Recommended Books for New Believers.

[1689Dave]

I have his When I Survey, Righteous By Faith Alone, and In The Sanctuary. Also, as I mentioned in post #6 I have his Wonder of Grace.

I have his son Homer's book The Voice Of Our Fathers.

All of the above are enriching, Bible-centered material.

I think the PRC has lots of truth. I studied under Englesma's bible study and learned much. But the Baptists have it right on Church polity.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

I don't reckon I can round out a full top 10, but I know C.S Lewis would be near the top. I'll be a little strange here and add in a couple hymnbooks to sing and meditate on the lyrics. I'd also add LOTR. I think there's a lot of lessons in there for Christians.

1. Mere Christianity - C.S Lewis
2. Screwtape Letters - C.S Lewis
3. The Sweet Songster - Edward W Billups
4. The Goble Hymnal - D.H Goble
5. The Lord of the Rings (Trilogy) - J.R.R Tolkien

 

[kyredneck]

Whether you call it the Second Temple Period or the Intertestamental Period, a good book on those times is a great help, in my opinion.

FYI, it's Alfred Edersheim not Albert. (starting to show my age)

 

[AustinC]

I don't reckon I can round out a full top 10, but I know C.S Lewis would be near the top. I'll be a little strange here and add in a couple hymnbooks to sing and meditate on the lyrics. I'd also add LOTR. I think there's a lot of lessons in there for Christians.

1. Mere Christianity - C.S Lewis
2. Screwtape Letters - C.S Lewis
3. The Sweet Songster - Edward W Billups
4. The Goble Hymnal - D.H Goble
5. The Lord of the Rings (Trilogy) - J.R.R Tolkien

Lewis and Tolkien are fun reads, but their theology is not great. It's like reading AW Tozer. It's a nice read, but the faulty free will theology makes their work philosophy rather than theology.

 

[Yeshua1]

I agree that there is too much shallow christian theology, coming from books and the pulpit! However, it takes time to teach someone up to certain level. In the same way that we don't start at the university level before we understand high school level first. A foundation needs to be established before it can be built upon.

John Stott, J.I. Packer, R.C. Sproul etc are by no means "Chick Track" writers.

best advise to give newly saved is to start reading and applying the Bible, as too many of us fall into the trap of reading Calvin, Grudem, Stott, Packer etc, but neglect reading bible really well!

 

[Yeshua1]

Louis Berkof's systematic theology is an exceptional work, and is why it is still so widely used.

I chose Essential Truths of the Christian Faith as it is a bit more manageable than a full ST but was also considering Wayne Grudems Systematic Theology/ Bible Doctrine

He is very good, but be cautious on the areas of eternal subordination and Charismatic gifts today, especially his take on prophetic gifts!

 

[Marooncat79]

FYI, it's Alfred Edersheim not Albert. (starting to show my age)

I got grandkids older than you!

hahaha

 

[Yeshua1]

It is the Holy Spirit that teaches, not you. You are judging people by your own inabilities. Give them a dictionary and turn them loose on some real food. You'll be surprised.

We do not start out though getting saved and then right into digest Calvin Institutes!

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

Lewis and Tolkien are fun reads, but their theology is not great. It's like reading AW Tozer. It's a nice read, but the faulty free will theology makes their work philosophy rather than theology.

Nothing wrong with a bit of free will. Got lots of Free Will Baptist friends .

In any event, Lewis is able to make complex thoughts simple, which is great for new believers. I know that as a new believer both of the Lewis books were extremely valuable. To your point though, I agree you wouldn't want to base all aspects of your theology upon Lewis or Tolkien.

I find Tolkien valuable for new converts as the arduous journey and perseverance in it explains Christian life well.

 

[kyredneck]

I got grandkids older than you!

hahaha

...you must be bery bery old...

 

[Mikey]

best advise to give newly saved is to start reading and applying the Bible, as too many of us fall into the trap of reading Calvin, Grudem, Stott, Packer etc, but neglect reading bible really well!

This is true.

 

[Iconoclast]

Right with God-John Blanchard
Know your Christian life-Sinclair Ferguson
Profiting from the Word-A.W. Pink
Sovereignty of God-Pink
Zondervan Pictoral Bible Dictionary
Manual of Theology-J.L.Dagg
Matthew Henry one Volume Bible commentary
Abstract of Principles-Boyce
Redemption Accomplished and Applied-John Murray
Spiritual Mindedness-John Owen

 

[RipponRedeaux]

Manual of Theology-J.L.Dagg

With all my travelling internationally and trying to take most of my library with me, some get lost in the process. I think I had that book at one time. Dagg was unique. He kept it basic by citing and explaining Bible truths. He had no footnotes nor did he cite the works of others.

 

[Yeshua1]

This is true.

Would also have them buy the new Bible Dictionary as first standard reference book!

 

[RipponRedeaux]

Would also have them buy the new Bible Dictionary as first standard reference book!

I have the 1989 edition of NIV Compact Dictionary Of The Bible. At 668 pages (plus maps) it has served me well. I paid a whopping two bucks for it.

 

[thomas15]

Know what you believe - Paul Little
Basic Christianity - John Stott
The Incomparable Christ - J. Oswald Sanders
Halleys Bible Handbook
Strongs Concordance
The New International Bible Dictionary
Moody Handbook of Theology - Paul Enns
Through the Bible (complete 5 volumes) - J. Vernon McGee
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Believers Bible Commentary - William MacDonald
OR The Bible Knowledge Commentary - (2 volume set) - Walvoord & Zuck
MacArthur Study Bible
Thompson Chain Study Bible
Be Series Commentaries - (buy for individual Bible books as needed) - Warren Wiersbe
Life Application Bible Commentaries - (buy for individual Bible books as needed)


Buy to place on your shelf because everyone has it but you will never read it...
Knowing God - J.L. Packer
Anything written by R.C. Sproul
Institutes of the Christian Religion - John Calvin
Systematic Theology - Louis Berkhof

 

[kyredneck]

place on your shelf because everyone has it but you will never read it...

...probably applies to most of the books mentioned here...

 

[37818]

There is a spectrum of books which can be recommended. Typically when I witness to someone nowadays, I write the Bible reference 1 John 5:9-13 on an index card. Of course affirming the person owns a Bible. And if I recommend reading it is the gospel of John in the New Testament.

 

[RipponRedeaux]

Believers Bible Commentary - William MacDonald

My first church background growing up was Plymouth Brethren. I read a lot of MacDonald's material, especially from 17 to my early 20s. I met and spoke with him at a Bible Conference in the late 1970s. I respected him very much.

 

[RipponRedeaux]

Buy to place on your shelf because everyone has it but you will never read it...
Knowing God - J.L. Packer
Anything written by R.C. Sproul
Institutes of the Christian Religion - John Calvin
Systematic Theology - Louis Berkhof

I have read Packer's book several times over --especially the revised edition.
I read at least a half dozen RCS books in the early to mid 1980s. I haven't read them since then, tough I do have them on my shelves.
With regard to Calvin's Institutes ,I have read the abridgement, as I mentioned in my first post of this thread.
The two major works of Systematic Theology that I value highly are : A New Systematic Theology Of The New Testament by Robert L. Reymond, and Systematic Theology : Biblical and Historical by Robert Duncan Culver. The text of the latter is 1156 pages (plus100 pages of bibliography, index etc.) and I have read every single one assiduously. I have re-read many of his pages to my immense comfort and edification. I bought that one in 2007. I don't know the year I bought Reymond's, probably around 2000. I have read it all and refer to it often, with a lot underlined.