Ask any Bible teacher out there what the best commentaries on the Psalms are and it is likely you are going to stump them. It isn’t as though there aren’t plenty of commentaries available, it is just that most of them are not always all that helpful or all that exegetically conscience. Now that doesn’t mean there are not exceptions to this generalization, however, it does seem to be the norm.

Enter in Allen P. Ross’ A Commentary on the Psalms: Volume 1 (1-41). In a lot of ways Ross’ work is much more than a commentary. Of the 928 pages in the book nearly 20% of this volume is made of introductory matters. These pages do not detract from the book, however, give it a great introduction! The topics Ross covers include:

• The Value of the Psalms
• Text and Ancient Versions of the Psalms
• Titles and Headings of the Psalms
• History of the Interpretation of the Psalms
• Interpreting Biblical Poetry
• Literary Forms and Functions in the Psalms
• Psalms in Worship
• Theology of the Psalms
• Expositions of the Psalms

These chapters are extremely helpful and valuable and make the purchase of the book worth while, especially the chapters on literary forms and on theology.

Once Ross gets to the individual Psalms themselves he breaks each Psalm chapter down into an introduction looking at the text and textual variants, the composition and context, and an exegetical analysis. From there he moves to a commentary of the text followed then by the message and application of the Psalm. This structure is helpful and is welcomed.

Overall I believe this to be a welcomed addition to the commentaries that already exist on the Psalter. Unfortunately it is only volume 1. We will have to wait for the other volumes.

FTC Rhetoric: I do not receive payment for my book reviews. I do sometimes receive free review and giveaway copies from authors, publishers, and publicists. My first responsibility is to my readers, therefore, I am committed to honest reviews.

The 40 Questions and Answers Series from Kregel has been a tremendous help to me. I’ve previously benefited from both 40 Questions About Elders and Deacons by Benjamin Merkle and 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible by Robert Plummer. Kregel has also published 40 Questions About Christians and the Law by Tom Schreiner. The most recent book in the series though is 40 Questions About the End Times by Eckhard Schnabel. Continue Reading →

Do you have family members that are skeptical about your faith? What about co-workers? Do you talk about Jesus and people give you the “that is good for you but not me” line? If you answered no to any of those questions one of two things is true; (1) you don’t talk to people or (2) you are lying to yourself. Sharing your faith with family, friends, and co-workers will typically invoke a skeptical response. Bill Foster has given us a great little guide to help with these types of conversations, Meet the Skeptic: A Field Guide to Faith Conversations.

The book is broken up into five primary sections:

1. The Meet-The-Skeptic-Model Overview
2. Spiritual Skepticism in a Nutshell
3. Moral Skepticism in a Nutshell
4. Scientific Skepticism in a Nutshell
5. Biblical Skepticism in a Nutshell

One of the more helpful pieces in this book is toward the beginning in a section called “Speak Their Language.” Foster discusses how unhelpful it is to converse with skeptics using technical and theological language. There are words and phrases that are necessary but Foster is helpful in providing a way that you could clarify these words as well.

For example, what does “born again” really mean? When we say “A person must be born again in order to get to heaven” the skeptic hears; “A desperate person needs a mystical or emotional experience in order to gain a sense of purpose.” To clarify what “born again” means will help with their understanding of the term. There are a variety of these terms that Foster helps to clarify for the reader in order that the reader be better prepared for faith conversations.

Along with this book there is also an accompanying leaders guide and workbook. These make this a good curriculum for small group and Sunday School settings. Below are some links to additional sources.

• Meet the Skeptics Website | LINK
• Meet the Skeptics Workbook | LINK
• Meet the Skeptics Leaders Guide | LINK

Check out the trailer for Meet the Skeptics

FTC Rhetoric: I do not receive payment for my book reviews. I do sometimes receive free review and giveaway copies from authors, publishers, and publicists. My first responsibility is to my readers, therefore, I am committed to honest reviews.