The Annual Preaching Survey of the Year’s Best Books

Preachers certainly will welcome the release of the latest volume in “The MacArthur New Testament Commentary” (Moody Press). MacArthur, whose legendary commitment to biblical exposition serves as a model to the entire generation, shares his preaching ministry and study of the Bible in 1-3 John. “In our inclusivistic age of secularism, post-modern relativism, New Age cults, and militant world religions, the apostle’s words of warning and assurance are timely and relevant,” MacArthur emphasizes. “As always, the church ignores them at her peril.”

Other helpful volumes related to the New Testament include The Epistles of John (Evangelical Press) by Joel Beeke, Compelling Christianity: Studies in the Book of Acts (Crossway) by Martin Lloyd-Jones and Because the Time Is Near (Moody Press) by John MacArthur. The volume by Lloyd-Jones is the sixth released from his series of messages preached on the book of Acts several decades ago. The sermons still resonate with deep insight and biblical faithfulness.

Finally, Darrell L. Bock, whose commentaries on Luke already belong on the preacher’s bookshelf, has now released Acts (Baker) in the “Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament.”  The Acts volume completes Bock’s magisterial study of Luke’s writings in the New Testament.

Theology and Historical Studies

Preaching is an essentially theological discipline. Regrettably, many preachers neglect serious theological study after graduation from seminary. Over the past year, many worthy volumes of theological studies have appeared, and these particularly deserve the preacher’s attention.

John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has written The Future of Justification (Crossway), intended as a response to the proposals of N.T. Wright. This volume will assist preachers in understanding the issues at stake in contemporary debates over justification and the Pauline letters. Piper’s book is not only a model of theological and biblical scholarship, but also a reminder of the fact that much of the most faithful theological scholarship in the history of the Christian church has been produced by pastors who have devoted themselves to this task, along with the manifold tasks of local church ministry. Piper serves as an important model in this regard.

Another most helpful volume released in the past year is Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution by Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey, and Andrew Sach (Crossway). This book is nothing less than the best defense of penal substation to have appeared in many decades. It belongs on every preacher’s bookshelf and sets the record straight on a number of controversies related to the atonement.

Other important books in theological studies released over the past year include A Theology for the Church edited by Daniel L. Akin (Broadman & Holman); Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception by John MacArthur (Thomas Nelson); He Who Gives Life: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit by Graham A. Cole (Crossway); Jesus In Trinitarian Perspective by Fred Sanders and Klaus Issler (Broadman & Holman); Understanding Four Views on the Lord’s Supper by Russell D. Moore, John Hesselink, David P. Scare, and Thomas A. Baima (Zondervan); Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ, edited by Thomas R. Schreiner and Shawn D. Wright (Broadman & Holman); Sealed with an Oath: Covenant in God’s Unfolding Purpose by Paul R. Williamson (InterVarsity Press) and Revelation and Reason edited by Scott Oliphint and Lane G. Tipton (P&R Publishing).