Recently, Thomas Nelson sent me NKJV, Large Print Verse-by-Verse Reference Bible, Maclaren Series in Genuine Leather. This is a perfect-sized Bible. The genuine leather is marvelous, and the comfort print in large font is superb. (I have the brown leather cover, but it also comes in black.) I particularly like the teal subheadings and chapter and verse numbers. The Scripture references are laid out nicely on the bottom of each page. The NKJV is one of my favorite editions. With... Read more

Clint Burnett has released a new book called Paul and Imperial Divine Honors: Christ, Caesar, and the Gospel. This book is scholarly and isn’t aimed at the casual or popular reader. Burnett’s thesis aligns with my own conclusion that Paul embedded remarks aimed at the Roman Empire and its imperial cult throughout his epistles. This is one of the reasons why the early believers were considered Insurgents. (Which is a reality being restored today.) Here is a great description of... Read more

Recently, Thomas Nelson sent me their KJV Personal Size, Single-Column Reference Bible, Premier Collection, Large Print, Comfort Print, Premium Goatskin Leather Bible in Red. This is a beautiful Bible. The goatskin cover is breathtaking. Nothing beats a goatskin cover. This one is soft and handles well. I particularly like the shade of red (crimson). The single-column format is a pleasure to read and easy on the eyes. The Bible is a treasure. I’ve put it on a special shelf, side down.... Read more

An Introduction to the Making and Meaning of the Bible is a new book by Michael Shepherd. Using clear crisp writing, Shepherd’s book explores how the Bible was made, its text, transmission, and translation as well as the textual world of the Scriptures. The book is valuable, consequently, I’ve cited it in my upcoming work The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: Revised & Expanded. Here is a description from the publisher. A comprehensive and orthodox guide to biblical... Read more

Nijay Gupta has written a new book. It’s called Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling. I liked the book so much I reached out to Nijay to interview him about it. Enjoy! Writing a book is a difficult task. What specific change were you intending to make among Christians (and perhaps non-Christians) by writing this book?  This is an ad fontes (“back to the origins”) kind of book—inspiring Christians today by going back to the... Read more

Paul Barnett is one of the greatest scholars of our time. I own most of his books. Regarding the ones I don’t have, I’ve rented them from the library and have made good use of them. Paul is one of my historical advisors for my upcoming book The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: Revised & Expanded and he’s quoted and cited throughout the volume. Recently, his publisher sent me his book Jerusalem to Illyricum: Earliest Christianity through the... Read more

As most of you know, I created an online training for authors (aspiring & accomplished) called SCRIBE. One of the many bonuses of the training is a free interview with the author on their next book right here on the Patheos blog. Ralph Good is one such author. I caught up with Ralph recently to discuss his new book What is GODLY Submission? Enjoy the interview. What provoked you to write this book? I experienced the devastation caused by submitting... Read more

The message I shared in the Ministry Leadership Conference last year, THE TWO ANOINTINGS continues to devastate pastors and teachers. Recently, a leader who heard it the first time wrote me, “I wanted to let you know that it has been the single most impactful message that I have ever heard!” Another leader, who has listened to countless sermons over the years said, “This is the best message I’ve ever heard in my life.” I’m humbled by these reactions, but... Read more

The SBL Study Bible features the NRSV. The Bible contains thousands of notes authored by scholars. I spent time with this Bible to access it’s value. The pros are that the NRSV is an interesting translation. One that has many positive moments. It contains the Apocryphal books, which are good to have as they provide interesting historical data. The notes are easy to read, and some of the content boxes are helpful. In fact, I cited some of them in... Read more

The Church History Bible is simply amazing! This is not your typical study Bible. Instead of notes written by a panel of contemporary scholars, this Bible features commentary notes from the “greats.” Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Warfield, Wesley, Henry, Edwards (Jonathan), Gill, the Church Fathers, C.S. Lewis, and many others. It’s an incredible array of commentary on every Bible verse by the theologians and scholars of the past. The Bible is elegant and the formatting is wonderful. I highly recommend it.... Read more