Essential Books

The books I use all the time are Theological Dictionary of the NT, A Greek-English Lexicon of the NT and Other Early Christian Literature. I also have a variety of Bible dictionaries. I would spend your money on good refernce books. Good books are expensive but are cheaper in the long run. You will use good books over and over. In fact I have some that are falling apart. While others I bought when I didn't know much have just collected dust.

I have A Greek-English Lexicon of the NT and Other Early Christian Literature. Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell & Scott, A Patristic Greek Lexicon by G.W.H. Lampe and Vocabulary of the Greek Testament. Those four books cover a lot of time. I use them a lot to see how words were used by different groups of people and how they were used over time. I am not left toi the biases of a particular theologian that may or may not be good. Some theologians are good at slanting the truth and others are very good at revealing the evidence.

I use a concordnace regularly to see how words are used in a context.

Good grammars are extremely valuable. They will go where many commentaries stop. Too often publishing companies want a certain size print, cost and number of pages so the book will sell. Too often commentaries do not deal much with grammatical issues. But an excellent grammar will. I have Greek Grammars by A.T. Robertson, Dan Wallace, William Mounce, and Blass and DeBrunner. Along with several other grammars and resources for Hebrew.

Over the years I have purchased books that go into the historical background of the books of the Bible. I find that if I understand the context well the rest is easy.

There are a number of books that are good. But there are many more that are not worth the paper they are written on.

 

Great suggestions so far. Let us not forget, however, the minister side of our calling. With that in mind, I would suggest the following:

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• Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity by Eugene Peterson</font>
• Under the Predictable Plant: An Exploration in Vocational Holiness by Eugene Peterson</font>
• The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen</font>
• The Christian Pastor by Wayne Oates</font>
• Pastoral Leadership by Robert Dale</font>
• almost anything by Philip Yancey, but especially What's So Amazing About Grace? and Where is God When it Hurts?</font>
• almost anything Max Lucado, but especially Traveling Light and When God Whispers Your Name</font>
• If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, by John Ortberg</font>

Not a list of "scholars," and by no means an authoritative list, but a list of essential books, in my humble opinion.

Also, a professor of mine said that he was challenged by a mentor to read at least one biography a year. That sounds like sound advice to me, and I may try that myself.

 

Strong's Concordance
Theological Wordbook (OT)
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology


I love commentaries and have a few sets that I'm into every week.

Lange's Commentary
Pulpit Commentary
The Preachers Homiletic Commentary
Matthew Henry
JFB
the old Expositor's Bible
also Gaebelein's Expositors Bible Commentary
Barnes Notes
Wycliffe Commentary on whole Bible

and of course many individual titles on various books of the Bible