The Scribe's Portion

"The Baker Compact Dictionary  of Biblical Studies" By Tremper Longman III  & Mark L. Strauss I am pleased with this little book! Though small in size (about pocket size) it contains a good amount of word/phrase definitions. Apart from biblical terms, it also contains the names of significant Biblical scholars and people, places and items that are relevant to Bible studies.  I was surprised to find words in here that I couldn't find in my bigger, main Bible dictionary I use frequently, so this is a big plus. This small dictionary is a great supplement to your Bible Studies whether you're a layperson, minister or student. This is by no means exhaustive but it does come in handy when you may need to look up a quick word. The back cover claims to have over 500 terms and topics. This is little pocket dictionary has become my favorite go-to Bible dictionaries and do recommend it.  I received a copy of this book from Baker Books in exc...

"The Cross and Christian Ministry: Leadership Lessons from 1 Corinthians" By D.A. Carson I enjoy Carson's studies and this book is no exception. In the Cross and Christian Ministry, Carson takes through the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus and what it means to the Christian leader.  Through a series of expository essays, Carson exposes the problems of the "worldly" Christian and using 1 Corinthians as the basis for this study, brings into the light the full meaning of the cross in ministry.  The 5 chapters each present an area where the message of the cross impacts both the individual Christian life and the leader in ministry. I recommend this book for all who enjoy a great bible study as myself. The chapters include: Cross and preaching, the Holy Spirit, Factionalism, Christian Leadership, and the world Christian.  I received a copy of this book from Baker Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed ...

"50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith: A Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology" By Gregg R. Allison As a ministry student taking theology courses at the moment, this book could not have come at a better time! I'm extremely happy with this invaluable resource. Dr. Gregg Allison has done an astounding work for the minister, the Bible teacher, ministry student, and the new Christian.  This is not a book you read through like a novel in 3 days but should be carefully studied alongside the Bible. It's lengthy (about 410 pages). Dr. Allison provides explanations on 50 main beliefs of the Christian faith. The chapters are broken down into 8 sections: Doctrine of the Word of God, Doctrine of God,  Doctrine of God's Creatures, Doctrine of God the Son, Doctrine of God the Holy Spirit, Doctrine of Salvation, Doctrine of the Church, and Doctrine of Future Things.  The chapters are not super long(which is good). At the beginning of each chapter...

"Disappear Church: From Cultural Relevance to Gospel Resilience" By Mark Sayers I had been eyeing this book for a while until I finally requested it for review and I'm glad I did. It's a small, short book (some 170 pages) but jam-packed with relevant observations about the state of the Christian Church today. I could not stop myself from nodding in agreement as I thumbed through the book. I agree with the author's opinions.  The author discusses how the Western Church has assimilated practices, ideologies, philosophies, and mentalities from the secular world. In an effort to be "relevant" to the modern age, the Church has adopted modern practices in order to attract the crowd. Sayers argues that the church has exchanged its firm roots in sound Biblical doctrine to embrace the world in order to remain "relevant" to the modernizing culture.  Sayers discusses in the first 4 chapters how the church has fallen. Chapters 5-10, ...

"Phoebe's Light" By Suzanne Woods Fisher As a lover of historical fiction, I eagerly looked forward to reading this novel. I was not disappointed with this first installment of the Nantucket Legacy by Suzanne Woods Fisher.  Set in late 18th century Nantucket Island, the protagonist, Phoebe Starbuck (great-granddaughter of the famed Great Mary Coffin) sets on a whaling voyage with her newly-wedded husband, the respected, Captian Phineas Foulger. Phoebe is in for many surprises, albeit, not great ones; life-changing nonetheless. (This is all I will spoil).  The story runs at just the right pace, not too slow nor too fast. Suzanne brings to life the famed whaling island during the times when Quakers populated Nantucket. The story takes you back to the 17th century though glimpses of Mary Coffin's journal and it's a treat.  I knew next to nothing about Nantucket, so while reading the novel I did a little research and found the island to be abs...