Our family was recently delighted to obtain The Jesus Storybook Bible, Deluxe Edition. Here’s what Andy and I wrote last year about this book in our review of theology books for kids:

Sally Lloyd-Jones. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Illustrated by Jago. Grand Rapids: ZonderKidz, 2007. 352 pp. $16.99.

This is the most well written children’s book we have read. It brilliantly summarizes the Bible storyline from creation to the consummation, and it emphasizes Jesus and the gospel as the key to understanding the Bible’s storyline. The subtitle captures exactly what the book does: at the end of each story, Lloyd-Jones points ahead to the story’s fulfillment in Christ (though the pointing-ahead theme seems slightly stretched for some of the stories). Lloyd-Jones acknowledges that she has “liberally borrowed” from her pastor, Tim Keller, “whose teaching informs every story” (p. 7). She skillfully crafts words that are captivating, making it hard to stop reading. Some readers may become so entrenched in the story that they will find themselves wishing that it is true (perhaps forgetting that this well written story is not a fairy tale) and then rejoicing that it is! The illustrations are simple, creative, and almost fanciful.

The deluxe edition enhances this excellent Bible-story book by adding the complete book on three audio CDs. We’ve already thoroughly enjoyed listening to several of the stories together as a family. The tracks are divided by story, and each story is approximately four minutes long—perfect for a young child’s shorter attention span. The stories are each read by British actor David Suchet.  Our family loves audiobooks, and we’re thrilled now to have The Jesus Storybook Bible audiobook!

1. The morning sermon was on God, primarily as described in Isaiah 40–46: “‘There Is No One Besides Me: Biblical Foundations for the Centrality of God.” Towards the end he insightfully and clearly explains a very hard text: Isaiah 45:7.

2. The evening sermon was on parenting: “How to Bring Big Truths about God to the Young Hearts of Our Children” (outline included). There’s lots of wisdom here to supplement Ware’s Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God, which Jenni and I reviewed last year.

If you already use the Libronix Digital Library System, then you’ve probably been using Logos 3. How does Logos 4 improve Logos 3? To name just three …

1. It syncs with iPhones. If you use a Logos 4 base package (Windows or Mac), you can access most of the your books on your iPhone at no additional charge.
2. It’s more efficient. It’s more intuitive; it’s much faster (as in Google-search fast); and it can accommodate multiple monitors.
3. It’s better looking. Here’s a sample screen shot (click to enlarge):

Learn more at Logos.com/4 and the Logos blog. Then if you have more questions (e.g., about upgrading), comment on the Logos blog or contact Logos by email or phone.

Note: There’s one notable hitch in the transition from Logos 3 to Logos 4. If you’ve marked up your books in Logos 3 (e.g., adding notes or highlighting), then those markings will not transfer to Logos 4 right away. But Bob Pritchett, President of Logos Bible Software, assured me last week that markings will transfer from Logos 3 to Logos 4 in about two weeks. New markings in Logos 4 will integrate with old markings in Logos 3. (Logos 3 and Logos 4 can run side by side without any issues.)

James M. Monson with Steven P. Lancaster. Regions on the Run: Introductory Map Studies in the Land of the Bible. 3rd ed. Rockford, IL: Biblical Backgrounds, 2009. 40 pp.

This superb overview is also available in a three-product bundle.

From Monson’s website:

The land of the Bible is the “playing board of biblical history.” Much of the Bible’s most compelling teaching is embedded in events played out on this board.

“You are to have no other gods.”

That is, you are to regard me alone as your God. What does this mean, and how is it to be understood? What does “to have a god” mean, or what is God?

Answer: A “god” is the term for that to which we are to look for all good and in which we are to find refuge in all need. Therefore, to have a god is nothing else than to trust and believe in that one with your whole heart. As I have often said, it is the trust and faith of the heart alone that make both God and an idol. If your faith and trust are right, then your God is the true one. Conversely, where your trust is false and wrong, there you do not have the true God. For these two belong together, faith and God. Anything on which your heart relies and depends, I say, that is really your God.

—Martin Luther, Large Catechism, “[The First Part: The Ten Commandments],” The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ed. Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert; trans. Charles Arand, et al.; Minneapolis: Fortress, 2000), 386.

Luther proceeds to elaborate further on the relationship between idolatry and trust (386–92). You can read it via Google Books.

You can download it for free through Sunday, November 1.

1. Revised Bible Encyclopedia

Merrill C. Tenney, ed. Moisés Silva, revision editor. The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible. Revised ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009. 5,616 pp. $279.99 retail.

Tenney edited the first edition in 1975: the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. “The present revised edition,” edited by Moisés Silva, a first-class biblical scholar, “seeks to preserve the original contributions as much as possible while at the same time updating the material to serve a new generation” (p. v).

Some features:

• over 250 international contributors
• over 7,500 articles on the Bible’s history, literature, and theology
• nearly 2,000 colorful maps, illustrations, charts, and graphs

The introduction explains what’s new:

• “Hundreds of brief new articles have been added.”
• “Some twenty new in-depth articles have been commissioned, including ‘Apologetics’ (William Edgar), ‘Cartography, Biblical’ (Barry J. Beitzel), ‘Ebla’ (Richard S. Hess), ‘Deuteronomic History’ (J. Alan Groves), ‘Ethics in the Old Testament’ (Alexander Cheung), ‘God, Biblical Doctrine of’ (John M. Frame), ‘Land, Theology of’ (Carl G. Rasmussen), ‘Pseudonymity’ (Stanley Porter), ‘Type, Typology’ (Grant R. Osborne), ‘Union with Christ’ (Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.), ‘Warrior, Divine’ (Tremper Longman III), ‘Wars, Jewish’ (J. Julius Scott, Jr.).”
• “Various existing articles have been totally rewritten (e.g., ‘Greek Language,’ ‘Septuagint’).”
• “Others have received substantive updating, such as ‘Archaeology’ (Richard S. Hess), ‘Biblical Criticism’ (Grant R. Osborne), ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ (Martin G. Abegg, Jr.), ‘Versions of the Bible, English’ (Mark L. Strauss).”
• “All other articles have been carefully reviewed and, when necessary, corrected; frequently, new material has been added alerting the reader to developments in the field.”
• “Special effort has been expended to make bibliographic references more current. Many hundreds of new titles have been included, with emphasis on publications from 1990 through 2007.”
• “All biblical quotations, unless otherwise noted, come from the NIV.”
• “A special effort has been made to bring about greater consistency among the articles” in both format (e.g., “a standard outline system”) and content. ”Except in the case of articles that bear a new signature, all differences between the original and revised editions of this work are the responsibility of the revising editor.”

The target audience for this encyclopedia is wide: families, pastors, teachers, and students, both libraries and individual study.

2. OT Backgrounds Commentary

John H. Walton, ed. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009. 2,928 pp. $249.95 retail.

Walton’s OT set is the counterpart to Clint Arnold’s NT set:

Clinton E. Arnold, ed. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: New Testament. 4 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002. 1,924 pp. $159.95 retail.

Some features of the OT set:

• thirty international authors
• commentary on the entire OT in light of archeology, history, geography, and manners and customs
• over 2,000 photographs, drawings, maps, diagrams, and charts
• 12,000 endnotes

The target audience for this set is also wide. It’s definitely geared more for laypeople than Bible scholars.

Here are the books (in the order listed in the series) and commentators:

1. Genesis: John H. Walton
2. Exodus: Bruce Wells
3. Leviticus: Roy E. Gane
4. Numbers: R. Dennis Cole
5. Deuteronomy: Eugene E. Carpenter
6. Joshua: Richard S. Hess
7. Judges: Daniel I. Block
8. Ruth: Dale W. Manor
9. 1 Samuel: V. Philips Long
10. 2 Samuel: V. Philips Long
11. 1 Kings: John Monson
12. 2 Kings: Iain Provan
13. 1 Chronicles: Simon Sherwin
14. 2 Chronicles: Frederick J. Mabie
15. Ezra and Nehemiah: Edwin M. Yamauchi
16. Esther: Anthony Tomasino
17. Isaiah: David W. Baker
18. Jeremiah: Steven Voth
19. Lamentations: Paul W. Ferris Jr.
20. Ezekiel: Daniel Bodi
21. Daniel: Ernest C. Lucas
22. Hosea: J. Glen Taylor
23. Joel: Mark W. Chavalas
24. Amos: Philip S. Johnston
25. Obadiah: Alan R. Millard
26. Jonah: John H. Walton
27. Micah: Daniel M. Master
28. Nahum: Alan R. Millard
29. Habakkuk: Victor H. Matthews
30. Zephaniah: Mark W. Chavalas
31. Haggai: Kenneth G. Hoglund
32. Zechariah: Kenneth G. Hoglund and John H. Walton
33. Malachi: Andrew E. Hill
34. Job: Izak Cornelius
35. Psalms: John W. Hilber
36. Proverbs: Tremper Longman III
37. Ecclesiastes: Duane Garrett
38. Song of Songs: Duane Garrett

John J. Hughes, ed. Speaking the Truth in Love: The Theology of John Frame. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 2009.

More information on the book is available here, which includes a 31-page PDF. I’d recommend browsing the 5-page Table of Contents. There are about forty contributors, including J. I. Packer, Vern Poythress, James Grant & Justin Taylor, Paul Helm, Derek Thomas, Bruce Waltke, David Powlison, Wayne Grudem, and John Frame himself.

This 160-page book abridges Carson and Moo’s An Introduction to the New Testament (2d ed.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005).

G. Walter Hansen. The Letter to the Philippians. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009. Available from Amazon and WTSBooks, which has a 70-page sample PDF.

From Carson’s preface (pp. ix–x):

Casual readers of the letter to the Philippians might think that it is one of the slighter contributions penned by Paul. Here one does not find, say, the massive theological reasoning of Romans, the emotional intensity of 2 Corinthians, or the contentious apologetic of Galatians. Some might almost find it bland. Yet those who have probed this letter more closely know that the first chapter finds Paul in one of his most reflective moods as, toward the end of his life, he contemplates the benefits of “departing” and “being with Christ” over against living on in this world to bring further gospel blessing to the churches for which he is responsible; that the second chapter includes one of the high points of New Testament Christology, the third is embroiled in contemporary debates about the New Perspective on Paul, and the fourth contains one of the most revealing pictures of the relationship between Paul and a supporting church. In all of this, the letter sings with the theme of joy and appeals to the Philippians to learn to “think the same thing.” Small wonder that this letter is so embracing when all along it keeps trumpeting the gospel.

With themes and emotions so varied, the letter to the Philippians needs a commentator with a sure grasp and a warm heart. It helps that Dr Hansen writes with admirable clarity and simplicity, even when he is unpacking notoriously complex matters. Perhaps he brings so many qualifications to the table because he himself has not only served as a pastor and a seminary professor, but as a missionary in another cultural context. Certain it is that this commentary will become “must” reading for many pastors, students, and scholars as they try to think Paul’s thoughts after him while reading this letter.

Hansen also authored Galatians in the IVP NT Commentary series.

Full disclosure: I’m grateful for Hansen’s scholarly contributions, but I have an even more personal reason to be grateful since I’m a Hansen fellow (2008–2010)!

Related: Cf. my review of the Pillar NT Commentary series.

Timothy Keller. The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith. New York: Dutton, 2008.

This weekend I read the book and watched the corresponding DVD. The main feature of the DVD is Keller’s creative 40-minute readers-theater-style summary of the book. Both the book and DVD are first-class. And convicting.

As we expected, the debate is fascinating, fast-paced, evenhanded, and edifying. The creative camera angles and other non-verbal aspects of the film make it even more provocative.

Amazon.com will start shipping the DVD on October 29.

Related:

1. The film’s official site includes an overview and 13-minute preview.
2. The film is based on this book: Is Christianity Good for the World? A Debate (Moscow, ID: Canon, 2008).
3. The book grew out of a six-part exchange in Christianity Today.
4. Justin Taylor shared some thoughts after viewing the film in March.
5. John Piper interviewed Doug Wilson for 16 minutes after showing the film at the Desiring God conference last weekend.

Nine of the ten tracks begin with a Scripture reading from the ESV by a well-known Bible expositor and end with music reflecting the passage.

1. The Annunciation | Scripture Reading by Alistair Begg (Luke 1:26–38)
2. Feeding of the 5,000 | Scripture reading by D. A. Carson (John 6:1–15)
3. Cleansing of the Temple | Scripture reading by John MacArthur (Mark 11:15–19)
4. The Transfiguration | Scripture reading by Sinclair Ferguson (Luke 9:28–36)
5. Temptation in the Wilderness | Scripture reading by R. C. Sproul (Matthew 4:1–11)
6. Jesus, the Healer [no Scripture reading]
7. The Raising of Lazarus | Scripture reading by John Piper (John 11:1–6, 17, 32–33, 38–44)
8. Parable of the Shrewd Manager | Scripture reading by Albert Mohler (Luke 16:1–13)
9. The Last Supper | Scripture reading by Ligon Duncan (Luke 22:14–23)
10. Gethsemane | Scripture reading by Derek Thomas (Matthew 26:36–46)

You can listen to samples and view the CD-liner as a PDF. The inside part of the liner directly opposite the CD says this:

John Wenham. Christ and the Bible. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994. Repr., Wipf and Stock, 2009.

Here’s what Mark Dever says about it in the last paragraph of his essay “Inerrancy of the Bible: An Annotated Bibliography“:

I’ve saved the best for last. If I could just recommend one book on the inerrancy of the Bible it would undoubtedly be this one—John Wenham, Christ and the Bible (Tyndale Press, 1972 [UK]; IVP, 1973 [US]). Wenham’s book has been through three editions and makes the simple point that our trust in Scripture is to be a part of our following Christ, because that is the way that He treated Scripture—as true, and therefore authoritative. (Robert Lightner, a professor of Systematic Theology at Dallas Seminary published a similar book a few years later, A Biblical Case for Total Inerrancy: How Jesus Viewed the Old Testament [Kregel, 1978].) Wenham had first put these ideas in print with a little Tyndale pamphlet in 1953 called Our Lord’s View of the Old Testament. In Christ and the Bible, Wenham, who taught Greek for many years at Oxford, an Anglican evangelical, has done us all a great service in providing us with a book which understands that we do not come by our adherence to Scripture fundamentally from the inductive resolutions of discrepancies, but from the teaching of the Lord Jesus. Only because of the Living Word may we finally know to trust the Written Word. May God use these resources of those who’ve gone before us to equip and encourage us in so trusting.

Dever concludes by giving Wenham his top recommendation:

To get up to speed on this issue, and to help you with your ministry, consider the following recommendations.

MUST READ: Wenham

SHOULD READ: Warfield, Packer’s “Fundamentalism” and the Word of God, Lindsell [The Battle for the Bible and The Bible in the Balance], any one of the edited volumes of your choosing!

“The Law, the New Covenant, and the Christian: Studies in Hebrew 7–10” (32-page PDF)

HT: Rod Decker

Related:

1. “Second Dispensational Conference Meets” (a report by GARB’s Regular Baptist Press in The Baptist Bulletin)
2. Photo gallery

For example, I just posted about Carson’s sermon on 3 John that he preached at my church last Sunday morning.

It’s now available.

Invaluable.

The authority of the Scriptures is not a matter to be defended, so much as to be asserted. I address this remark particularly to Conservative Evangelicals. I am reminded of what the great Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said in this connection: “There is no need for you to defend a lion when he is being attacked. All you need to do is to open the gate and let him out.” We need to remind ourselves frequently that it is the preaching and exposition of the Bible that really establish its truth and authority.