Recommend your Best

[BBAS 64]

Good Day, All

If you where to help a brother or sister in Christ to start a library. What one book or volume “set” would you recommend and why? I ask because I am looking to add to my library which needs some help.



I would recommend the 5 volume set by Vernon Mcgee though the Bible. Because I have had it for many years and I just love his way and style of explaining things and use it often.

For His Glory Alone! :clap:

BBAS

[Phoebe]

Anything by CS Lewis. The Chronicles of Narnia are my favorite.

[dsdumpling]

Max Lucado is one of my favorites.

[Ron S]

CS Lewis.
Search him on Amazon and buy everything he's ever written, would be my advice

[Jason1646]

CS Lewis.
Search him on Amazon and buy everything he's ever written, would be my advice

Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (okay, its 2 volumes, but no library should be without it). :)

~Jason

[InquisitorKind]

Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (okay, its 2 volumes, but no library should be without it). :)

~Jason
Jason,

Is there a specific translation you have in mind or would recommend? I've heard that there are some "bad" ones floating around.

~Matt

[Isaiah 53]

Charles Spurgeon's Commentary.

PEACE IN CHRIST!!!

[Jason1646]

Jason,

Is there a specific translation you have in mind or would recommend? I've heard that there are some "bad" ones floating around.

~Matt

The standard translation preferred by Calvinists is Battles.

Blessings Matt,

~Jason

[BBAS 64]

Charles Spurgeon's Commentary.

PEACE IN CHRIST!!!
Isaiah,

Are these just sermons by Charles Spurgeon?

BBAS

[HiredGoon]

Well these aren't books, but I would highly recommend Ray VanderLaan's "That the World May Know" video series. They are excellent! RVL is a teacher who leads trips to Israel and Turkey and explains the historical Jewish context of scripture at the actual historical archaeological sites. Very interesting, and sheds light on scripture from a different perspective than we western Christians are used to. I've used these videos many times when teaching.

http://community.gospelcom.net/Brix?pageID=1822

[ShetlandRose]

I would recommend the 5 volume set by Vernon Mcgee though the Bible. Because I have had it for many years and I just love his way and style of explaining things and use it often.

I didn't even have to think twice about this...ABSOLUTELY...the THRU THE BIBLE WITH J. VERNON McGEE volumes! "Put the cookies on the bottom shelf!" A tremendous, and uncomplicated verse-by-verse explanation of the entire Bible.

But, since you have that already, alongside that I use The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, (one volume) from Moody Press.

ShetlandRose :angel:

[Blackhawk]

Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (okay, its 2 volumes, but no library should be without it). :)

~Jason
I have the one volume version of it. Although I guess it could be said to be four since The institutes are 4 books. it is not the Battle's version although I think that it is good. But that would be my vote also. It is a great manual of Christian piety.

[Pardoned]

I could not post any links yet. But if you would search "Trinity Book Service" you will be able to find suggested books to start your library.

Once in their website click on the search botton and search for "Your Christian Library" They have lists of suggested books for basic, intermediate and advanced libraries.

You might want to start with the basic.

[theologia crucis]

Every Christian should have some of Josephus' various works, especially The Jewish War and Jewish Antiquities, and also Eusebius' The Church History. I like Paul Maier's translations from Kregel.

[HiredGoon]

Every Christian should have some of Josephus' various works, especially The Jewish War and Jewish Antiquities, and also Eusebius' The Church History. I like Paul Maier's translations from Kregel.

Paul Maier was one of my profs. I took a semester of Greek and a semester of Roman history with him, great lectures, and very knowledgable. I have a copy of his Eusebius too. He also translated/edited Josephus, which I don't have.

[theologia crucis]

Paul Maier was one of my profs. I took a semester of Greek and a semester of Roman history with him, great lectures, and very knowledgable. I have a copy of his Eusebius too. He also translated/edited Josephus, which I don't have.

Cool! Luckily for me, Redeemer Lutheran here in Austin has brought him in a few times to give guest lectures on various aspects of ancient Christian history, and I've been able to go.

Very energetic and passionate speaker, and knowledgeable, too!

[racer]

Bill,

Are we talking non-Fiction only? Christian educational purposes only, or even entertainment purposes (which can also be educational) too?

:pink:

As for non-Fictional I would recommend F.F. Bruce's Hard Sayings of Christ.

Lisa

[BBAS 64]

Bill,

Are we talking non-Fiction only? Christian educational purposes only, or even entertainment purposes (which can also be educational) too?

:pink:

As for non-Fictional I would recommend F.F. Bruce's Hard Sayings of Christ.

Lisa
Lisa,

Does not Matter to me one bit, only looking for suggestions. I am going to be buying some new material so much is out there just looking for some help. When in the book store so many authors some time hard :confused: to choose.

Bill

[racer]

Lisa,

Does not Matter to me one bit, only looking for suggestions. I am going to be buying some new material so much is out there just looking for some help. When in the book store so many authors some time hard :confused: to choose.

Bill

Okay . . . here's a few:

Frank Peretti

The Oath
This Present Darkness
Piercing the Darkness
The Visitation

Mike Heiser

The Facade

Lynn Marzuli

Nephilim

[Phoebe]

I am also a Frank Peretti fan.

[JVAC]

The Davinci Code, by Dan Brown, it has a fun time with heresy and it is a best seller. Look also at Angels and Demons, that is a book you can't put down!

and on every list this christmas...

The Book of Concord, or was that just my list, um other than that, it all depends on the persons tastes

[theologia crucis]

De servo arbitrio by Martin Luther, which is contained in Luther's Works, both of which I recommend!

It's only 54 volumes (plus one that's an index)!!!

[HumbleMan]

Most of Spurgeons works are good, as are most of Billy Grahams. And I just read a book by Ryan Dobson called "Be Intolerant" that was pretty good. All about staying with Christ while showing love for your fellow man.

Any library needs history books, and I would recommend the writings of Eusebias and Tertulian. Both chronicle early church history and thought at the time.

A library also needs a little fiction. I would recommend anything by Frank Perretti.

[Adoniram]

"The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict" by Josh McDowell is a fantastic book on apologetics. Thorough research into the historical records to offer courtroom style evidence that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and that Jesus is who he claimed to be. Also offers rebuttals to today's nay-sayers. Thomas Nelson Publishers.

[Rechtgläubig]

A Summery of Christian Doctrine by Edward W.A. Koehler ;)

[EdmundBlackadderTheThird]

The complete works of Dr. Fancis Schaffer is something one should not be without. There is a 5 volume set available that has all 25 of his works, re-edited by Schaffer just 2 years before his death. His work is amazing!

[Crazy Liz]

If you're building a library, I would pretty much stay away from current popular fiction in favor of great literature. I agree you need some Lewis and some Tolkien. Also Shakespeare - pick up a copy of his complete works in 1 volume. Dostoevsky - obviously, I like The Brothers Karamazov! ;) - and Kazantzakis are two of the world's greatest Christian novelists. Also Solzhenitsyn.

Renovare (http://www.renovare.org/) has some excellent titles on Christian spirituality, including Spiritual Classics and Devotional Classics that introduce you to the writings and spirituality of great Christians throughout history. Streams of Living Water includes biographical vignettes of many of these and helps make sense out of the different classifications or "streams" of Christian spirituality. Celebration of Discipline is the best introduction to the disciplines of Christian spirituality. After beginning with these, you may want to begin collecting the spiritual writings of great saints of the past. I look for them at used book sales.

If you don't have one already, get an appropriate Book of Common Prayer. Many denominations publish them. If yours doesn't, I would suggest an Anglican one. And don't forget a hymnal or two or three.

I really like Jinkins' Invitation to Theology (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0830815627/qid=1076183400/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-6373489-8798516?v=glance&s=books). It is not a systematic theology, but teaches you how to study theology, with appropriate emphasis on studying it within your community of faith, rather than in abstract isolation. Most excellent!

Back to secular titles, glancing at the reference books on my shelf, The Timetables of History (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/067174271X/qid=1076183167//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/102-6373489-8798516?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) and Bartlett's Familiar Quotations are among the most valuable.

[Lotar]

De servo arbitrio by Martin Luther, which is contained in Luther's Works, both of which I recommend!

It's only 54 volumes (plus one that's an index)!!!
You can also get the entire set on cd :D


Some recent books I've read that were good:
What Luther Says
By Faith Alone - RC Sproul
Commentary on Romans - Martin Luther
The Confessions - St. Augustine

[reformedfan]

Regardless of your theological bent, Calvin's Commentaries & his "Institutes of the Christian Religion" has set the gold standard that other commentators struggle to attain. Arminius, Calvin's old nemesis use to encourage his students to study Calvin's Commentaries. Calvin was the one who set forth today 'taken for granted' principles such as let Scripture interpret Scripture; read verses in their context, rather than in isolation; and verse by verse exegesis. Prior to Calvin, commentators would shy away from the 'hard' verses, and John Calvin blazed the trail for those who followed, with his refusal to shrink away from the deeper parts of Scripture. Many other marks of Bible study excellence that today we know how to do, more than likely came from the influence of Calvin on the scene of Biblical exegis & Hermeneutics. Anything you know today about how to study the Bible, more than likely came from one of these Calvin precepts. All you need to do is read the introduction to the "Institutes..." to see this historical fact for yourself. It amazed me the first time I read it. I'd always thought principles like the above were invented somewhere else along the pike, or stuff my pastor learned in seminary. Nope, Calvin set them forth as how to study the Bible correctly, and the entire Christian universe has been blessed as a result.
You will be too if you get & read those books. They have stood the test of time as well, unlike lucado, etc.

[Reader Nilus]

Training in Christianity by Soren Kierkegaard
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Beginning to Pray by Anthony Bloom
The Art of Prayer compiled by Igumen Chariton of Valamo
Bread in the Wilderness by Thomas Merton
Jeff the Finn

[EdmundBlackadderTheThird]

I also have to add:

Disciple - Juan Carlos Ortiz This one blew me away, I am on my third reading of it
The Power Of The Blood Of Jesus - Andrew Murray Another amazing must read book

I will probably add more later, but those two are indispensable to me. I have taught many a sermon based on what I learned from them.

[Col]

NO COMPROMISE -The Life Story of Keith Green - by Melody Green

[PatrickM]

"New Evidence" is a great suggestion.

Also, "Lectures in Systematic Theology" by Henry C. Theissen. It's one volume, concise, and cannot be pidgeon-holed into Calvinism, Arminianism, any "ism". He is a self-confessed modified sublapsarian! :D You'll have to read his chptr on Election to know what he means ;)

Also, General Intro to Bible, Dr. Norman Geisler. Good material on knowing Bible is Word of God.

[HisWordisTruth]

The Methuselah Chronicles
A Very good series by Terry Lee Hamilton.
glorytogloryministries . com


Yaaaa!!!!!!! I've made my first post!!!!!!!!!!!!(go me :cool: )

[PatrickM]

The Methuselah Chronicles
A Very good series by Terry Lee Hamilton.
glorytogloryministries . com


Yaaaa!!!!!!! I've made my first post!!!!!!!!!!!!(go me :cool: )
Ok, I give up!!!!!

How in the world did you get 7,001 blessings without ONE post???!!!

Yes, I am jealous :cry:

[ChristianRocks]

Oh Goodie, I get to recommend the book that changed my life!

Btw, I am also a Frank Peretti Fan, I loved the Oath :)
Tolkien and Lewis are also good choices.

But the book that changed my life was a little one called, "The Normal Christian Life" By WatchMan Nee. I can't explain to you the Joy of reading this book and coming to the realizations of God's truths. It is a very practical book. Indeed, for my age of 20, it answered many of the questions I was constantly asking of God. You know what the even better part is? You don't have to buy it to read it! That's right. I found a link that has posted the book for everyone to read, Chapter by Chapter. I often quote it and use it in my discussions. It opened my heart to God and for that, It will always have a place in my heart!

Go read it now, hehe. Or at least bookmark it.
http://www.ccel.org/n/nee/normal/

God Bless!

[La Bonita Zorilla]

For an understanding of religion in the public square, try Under God: Religion and American Politics by Garry Wills.

[PatrickM]

Oh Goodie, I get to recommend the book that changed my life!

Btw, I am also a Frank Peretti Fan, I loved the Oath :)
Tolkien and Lewis are also good choices.

But the book that changed my life was a little one called, "The Normal Christian Life" By WatchMan Nee. I can't explain to you the Joy of reading this book and coming to the realizations of God's truths. It is a very practical book. Indeed, for my age of 20, it answered many of the questions I was constantly asking of God. You know what the even better part is? You don't have to buy it to read it! That's right. I found a link that has posted the book for everyone to read, Chapter by Chapter. I often quote it and use it in my discussions. It opened my heart to God and for that, It will always have a place in my heart!

Go read it now, hehe. Or at least bookmark it.
http://www.ccel.org/n/nee/normal/

God Bless!
Amen!!!! How could I have forgot Bro. Nee! Indeed, before I bought the book, I printed (yes the whole thing) his book from that very sight.

Not only the joy, but the freedom from striving his teaching gives! "Not I, but Christ liveth in me!"

[BBAS 64]

Ok, I give up!!!!!

How in the world did you get 7,001 blessings without ONE post???!!!

Yes, I am jealous :cry:
Patrick

Did you not notice he is 16 and is the Kings kid!:cool:

Bill

[BBAS 64]

Good day, All

I first would like to thank you all for your imput as I build my libary. :hug: While shopping for books over the W/E at borders it occured to me this is going to be quite an expensive undertaking. I do own lots of books that I have gotten over the last 15-20 yrs most are not of a christian type am a big fan of Robin Cook, Dale brown and alike.

Here is what I bought this W/E.

CS Lewis - Mere Christianity
St Augustine - On Christian Doctrine
St Augustine - His Confessions
RC Sproul - Willing to Believe

I have now $100.00 left to buy other books with.


Thank you again,

Bill

[JeffreyLloyd]

C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity
G.K. Chesterton - The Everlasting Man
St. Thomas Aquinas - Summa Theologica ( www.newadvent.org )

[BBAS 64]

Good day, Jeff

St. Thomas Aquinas is a very hard one for me to understand. I do not know whom turns my mind to mush faster him or Kendergaurd [sp].

Bill

[racer]

Good day, Jeff

St. Thomas Aquinas is a very hard one for me to understand. I do not know whom turns my mind to mush faster him or Kendergaurd [sp].

Bill

Bill,

Another non-fictional book from which I learned a lot is:

The Church of Rome at the Bar of History, by William Webster.

Lisa

[PatrickM]

Patrick

Did you not notice he is 16 and is the Kings kid!:cool:

Bill
Actually, I think it is cool that he's here at 16! King's kid?

[La Bonita Zorilla]

Also for an impression of religious diversity in the U.S. today, try Diana Eck's A New Religious America.

[Crazy Liz]

Good day, All

I first would like to thank you all for your imput as I build my libary. :hug: While shopping for books over the W/E at borders it occured to me this is going to be quite an expensive undertaking. I do own lots of books that I have gotten over the last 15-20 yrs most are not of a christian type am a big fan of Robin Cook, Dale brown and alike.

Here is what I bought this W/E.

CS Lewis - Mere Christianity
St Augustine - On Christian Doctrine
St Augustine - His Confessions
RC Sproul - Willing to Believe

I have now $100.00 left to buy other books with.


Thank you again,

Bill

My advice: Take those back and visit a few used book stores - if you have more time than money. You should be able to pick up all or most of these used at a fraction of the cost. However, for Augustine be sure to get a good translation.

You also should have something by Bonhoeffer in your library, probably Discipleship (the title of the new translation - the older translation is sold under the English title The Cost of Discipleship).

[Lotar]

Even at borders you can get most of those books for under $10. I got The Confessions for $8.

Just for emphasis, Luther's commentary on Romans is excellent. ;)

[ChristianRocks]

Amen!!!! How could I have forgot Bro. Nee! Indeed, before I bought the book, I printed (yes the whole thing) his book from that very sight.

Not only the joy, but the freedom from striving his teaching gives! "Not I, but Christ liveth in me!"

Oh man! I can tell we are gonna be great friends! Now we have 2 cool things in common, Christ and this book! So Glad to meet you PatrickM. You are actually the first person I have come across who has read this book, isn't that amazing? :D ^_^

God Bless

[PatrickM]

Oh man! I can tell we are gonna be great friends! Now we have 2 cool things in common, Christ and this book! So Glad to meet you PatrickM. You are actually the first person I have come across who has read this book, isn't that amazing? :D ^_^

God Bless
Glad to meet you, too! Aside from my brother-in-law who recommended Nee's books, you also are the first person I've heard reading him.

I was thinking, actually, "Sit, Walk, Stand" is a good pre-quel to reading Normal Chrisitian Life. Have you read "Spiritual Man"?

God Bless

[HisJavajunkie]

I didn't even have to think twice about this...ABSOLUTELY...the THRU THE BIBLE WITH J. VERNON McGEE volumes! "Put the cookies on the bottom shelf!" A tremendous, and uncomplicated verse-by-verse explanation of the entire Bible.

But, since you have that already, alongside that I use The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, (one volume) from Moody Press.

ShetlandRose :angel:
I totally agree with you there. There is no need for me to think on this one. My answer is definitely J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible. The fact that it is so, as you put it, verse-by-verse informative. That just leads me to want to dig deeper into what the Bible has to say about different things that I am woundering about. Awesome series!

[ChristianRocks]

Tell me where I can find these books and I'll give them a try. I live in Canada so finding books can be hard at times. But I'll do a search on Google. Thanks Patrick!

[BBAS 64]

I went to the warehouse sale of CBD in peabody Ma. this morning.

www.christianbook.com (http://www.christianbook.com)

Never been there before I will tell you it is crazy, people like you would not believe. Prices are great, here are my selections:

Early christain Doctrine - Kelly (1978)
Chosen by God - Sproul
Chruch of Rome at the bar of History - Webster
Freedom of the will - Edwards
Who is my mother - Svendsen "replace the one I loaned out"


For His Glory Alone!:clap:

BBAS

[PatrickM]

What about "Chosen but Free" - Dr. Norman Geisler? ;)

[Eusebios]

I highly recommend,
EusebiosThe Way of The Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way (http://www.christianity-books.com/The_Way_of_a_Pilgrim_And_the_Pilgrim_Continues_His_Way_0060630175.html)
:wave:
Eusebios

[BBAS 64]

What about "Chosen but Free" - Dr. Norman Geisler? ;)Good Day, Patrick

Is this the book that Mr. Geisler wrote in an attempt to refute James White's Potter's freedom?

BBAS

[PatrickM]

Good Day, Patrick

Is this the book that Mr. Geisler wrote in an attempt to refute James White's Potter's freedom?

BBAS
It is a beautiful day here in SoCal. Hope it's well where you are.

Actually, Dr. Geisler's book is a refutation of Sproul's book, hence the similarity in titles (and my grin :D).

James White then attempted to refute Dr. Geisler's book. Mr. White's points were succintly answered in a new edition to Dr. Geisler's book, with an exhaustive addendum.