Mark Kennicott

Reformed and Cessationist

Revisado: 11-13-24

This was a disappointing read/listen. The author takes a hard reformed/Calvinist/cessationist view of the Scriptures, offering no justification for his views apart from the misuse and misinterpretation of many texts.

This is less a "survey of the New Testament" and more an apologetic of Baptist views offered in a book-by-book format. Even then, the views are poorly argued. There are much better surveys of the New Testament, and I recommend that you skip this one.

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Great Book, Terrible Narration

Revisado: 01-26-24

This is one that's worth reading, for sure. Joannes does an excellent job stripping romantic ideas away from the prospect of missionary work while still supporting the biblical call. The stories he tells are both inspiring and heart-wrenching, and the way he ties it all together with biblical principles and emotional health is very well articulated. Anyone thinking of becoming actively engaged in mission work should read this book...twice.

That said, I can't recommend the audio book. The narration is just awful. Many quotes (and there are many!) are laid in like old radio broadcasts, and they are so hard to understand at times that the message is lost due to its incoherence. Oddly, many of the quotes include tags that say "he writes/wrote," suggesting that the canned, tinny audio clips are merely performances. Ultimately, they are a distraction, making the substance of the quotes hard to even hear or appreciate. Get the book. Skip the audio. That's my recommendation.

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An Excellent Overview of Second Temple History

Revisado: 11-22-23

In "Bridging the Testaments: The History and Theology of God’s People in the Second Temple Period," George Athas provides a sweeping overview of the history that shaped the Jewish people during the five centuries that followed the Old Testament Exile. He points to the single page that often separates Malachi from Matthew and insists–quite convincingly–that there is much more there than meets the eye. Digging into the supposed “silent years” that separate the testaments, Athas explores the world powers that both came and went, all leaving their indelible marks on the self-understanding of the people of Judea and Samaria. He also dispels the notion that prophecy had ceased, offering numerous proofs for the ways that God was still active in the lives of His people.

Thorough in presentation, Athas discusses the historical backdrop of the Persian, Hellenistic, Hasmonean, and Roman eras, and specifically the ways they impacted the development of Jewish belief and practice. He explores the interplay of biblical and deuterocanonical sources, connecting historical events with biblical texts in ways that may surprise some readers. One of the things that becomes clear while reading is that the intertestamental period (as it is often referred to) is anything but silent, and understanding the events of that period is critical to properly understanding the New Testament. I would consider it essential reading for New Testament background studies, as it definitely helps place both the Old Testament and New Testament next to each other in a historical and theological continuity.

Still, one should not read this as a comprehensive overview of Jewish faith and practice in the post-exilic period, but as an important (even vital) piece of a larger puzzle. With the historical and theological backdrop provided here, I would also recommend "From the Maccabees to the Mishnah" by Shaye Cohen, "The Jewish People in the First Century" by Shmuel Safrai, "Judaism: Practice & Belief, 63 BCE–66 CE" by E.P. Sanders, and the excellent works of Lois Tverberg (among others). I am grateful for the additional insights that this work provides and recognize the unique contribution it makes toward understanding the intertestamental period. I would place it on my “must read” list for anyone wanting a clear picture of the world politics of the Second Temple Period. For a closer look at the cultural and theological development of the Jewish people in the same period, I would definitely recommend additional sources.

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An Excellent Overview of Second Temple History

Revisado: 11-19-23

In "Bridging the Testaments: The History and Theology of God’s People in the Second Temple Period," George Athas provides a sweeping overview of the history that shaped the Jewish people during the five centuries that followed the Old Testament Exile. He points to the single page that often separates Malachi from Matthew and insists–quite convincingly–that there is much more there than meets the eye. Digging into the supposed “silent years” that separate the testaments, Athas explores the world powers that both came and went, all leaving their indelible marks on the self-understanding of the people of Judea and Samaria. He also dispels the notion that prophecy had ceased, offering numerous proofs for the ways that God was still active in the lives of His people.

Thorough in presentation, Athas discusses the historical backdrop of the Persian, Hellenistic, Hasmonean, and Roman eras, and specifically the ways they impacted the development of Jewish belief and practice. He explores the interplay of biblical and deuterocanonical sources, connecting historical events with biblical texts in ways that may surprise some readers. One of the things that becomes clear while reading is that the intertestamental period (as it is often referred to) is anything but silent, and understanding the events of that period is critical to properly understanding the New Testament. I would consider it essential reading for New Testament background studies, as it definitely helps place both the Old Testament and New Testament next to each other in a historical and theological continuity.

Still, one should not read this as a comprehensive overview of Jewish faith and practice in the post-exilic period, but as an important (even vital) piece of a larger puzzle. With the historical and theological backdrop provided here, I would also recommend "From the Maccabees to the Mishnah" by Shaye Cohen, "The Jewish People in the First Century" by Shmuel Safrai, "Judaism: Practice & Belief, 63 BCE–66 CE" by E.P. Sanders, and the excellent works of Lois Tverberg (among others). I am grateful for the additional insights that this work provides and recognize the unique contribution it makes toward understanding the intertestamental period. I would place it on my “must read” list for anyone wanting a clear picture of the world politics of the Second Temple Period. For a closer look at the cultural and theological development of the Jewish people in the same period, I would definitely recommend additional sources.

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Great Story, Terrible Narration

Revisado: 06-06-23

This was one of the first Heinlein books I read as a teen so I was excited to give it a listen in my fifties. I tried, I really did. I could not finish because of how bad it is. The narration is SO bad as to be distracting. I could not enjoy the story due to the horrific performance so I turned the book back in. If you want to enjoy this one, either find a different narrator or just read it the old fashioned way, Seriously. It's in my top ten of Heinlein's works (and I've read nearly all of them) but this is not the way to do it.

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