IFB Authored Books

[rsc2a]

[quote author=Bull City Justice]The stuff these guys put out is not only embarrassing, it does great disservice to their "followers" who avoid reading the incredible stuff that's out there (Tripp, Keller, Chan, Lucado, etc., etc.)...

Wright, Lewis, Piper, Erre, Yancey, Spong (kidding!), Sider, Noll, Peterson, Willard, Stott....

touche    Chandler, Driscoll, Grudem, Mahaney, DeYoung, Wilson, McLaren (kidding!), Chester, Carson[/quote]

- Chandler is my favorite guy to podcast. I've listened to nearly every sermon he's given that is online.
- I like Driscoll in very small doses. He often suffers from foot-in-mouth disease. I used to like him a lot more though.
- Grudem is decent. GENDER ROLES! I like his systematic theology. I don't like that GENDER ROLES! he has hooked his horse up to one cart GENDER ROLES! and proceed to flog GENDER ROLES! that horse to death.
- McLaren is horrible theologically, but I have gotten a few nuggets from him. I wouldn't loan out my books to read to someone unless I was very certain about their stability regarding orthodoxy.
- The others are on my list as well.

 

[IFB X-Files]

You wouldn't happen to lean a little bit toward the dispensational view, would you? 

It's the only view.

 

[Torrent v.2]

On another thread BALAAM commented about the lack of good Bible study books written in recent years by IFB.  I believe this may be a topic that validates its own thread.  If BALAAM wouldn't mind I would like him to re-post his thoughts.

There are a couple of IFB books that would be considered good.

 

[Just John]

"Books" or pamphlets? 

 

[patriotic]

John Phillips is about as close to a quality IFB commentator as you will get. (He went to Bobby Roberson's church before he died)
Oliver B. Greene's books are ok.
Was Vance Havner IFB? I like his books.
Would Jim Berg from Bob Jones be considered IFB?

Other than these I cannot think of an IFB writer that is deserving of being paid for his books.

I LOVE John Phillips commentaries...especially his commentary on Romans. Anything he writes is gold to me.

Our church uses the Sunday School materials from Regular Baptist Press, and the adult curriculum usually is a very practical layman's level commentary on books or parts of books. These SS curriculum books blow any purely IFB books out of the water.

Those who grow up in Regular Baptist Press will know the Bible better than most seminary graduates, yet they won't be pompous about it.  They will just know it and will know why they believe what they believe. 

I know.  I grew up in it and when a wrong word is used in a Scripture verse or passage - such as on a sign or even in a message - I can almost ALWAYS pick it out better than several Bible preachers who might walk or drive by it on a regular basis.

I can also pull up a verse or at least a portion of a verse of Scripture for everything that might come up. 

I also have to give great credit to my parents.  Our TV was not turned on on Sunday afternoons.  We did not read the newspaper (not even the sports or comic sections).  We spent Sunday afternoons first learning our memory verse for the next Sunday and doing anything that might be a Scriptural activity in our SS papers and lesson books before we were allowed to read anything else. 

Then throughout the week, we took turns reviewing our new and old SS verses nearly every night at supper.  ....  all seven of us.  (and we still had to have the dining room and kitchen cleaned before we could watch Emergency!)

 

[Boomer]

John Phillips is about as close to a quality IFB commentator as you will get. (He went to Bobby Roberson's church before he died)
Oliver B. Greene's books are ok.
Was Vance Havner IFB? I like his books.
Would Jim Berg from Bob Jones be considered IFB?

Other than these I cannot think of an IFB writer that is deserving of being paid for his books.

I LOVE John Phillips commentaries...especially his commentary on Romans. Anything he writes is gold to me.

Our church uses the Sunday School materials from Regular Baptist Press, and the adult curriculum usually is a very practical layman's level commentary on books or parts of books. These SS curriculum books blow any purely IFB books out of the water.

Those who grow up in Regular Baptist Press will know the Bible better than most seminary graduates, yet they won't be pompous about it.  They will just know it and will know why they believe what they believe. 

I know.  I grew up in it and when a wrong word is used in a Scripture verse or passage - such as on a sign or even in a message - I can almost ALWAYS pick it out better than several Bible preachers who might walk or drive by it on a regular basis.

I can also pull up a verse or at least a portion of a verse of Scripture for everything that might come up. 

I also have to give great credit to my parents.  Our TV was not turned on on Sunday afternoons.  We did not read the newspaper (not even the sports or comic sections).  We spent Sunday afternoons first learning our memory verse for the next Sunday and doing anything that might be a Scriptural activity in our SS papers and lesson books before we were allowed to read anything else. 

Then throughout the week, we took turns reviewing our new and old SS verses nearly every night at supper.  ....  all seven of us.  (and we still had to have the dining room and kitchen cleaned before we could watch Emergency!)

I didn't grow up in the RBP Sunday School curriculum. When I first laid eyes on one of the adult SS books in our church, I was blown away. I now try to reference any RBP SS books in my library before I prepare a series on any book of the Bible - just to make sure I'm not off in left field on anything.

 

[Fresh Air]

I think some of this is cyclical. The downfall of read-a-verse-and-shout-awhile is non-textual preaching. The downfall of expository preaching is being bored to dears and a deadness of spirit. Neither of those have to be done badly, but if they are, for long periods of time, the succeeding generation will shift to the other while decrying the former in over-reaction.

 

[patriotic]

RAIDER compiled a great commentary. 

It's called, You Might Be a Hacker.

Every serious Bible college student should be required to read it. 

 

[Boomer]

I think some of this is cyclical. The downfall of read-a-verse-and-shout-awhile is non-textual preaching. The downfall of expository preaching is being bored to dears and a deadness of spirit. Neither of those have to be done badly, but if they are, for long periods of time, the succeeding generation will shift to the other while decrying the former in over-reaction.

Expository preaching does not have to be boring and dead-spirited. It becomes that when "expository" preachers turn their sermons into running commentaries on the text instead of preaching the main idea of each passage.

 

[rsc2a]

[quote author=patriotic]I can also pull up a verse or at least a portion of a verse of Scripture for everything that might come up.  [/quote]

:-\

 

[Fresh Air]

Expository preaching does not have to be boring and dead-spirited. It becomes that when "expository" preachers turn their sermons into running commentaries on the text instead of preaching the main idea of each passage.

I fully understand that. At the same time topical preaching doesn't have to be non-textual either. My point is that shoddy work done in either direction for a long period of time often results in a pendulum swing in the other direction.

 

[Mathew Ward]

I think some of this is cyclical. The downfall of read-a-verse-and-shout-awhile is non-textual preaching. The downfall of expository preaching is being bored to dears and a deadness of spirit. Neither of those have to be done badly, but if they are, for long periods of time, the succeeding generation will shift to the other while decrying the former in over-reaction.

How can preaching through a book verse by verse be considered boring and dead in spirit?

Take Romans, Galatians or any Pauline epistle and preach through it verse by verse doesn't seem that it would be boring or dead.

 

[rsc2a]

[quote author=Mathew Ward]How can preaching through a book verse by verse be considered boring and dead in spirit?

Take Romans, Galatians or any Pauline epistle and preach through it verse by verse doesn't seem that it would be boring or dead.[/quote]

If it takes three years to get through Ephesians.

 

[Binaca Chugger]

The problem with IFB books, is that they are not books.  Bro. Hyles continued this trend from John R. Rice who apparently got it from J. Frank Norris.  Now, every rank and file IFB preacher who wants a national name publishes these books.  However, they are not really books.  These are simply the transcribed sermons of the man, with more than a few grammatical corrections along the way.  Bro. Hyles and Jack Schaap did not write those books - they preached the sermons and Linda S. wrote the books .

Since the preaching style is to drive home one point from one passage, each chapter of a book does the same.  Reference, explanation, illustrations, restatement, done.  These are not works that are the result of in-depth study.  These are works that are the result of one week or even one day study.  Hence, there is not the same level of understanding presented.  Rather, a simple Bible reasoning is used to stress the old party lines.

 

[Binaca Chugger]

Though not really IFB, I am somewhat surprised that no one has mentioned Wiersbe (or is it Weirsbe?).  His commentaries are readable and provide a good jumping off point for deeper study.

I greatly enjoy Andrew Murray for topical study.

 

[prophet]

[quote author=Mathew Ward]How can preaching through a book verse by verse be considered boring and dead in spirit?

Take Romans, Galatians or any Pauline epistle and preach through it verse by verse doesn't seem that it would be boring or dead.

If it takes three years to get through Ephesians.
[/quote]Yes, that is boring.    There is a way to teach expository/topical, meditative, analytical lessons.  One must be first in the condition to do so.

Anishinabe

 

[Boomer]

Though not really IFB, I am somewhat surprised that no one has mentioned Wiersbe (or is it Weirsbe?).  His commentaries are readable and provide a good jumping off point for deeper study.

I greatly enjoy Andrew Murray for topical study.

I love Wiersbe's commentaries!

 

[16KJV11]

Though not really IFB, I am somewhat surprised that no one has mentioned Wiersbe (or is it Weirsbe?).  His commentaries are readable and provide a good jumping off point for deeper study.

I greatly enjoy Andrew Murray for topical study.

I love Wiersbe's commentaries!

I have all of them and use them.
I get disappointed, however, when he skips over  or glosses through texts that I am trying to study.

 

[16KJV11]

I think some of this is cyclical. The downfall of read-a-verse-and-shout-awhile is non-textual preaching. The downfall of expository preaching is being bored to dears and a deadness of spirit. Neither of those have to be done badly, but if they are, for long periods of time, the succeeding generation will shift to the other while decrying the former in over-reaction.

How can preaching through a book verse by verse be considered boring and dead in spirit?

Take Romans, Galatians or any Pauline epistle and preach through it verse by verse doesn't seem that it would be boring or dead.

I like preaching through books, say on Wednesday nights and Sunday nights.  To be honest, I don't like to always have to think about what to preach.
Call me lazy if you want, but preaching through a book or having a series helps you to not have to deal with that.
However, there are times when you have needs in the church that as the pastor, I believe, should be addressed.
I have been preaching through 1 Corinthians on Wednesday night and it dawned on me that the whole book is dealing with issues going on in the church.
Had Paul been able to make it back there to Corinth, I highly doubt whether he would have been preaching a series through a book of the Bible in the OT.
He had to deal with issues.
My point is that if there are several people dealing with heartbreak, or if there are several families dealing with family problems, or if there is a climate of great flux occurring in the atmosphere of the country, the list is endless...
Would it not be a help to those people to preach a good, BIBLE centered, expository, Scripturally sound message to help them?
One can preach 'topically' through the Bible in a Scripturally sound way.

 

[Binaca Chugger]

SO.....  This has become a thread about preaching styles rather than books.  Okay, I'll put in my two cents:

I get frustrated with 6 month series that outlines a one chapter book (yes, an exaggeration).  I begin to question why I am going to this SS class / Wed night service, just to hear the speaker read an outline from a commentator whose books I own, or give a book report from the chapter of a topical book he read last week.  I expect church to be more.

Outline a chapter or even a verse.  Preach on a topic.  Do a word study.  Use a multitude of resources to compile your thoughts and ensure you are not straying from sound doctrine.  Fine.  But, MAKE THE MATERIAL YOURS!!!  Preach/Teach from the heart, not the outline.  Inspire me to study, don't read to me.

IMO, the best pastors are able to use a variety of methods for proclaiming truth.