This book records salient points of commentary regarding sections of the Bible systematically studied by the author over a decade. Martin is a layman who has a twenty-five-year journey of faith within the Presbyterian church. While Christians believe scripture is the inerrant revelation of God's word, the same cannot be said about commentaries. Also, while Bible scholars are typically very learned and thorough, they can and do make mistakes. Ten of the seventy selected authorities deserve special mention as crucial to this volume.

The sampler is divided into studies that include hymns, the Old Testament, and the New Testament. For example, the small book of Ruth in the Old Testament is addressed by two commentaries. About Ruth's meeting with her future husband, Boaz, David Jackman's remarks state, "The timing was perfect, because it was God's." The epilogue includes a section on human foibles (including the author's) and "Humanity's Rebellion" against God.

Martin has crafted his work from a well-informed position. For example, as part of a pastoral challenge, the author began a personal study of the Bible in 1994. Since that time, he has read the entire Bible at least a dozen times and studied certain sections numerously. In 2005, he decided to read and study with a Christian commentary alongside every book of the Bible as well. He filled several spiral-bound journals with notes which form the nucleus of this sampler. Besides being a serious lay student, Martin is also an engineer who experienced the tension between faith and science. Now, he hopes that this sampler may inspire others to explore the Bible more deeply. Martin also helpfully includes a bibliography and an author index with quotations and dates. Those who are interested in a wide range of opinion on specific Bible books and passages might find this work to be quite useful.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Return to USR Home