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As far as Bible Studys go, the Covenant Bible Study Series is one of the most thought provoking. Instead of telling you exactly what to believe, this series teaches you how to interpret the scriptures. This Sermon on the Mount study guide is no exception. The study guide breaks the scripture down into "bite-size" chapters that are easy to approach. Each chapter is ended with application questions which challenge the reader to take the readings to a higher "thinking" level. The Sermon on the Mount study guide, along with others in the Covenant Bible Study Series, is a building block for reading the scriptures as well as learning to interpret the Bible. If you are looking to lead a Bible Study group or just expand on your own faith, this book is for you.
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Bowman explains some basic logical and interpretive principles and then digs into the differences between JW and Christian ways of looking at the same Bible passage. The JW's method of Bible interpretation is shown to be dictated by the Watchtower and Bible Tract Society.
Bowman examines the New World Translation of the JW's, their belief system, and their use of "Jehovah" as their name for God. He offers a sample, technical case study of interpreting Luke 23:43. The book closes with appendices on the New World Translation and a word study on "stake" vs "cross." Bowman also includes an excellent annotated bibliography.
Bowman's purpose is not to attack, but to help Jehovah's Witnesses find truth. Read his book and absorb his insights.
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This book is extremely useful for a number of reasons. It's obvious strength is its thorough treatment of four major apologetic methods; classical, evidential, presuppositional, and fideist. This book is the best in print in dispassionately presenting each view, its strengths and weaknesses, and how each view interacts with various apologetic issues and objections. The reader will gain a solid working knowledge of apologetic school of thought to reflect upon and possibly incorporate in their own approach to apologetics.
Second, this book provides one of the best summary level examinations of many prominent Christian thinkers throughout church history. Anybody who wants a good summary treatment on the thinking of folks like Pascal, Kierkegaard, Van Til, Clark, Kuyper, Barth, Craig, Plantinga, Geisler, Aquinas, and many others will find it here.
Third, their demonstration of how each apologetic system interacts with key issues such as science, theology, the Bible, Jesus Christ, etc is very informative. I found these examinations to be very insightful, since it impressed upon me the reality that evangelical Christianity is not at all monolithic in how it views the relationship of apologetics to these vital issues. Through this diversity of thought, I have found my own approach to apologetics expanded and challenged in a very healthy way.
Lastly, the authors truly invoke a spirit of Christian love throughout this book. The authors clearly hold to the view that great Christians can and have held to each apologetical method, and the authors have properly resisted any attempt to use apologetical method as a litmus test to judge the level of anyone's Christian walk. This is very refreshing, and is definitely a step in the right direction. While properly pointing out where certain thinkers in each camp have strayed from acceptable evangelicalism (Barth and his errant view of Scripture, Pinnock and his god of limited omniscience, etc), they affirm the value of each apologetic method and the thinkers who hold to each view.
At the end of the book, the authors attempt an integration of each method which I found helpful and balanced. The authors properly note that pure integration may not be possible, and might not be desirable either. I felt that the biggest strength of their integration approach was the belief that each apologetic method is useful for reaching certain people who hold certain objections or presuppositions, and that these apologetic approaches can be integrated somewhat with certain methods being more emphasized than others based upon the beliefs and views of the person we are in dialogue with.
The only weakness of the book is that while it does attempt to deal with tangible objections such as in the inspiration of Scripture, the deity of Christ, and the problem of evil, readers who are looking for comprehensive apologetic responses to these issues may not be satisfied by what's here. This is a book that deals with apologetic method, and while it does show how each method generally responds to these kind of objections and issues, the reader will not really find a systematic treatment here, although I should stress that what is covered in these areas is very helpful.
But since this is not really the thrust of the book, I do not see it as a weakness of the book worthy of demoting the 5 star rating I've given it. This is a thoroughly researched book which in my view, presents the best contemporary treatment of apologetic methods in a spirit of Christian love that will hopefully serve as a model for further development of respectful apologetic method in the future. A well done book that is highly recommended.
The text is mapped out in such a way that it divides the various apologetic 'tasks' into 4 areas or parts. First, apologetics as 'proof.' Second, apologetics as 'defense.' Third, apologetics as 'offense.' And fourth, apologetics as 'persuasion.' Each part carries its own weight when dealing with certain areas or aspects of the task of apologetics. For instance, apologetics as 'proof' takes various thinkers, approaches, and worldviews and delineates them in detail for the reader. Further, a thinker is given, say, B.B. Warfield, his thoughts, writings, and methods are examined and exposited, and then his approach is described and demonstrated for the reader. This is the trend in all four parts.
The authors also cover the role of philosophy in apologetics, which I might add, is a very important role. Thank you for its inclusion, this makes for an important read. Moreover, once all the various thinkers/scholars are examined, the authors take their reader to what is called the 'integrated approach.' It seems interesting that the integrative approach is applied predominantly by/to reformers or those who adhere to what is known in philosophical circles as reformed epistemology. Nonetheless, this approach is examined along with its adherents.
Finally, the book also includes a few very nice extra features such as apologetic web sites, a further study section, lists of tables and charts, a name index, subject index and Scripture index. I have enjoyed reading this text, and it should be pointed out that it is written in a style of a reference text, so the reader can read 'at' it if the intent is to find a particular thing, or the text can be read from cover to cover. Either way, the book makes for good reading, I highly recommend this text.
Frankly, the reviewer could not have been more wrong. Boa and Bowman defend each of the four approaches as valid and helpful in their own right. They go out of their way to point out ways in which various apologists do not fit neatly into one category. For example, they suggest that William Lane Craig is a classical apologist with evidentialist leanings, and that Alvin Plantinga is a Reformed apologist with classical leanings.
When Boa and Bowman come to discuss the integration of the four major approaches, they state very plainly, "we do not claim that our proposals should be accepted as _the_ final integrative approach" (p. 509). Or again, "We do not wish to be interpreted as proposing a 'new approach' or a comprehensive approach that definitively unites them. Indeed, we are not sure that this is possible or even desirable" (p. 535). Instead, the authors recommend that apologists take whatever approach they find most compelling and then strengthen that approach by learning from the other approaches.
This is the first book that presents sympathetically the apologetic thinking of such disparate thinkers as C. S. Lewis, Richard Swinburne, Cornelius Van Til, Karl Barth, and Francis Schaeffer. There simply isn't another book like it.
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Please, do yourself a favor and read this book & Dr. Denmark's book "Every child should have a chance". She explains the study that led to back sleeping & the incident that led to the Reye's Syndrom / Aspirin Connection. (Their is no connection!!)
Dr. Denmark is a gift to this world, but especially a gift to all mothers. I thank God every day that I learned about her. I even call her on the phone from time to time when I have a problem with my child's health that I can't solve on my own.
THANK YOU DR. DENMARK, FOR EVERYTHING!!!
[...]
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"Matthew 28:19 reads: "Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Do those verses say that God, Christ, and the holy spirit constitute a Trinitarian Godhead, that the three are equal in substance, power, and eternity? No, they do not, no more than listing three people, such as Tom, Dick, and Harry, means that they are three in one. This type of reference, admits McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, "PROVES ONLY THAT THERE ARE THREE SUBJECTS NAMED, . . . BUT IT DOES NOT PROVE, BY ITSELF, THAT ALL THREE BELONG NECESSARILY TO THE DIVINE NATURE, AND POSSESS EQUAL DIVINE HONOR." Although a supporter of the Trinity, that source says of 2 Corinthians 13:13 (14): "WE COULD NOT JUSTLY INFER THAT THEY POSSESSED EQUAL AUTHORITY, OR THE SAME NATURE." And of Matthew 28:18-20 it says: "THIS TEXT HOWEVER, TAKEN BY ITSELF, WOULD NOT PROVE DECISIVELY EITHER THE PERSONALITY OF THE THREE SUBJECTS MENTIONED OR THEIR EQUALITY OR DIVINITY."" (McClintock and Strong: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol x, p. 552, as quoted in, Should you believe the Trinity?, Watchtower publication)
WHAT THE QUOTE REALLY SAYS:
The texts relating to the doctrine of the Trinity may be divided into two classes - those in which the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are mentioned in connection, and those in which these three subjects am mentioned separately, and in which their nature and mutual relation are more particularly described. 1. The first class of texts, taken by itself, PROVES ONLY THAT THERE ARE THREE SUBJECTS NAMED, and that there is a difference between them; that the Father in certain respects differs from the Son, etc.; BUT IT DOES NOT PROVE, BY ITSELF, THAT ALL THREE BELONG NECESSARILY TO THE DIVINE NATURE, AND POSSESS EQUAL DIVINE HONOR. In proof of this, the second class of texts must be adduced. The following texts are placed in this [first] class: Mt 28:18-20. THIS TEXT HOWEVER, TAKEN BY ITSELF, WOULD NOT PROVE DECISIVELY EITHER THE PERSONALITY OF THE THREE SUBJECTS MENTIONED, OR THEIR EQUALITY OR DIVINITY. ... 2 Cor. 13:14, " The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and beloved of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Here we might infer, from the parallelism of the third member of the passage with the two former, the personality of the Holy Spirit; but WE COULD NOT JUSTLY INFER THAT THEY POSSESSED EQUAL AUTHORITY, OR THE SAME NATURE. John 14:26 offers three different personal subjects ... Mt 3:16-17, has been considered a very strong proof text for the whole doctrine of the Trinity. But though three personal subjects are mentioned ... 2. We now turn to the second class of texts, viz. those in which the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are separately mentioned and in which their nature and essential relation are taught. These texts prove (a) that the Son and Holy Spirit, according to the doctrine of the New Testament, are divine, or belong to the one divine nature; and (b) that the three subjects are personal and equal ... The Deity of Christ: To prove the deity of Christ we present three classes of texts (McClintock and Strong: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol x, Trinity, p 552).
Given the difficulty of claiming to uphold Scripture and yet deny the Trinity, it is no surprise that JWs will resort to lying by selective quotation to argue their point. As a biblical doctrine, the Trinity relies not on a handful of "proof texts" as used by JWs, but on the entire corpus of the Bible, Old and New Testaments. One does not see the word "Trinity" in the Bible, nor is the immanent Trinity defined, but one can fully apprehend the economic Trinity in Sripture: the Father redeems mankind through His Mediator, Jesus Christ, in the communion with the Holy Spirit. Arians can do no more than grasp at straws. Glory to God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of ages.
The book has 10 chapters:
1). Understanding the Trinity
2). The Bible and the Trinity
3). The Church and the Trinty
4). Will the Real Polytheists Please Stand Up?
5). Is Jesus a Creature?
6). Does the Bible Deny That Jesus Is God?
7). Jesus Christ Is God
8). Is the Holy Spirit a Force?
9). Trinitarianism in the New Testament
10). Worship God as He has Revealed Himself
Bowman demonstrates how the WT has dishonestly handled scholarly sources and misrepresented the early church fathers and their view of Christ. He also addresses the Watchtower's misunderstanding of this doctrine, which results in their typical "straw man" argumentation.
The book is not a difficult read, and it deals with many of the objections JWs have and offers answers for them.
There is a scripture index for easy reference and a recommended reading section for those interested in doing more research on the Trinity.
Unfortunately, most JWs will not take the time to do their own research in an attempt to understand all this doctrine really entails. They remain content to accept the "straw man" version set up by their organization.
Consider the following quotes from Bowman' book:
"As we shall see, nearly all of the arguments brought against the Trinity by JWs depend to some extent on misunderstanding the Trinity."(p.15)
"To say that the Trinity cannot be understood likewise is imprecise, or at least open to misinterpretation. Trinitarian theologians do not mean to imply that the Trinity is unintelligible nonsense. Rather, the point they are making is that the Trinity cannot be fully fathomed, or comprehended, by the finite mind of man. There is a difference between gaining a basically correct understanding of something and having a complete, comprehensive, all-embracing, perfect understanding of it. The way many other theologians would express this difference is to say that the Trinity can be understood, or 'apprehended,' but not 'comprehended.'
Some of the scholarly sources quoted in the JW booklet makes this very point. For example, the Encyclopedia Americana, which the booklet quotes as saying that the Trinity is 'beyond the grasp of human reason,' does make that statement, but in this context:
It is held[by trinitarians] that although the doctrine is beyond the grasp of human reason, it is, like many of the formulations of physical science, not contrary to reason, and may be apprehended(though it may not be comprehended) by the human mind." (pp.16,17)
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Bowman considers E. W. Kenyon to be the grandfather, not father, of the Word-Faith (W-F) movement because he considers it to be essentially a Pentecostal movement since the W-F movement’s primary “father”, Kenneth Hagin, was Pentecostal, unlike Kenyon (but he also considers William Branham and Oral Roberts to be contributing “fathers” to the W-F movement in various ways). He also thinks that Hagin contributed certain doctrines to the movement that Kenyon didn't teach. Bowman thinks the W-F movement is an extreme Pentecostalism, or a Pentecostalism “at it’s worst”. One must keep in mind, however, that there are various definitions of what constitutes “Pentecostal” and “Charismatic”. Technically, the former is applied strictly to those who believe that speaking in other tongues is the sole “initial evidence” of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. In other words, if one doesn’t speak in tongues, then one HASN’T been baptized in the Holy Spirit. This is the position of classical Pentecostal denominations such as the Assemblies of God (A/G), the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world. Those who reject this position but still believe that speaking in tongues is for today, along with the other charismatic gifts of the Spirit, are generally categorized as “Charismatic”. Kenneth Hagin was once affiliated with the A/G, but left the denomination to become “independent” or “non-denominational”. Although Hagin is a classical Pentecostal, I personally don’t think that the “initial evidence” position of Hagin is integral to the W-F movement & its theology. There are many in the W-F movement that are Charismatic, not Pentecostal. Bowman occasionally uses a broader definition of “Pentecostal” than the more technical definition related to the “initial evidence” position which he considers a “hard-line view” (pg. 62), rejected by such men as F. F. Bosworth, author of “Christ the Healer”.
Bowman considers the W-F views on healing and prosperity to be the least problematic aspects of their theology (pg. 11), but I tend to think that their distinctive theology was formulated to reinforce the movement’s views on healing and prosperity. The doctrines of healing and prosperity as available in this life through “faith” are the “positive” motivating force of the movement regardless of the distinctive aberrant theology just as they are the thrust of the New Thought movement with its “positive” message regardless of its pantheism and/or panentheism. It is not surprising that the New Thought authors noted above consider Norman Vincent Peale and Robert Schuller as promoters of some of New Thought’s ideas on positive/possibility thinking although neither Peale nor Schuller is a pantheist or even a Pentecostal or Charismatic....
I consider this to be the most significant critique of the Word-Faith movement published to-date.
As in his other books, Robert Bowman Jr demonstrates his ability to present all sides of a complex issue with great clarity - as well as with gentleness and respect. In the process, he carefully documents why he considers the Word-Faith movement to be "neither soundly orthodox nor thoroughly heretical."
Bowman also evaluates books that denounce the Word-Faith movement - books that have become standard works of reference on which many Christians have based their own views regarding the controversy. They include, for example, D.R. McConnell's "A Different Gospel," and Hank Hanegraaff's "Christianity in Crisis." If you have read these books on the Word-Faith movement, I highly recommend you read Bowman's book as well. (As the Bible says, "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him." - Proverbs 18:17 NIV)
Because of Bowman's gentle, reasoned, and well-documented approach, I feel as comfortable sharing this book with friends in the Word-Faith movement as I do recommending it to the movement's critics.
Highy recommended!