Pastoral Musings Thoughts, essays, and miscellanea…

Book Review
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Genesis: Beginning and Blessing
and
True Sexual Morality

Genesis: Beginning and Blessing
R. Kent Hughes
ISBN-10: 1581346298 ISBN-13: 9781581346299

Hughes has hit a homerun, or at least a triple. This exposition of Genesis is amazing in its scope, depth, and clarity.
Hughes is definitely in his prime here.
While Hughes is not a six day Creationist, he does espouse Creationism. He does a good job of upholding special Creation as he writes.
Hughes has an amazing knowledge of Scripture as well as background resources. All of these are brought to bear on the subject at hand. The book has extensive references. The writing is good, too.
“Genesis: Beginning and Blessing” is certainly a recommended resource for studies in the book of Genesis.
I dare say that “Genesis: Beginning and Blessing” shall become one of the few classic expositions of the book of Genesis.
Whether one is a layman, Bible class teacher, pastor, or scholar, “Genesis: Beginning and Blessing” belongs in their library.

True Sexual Morality: Recovering Biblical Standards for a Culture in Crisis
Daniel R. Heimbach
ISBN-10: 1581344856 ISBN-13: 9781581344851

Wow! Is my response to this book.
The author of True Sexual Morality (henceforth TSM) knows his Bible.
He also knows his sexual mores. They are Scriptural.
This book is not an easy read. It is one that is important, however. As the subtitle states, we are a culture in crisis. We need to recover Biblical standards. If professors, teachers, preachers, and all Christians would take heed to this book we could indeed recover these Biblical standards. Our churches, as well as our culture, are in crisis.
From the spiritualizing of sex by paganism to the spiritual aspect of sex in Christianity; from the reason why sex should be exclusive to marriage to the reasons against polygamy, TSM covers its subject matter almost exhaustively.
TSM should be given a second subtitle: “An Encyclopedia of Christian Sexual Ethics.” I don’t think there is anything neglected.
TSM should be used as a textbook in every Christian Bible college, seminary, university, and should be used as a reference by every committed Bible teacher.
It’s that good.