theological wisdom, and acknowledges that conversations with his father, as well as material from his father’s sermons and lectures, has made its way into Outlines of Theology. This outline began as a series of popular lectures and sermons, which Hodge’s congregation urged him to publish for a broader audience.

Outlines of Theology attempts to orient theological discussion around a shared language. Hodge surveys the whole of theology concisely and succinctly. He covers the central doctrines, the most important moments in church history, as well as the purpose of divine revelation. Hodge also discusses ecclesiastical issues, such as baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Outlines of Theology is intended as a theological manual for preachers, a theological syllabus for students, and a clear and accessible summary of theology for those who lack the means or the time to read a more expansive systematic theology.

In 1878, a new edition of Hodge’s Outlines of Theology was finished. This expanded edition contains nearly fifty per cent more content than the first edition published in 1863. Five new chapters were added, and two were dropped. Several other chapters were rewritten or reorganized, and others were substantially enlarged. This edition also contains excerpts from relevant confessions, creeds, and classic theological works. It also benefits from fourteen years of scholarship during the intervening years.

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Archibald Alexander Hodge & Benjamin B. Warfield - Inspiration

The word inspiration, as applied to the Holy Scriptures,has gradually acquired a specific technical meaning independent of its etymology.At first this word,in the sense of God-breathed,vvas used to express the entire agency of God in producing that divine element which distinguishes Scripture from all other writings.It was used in a sense comprehensive of supernatural revelation,while the immense range of providential and gracious divine activities concerning the genesis of the word of God in human language was practically overlooked. But Christian scholar have come to see that this divine element, which penetrates and glorifies Scripture at every point, has entered and become incorporated with it in very various ways, natural, supernatural and gracious, thi Dugh long courses of providential leading, as well as by direct suggestion through the spontaneous action of the souls of the sacred writers, as well as by controlling influence from A vithout.

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Daniel R. Jennings - The Supernatural Occurrences Of Charles G. Finney

Charles G. Finney (1792-1875) was one of the most successful of the 19th century evangelists. His ministry efforts influenced the likes of William Booth and D. L. Moody along with a whole host of lesser known pastors, teachers, evangelists and missionaries. While his itinerant ministry has been well documented, lesser known are the miracles that he recorded experiencing in his Memoirs. Here, perhaps for the first time, an attempt has been made to compile and analyze these experiences in an attempt to answer the enduring question of whether miracles ended with the completion of the Canon of Scripture or if they will continue until the Second Coming.

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