4a - Brother Harry's recommendations

There are plenty of places to look if you want recommendations about non-Christadelphian books on various topics and when you start buying books about books, then you know you have really been bitten by the bug!

How to Read the Bible for all its worth by Fee and Stuart is an IVP production which contains over 3 pages of recommendations of Old and New Testament Commentaries, but some of them are fairly technical and not all of them would be to our liking (for example, the recommendations about the book of Revelation).

Recommendations by Christadelphians are a safer source of good advice, especially from people you know, or whose writings you enjoy and find helpful. There are reviews published in our magazines, which might help, and occasional series are written, like this one. Brother Mark Vincent wrote a series in The Christadelphian between 1995 and 1996 called A Christadelphian’s Bookshelf (if you have the Libronix software package – “The Christadelphian 1864-2000” – it’s in Volumes 132 and 133, or just search for the title of the series).

As promised in the article, here are the two sets of recommendations from “Exploring the Bible”. There are two because Brother Harry updated them as he thought, when the second edition was being printed, that second-hand books were becoming unobtainable. Since then, of course, the Internet has made a huge difference and books can now be tracked down from all over the globe, provided you are willing to pay what is asked. Searching some of those sites, like abebooks.com gives you a good idea about the usual pricing structure and shows what good value you get when buying from Christadelphian sources.

Here are Brother Harry’s recommendations.

First edition: Worthwhile books

It has already been said in this volume and it must be said again. There is no Bible study to compare with what you do for yourself. Yet in spite of this, the truth of which every competent Bible student will vouch for, many rush to acquire big collections of books as an easy substitute for personal effort.

This Appendix, then, is included with some reluctance, and only because the writer has been badgered many a time with the enquiry: What are the best books to get?

It is assumed here that you have already had that question answered for you, and have already equipped yourself with a shelf-full of Christadelphian classics. It is a good idea always to keep one of these going as part of your normal reading. “Two pages a day, year in, year out” is the valuable prescription of a well-read Christadelphian veteran.

But what other books?

Personal judgement and enthusiasm vary so considerably that any student’s compilation is likely to provoke a good deal of disagreement from others both as regards titles included and titles omitted.

One finds with experience that it is not titles or topics that matter most but authors. Once you become acquainted with a good writer or expositor, the best plan is to lay hands on as many of his works as possible.

Most Christadelphian students of the Word are agreed that the modern commentators are by no means as helpful or stimulating as the Victorians. The reason is simple: the Victorians believed the Bible to be the Word of God, the modernists do not. This is not to say that modem scholars are useless. But it is certainly true that you will learn a more wholesome approach to the Bible from the Victorians (and the Puritans) than you will from most of the 20th century authorities.

For the Christadelphian, then, the prince of Bible commentators is William Kay, of Lincoln College, Oxford. His “Isaiah” and “Hebrews” in the “Speaker’s Commentary”, his “Psalms” and “Corinthians” are all close-packed, and full of dependable scholarship. These are not works for beginners to browse in. Only when you have done a lot of Bible study for yourself do these books begin to have their true value.

A close friend of Kay’s was John William Burgon who, if he had concentrated on writing expositions of scripture instead of abstruse tomes on textual criticism would have been the most readable commentator of all time. His “Plain Commentary on the Gospels” is not easy to get. Make due allowance for his doctrinal emphasis and he will teach you a lot, and especially a proper reverence for the Word of God.

Burgon learned the art of Bible study from old John Forbes of Aberdeen whose books on Psalms, Isaiah and Romans should certainly be snapped up. And Burgon in turn inspired certain of his students at Oxford who listened to his sermons in St. Mary’s – C. H. Waller, Griffith Thomas and Harrington Lees. All of these are really excellent in their handling of scripture.

Others in the same generation or slightly earlier were Plumptre and Fausset. The former of these did the Synoptic Gospels, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Acts, 2 Corinthians in Ellicott’s Commentary, and has some excellent contributions to Smith’s Bible Dictionary. The latter wrote very stimulating studies on Judges and the Psalms, and was responsible for half (much the better half) of the Portable Commentary, the two-volume edition which is in horribly small type but well worth having all the same.

Waller did Deuteronomy and Joshua in Ellicott, and also Joel and Hosea in the Bible Hour series. His “Silver Sockets”, “Names on the Gates of Pearl”, “Moses and the Prophets” are also very good.

Griffith Thomas had the knack of simplicity. His “Genesis” and “Romans” and “Apostle Peter” are all first rate for beginners.

Harrington Lees’ “Joy of Bible Study” is a little treasure, and all his other writings approach the same level, except in degree of concentration.

James William Thirtle, who was reared in a Christadelphian ecclesia in the north Midlands, wrote three very fine books: “The Lord’s Prayer”, “The Titles of the Psalms”, and “Old Testament Problems”. The last of these is packed with brilliant suggestions about the Psalms and Isaiah.

Regretfully one has to add that nearly every one of the books and authors mentioned is now out of print. These stimulating aids are only to be found by patient ransacking of second-hand bookshops. It is almost useless to say to a bookseller: “Look out for books by So-and-So for me, please.” He will never find them. You must hunt them down for yourself.

The present writer is greatly indebted to E.W., more widely read than himself, for enthusiastic help in the compilation of an immense list which with reluctance has been abbreviated to the following:

Second edition: Worthwhile books

It has already been said in this volume and it must be said again. There is no Bible study to compare with what you do for yourself. Yet in spite of this, the truth of which every competent Bible student will vouch for, many rush to acquire big collections of books as an easy substitute for personal effort.

This Appendix, then, is included with some reluctance, and only because the writer has been badgered many a time with the enquiry: What are the best books to get?

It is assumed here that you have already had that question answered for you, and have already equipped yourself with a shelf-full of Christadelphian classics. It is a good idea always to keep one of these going as part of your normal reading. “Two pages a day, year in, year out” is the valuable prescription of a well-read Christadelphian veteran.

Personal judgement and enthusiasm vary so considerably that any student’s compilation is likely to provoke a good deal of disagreement from others both as regards titles included and titles omitted.

One finds with experience that it is not titles or topics that matter most but authors. Once you become acquainted with a good writer or expositor, the best plan is to lay hands on as many of his works as possible.

Most Christadelphian students of the Word are agreed that the modern commentators are by no means as helpful or stimulating as the Victorians. The reason is simple: the Victorians believed the Bible to be the Word of God, the modernists do not. This is not to say that modern scholars are useless. But it is certainly true that you will learn a more wholesome approach to the Bible from the Victorians (and the Puritans) than you will from most of the 20th century authorities.

For the Christadelphian, then, the prince of Bible commentators is William Kay, of Lincoln College, Oxford. His “Isaiah” and “Hebrews” in the “Speaker’s Commentary”, his “Psalms” and “Corinthians” are all close-packed, and full of dependable scholarship. These are not works for beginners to browse in. Only when you have done a lot of Bible study for yourself do these books begin to have their true value.

By all means comb over any old issues of “The Christadelphian” and “The Testimony” which you may have access to. But read with discrimination. The oldest are not necessarily the best. You must certainly give concentrated attention to the miscellaneous articles by John Carter. If he had written in a more readable style, he would have been a world-beater.

But what other books?

There is no attempt here to catalogue the titles which you simply must have. The list would become endless and not necessarily useful, for all students of Holy Scripture do not have the same approach, the same bent. The following are almost random suggestions, dictated largely by the present writer’s own personal taste.

First, a few standard books of reference.

Josephus, of course. It used to be possible to pick up a good copy for a shilling. But, alas, those palmy days are gone for ever.

You cannot do without a really good Bible Atlas and also a well laid-out Harmony of the Gospels (that published by Black is perhaps the best).

One or two detailed volumes on Bible Archaeology should be acquired; e.g. Pfeiffer’s “Cyclopaedia of Biblical Archaeology” and “Documents from Old Testament Times” by D. Winton Thomas. That wee book: “Modern Discovery and the Bible”, by Rendle Short, is full of good material.

John William Burgon, preaching at St. Mary’s, Oxford, in the middle of last century, begat some competent spiritual children, among them, C. H. Waller, Griffith Thomas, and Harrington Lees. Any books of theirs are worth getting hold of. The first of these was a contributor to Ellicott’s Commentary. So also, very copiously, was Plumptre, Dean of Canterbury, whose articles in Smith’s Bible Dictionary are also worth careful attention. Fausset was another stimulating expositor of that period. His study of Judges, lately re-printed in America, is the best that has been done on that subject. He also wrote a book on Psalms, and was responsible for half (much the better half) of the Portable Commentary, done in appallingly small print.

Here are a few more miscellaneous names to look out for.

Ramsey’s “Paul the Traveller” is really good, but his other books don’t compare in quality.

The best commentary on Acts is by Rackham. He did nothing else worth talking about.

Beginners will enjoy David Smith’s “The Days of His Flesh”, but later on will realise how that volume suffers from neglect of the Old Testament. His “Life and Letters of Paul” is useful, but a bit superficial.

Farrar, Dean of Westminster, was a man of astonishing scholarship. All his New Testament work makes useful contributions (especially in the footnotes), but his exposition of Daniel is appalling.

Instead, on Daniel and Isaiah, get Boutflower – if you can.

There is lots of good scholarship in Pusey’s “Minor Prophets” and also in his “Daniel”, but this isn’t so good.

Some of the volumes in the Cambridge Bible are worthwhile (e.g. Farrar on Luke; Moule on Romans), but there is also a lot of rubbish. Can any good thing come out of Cambridge? Well., now and then.

The Tyndale Commentaries are another patchy collection, but anything with Kidner’s name on it (Genesis, Psalms, Proverbs) is worth going for.

Don’t look for a decent commentary on Psalms. There isn’t one. Do your own. And indeed, as you progress and increasingly mean business, regarding large areas of both Old and New Testaments you will be driven to this expedient of self-reliance and hard labour.

Plummer on any of the gospels is useful, but a bit dull. Trench on Miracles and Parables is wordy but with lots of ideas. On the Sermon on the Mount, Martyn Lloyd-Jones is another wordy writer, but easy to read, whilst our own L. G. Sargent (“Teaching of the Master”), who was never appreciated at his true value, is too compressed and therefore hard work. “Two pages a day!”

One or two other general works which are worth a place on your bookshelves:

Get acquainted with the Apocrypha. It will fill you in fairly dependably between the Testaments, and will provide much other informative and stimulating reading. Also an Apocryphal New Testament, if only to learn the sudden and shouting difference between the inspired New Testament and the palpably uninspired stuff that followed.

Angus’s “Bible Handbook” is a mine of handy information. Edersheim (especially “The Temple”) and Girdlestone are both very useful.

Bullinger’s “How to Enjoy the Bible” would be even more enjoyable if he had developed a more exhilarating style of writing.

And of course Blunt’s “Undesigned Coincidences” goes without saying.

Where does this name-dropping stop?

Availability

These titles and authors appear from time to time as books are donated, so they can be re-circulated within our Community. We only have some of the available second-hand stock on the web (that takes time to build up and we add more each month). So if you are looking for anything in particular, let us know and we’ll see if we’ve got it.