Customer Reviews

Genesis

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have enjoyed this three volume set. You cannot take this book and read it like a novel. The subject requires much study and research even though the book provides the scripture.
He does a great job handling Genesis chapter 6. This very difficult chapter is put forth quite well by Moses! Most authors and especially expositors read right over the words in an effort to avoid the contoversy. Feature this: we read how God created the Heavens and the Earth with one word yet have a hard time with chapter six. The controversy is put forth by those that WILL NOT believe what the Bible says. Brother Boice handles the topic just as God breathed it to a cloud of Biblical writers!
The genealogy sections of Genesis are given meaning and are not boring. He does an excellent job of integrating the people and the stories into the New Testement. I cannot imagine having a serious study of Genesis and NOT reading this book! But be ready, it took me three months to finish the first 11 chapters! This set shall remain one of my most valued references in my library.

Boice was the model of scholarly pastor -- BA Harvard; MDiv. Princeton Seminary; PhD Basel Switzerland. He spent his entire ministry at one church (30 years at 10th Presbyterian), in the city he loved and grew it to thousands.

I have used his commentaries now in Ephesians, Acts, Genesis, and John, and in my opinion his NT work tends to be less moralistic and more Christ-Centered than his OT work.

Nevertheless, his exegesis is always thorough, readable, theologically solid. And the hardcover edition by Baker is packaged nicely. This set is definitely worth having, but you will want to supplement it with something like Allen Ross (more technical), Iain Duguid (more focused on covenant theology), and Waltke (more theologically rich).

Generally Boice is a very helpful writer, and I thought his book "Standing on the Rock" is an excellent defence of Biblical inerrancy.

[...] he's disappointing on a literal Genesis, [...] I think it's serious enough to deduct two stars. NOT because it's wrong (although it is), but because of his REASONS for rejecting a straightforward exegesis.

On Vol. 1 p. 57-62, he writes:

`We have to admit here [concerning those who take the six days of Creation as literal days] that the exegetical basis [the arguments from the words of Scripture] of the creationists is strong. ... In spite of the careful biblical and scientific research that has accumulated in support of the creationists' view, there are problems that make the theory wrong to most (including many evangelical) scientists. ... Data from various disciplines point to a very old earth and even older universe.'

I.e. unlike everywhere else in the Bible, where he insists on the primacy of Scripture, here he is admitting that he is, in effect, adopting the primacy of 'science' (really the uniformitarian *interpretation* of data) and reinterpreting Scripture to fit.