Welcome to the online home of Tim Challies, blogger, author, and book reviewer.
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I love the book of Proverbs and often feel bewilderment when I think of how few Christians, and Christian parents in particular, rely on the wisdom it contains–knowledge that is at once deep and wide. Proverbs is, in so many ways, a manual for raising wise, discerning, godly children. Why then don’t we turn to it more often? Perhaps it is because mining the wisdom of Proverbs involves concerted effort. Not only do many of the jewels, by their very …
That the Bible advocates and even commands the enforcement of the death penalty seems almost like it should be beyond controversy. The dignity God gives to humans, created as they are in his image, demands the utmost penalty for those who would recklessly and deliberately destroy life. Yet controversy abounds with many of those who profess Christ insisting that a God of love and justice would never endorse the use of this ultimate human punishment. Into the midst of this …
Don’t be scared away by the title. After all, commentaries are not only for pastors. So read on! I do not have an extensive collection of commentaries (though, for a guy who has only preached once, I’m doing alright, thanks primarily to my father trimming down his library). But of the volumes I do have, among the ones I’ve enjoyed the most are titles in the Reformed Expository Commentary series. These are not the kind of commentary that rely on …
Buying commentaries is often a difficult proposition. There are so many available and yet so few that are really solid. A good commentary is an invaluable aid in leading the reader to the cross; a poor commentary tends to lead anywhere but. With commentary prices being what they are, it hurts to purchase one only to find that it is a poor choice. New Testament Commentary Survey, edited by D.A. Carson and now in its sixth edition, seeks to provide …
As Baptists go, I consider myself quite charitable when it comes to beliefs on baptism. I suppose this is due to my Presbyterian background and my ongoing struggles with fully committing myself to either infant or believer’s baptism. I have studied the arguments made by both camps and see beauty and biblical support in both. Unfortunately, though, they cannot both be true which means that one must be wrong. I have aligned myself with the Baptist camp, a move that …
I have a good selection of systematic theologies on my bookshelf. They range from the very readable to the almost hopelessly complex. Some of the authors are clearly very knowledgeable but have not been blessed with the ability to easily communicate that wealth of knowledge. Others are great communicators but, unfortunately, do not have as great an understanding of theology. Sometimes, though, these gifts come together in the form of a person who both knows a great deal about theology …
My wife has a bad habit of forgetting what she has requested for her birthday and Christmas. We celebrated her birthday just a few weeks ago and, upon opening a study guide for the book of Ephesians she looked a little bit surprised. I had to remind her that she had asked for just such a guide. Unfortunately, as with so many similar books, it proved to be a little bit disappointing. It went through the book of Ephesians, but …
It was only through the providence of God that Sinclair Ferguson’s new book Faithful God came to be. The chapters of the book were originally written as a series of messages delivered at the conference of the Evangelical Movement of Wales in Aberystwyth in August 1996. But the spoken word and the written word are sufficiently different that, when asked if he would consider turning the messages into a book, Ferguson, who serves as Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster …
There are few subjects more debated and more hotly debated in the church today than whether or not the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit continue to this day. We have recently seen a great deal of discussion about this issue in the blogosphere. It is an issue which leaves many believers confused, unsure as to what they believe and what they should believe. Cessationists, who believe that the miraculous gifts have ceased, often point to the excesses of the …
Before I begin a review of Charismatic Chaos it is only fair to point out that I have really come to appreciate John MacArthur Jr. I cannot think of many contemporary authors whose beliefs and theology line up so closely with my own. So having been challenged to discern what the Bible says about speaking in tongues, signs and wonders and other marks of the charismatic movement, it only made sense that I would read Charismatic Chaos. Though written …