4 - Non-Christadelphian writers
A lot of useful work has been done by Bible students who have understood some aspects of the purpose of God, without having had a full perception of everything we are privileged to understand. It may be their style of writing that brothers and sisters find helpful, or the way in which they dig out interesting details and facts.
Where to look
The recommendations contained in the Appendices from Exploring the Bible (editions 1 and 2), by Brother H. A. Whittaker, can now be found on the web; or you can send for a hard copy (50p plus postage). There are others suggestions in Preaching the Word by Brother Alfred Norris, though these are now rather dated (Brother Harry updated his suggestions in the second edition of his book). And there are lots more places to look.
Bookcases are a first class resource when you are in pursuit of titles and authors, and if you can wheedle your way into a keen Bible student’s study, be sure to take a notebook to jot down some information. There is nothing to beat a personal recommendation and, if you’re not sure about the author or the subject covered, there is usually a lending library where you can browse or borrow before buying. But if the book is going to be really useful, and something you will want to refer to again, getting a copy of your own is the next step.
Favourite authors
Over the years the libraries of several brothers and sisters have found their way into the Office of The Christadelphian, and have enhanced the Office library accordingly. That library is not a lending facility – that would be too time-consuming and costly to manage. But it is a place well worth visiting if you want to browse or study a particular topic; just give some advance notice of your intention and that should be fine, provided the library is not being used for anything else that day.
Judging by the book collections that have arrived, and the books that have readily sold from the second-hand lists over the years, here are two of the authors that have been widely read among us:
- William Barclay: One-time Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at Glasgow, Barclay was a prolific author. He wrote the Daily Study Bible on the entire New Testament, combining practical points and anecdotes with some insightful comments, especially about the Greek text. His Jesus as They Saw Him (in which he reflects on the various names and titles of Jesus) is excellent, and his New Testament Words is well worth collecting, containing helpful expositions on the meaning of Bible words like agape and parousia.
- F. F. Bruce: member of the Brethren, Bruce was Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis at Manchester and had a more academic style than Barclay. He wrote The New Testament Documents – Are they Reliable? in which he concluded they most certainly are. And his commentaries on New Testament epistles are well worth careful study.
As with all non-Christadelphian writers, you have to read with discrimination, as their doctrinal position is different from ours. But the background information they supply can be invaluable. At a time when John Allegro (who was also in Manchester) was speculating about the origins of Christianity, and possible links with the Essenes, it was Bruce who published Second Thoughts on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Even today, now that all the material has been published, that remains a useful summary of some of the key issues.