Books Worth Reading

Uncategorized

Here’s a list of books which are worth reading and which will help the serious Bible student understand and teach the Bible better. Most, if not all, are from a reformed perspective.

Biblical Theology

  • Geerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology (BoT)
  • Geerhardus Vos, The Pauline Eschatology (P+R)
    • Begins with a chapter on the two-age structure of Pauline eschatology. There’s this present evil age and the age to come, but the two ages overlap because Christ has inaugurated the age to come by his resurrection from the dead.
  • Geerhardus Vos, ‘The Eschatological Aspect of the Pauline Conception of the Spirit’ (article available online)

The works of Vos can be difficult to understand, but the following books are somewhat easier and worth reading. The books by Alexander and Goldsworthy are probably the easiest.

  • Greg Beale, A NT Biblical Theology (Baker)
  • Greg Beale, The Temple and the Church’s Mission (IVP Apollos)
  • Richard Gaffin, Resurrection and Redemption (P+R)
  • Desmond Alexander, From Eden to the New Jerusalem (IVP)
  • Desmond Alexander, The City of God and the Goal of Creation (Crossway)
  • Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Kingdom (Paternoster)

Other books in this category include the following:

  • Herman Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline of his Theology (Eerdmans)
  • Herman Ridderbos, The Coming of the Kingdom (P+R)
  • Meredith Kline, God, Heaven and Har Magedon (Wipf)
  • Stephen Dempster, Dominion and Dynasty (IVP Apollos)
  • L. Michael Morales, Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? (IVP Apollos)
    • A wonderful explanation of the book of Leviticus.
  • Samuel E. Waldron, The End Times Made Simple (Calvary Press Publishing)

Apologetics

  • Cornelius Van Til, Why I Believe in the Gospel (pamphlet available online)
  • Cornelius Van Til, The Intellectual Challenge of the Gospel (pamphlet available online)
  • Cornelius Van Til, ‘My Credo’ (essay available online)

Anything by Van Til is worth reading. Unfortunately his works are hard to understand, but the brief works above are a useful place to start. Moreover, his ideas have been popularised by the following authors. The article by Kruger and the book by Pratt are the easiest.

  • Greg Bahnsen, Van Til’s Apologetics (P+R)
    • This contains extracts from Van Til’s works with a commentary by Bahnsen.
  • Greg Bahnsen, Always Ready (Covenant Media Press)
  • Richard Pratt, Every Thought Captive (P+R)
  • Michael Kruger, ‘The Sufficiency of Scripture in Apologetics’ (article available online)
    • This provides a brief introduction to presuppositional apologetics.

Systematic Theology

  • Herman Bavinck, The Wonderful Works of God (Westminster Seminary Press)
    • This was once published as Our Reasonable Faith and is an easier read than his four-volume work.
  • Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics (4 vols, Baker)
    • Also abridged in one volume (Baker).

Covenant Theology

  • O. Palmer Robertson, The Christ of the Covenants (P+R)
    • Useful in showing how various Old Testament covenants fit into the one covenant of grace.
  • Richard P. Belcher, The Fulfillment of the Promises of God (Christian Focus Publications Mentor)

Public Worship

  • Ryken, Thomas, Duncan (eds), Give Praise to God (P+R)
    • We should read, preach, sing and pray God’s word.
  • D.G. Hart and John R. Muether, With Reverence and Awe (P+R)

Other

  • John Calvin, A Little Book on the Christian Life (Reformation Trust)
    • Anything by Calvin is worth reading, but this little book is a good place to start. It’s an extract from The Institutes.
  • Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism (Eerdmans)
  • Carl Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (Crossway)
    • Uses Rousseau, the Romantic poets, Nietzsche, Marx, Darwin and Freud to describe how we got where we are.
  • Melvin Tinker, That Hideous Strength: How the West was Lost (EP Books)
    • A popular-level primer on Cultural Marxism.
Published