15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely valuable, important, and relevant - a must read, July 3, 2005
This review is from: Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament (Paperback)
Professor Kaiser has given us a remarkably clear, helpful and desperately needed tutorial about how to rightly divide the part of the Scriptures we call the Tanach (Old Testament).
This text is simply a must read for anyone who takes the Bible seriously. Professor Kaiser outlines each type of literature found in the Tanach. He gives valuable insights into how to read and teach, for example, poetry, as opposed to historical narrative. I was amazed at how application-oriented the book is the author is not interested in weighting you down with hermeneutical jargon. Yet he manages to convey important hermeneutical principles and even provides examples.
I was also very happy to see a defense if you will of why the Tanach is important for Christians. Too often Churches ignore the incredible importance of the Tanach; it is the basis of the New Testament. While most do not go to the level of the heretic of Marcion, as Christians we rob ourselves of our rich Biblical history by not taking the time to dig deep into the origins of our faith.
If you have ever felt intimidated about the Tanach, and thought it was too complicated or antiquated to read and understand and apply to your life, I encourage you to read this book. Professor Kaiser has an uncanny ability to explain how to handle the books of the Tanach. The text is not exhaustive, but gives some very helpful principles that is sure to strengthen your faith because you will be able to learn more from the Tanach. I would also strongly suggest that Messianic believers take a serious look at this book; there is a lot of information in here too.
Don't be fooled into thinking this work should be enjoyed only by teachers/preachers. Anyone who has a desire to better understand the Bible will find this a very helpful book. There are sections that discuss how to expound upon the Scriptures, but the majority of the book is still applicable.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Encouraging Pastors to Preach the OT, March 24, 2009
This review is from: Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament (Paperback)
Walt Kaiser observes, "Instead of receiving the Old Testament with gratitude as a gift from God, all too many in Christ's church view it as an albatross around the necks of contemporary Christians. They struggle with questions like these: What is the significance of the Old Testament for us today? Why should believers even bother with the Old Testament now that we have the New Testament?"
Kaiser recognizes the problem that is afoot in much of the contemporary church which essentially causes us to be Bible-believing evangelical redactors. We treat the Old Testament like it is somehow less than the inspired Word of God.
To help against this not only unhealthy but unbiblical thinking, Kaiser wrote Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament: A Guide for the Church.
Kaiser includes four big reasons why preachers and teachers need to spend time in the Old Testament:
1. It is the powerful word of God
2. It leads us to Jesus the Messiah
3. It deals with the questions of life
4. It was used as the exclusive authority in the early church
The book essentially promotes the priority and practice of preaching and teaching from the Old Testament. In the first third of the book we see "The Need to Preach and Teach from the Old Testament" and then in the final two thirds Kaiser gives us practical instructions in the section entitled "How to Preach and Teach from the Old Testament". In each of these sections the author interacts with the various biblical genres and explains how to faithfully teach in these various sections. It is also helpful to note that Kaiser provides a sample sermon in each of the sections so that readers may see first hand what the author is talking about.
I really enjoyed Kaiser's continual emphasis upon the need to connect the dots of biblical theology in the pulpit. The preacher must serve his people by showing how the specific passage relates to the rest of the book, that particular stage of redemptive history and God's overall activity in the work of redemption.
Overall I think the book is very helpful in the sense that it rebukes preachers and teachers who are neglecting 2/3 of the Bible while at the same time it serves to help the same guys to be more balanced and biblically faithful in their ministry. And further, the book is not so overly technical that it alienates non-preachers. Truly all Christians who read and study the Bible would be helped by this training on reading and understanding the OT. In this sense the book is truly beneficial to the church.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth every penny, October 15, 2009
This review is from: Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament (Paperback)
Mandatory reading for anyone teaching or preaching from the OT. Good companion to Kaiser's own Majesty of God in OT. These two books thrilled my soul as Kaiser exalted God and encouraged me to do so in my teaching.
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