What Pastor Blair Has Been Reading (January 2025 through March 2025)

Croft, Brian & Bryce Butler. Oversee God’s People: Shepherding the Flock through Administration and Delegation. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI, 2015.

I am always in need of professional development. In seminary they teach you about exegesis and how to teach and preach. But I do not remember a single class on administration. The church is not only the body of Christ, it is also an organization that has to deal with budgets, and laws, and volunteers. This is not my forte. This book is divided into two parts. Pastor Brian Croft teaches the theological foundation in part one. Elders are called to be overseers- overseeing the life of the church. Croft shows Biblically the scope of responsibility. Bryce Butler, who serves as an executive pastor demonstrates the practical application of the exposition in part two. I found this section to be extremely valuable. Butler gave me new insights on how to do my job better. I am grateful for this primer on the subject.

Duncan, Ligon (with J. Nicholas Reid). Fear Not! Death and the Afterlife from a Christian Perspective. Christian Focus: Fearn, Scotland, 2008.

Few things are more sobering than the thought that our current life is a mere vapor. If the Lord should tarry, then we all will face death someday. Which means we will also face what is on the other side of this world. Ligon Duncan has provided a beautiful exposition of what happens at death and afterwards from a Biblical perspective. In five chapters he defines death (both physical and spiritual), what happens after we die, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, the final judgment, and the Christian’s final state in heaven. I would say this book is perfectly balanced. The non-Christian would hopefully find it disarming, while the Christian would find solace- hence the title, Fear Not. This is a great read to start your new year, reminding you of the eternal things- those that will last forever.

Fuller, Andrew. The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller, Volume 15: Expository Discourses on the Apocalypse. (Crawford Gribben, ed.). De Gruyter: Berlin, 2022.

Andrew Fuller (1754-1815) was a brilliant theologian. He produced classic works that not just advanced the Baptist cause, but also missions within Christendom. But this volume is, by far, Fuller’s weakest work. I started this book in the fall of 2022. It has taken me this long to get through it. Not because of its length, but due to how poor a job Fuller did in his exposition of Revelation. It reeks of a pastor working and expounding a text that he doesn’t fully understand. Fuller broke with his particular Baptist peer’s pre-millennial views and advocated a post-millennial stance. Due to his present circumstances, he believed the world was in the midst of the sixth vial of God’s wrath and about to enter into the post-millennial reign. He failed to convince this reader- mainly due to poor scholarship which was very unusual for the man. This work was one of his last and it was published posthumously. Perhaps Fuller would not have taken it to press, had he lived longer. I do need to note, Crawford Gribben’s introductory essay is wonderful. Gribben is an expert on 17^th and 18^th century eschatology. And he has well assessed the time in which Fuller wrote. Skip the exposition and read the introduction. It is enough.

Mesa, Ivan & Elliot Clark (eds). Faithful Exiles: Finding Hope in a Hostile World. The Gospel Coalition: Austin, TX, 2023.

Being in exile is a consistent theme throughout the book of Hebrews. I chose this title to help me think deeply about being an exile in this world and what it means to live as a sojourner. The book is composed of fourteen chapters written by different authors of various ethnic backgrounds. That perspective alone makes the book interesting- what does and African, a Latino, an Australia have in common? We are all exiles due to the Gospel. I found the chapters on holiness and politics to be the most useful. The weakness of the book is that it is too short. Each chapter could have its own book. And sadly, it leaves the reader wanting more. But it did stimulate my thinking as I continue our study through Hebrews.

Polycarp. ‘The Letters of Polycarp’ in Michael Holmes (trans). The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations (3^rd ed). Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, MI, 2007.

Every year I try to re-engage with the Church Fathers. This year I continue my journey using Michael Holmes translation reading Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians and The Martyrdom of Polycarp. While these are two brief works, they pack quite a punch in the content of their communication. Polycarp was born sometime in the latter portion of the first century. He bridges the apostles and the early church of the second century and became the Bishop of Smyrna. He was also the mentor of Ignatius. His writings are every useful to see how the church practiced the teachings of the Apostles. It is amazing to see how much of the New Testament already permeated his writings. He gives quotes or partial quotes from Matthew, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and the pastoral epistles. He speaks of presbyters as pastors. He also condemns the practice of homosexuality as a grievous sin (something liberal modern theologians say was ‘read into Paul’). We also have an account of his martyrdom. Possibly some of this work was exaggerated (as is typical of hagiography), but there is no doubt that Polycarp died for his bold witness that Jesus was the risen Christ. Holmes translation is still superior. It is very readable and a must for those who like the Greek text as well.

Schreiner, Thomas. Hebrews: Evangelical Biblical Theological Commentary. Lexham Press: Bellingham, WA, 2020.

It is difficult for me to put into words how well done is this commentary. I have read many commentaries on Hebrews before, but by far this one is superior. Schreiner has provided an excellent exposition of the text. He has also provided the best explanation for the warning passages in Hebrews (a concept he introduced in his small book, Running to Win the Prize, published in 2010). I had been longing to read this commentary since its publication and was glad I got the opportunity while I am preaching through Hebrews. Schreiner deals with the major arguments within the text and provides a thorough explanation of his own views. The strength of the book might lean towards the theological essays within the appendix. There, he deals with nine different topics raised in Hebrews. I highly recommend this commentary. Along with F. F. Bruce you will have an excellent study through Hebrews.

Strickland, Darby. When Children Experience Trauma: What to Do When Something Scary Happens. New Growth Press: Greensboro, NC, 2023.

Last Fall, I reviewed Darby Strickland’s children’s book, Something Scary Happened. That book was to get children to engage with an adult after a traumatic event. The appendix gave wonderful advice to parents in how to shepherd their children to understand their feelings and emotions. This small booklet takes that information to the next level. I would say it is a companion resource that parents and workers should have alongside the children’s book. Strickland helps parents identify behaviors that might be associated with trauma. She defines trauma as an event where a person is overwhelmed with extreme suffering. Children experience this ‘suffering’ more acutely because a sexual molestation, a car accident, a terrorist event, the death of a loved one are beyond their capabilities to understand. This is when parents and workers need to come alongside of the child and help them to deal Biblically with their feelings. Strickland provides practical ways to do this and that alone is worth the price of the book. I highly encourage parents who suspect their child might be experiencing trauma to read this booklet.

Tripp, Paul David. Everyday Gospel: A daily Devotional Connecting Scripture to All of Life. Crossway: Wheaton, IL, 2024.

I was very blessed to get access to the immediate release of this book at the CCEF conference last year. I started each day in October and worked through February of this year. I think I can safely recommend this devotional. It is much like Tripp’s classic one-page devotions of New Morning Mercies. But this takes it a step further. Within Everyday Gospel, Tripp has you read two to three chapters of scripture each day. By the end of the year, the reader has consumed all of the Bible. He selects a single thought from the daily reading to show you how all of scripture points us toward the gospel. He also adds additional relevant scripture passages at the end of the page. As usual, his devotions are excellent and thought provoking. I especially liked working through Leviticus with Tripp. Of course, Tripp still has that nasty habit of splitting infinitives. They are rampant throughout the book. Despite those, I can still hardily recommend this devotional.