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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enthusiastic and Revitalizing., November 15, 2002
I was skeptical when I picked up this book, thinking it would be a beat-you-over-the-head diatribe about the evils of not reading the Bible. I was happily surprised to find the opposite. James MacDonald writes as if he was sitting across from you in the local Starbucks, talking about one of the most amazing things he's ever experienced in his life. His enthusiasm for the Bible is apparent in every page of his book, but it is far from being feel-good fluff: this book gives a solid foundational understanding of what the Bible is, where it came from, and why it should be an important part of each person's life. Even more, he gives practical advice about how to start reading and benefiting from it. But best of all, he presents the gospel message and encourages the reader to make a personal relationship with Jesus Christ the starting point of their study of the Bible. The primary audience for this book is people with little or no prior experience with the Bible, both people looking for answers and those with little interest in the Bible or Christianity. It seeks to convince them of the validity of the Bible as the very words of God and thus, something that all people should take seriously. But I read this book as a life-long Christian and received great benefit from it as well. Considering the Bible from a new angle was revitalizing to my appreciation of it and has renewed my respect for this amazing gift. I would highly recommend this book to Christians and non-Christians alike. The conversational style of writing makes this book suitable to read on one's own--it doesn't require a study group or a session with a pastor to understand and start applying the message. Read it--MacDonald's enthusiasm for the Bible is catching and will hopefully lead you to dive into the Scriptures in a life-changing way.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Informative and inspiring!, January 27, 2003
Although this book is probably most helpful for newcomers to the Bible, I found it quite interesting. I've been reading the Bible for about 10 years now. Pastor James, teaching pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows Illinois, does a good job of giving evidence for believing the Bible. He includes archeological evidence, and talks about the issue of number of manuscripts, etc. Some books that cover this material are much more lengthy and harder to read and understand. Anyone who is interested learning more about the subject would do well to read at least parts of "The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell. MacDonald also has a chapter on "Where Does the Bible Come From", where he touches on the canon, and how inferior writings were left out, and inspired writings were included. Pastor James make a point in that chapter that I really must disagree with. He makes the important point that the words of the Bible are not to be added to, or subtracted from. Which is good, but then he criticizes Bibles with Study Notes, and says that we should read THE BIBLE, and not what someone says about the Bible. Well, obviously, the Bible text itself is the important part, and I haven't seen a single Bible (and I own quite a few!) where the notes are indistinguishable from the Bible text itself, as Pastor James states. I do think Bibles with study notes are a HUGE help to many Bible-readers. I also really appreciate cross-references, which help me see that Jesus birth, death, and resurrection was foretold in so many parts of the Old Testament! The author also lets us know his distaste for all the special versions of the Bible out there - The Student Bible, The Seniors Devotional Bible, The Knowing Jesus Bible, The Life Promises Bible, the Beginner's Bible - those are ones that I personally have seen, not the ones that the author mentions. He thinks all these editions are just a marketing ploy, but I must respectfully disagree. The Bible text in these is the same (except for the children's Bibles - surely Pastor James doesn't really think that young children should wait til they can read the NASB to be able to get into God's Word!). I think that the author could've done a little better job about telling people WHAT to read in the Bible, after he gets them motivated with this book! He does recommend reading the gospel of John first, then 1,2,3 John, then another gospel. I think his recommendations would be better in a separate chart or an appendix or something, instead of having it as just another paragraph in the chapter. This may seem like a lot of criticism for a book I rated 4 stars! I really do think it's a great book to read - and to give to loved ones you care about who haven't yet begun the great adventure of reading God's Word and LIVING it! You might want to check out my other reviews of Christian books.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Introduction to the Bible, November 4, 2004
This review is from: God Wrote a Book (Paperback)
I gave this book three stars because it's good, but not excellent.
The Good Stuff:
It's easy to read and can be polished off in one sitting for the reader who has a few hours to spare. The author's style is conversational. So, reading this book seems like talking to a good friend.
It covers all of the common questions about the Bible, and provides good plausible answers.
It's upbeat and doesn't intimidate. So, it would be a good choice for the curious non-believer, the Christian who hasn't felt drawn or compelled to read the Bible, or the believer who isn't convinced that the Bible is a viable source for guidance and happiness.
Why Not Excellent?
The book only scratches the surface, which is okay for the audience I mentioned above. But it would leave a deep thinker wanting much more. So, if using this book to spread the Word, be prepared to offer a follow-up recommendation to the more philosophical seeker.
The author is not fond of the myriad of audience-focused Bibles that are available these days. (Men's, Women's, Teen's, "Farmer's", etc.) My feeling is that if they get a person to read God's Book, keep 'em coming! I personally have done youth ministry for over two decades. Teen Bibles, that can help point the young reader to verses that address issues in their lives, are tremendous.
The author warns against study Bibles that place commentary adjacent to Bible verses. I personally have grown in my understanding of the Word from using the Life Application Bible. The commentary can be insightful and can provide context that would otherwise be missed. I do think that other commentaries should be explored as well, especially for "difficult verses". The author seemed to discount the value of commentary entirely.
The author is a proponent of word-for-word Bible translations. As a Latin student (back in the day), I know that word-for-word translation of the Orations of Cicero to English would not have made a lot of sense to a modern or postmodern American. Keeping true to the text but conveying the original thought, in my mind, is a much more effective way to translate. NIV is my usual Bible translation of choice. However, the poetry and simplicity of "The Message" has been enjoyable and inspiring to my wife and me as well. A better recommendation would be to read parallel Bibles to compare word-for-word to thought-for-thought translations.
In Summary:
I would recommend this book for its style, content and brevity as an introductory evangelism tool to get folks to open and read the Bible. However, be prepared to discuss the book with your audience. And discuss the responsible opposing viewpoints that exist to some of the author's assertions. Three stars!
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