It is obvious that Satan is the great enemy of God and His Kingdom, including the church. If God is the truth, you can know that Satan’s aim is do everything conceivable to pervert and destroy the truth. That was his modus operandi in the Garden of Eden. He has not rested and will not until the day of the Lord. Of course we know to attack, challenge, and contradict God’s truth is to focus those things on the Scripture. While God’s truth is broader than Scripture, the Word of God contains His special revealed truth that enables us to have a basis for understanding all of God’s truth. That’s why Christians must be Bible students with an active knowledge of the Scripture. It is our “only infallible rule of faith and practice” as the Westminster Confession of Faith states.

There are a number of issues before us today that are basic for Christians to understand about the Word. First, we need to know the Scriptures, though written by men inspired by God, are God’s word to us, not our words about God. The Scripture (Bible) is God’s book.

Understanding Scripture contains chapters by a few of those in Reformed and evangelical circles: Daniel Doriani, John Hannah, J. I. Packer, David Powlison, Vern Poythress, John Piper, John Collins, and others. Some of the topics include: Interpreting the Bible, Reading the Bible Theologically, Reading the Bible in Prayer and Communion, Surveying the History of Salvation, How the New Testament Interprets the Old Testament, are samplings of the topics included in this book.

There are seven parts to this book containing 19 topics within those seven. Packer’s chapter on Reading the Bible Theologically, is worth the price of the book. When you add Doriani’s and Hannah’s section on Interpreting the Bible, you will appreciate the importance of hermeneutics or interpreting the Word.

Whether you are a preacher, teacher, growing Christian, you will appreciate this book. Read it personally for your own benefit, use it topically for teaching and preaching, share it with a friend who may have questions about the Bible and its foundational role in the Christian faith. Though it refers to itself as an overview, don’t think the topics are dealt with simplistically.