Customer Reviews

The Words and Works of Jesus Christ: A Study of the Life of Christ

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was required reading as the central text for a "Life of Christ" seminary course. It is a formidable tackle, with a comprehensive look at the subject matter of the title in detail. Its sheer volume makes it a difficult "read straight through", but it holds a prized spot on the bookshelf as an invaluable reference work for any study or teaching of the Gospels.

Pentecost is one of the great Christian minds of the twentieth century, and of course hailing from Dallas Theological Seminary, one can expect and find his work to be highly dispensational in nature. The entire life of Christ is examined in light of His offer of the Kingdom "first to Israel". His emphasis goes a bit far in this arena, in my opinion. Looking past his strong dispensational bias however, Pentecost's work is a classic treatment. He quotes classic Life of Christ theologians from past generations (Edersheim, Farrar, et.al)extensively, and this work is very much a modern extension and addition to that library of very special and classic seminal works on the earthy life of our Saviour.

Even a stronly non-dispensational student could benefit greatly. from this work. Pentecost's Judaic roots add depth and certain nuances which can greatly amplify events in the Life of Christ.

I heartily recommend this work for the serious student of the Bible. It is not casual reading, but will enhance the minister's library and enrich any serious preaching or teaching ministry.

This book is an excellent reference source to be used alongside the Scriptures to receive a full picture of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The book gives an in depth glimpse into Jesus' life and teachings by giving historical references and explaining the culture and customs in that time period. I highly recommend this book.

I'll lay my cards on the table, I'm a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and a fan of Dr. Pentecost; I've used several of his books for years and been blessed and enlightened by his work.

Having said that, I would like to express my appreciation for this particular book; I found it to be rich with insight and rewarding to me as a reader. Dr. Pentecost is admittedly a scholar, and along with other scholars will often see things from a different perspective than those of us who are ordinary mortals. When an author devotes around 22 pages to notes and bibliography one is justified in thinking this may be another scholar.

I, for one, find his scholarly approach to be thorough and satisfying; to me in the midst of his scholarship he presents the Lord Jesus Christ in a most compelling light. I appreciate the work that has gone into combining all of the Gospels into one narrative line that focuses on the person and the work of our Lord.

I have read this work all of the way through and found myself richly blessed by the opportunity. I keep it now next to my desk where it is within easy reach.

As a study tool this book provides the reader with three appendixes designated A through C. Appendix A provides additional information on geography, historical background, moral conditions, religious background, social environment and chronology. Appendix B is a table of scripture references, and Appendix C is a list of parable and miracles.

I'm happy to report that one need not be a scholar to benefit from this book; I see it as "reader friendly."

In summary I found the book to be a blessing and felt drawn closer to the Lord as a result of reading it.

Pentecost's massive tome serves as a harmony of the life of Christ that is certainly a solid resource for the student of the word of God. The writer takes on a strong conservative approach to the passages at hand and offers the reader excellent exegetical, historical, and cultural insights on the text at hand. Pentecost offers a method of harmonizing the Gospels while still appreciating each evangelist's unique perspective. My one contention with this book is that it contains very little truly original material. Far too often the page that the reader surveys contains a majority of block quote. Pentecost engages too often, for this reviewer's preference, in the practice of wholesale quoting from other writers' works rather than summarizing and analyzing in his own words. For this weakness, the work still maintains its value to the reader who seeks to gain a conservative understanding of the history of the life of Jesus Christ.

Raised as a Roman Catholic, I recently rediscovered my faith and was thirsting for a clear cut explanation of Christ's life and teachings in an attempt to get a real understanding of the basis of my religion. This book is incredible. It starts from the very beginning and slowly takes you through each important stage in the life of the Lord so that you really understand Him, what He taught, what He believed, and what He did for all of us. It will take the foundation of a belief in Jesus to absolute certainty that this man was the one and only true Messiah.

I do agree with the other reviewers that the constant quotations of the other theologians do get in the way of the free-flowing narrative and likeable writing style of the author. I would have liked to have heard more from him as he was very precise and clear with what he had to say.

But this is definitely a textbook. Even if you're not a student of theology (as I am far from) and are just reading this for personal gain, take a pen and a highlighter with you when you read. It is chock-full of everything you ever wanted to know and it is worth a very close, detailed reading. Don't skim. The volume and complexity might tempt you to skip through a bit, but you will miss the overall explanation of all that Christ did and how it ties into the historical and political past along with the message of Christ's journey through life on Earth and His expectations of us today.

This is a great book for those who wish to gain a greater understanding into the life of Jesus Christ. In particular, His offering of the Kingdom to the nation Israel and the ultimate rejection of that offer.The index at the back provides easy reference for most if not all of the many parables and allegories in the four Gospels as well as much other information. Very exhaustive!

I am puzzled by the reviewers who seem to be disappointed in this wonderful exposition of Christ's life. I have studied his Things to Come and am currently about 20% of the way through this book. Mr. Pentecost is exhaustive in his analysis - which is the way it needs to be done! As with Things to Come, he presents differing views on the text and the interpretation of the text, provides his preferred interpretation and his opinion - and lets the reader form his own conclusion. How could this be more fair? If the reviewers who don't like this approach have a greater depth of knowledge, please let them bring it forth. I am always willing to learn from someone more knowledgable than I am an I am very sincere about this. I find his knowledge base remarkable, his interpretation clear and convincing. Do I agree with all of his analysis? - probably about 95% of it. However, given his extensive knowledge and Spiritual insight, that probably means that I need to rethink the 5% that I don't agree with him on.

If the reader is looking for a Spirit-filled, understandable, Bible-based description of the Life of Lives. This is it. Open your mind and be ready to come face to face with Christ. This book is wonderful and a great blessing!!!

very thorough, and concise book on the life of Christ. It makes a good addition to my library.

The Words and Works of Jesus Christ: A Study of the Life of Christ
Book was in excellent condition from cover to cover. Price good also.

This is an excellent book on the words, and works of Jesus. Dwight Pentecost was a master at telling what was said in an easy to read manner. This is not a novel.