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A Look at Books

(Books received from the publishers for mention and/or review)

UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIAN MISSIONS, by J. Herbert Kane; Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Mich., 452 pages, $9.95.

THE DOCTRINE OF GOD, by Herman Bavinck. Translated, Edited, and Outlined by Wm. Hendriksen. Baker Book House, 408 pages, 1977, paperback edition, $5.95.

REVELATION (an exposition of the first 11 chapters, Geneva series of commentaries), 518 pages, by James B. Ramsey. The Banner of Truth Trust, P. O. Box 621, Carlisle, Pa. 17013, $10.95.

JAMES, by Robert Johnstone (Geneva series of Commentaries). The Banner of Truth, 464 pages, $8.95.

WROS WHO IN CHURCH HISTORY, by Wm. P. Barker. Baker Book House, 319 pages, $2.95.

THE RELIGION OF PRESIDENT CARTER, by Nels C. Nielsen Jr. Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville and New York, 162 pages, $2.95.

ELECTION (Love Before Time), by Kenneth D. Johns. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., P. O. Box 185, Nutley, N. J. 071 to, 93 pages, $2.50.

THE GAY CHURCH, by Ronald M. Enroth and Gerald E. Jamison. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich., 144 pages, $4.95.

WHEN I SURVEY – (a Lenten Anthology) by Herman Hoeksema. Reformed Free Publishing Association, distributed by Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, Mich., 538 pages, $9.95.

EERDMANS’ HANDBOOK TO TRE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY, Tim Dowley, Organizing Editor. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co” 656 pages, $19.95.

MAN OF GENEVA (The Story of John Calvin), by Elsie M. Johnson. The Banner of Truth Trust, 129 pages, $2.80.

PROMISE AND DELIVERANCE STUDY GUIDE, Volume I, by Gordon J. Spykman, Paideia Press, St. Catherine’s Press, Ontario, Canada, 93 pages, $2.50.

THE EVANGELICALS (What They Believe, Who They Are, Where They Are Changing). Revised Edition. Edited by David F. Wells and John D. Woodbridge. Baker Book House, 325 pages, $4.95.

THE EVANGELICAL RENAISSANCE, by Donald C. Bloesch. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 165 pages, $2.95.

NEW TESTAMENT ESSAYS, by Vincent Taylor. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 139 pages, $2.95.

SELECTED SHORTER WRITINGS OF BENJAMIN WARFIELD – II. Edited by John E. Meeter. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., $8.95.

SCIENCE TEACHING – A CHRISTIAN APPROACH, by Robert j. Ream. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 130 pages, $2.50.

THE JUSTIFICATION OF KNOWLEDGE, by Robert L. Reymond. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1GB pages, $4.50.

PROMISE AND DELIVERANCE, S. G. De Graaf. Vol. I, “From Creation to the Conquest of Canaan.” Paideia Press, 423 pp., 1977. Reviewed by Rev. Henry Vanden Heuvel, Sioux Center, Iowa.

This book is one of the most influential and important books on the subject of Biblical Theology. It is a translation from the Dutch of the two volume work called Verbondsgeschiedenis “the history of the Covenant,” by S. C. De Graaf, n minister in Amsterdam who lived from 1889–1955. The original work appeared in two volumes, one for each Testament. The translation into English by Dr. H. Evan Runner, will appear in four volumes.

Rev. De Graaf wrote this book as a guide fo r Sunday School teachers to help them teach the Bible stories to their children. It is geared to make the Bible clear in its over-all message. And it is intended to help those of every age to understand what God had in mind with the message of Scripture.

There are three things that De Graaf seeks to accomplish in telling these stories of Scripture. The first is to emphasize that the Bible is nothing more or less than the self-revelation of God. If we keep this in mind, he says, we will not fall into the trap of moralism in reading the stories of Scripture. Moralism, says De Graaf, is looking at the stories in the Bible as if their purpose is to tell us how we are to live: that if we do good. we will be rewarded, and if we are bad, we will he punished. Moralism looks lit Scripture liS primarily the story of persons, not us the revelation of God. De Graaf illustrates this in the life of Joseph. If we look at the history of Joseph in Scripture as the revelation of Joseph‘s faith, Joseph’s trust, Joseph’s obedience, we will miss the great purpose for this revelation in Scripture. That purpose is that God sovereignly brought all these things to pass in order to preserve the life of the people of Israel for the coming of Jesus Christ. But moralism cuts the heart out of Scripture when it destroys the message of the Bible.

The second thing that is emphasized in De Graaf’s book is that God reveals Himself in the Mediator Jesus Christ. The unity of the Bible is then seen because both the Old and New Testaments speak of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament speaks of the Christ who is to be born, and the New Testament of course speaks of the Christ who has come. But unless one sees Jesus Christ as the central figure in the entire Scripture, he will fail to understand its message. Thus every individual in Old Testament Scripture must be seen from the point of view of Christ, either as a type of Christ, or as a type of the great enemy of Christ. De Graaf brings this out in reviewing the life of Abraham. Jesus said, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad” John 8:58). This is perhaps most beautifully shown in De Graaf’s treatment of Genesis 22, the offering up of Isaac by Abraham. He writes, “The truth of the matter is that God was making an even greater sacrifice than Abraham: He was sacrificing the child He loved, the child to whom He had bound Himself through the promise. If God was willing to make such a sacrifice, it had to be because it was the only way for Him to reveal His love and favor to the fullest extent possible. If so, then Abraham could sacrifice too. Abraham was indeed correct in thinking that if Isaac was to be offered up, it was really God who was doing the sacrificing. God was sacrificing more than any human being ever could. Later on, God Himself offered the greatest sacrifice that could possibly be made when He sacrificed His own Son. He gave up the Lord Jesus Christ completely for us” (p. 139).

The third main emphasis is on the covenant. De Graaf insists that the covenant is the only way in which God comes to His people. And therefore all of the stories in Scripture really are to be seen in terms of the covenant. It is not just the covenant of grace, or the covenant of works that is seen in the Scriptures. These various covenants that we observe are representations of the covenantal relationship of God to His people. We ought not to think of the covenant only with Noah, or only with Abraham. Rather we must see that God comes into relationship with His people in a covenantal way. God pledges Himself to His people in Jesus Christ. And indeed, He pledges Himself to allcreation in Jesus Christ. He becomes the God of His people when He comes to Adam, to Noah, to Abraham.

The book Promise and Deliverance is an important help to the understanding of Scripture. The translation is beautifully done by Dr. H. Evan Runner, professor of Philosophy at Calvin College, and his wife. It is published by Paideia Press, a new publisher from St. Catherines, Ontario. Every minister of the Word ought to use this book. Every Sunday School teacher ought to have it. Every parent who tells the Bible stories to his children should use it. The way that Rev. De Graaf tells the story of Joseph restoring unity in the family of Jacob when he made himself known to his brothers is worth the price of the book itself. He speaks of the reconciliation on the basis of sacrifice—of Joseph, of Jacob, and of Judah and his brothers. And in each case, he shows how this sacrifice is typical of that of God in Jesus Christ, in restoring our unity with God. We look forward to future volumes in the translation of this crucial book.

IN SEARCH OF NOAH‘S ARK, by Dave Balsiger alld Charles E. Sollier, Jr. Sun Classic Books, 11071 Massachusetts Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90025. 1976, 218 pages, $1.95. Reviewed by Rev. Fred Van Houten, Sully, Iowa.

The subtitle of this book is “The Greatest Discovery of Our Time.” The concluding sentence of the book proper is “In the Anal analysis, space technology has brought to a level of scientific confirmation the existence of Noah’s Ark” (p. 201). However, in all the pages between these two declarations there is really no factual evidence that the Ark is resting on Mt. Ararat.

There are some good features of this publication. The authors evidently have a high view of Scripture. They associate themselves with John C. Whitcomb, Henry Morris, and John Warwick Montgomery by quoting them and their writings. A better section of the book is the earlier part in which they make a strong case, Scripturally and scientifically, for a universal flood.

Considerable space is devoted to various details about living conditions in the ark, both for the eight people and the animals. as well as the shape, seaworthiness, wood, and durability of the ark. Despite the laudable effort to meet the problems of man’s inquiring mind, there remain real problems if we try to explain everything about life in the ark. We must not forget the miraculous.

In my estimation, the book has some serious weaknesses. As is well known, a movie is made from it: This may explain some matters, but does not enhance its credibility. It is asserted that “in all probability” Noah had many children before he was 500 years old, after which the three named sons were born (p. 134). The authors claim that scientists have tried to destroy the evidence on Mt. Ararat. They leave the impression that difficulties in discovering the great ship are well nigh insurmountable. In spite of the extremely high altitude. the perennial glaciers, and the ice of centuries, there is description of moss on the wood, and a “soggy mass” believed to be timbers of the ark.

These features of the book weaken its credibility. Again and again the reader asks where the evidence is for the fantastic claims. It is all epitomized in a sentence written by Eryl Cummings about a photo taken in 1966, “While I was looking at these slides, I discovered in one of them an object which looked like it possibly could be the ark” (p. 164). When everything is said, this is about all that can be said.

SURVEY OF THE BIBLE (Fourth Revised Edition), by Dr. William Hendriksen. Published by Baker Book Houses, Grand Rapids, Mich. Reviewed by K. Gunnink, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I was personally delighted to have a copy of this new edition. I remember the old edition fondly because we students studied it thoroughly under Dr. Hendriksen‘s professorship at R.B.I. As I paged through the new edition—sure enough—there were those intriguing chronological charts we memorized years ago with the special mnemonic devices to make them easier to remember.

As to contents, where shall I begin or end. There are facts about the Bible, how the Bible should be studied and interpreted (most helpful), a survey of sacred history, survey of Bible books all tied together in a major theme: the coming of Christ into the world and His great redemptive acts. The Bible history reads like an interesting story book packed with significant facts, data, and rare spiritual insights that make the data come alive with meaning. Difficult questions regarding chronological events are carefully discussed, and the conservative view of Scripture upheld. Scholarly research is everywhere evident.

The new edition is made especially attracti ve with illustrations. The larger print makes for easier reading. Latest conclusions of Biblical scholarship are inserted.

Hendriksen’s Bible survey has served well since the first edition was published. The new edition will serve even better all those seeking a better understanding of the Bible as a whole, It will be especially helpful for Bible students, Sunday School teachers, and Christian workers.

THE NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY OF NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY, Volume 2, edited by Colin Brown, Zondervan, 1977, 1023 pp., $27.95. Reviewed by Rev. Henry J. Boekhoven, Pastor of the First Christian Reformed Church of Kalamazoo, Mich,

The Zondervan Publishing House is engaged in presenting the Christian reader with first class material, among which the Dictionary of New Testament Theology (DNTT) takes top honors. The production of this originally German work in the English language is done in conjunction with the Paternoster Press in the United Kingdom. The DNTT is a vast undertaking for which the Zondervan House is to be complimented. Volume 1 appeared last year (sec my Book review in THE OUTLOOK of December 1976), the 2nd Volume came off the presses recently, and Volume 3 which will complete the DNTT, is scheduled to be published next year.

Our dictionary under review is not intended to be used by only theologians. Its content is arranged in such a way that the English reader can benefit from it greatly. The entries are listed in English—not Greek as one might expect—and 86 pages of indexes make all the data stored in the DNTT readily accessible. Volume 2 is written by 81 contributors. Although some of them are from the English speaking world, most of them arc German scholars. The General Editor is residing in Great Britain.

Generally all articles deal with information on the usage of words and concepts in classical Greek, in the Old Testament Greek translation, known as the Septuagint, in the Dead Sea Scrolls and intertestamentary period, and—of course—in the New Testament. Often the New Testament development is followed through the Gospels, the Pauline letters and the Pastoral letters. At times information from rabbinic literature is added.

The DNTT seems more conservative than Gerhard Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament which work is to consist of 10 large volumes. Begun in 1933 it is to completed soon. The German language set will consist of nearly 10,000 large pages. The DNTT will be less than 3,000 pages, and hence it is much more manageable. The editor and contributors have limited themselves in such a way that most information is readily available for private study and sermon preparation. 1 have used Volume 1 extensively over the past year and compared its content often with Kittel’s larger dictionary. Although 1 enjoyed using both works side by Side, 1 had to come to the conclusion that I favored the DNTT. The compactness of this work is a definite “plus,” especially when one learns that limitedness was acquired without sacrificing important detail.

I read through a goodly number of articles of Volume 2. In the entry on Jerusalem I noticed that the explanation of the name of the city—Foundation of Salem—was given in the light of “recent” discoveries. It makes one wonder what is meant by “recent,” since the El-Amarna tablets of 1887 are responsible for this interpretation of the name. Also, in the article on the Lord’s Supper interesting light is thrown on Jesus’ words, “This is My body.” Incidentally, I saw two typographical errors.

One may not agree with everything written in the DNTT, but that does not detract from the fact that this scholarly work will be appreciated for years to come by many who study their Bible seriously. The DNTT is a storehouse full of precious information; anyone who is willing to digest its content will greatly enhance his understanding of God’s Word.

MILLENNIAL STUDIES. A Search for Truth, by George L Murray. Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 207 pages, paperback, $2.95. Reviewed by the Rev. Peter De Boer, retired CRC minister, Edgerton, Minnesota.

Regarding the author the cover states, “Widely acknowledged as a scholar of unusual ability, George L. Murray was born in Scotland, emigrated to Canada after World War I, and prepared for the ministry at Presbyterian College, Montreal. He held pastorates in the United Presbyterian Church in the Boston area and taught History of Doctrine at Gordon College until his death.”

The influence of Darby and of Scofield upon much of American fundamentalism has been very great. A pre-millennial view of eschatology runs rampant in our country. In extreme cases one’s adherence to pre-millennialism has become the touchstone of orthodoxy. Over against this tide of premillennialism a book such as this fills a need. Baker’s have done well to bring out a new printing, the fifth since the book was first published in 1948.

The author has in mind the Christian reader whose outlook has been formed by the influence of dispensationalism and pre-millennialism. Realizing how difficult it is to shed pre-conceived notions, the writer carefully approaches the subject, trying to show that the dispensational view conflicts with Scripture, and that not the prebut the a-millennial view is the one of the Bible. I read the book with profit, found it enlightening find refreshing.

Murray shows himself a careful student of Scripture, comparing Scripture with Scripture. He exposits the Word, and lets the Word speak. His exegesis generally is excellent. However, I was not wholly satisfied with his treatment of the difficult chapter of Matthew 24 , as it occurs in chapter 9.

Heartily recommended. Especially for those that may have doubts about the a-millennial position. Easily read.

A WOMANS WORTH AND WORK, by Karen Helder De Vos. Baker Book House, 101 pp. Reviewed by Laurie Vanden Heuvel, Chino, California.

This is a small volume of one hundred pages divided into three chapters, but it represents a trend of thought which in some ways will enrich the life of the church, but in other ways will threaten her unity in the years which lie immediately ahead.

The first chapter is entitled, “What Do Feminists Wane’ In this chapter Mrs. De Vos delineates nine stereotypes of woman’s character and capabilities that the current women‘s liberation force is trying to abolish. In her own words, Mrs. De Vos’ purpose is to “sort out main issues from peripheral ones” in the movement and “suggest to what extent a Christian can or should, he accepting and working for the goals of the movement.” We laud her purpose for there have clearly been injustices committed against women and misunderstandings of her role in society.

There are however, serious problems with Mrs. De Vos’ solutions to those injustices and misunderstandings. In chapter two she examines the Biblical teaching regarding the roles of male and female in creation–their separate functions and also their relationship to each other. It is impossible in this brief review, to examine each point the author makes. But it may be stated that there is one main problem which surfaces with almost every point she makes. The author consistently identifies “inferior” with “subordinate” as it applies to a woman’s role in society. She goes to great lengths to establish the fact that Genesis does not portray woman as “inferior” to man. But with this the church has agreed for centuries. It is dear to everyone that female mental prowess does not have to stand in the shadow of male capabilities. The difference between male and female as God made them and spelled out their roles, was not in their intrinsic abilities, hut in their office. Man was to be the head and woman was to be the helper, particularly in the home and in the church, as the New Testament later develops in detail. When one confuses the issue by identifying “inferior” with “subordinate” as Mrs. De Vos has done, it makes the teaching of the church through the centuries regarding women appear most unfair and unworkable in today’s society, when actually that is not the case at all. Mrs. De Vos’ identification of these different ideas colors everything else she says in the book and forces her into conclusions which historic Christianity can never accept, particularly as they apply to office in the church and a woman’s role in tile home.

Mrs. De Vos appeals to the Scriptures in defense of her-arguments. However, in doing so, she often employs a “strained” if not actually a “faulty” exegesis. Specific teaching like I Timothy 2:11 which was clearly written on the matter of “subordination” rooted in the “creation order” and perpetuated in the “fall,” she will not deal with because “we do not understand it in its entirety” (p. 53). It is hard to understand this passage only if one rejects the basic premise of “subordination” on which it was written.

Her identification of “inferior” with “subordinate” also colors her interpretation of Jesus’ dealings with women. She draws conclusions which the gospel writers never intended should be drawn. New Testament injunctions regarding woman’s position she dismisses as culturally conditioned Imd this of course colors her interpretation of the role of women in the church. She opposes any distinction between men and women as it applies to their respective roles in the offices (minister, elder and deacon) of the church.

In her treatment of careers for married women and mothers, Mrs. De Vos gives a good analysis of domestic changes in today’s world which have given women more time in which to develop their talents. She draws on several portions of Scripture which do clearly support her points. She goes beyond Scripture however, 1) when she attempts to show that women were not necessarily intended to be homemakers. 2) When she attempts to show that a mother’s love and training can be adequately substituted in a good day care center. 3) When she attempts to show that the Bible teaches no physical differences of strength or weakness between male and female. The Bible clearly teaches that, 1) wives should be “keepers at home”; 2) Wives should (with their husbands) “train up a child in the way he should go”; 3) Wives are the “weaker vessel” (I Peter 3:7), leaving it to the doctors of medicine and psychiatry to define with more precision what that should mean. If a woman can fulfill these domestic and spiritual Biblical imperatives and still have time left over, she has the Biblical “green light” to develop whatever other talents lie latent within her.

In the third chapter, Mrs. De Vos answers the women’s liberation movement very Biblically on the matters of abortion and the permanency of marriage. She urges all Christian women to make extended use of the great variety of gifts which God has given them—a challenge which must not go unheeded.

GOD’S COVENANT, by G. K. Campbell. Presbyterian and Reformed Pub. Co., Nutley, N.J., 1974. 73 pp., paper, $1.50. Reviewed by Paul E. Bakker of Rock Valley, lowa.

According to the author this little book was written “to call attention to the basic significance of the concept of covenant,” a word that occurs over 300 times in the Bible.

Campbell clearly shows that God’s redemptive work for His people and His dealings with them are of a covenantal nature. He shows how that in the very beginning God dealt with Adam covenantally in what he has chosen to call the “Covenant of Life” (a title that he prefers to the “Covenant of Works,” as it is sometimes called). He then deals with “The Messianic Covenant,” the covenant made with Jesus Christ in order to undo consequences of Adam‘s disobedience of the covenant. Chapters four and five, the major part of the book, deal with “The Covenant of Redemption in Preparation” and “The Covenant of Redemption in Fulfillment.” These show the way in which man may return to covenant fellowship with God. That way is by faith in Christ who kept the covenant for us.

In contrast to dispensationalism the author shows that there is essentially one Covenant of Grace, or Covenant of Redemption as he prefers to call it, which is ill effect in both Old and New Testaments. He points out that while the new is superior to the old, yet it is essentially one with the old.

Campbell gives us much good Biblical instruction in this brief, yet comprehenSive, survey of the Biblical teaching concerning the covenant. He shows that “it is the covenant which brings God to us, or rather, brings us to God and maintains our knowledge of and fellowship with Him.” A good contribution to an important subject.