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James Montgomery Boice is a well-known Bible scholar,
teacher, preacher, writer, and radio personality. He is pastor of the Tenth
Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Philadelphia, and has written numerous books used
by evangelical and reformed Christians. His commentaries on Romans, Philippians,
and Ephesians are well known and Foundations of the Christian Faith (now
in one volume), is also quite popular.
Baker Books has republished his three-volume commentary
series on Genesis at a very timely moment when our very foundations are being
questioned. We live in a postmodern world where truth itself is challenged,
deconstructed, or totally rejected. The tragedy is that most people, including
Christians, are not able, as Peter instructed, to give a reason for the hope
that is in us. Modern science has raised many questions and caused people to
believe that the Bible does not have answers.
Genesis sets the stage for the rest of the Bible and
provides a framework for constructing a biblical world and life view. It deals
with creation, the fall into sin, and God’s promised redemption in Christ. It
tells of God’s calling and separating a people unto him in the family of
Abraham. Hence studying the first book of the Bible is essential. It should be
at the top of the list for studying, preaching, and teaching to our postmodern
culture. In the preface Boice writes, “Today I am impressed with the fact that
our need to know Genesis and appropriate both its message and evangelistic
method is far deeper. We need to think about God, a reality that is absent far
too often even in evangelical churches, and we need to know about ourselves as
fallen yet able to be redeemed.”
Several sections in Volume One deal with “hot topics” in
our circles today, like the days of creation and the judgment on man and woman
as a result of the fall. He gives a good overview of some of the different
positions or interpretations held on those passages. He presents a balanced view
of the length of creation days that does not finally settle for a 24-hour day,
but does represent the historicity of the book of Genesis, especially the first
eleven chapters. Volume Two, “A New Beginning,” Genesis 12-36, contains valuable
commentary on such topics as the call of Abraham and the establishment of the
covenant of grace with Abraham’s seed. Volume Three, “Living by Faith,”
Genesis 37-50, takes God’s family to Egypt. These chapters center on Joseph the
son of Jacob.
Boice writes his commentaries for fellow preachers and
teachers, and we should use them as we preach and teach Genesis. They are
exegetically sound, theologically valid, and full of preaching and teaching
ideas, and his views are clear, persuasive, and usable.
- Charles Dunahoo, CEP Coordinator
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