Opens up the bible
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For anyone who's ever scratched their heads trying to make sense of the bible, this is the book for you.
David Pawson's clear, easy to follow, erudite prose opens up the bible. He doesn't pretend the bible is a simple document, but does shine a light on the text to make it easier to get to grips with.
The book is filled with examples and stories, and it also tracks Pawson's own journey in trying to understand scripture.
There's a great explanation of "Song of Songs", which Pawson says he avoided for years because it just seemed to be too carnal: about the sexual relationship between a man and a woman. To find out his refreshing conclusion about the Song of Solomon, buy this book!
It's rare to find a commentary with so much humour in it. I haven't read it in order, but in random chapters as I've read the bible. This may not be the best way to read the book, but it's worked for me.
This is one of those books that has helped me understand God's word better, and also (by extension) His character. I can't offer a better accolade than that.
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Evangelical.
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A word of caution about the Author, he believes Genesis is historically accurate & that the Devil is real. I can't deny this book offers great insight into understanding scripture & makes some very good observations, but I found I had to skip anything which seeks to challenge science on. I admit I come from a perspective that scripture is largely each authors attempt to comprehend God's creation & similar to Classical Islam that everything new science reveals inhances my wonder at the universe which God has given us.
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Very tenuous scholarship for a Cambridge graduate
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I wanted a book that would provide a relatively user-friendly summary of the Bible, as I already have some rather highbrow, academic theological books, and so purchased Mr Pawson's lengthy tome.
This book, I have to admit, is really easy to read. It uses accessible language, and has an overall warmth of tone.
My standpoint is one who will not dismiss or denigrate a viewpoint until I have at least studied the basics to a level where I can talk intelligibly with a full time adherent of the opinion in question. I get the impression that when it comes to the non-Christian religions, the scholarship in this book is one where the contents page has been read, but not the whole book. For example, Confucianism is tarred with the brush of idolatry. Hmmm.
Science is denigrated as being a path to unbelief and therefore the devil, and then is used later on to justify a religious standpoint. This is not academic, and is like wanting to have one's cake AND eat it. Archaeological and geological dates are portrayed as unreliable when they seem to argue against the opinions in this book, but are also used in other parts where they seem to agree with the idea being discussed by the author at subsequent junctures.
The author's foray into the world of languages also irritated me in my capacity as an amateur philologist of some 20 years experience. There are some poor direct translations of Hebrew, and the use of Chinese characters to argue a point made by the author is embarrassingly inept.
Some of the theological opinions put forward seem to be contradictory. The feel for me is of a conservative, 1950s English yearning for some long gone yesteryear. Because God loves human life, murderers should be put to death. Hmmm.
The lasting impression I have of this book is an overwhelming urge on my part to yell "it's perfectly all right to have a faith - I respect people's faith immensely. Please don't try to prove a faith by inexpert misuse of a subject you profess to distrust."
2 stars because it's easy to read and it makes me laugh out loud or cringe.
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unlocking the bible
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wow anyone wanting to know more about the bible this is the book to have the insight knowledge and understanding of this book is incredibl david pawson has certainly got all this and i have only read a few chapters
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I never thought the Bible cld be brought to life so well
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The author has an incredible knowledge of the background of biblical times, and an eloquency in layman's terms that really brings the Bible to life. He gives all views in relation to a subject very fairly, and his own bias is rarely seen in a dogmatic way at all. The only area I find unusual is that he almost totally "blanks" regarding the Rapture, and I think this is due to caution in his own mind regarding this doctrine rather than a right-out disbelief. Certainly a priority-buy for anyone wanting to study the Bible more closely and lovingly, and less dutifully!!!
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