Product Description

A basic guide to twenty Christian beliefs that is solid, yet readable, and not intimidating for new believers and Christians in general. Includes chapter review questions.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12276 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780310255994
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From the Back Cover
Christian Essentials Made Plain and Simple God doesn’t call every Christian to go off to seminary, but there are certain matters of doctrine—that is, the church’s teaching—that every Christian simply must know. Theology is important because what we believe affects how we live. If you’re a relatively new believer in Jesus, or if you’re a more mature Christian looking for a quick brush-up on basics of the faith, Christian Beliefs is for you. This readable guide to twenty basic Christian beliefs is a condensation of Wayne Grudem’s award-winning book on systematic theology, prized by pastors and teachers everywhere. He and his son, Elliot, have boiled down the essentials of Christian theology for the average layperson and made them both clear and applicable to life. You will learn about the Bible, the characteristics of God, what it means that we are created in the image of God, what God has done for us in Christ, the purpose of the church, and much more. Each chapter includes questions for personal review or group discussion. These truly are twenty basic beliefs that every Christian should know. Wayne Grudem is a master teacher with the ability to explain profound truths in simple language. He is a man of deep conviction and theological passion—and those who read this book will be both educated and encouraged in the faith. R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky Based on Systematic Theology, this summary will certainly help beginners with Christ to get the hang of their faith. J. I. Packer, Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia As Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology contracts into a compact book, I do not lose my enthusiasm for the truth he loves and the clarity of his words. John Piper, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota

About the Author
Wayne Grudem is Research Professor of Bible and Theology at Phoenix Seminary in Scottsdale, Arizona. He holds degrees from Harvard (B.A.), Westminster Seminary (M.Div.), and Cambridge (Ph.D.). He is a past president of the Evangelical Theological Society, a member of the Translation Oversight Committee of the English Standard Version of the Bible, and the author of Bible Doctrine, Business for the Glory of God, and Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Christian Beliefs Copyright © 2005 by Wayne Grudem Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Grudem, Wayne A. Christian beliefs : twenty basics every Christian should know / Wayne Grudem; edited by Elliot Grudem. p. cm. Rev. ed. of: Bible doctrine. Includes bibliographical references (p. ). ISBN-10: 0-310-25599-6 ISBN-13: 978-0-310-25599-4 1. Theology, Doctrinal — Popular works. 2. Bible — Theology. I. Grudem, Elliot. II. Grudem, Wayne A. Bible doctrine. III. Title. BT77.G875 2005 230 — dc22 2005017563 All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Italics are sometimes added by the author for emphasis. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Interior design by Tracey Walker Printed in the United States of America What Is the Bible? Any responsible look at a single Christian belief should be based on what God says about that subject. Therefore, as we begin to look at a series of basic Christian beliefs, it makes sense to start with the basis for these beliefs — God’s words, or the Bible. One topic the Bible thoroughly covers is itself; that is, the Bible tells us what God thinks about his very words. God’s opinion of his words can be broken down into four general categories: authority, clarity, necessity, and sufficiency. The Authority of the Bible All the words in the Bible are God’s words. Therefore, to disbelieve or disobey them is to disbelieve or disobey God himself. Oftentimes, passages in the Old Testament are introduced with the phrase, “Thus says the LORD” (see Ex. 4:22; Josh. 24:2; 1 Sam. 10:18; Isa. 10:24; also Deut. 18:18 – 20; Jer. 1:9). This phrase, understood to be like the command of a king, indicated that what followed was to be obeyed without challenge or question. Even the words in the Old Testament not attributed as direct quotes from God are considered to be God’s words. Paul, in 2 Timothy 3:16, makes this clear when he writes that “all Scripture is breathed out by God.” The New Testament also affirms that its words are the very words of God. In 2 Peter 3:16, Peter refers to all of Paul’s letters as one part of the “Scriptures.” This means that Peter, and the early church, considered Paul’s writings to be in the same category as the Old Testament writings. Therefore, they considered Paul’s writings to be the very words of God. In addition, Paul, in 1 Timothy 5:18, writes that “the Scripture says” two things: “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain” and “The laborer deserves his wages.” The first quote regarding an ox comes from the Old Testament; it is found in Deuteronomy 25:4. The second comes from the New Testament; it is found in Luke 10:7. Paul, without any hesitation, quotes from both the Old and New Testaments, calling them both “Scripture.” Therefore, again, the words of the New Testament are considered to be the very words of God. That is why Paul could write, “the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37). Since the Old and New Testament writings are both considered Scripture, it is right to say they are both, in the words of 2 Timothy 3:16, “breathed out by God.” This makes sense when we consider Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit would “bring to” the disciples’ “remembrance” all that Jesus said to them (John 14:26). It was as the disciples wrote the Spirit-enabled words, that books such as Matthew, John, and 1 and 2 Peter were written. The Bible says there are “many ways” (Heb. 1:1) in which the actual words of the Bible were written. Sometimes God spoke directly to the author, who simply recorded what he heard (Rev. 2:1, 8, 12). At other times the author based much of his writings on interviews and research (Luke 1:1 – 3). And at other times, the Holy Spirit brought to mind things that Jesus taught (John 14:26). Regardless of the way the words came to the authors, the words they put down were an extension of them — their personalities, skills, backgrounds, and training. But they were also exactly the words God wanted them to write — the very words that God claims as his own. If God claims that the words of Scripture are his own, then there is ultimately no higher authority one can appeal to for proof of this claim than Scripture itself. For what authority could be higher than God? So, Scripture ultimately gains its authority from itself. But the claims of Scripture only become our personal convictions through the work of the Holy Spirit in an individual’s heart. The Holy Spirit doesn’t change the words of Scripture in any way; he doesn’t supernaturally make them become the words of God (for they always have been). He does, however, change the reader of Scripture. The Holy Spirit makes readers realize the Bible is unlike any book they have ever read. Through reading, they believe that the words of Scripture are the very words of God himself. It is as Jesus said in John 10:27: “My sheep hear my voice . . . and they follow me.” Other kinds of arguments (such as historical reliability, internal consistency, fulfilled prophecies, influence on others, and the majestic beauty and wisdom of the content) can be useful in helping us see the reasonableness of the claims of the Bible. As God’s very words, the words of Scripture are more than simply true; they are truth itself (John 17:17). They are the final measure by which all supposed truth is to be gauged. Therefore, that which conforms to Scripture is true; that which doesn’t conform to Scripture is not true. New scientific or historical facts may cause us to reexamine our interpretation of Scripture, but they will never directly contradict Scripture. The truth of the Scriptures does not demand that the Bible report events with exact, scientific detail (though all the details it does report are true). Nor does it demand that the Bible tell us everything we need to know or ever could know about a subject. It never makes either of these claims. In addition, because it was written by ordinary men in an ordinary language with an ordinary style, it does contain loose or free quotations and some uncommon and unusual forms of grammar or spelling. But these are not matters of truthfulness. The Bible does not, in its original form, affirm anything contrary to fact. If the Bible does affirm something contrary to fact, then it cannot be trusted. And if the Bible cannot be trusted, then God himself cannot be trusted. To believe that the Bible affirms something false would be to disbelieve God himself. To disbelieve God himself is to place yourself as a higher authority with a deeper, more developed understanding on a topic or topics than God himself. Therefore, since the Bible affirms that it is the very words of God, we are to seek to understand those words, for in doing so, we are seeking to understand God himself. We are to seek to trust the words of Scripture, for in doing so, we are seeking to trust God himself. And we are to seek to obey the words of Scripture, for in doing so, we are seeking to obey God himself. The Clarity of Scripture As we read Scripture and seek to understand it, we discover that some passages are easier to understand than others.

Customer Reviews

Excellent overview
Grudem's book is an excellent overview of the basics of Chistian beliefs from a Reformed point of view. The chapters are between 3-5 pages, just long enough for a new Christian to read and digest the material without getting bogged down in a lot of detailed discussion. That is not to say that this book is light on doctrine or details. All of the fundamentals are there. While it is written from a Reformed point of view, the book is applicable for all evangelical Christian perspectives. I know Pentecostal churches that use this book for new Christian classes. I am using this book as a text for a Christian Foundations class, and it is working well. For a new Christian, or for someone wanting to know the basics of Christian beliefs, this is a great starting point. For more in-depth study, I would also recommend Grudem's book Bible Doctrines, which is the next step up, and also his book Systematic Theology, which is extremely readable and detailed.

Excellent book for the laymen
I love this book because the way Mr. Grudem speaks is like having a chat with a friend not talking to a intellectual. The issues he covers are clearly presented in ways that make it easy to follow. The systematic approach is clear and concise. Another thing I like is I can go back and grab a chapter for review and not have to worry about having read the other chapters. One final thought is that I appreciate how both sides of an argument are addressed. The author doesn't simply state the position he believes and leave you wondering about the other side of the story. He discusses the challenges that the theological position he is taking often faces.

Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know
I have read Grudem's Systematic Theology and Bible Doctrine. Christian Beliefs provides a wonderful introduction and practical guide concerning the primary doctrines of the Bible. It is written in such a way that even the young reader can understand.
I have found Wayne Grudem to be clear and precise.