If You Could Only Have Ten books!

[AVBunyan]

If You Could Only Have Ten books!

1. Practical Religion - J.C.Ryle (1816-1900)
Chapters include:
Self Inquiry
Prayer
Bible Reading
Charity
Zeal
Happiness
Formality (deadly for us today)
The World (his thoughts want to make you crawl under a table!)
Sickness
The Family of God
Our Home
Outstanding book – easily read – covers most of the Christian life – a must book

2. Pilgrims Progress - John Bunyan (1628-1688)
What can we say – one of the greatest books ever written on the Christian life. Bro. Bunyan covers all aspects of your quest for salvation, the obstacles to getting it, the battles that rage afterwards. If you want to know about the Christian life along with some great doctrine on Justification by faith – then this is the book – another must have.


3. The Precious Things of God - Octavius Winslow (1808-1878)
Mr. Winslow gives us a comforting book on the precious things of God. Chapters include:
The Preciousness of Christ
The Preciousness of Faith
The Preciousness of Trial
The Preciousness of Divine Promises
The Preciousness of Christ’s blood
The Preciousness of the Death of the Saints
And more….
Need I say anything else – review just the few chapters I listed above.


4. All Things For Good - Thomas Watson (died 1686)
Struggling with the above subject – just can’t see everything working for good? Well, Bro. Watson takes all these concerns a away – a must have classic for comfort and understanding the ways of God.

5. The Crook in the Lot - Thomas Boston (born 1676 Scotland)
Has God thrown you a “curve†lately? Can’t figure out why it came upon you? Thomas Boston will explain God’s providential hand I all these crooks that get thrown your way.


6. The Christian Directory - Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
This huge directory covers every aspect of the Christian life under subject matters. You have a question regarding the practical Christian life – go to The Directory!


7. John G. Paton - Missionary to the New Hebrides (1824-1907)
You never read anything like it – Hollywood can’t touch it for action and life threatening situation. John Paton got a burden for the cannibals of New Hebrides in the mid 1800’s – yes, they ate people and just got finished eating two missionaries before he landed. Paton endured the loss of all things including his wife and baby but he he got there they were all cannibals – when he eventually left they were all Christians! His story will curl your hair and take away any excuse you have for not witnessing.


8. The Young Lady's Guide - Harvey Newcombe
If there was ever a time when young ladies needed direction it is today – Mr. Newcombe uses the old tried and true ideas for preparing young ladies for being young ladies that glorify God.

9. The World Conquered by the Faithful Christian - Richard Alleine (1611-1681)
The world got a hold of you? Can’t break free? Well Bro. Alleine will help you get “weaned†from this vile world.

10. Keeping the Heart - John Flavel (1630-1691)
Having heart problems? Need some diagnosis and treatment. Let “Doctor†Flavel use the scriptures to expose and treat your heart ailments. This is a masterful look at the deceitfulness of the heart and how to handle those bad-heart attitudes.

 

[Nick]

I assume we can add our own?

-----

Here are two that sprang to mind immediately:
The Bible. (of course! )
The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God (D.A. Carson)

On the Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God, I found this blog post that outlines the book very well. It' is an extremely hard book to read, but extremely beneficial if you can get your head around it and really willing to sit down and take some time out for this small, but extremely condensed book which is packed full ot wisdom.

I’m not sure that anything that D.A. Carson writes is easy to read, nor is any of it irrelevant. This book was originally developed and presented as lectures, hence is colloquial structure.

He begins by listing 5 reasons why the doctrine of the love of God is “difficultâ€:

1. Since most deists of any sort in Western civilization assume that God must be a loving being, it is difficult to distinguish in present culture what the Bible means when it says that “God is loveâ€.
2. Western culture also has devalued God of most anything that it deems uncomfortable. This has led to belief in an overly emotional God devoid of any awkward or unpleasant characteristic (i.e., his lordship, his justice, etc.)
3. Postmodern reinforces “the most sentimental, syncretistic, and often pluralistic views of God, with no other authority base than the postmodern epistemology itself.†(p. 14)
4. The love of God is itself very difficult even for confessing Christians to grasp without precarious imbalance and disproportion to the Bible’s teaching.
5. Often, the doctrine of the love of God is portrayed over simplistically.

He then lists 5 ways the Bible speaks about the love of God. These 5 ways are the conceptual and theological underpinning for the rest of Carson’s book.

1. The peculiar love of the Father for the son, and of the Son for the Father
2. God’s providential love over all that he has made
3. God’s salvific stance toward the fallen world
4. God’s particular, effective, selecting love toward his elect.
5. God’s love is sometimes conditional upon the obedience of His people.

He admonishes the church not to absolutize or make exclusive any one of the different ways that the Bible talks about the love of God. This only leads to theological imbalance and pastoral carelessness.

In chapter 2, Carson rearticulates his argument that the “agapeo†word studies are a methodologically flawed manner of grasping God’s love. This argument first appeared in his book Exegetical Fallacies (Baker Academic, 1996). “What is now quite clear to almost everyone who works in the fields of linguistics and semantics is that such an understanding of love cannot be tied in any univocal way to the agapeo word group†(26).

He then exegetes John 5:16-30 in order to explain nuances of the intra-Trinitarian love of God. His main point, in the end, is that the intra-Trinitarian love of God is the theological under girding for understanding God’s love for us and how we relate back to God and to Jesus. I.e., Jn 3:16 and Romans 8:32 make sense and are good news because we know how much the Father loves the Son.

As a quick critique: I find it fascinating that in the chapter on intra-Trinitarian love the Holy Spirit is hardly mentioned, even in passing. Why?

In chapter 3 Carson establishes 3 points:

1. God may be impassible, but only in the sense that he is without unconstrained and self compromising emotions, but he is certainly not emotionless – in fact, the whole corpus of Scripture illustrates emotion from his perfection. The doctrine of God’s impassibility is “trying to avoid a picture of God who is changeable, given over to mood swings, dependent upon his creatures†(49).
2. God is sovereign and transcendent as well as personal. These two parts are givens. Elevate over the other and you have yourself a nice destructive heap of heresy.
3. God has emotions, but they are perfectly constrained as a function of his own perfection and holiness. He is impassible “in the sense that he sustains no “passionâ€, no emotion, that makes him vulnerable from the outside, over which he has no control, or which he has not foreseen†(60). Passages like Eph. 3:14-21 are not using anthropopathism. God’s love, to go back to the argument over the agapeo word grouping, is not just willed altruism. In fact, his passions are perfectly unified with his other perfections. Specifically, God’s love is presented in the biblical text as tied to the other perfections of God. God’s love is one of His own perfections of being. In other words, his love is not dependent on the loveliness of the loved.

Chapter 4 is a meditation on God’s love and wrath. While God’s love is part of His perfect being, His wrath is not one of the intrinsic perfections of God (though He is perfect and holy when filled and when displaying his wrath). His wrath is a function of the rebellion of His people. He then delves into a strong discussion on the intent of the atonement. Is it limited or for all? He argues for a distinction between general and definite.

Carson is strongest in this book in the last few pages. Therein he takes the 5 ways that God’s love is described in Scripture and reflects on those ways elicits our love for God and for fellow mankind.

Finally, I find it fascinating that Carson feels drawn to make a comparison with the God of Islam (p. 39). He states that Allah is not eternally other oriented in the same sense of the Triune God in whom each Person exists in perfect submission, appraisal, and affection with the others. Since Allah is not plurality-in-unity, only when in time he created all things did he have the capacity to love something other than himself. The theology aside. Isn’t it amazing that this renown Christian theologian finds it appropriate to make a pedegogical comparison between the Biblical and Qur’anic God while doing the same with no other deity of another world religion?!

Taken from: http://shawblog.wordpress.com/2009/07/1 ... ing-notes/

 

[shodan]

1. Scripture [can't spell _i_le the key that rhymes with "V" is not working...hope I can get through this!]
2. Wesley's Journal
3. Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
4. Early Church Fathers
5. Romans, C.E._. Cranfield
6. Genesis, G. Charles Aalders
7. Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis

....gonna have to make some hard choices now to narrow it down to only 3 more....let me think on it...

 

[bleeverhal]

1. KJV Study Bible
2. NASB Thompson's Chain
3. ESV Study Bible
4. New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
5. Henry's Unabridged Commentary
6, 7, 8, 9. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
10. Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of OT and NT Words

Started off intending to include the clompete works of Shakespeare and complete short stories of Twain, but wouldn't trade for one of the above. Can I have twelve?

 

[Pard]

1. NASB95 by God (Slimline)
2. Geneva Bible by God (Original w/ notes)
3. Young's Literal by God
4. Strong's by Strongs...
5. Webster English Dictionary 1st Ed. by Webster (Original w/ New England Primer)
6. Mere Christianity and the Screwtape Letters In One Volume by C.S. Lewis
7. The Law by Frederic Bastiat
8. Dr. Constable's Expository Notes by Dr. Constable
9. The Selected Works of Martin Luther by Martin Luther
10. The Lord of the Rings (w/ complete commentary for Christians) by Tolkien

It got hard at the end... Glad I can bring more than one Bible!

 

[pjt]

KJV Bible
Webster`s dictionary
a Bible concordance
a complete medical guide to symptoms and illnesses
a comprehensive book on herbs
The Cambridge Factfinder
Matthew Henry`s commentary in one volume
a Japanese/English dictionary
Emily Post`s book on etiquette
Good News Bible with Apocryphya (I`m not catholic but I would want to have it for reference purposes)

 

[Tailgunner]

Other than my Bibles, of which I have several translations, is the following list of my ten favorite books:

1. The Pilgrim's Progress (John Bunyan)

2. Volume VI of John Owen (Temptation and Sin) which includes The Mortification of Sin, The Nature and Power of Temptation, and Indwelling Sin.

3. The Holiness of God (R.C. Sproul)

4. Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ (John Bunyan)

5. Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (6 Volumes)

6. Who Made God? (Edgar Andrews)

7. The Attributes of God (Arthur W. Pink)


And now for my last three, some secular books I've enjoyed...


8. Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson)

9. The Novel (James A. Michener)

10. A Moveable Feast (Ernest Hemingway)

 

[farouk]

Other than my Bibles, of which I have several translations, is the following list of my ten favorite books:

1. The Pilgrim's Progress (John Bunyan)

2. Volume VI of John Owen (Temptation and Sin) which includes The Mortification of Sin, The Nature and Power of Temptation, and Indwelling Sin.

3. The Holiness of God (R.C. Sproul)

4. Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ (John Bunyan)

5. Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (6 Volumes)

6. Who Made God? (Edgar Andrews)

7. The Attributes of God (Arthur W. Pink)


And now for my last three, some secular books I've enjoyed...


8. Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson)

9. The Novel (James A. Michener)

10. A Moveable Feast (Ernest Hemingway)

Hey Mr. T,

I think some of your choices would be mine as well...

 

[jasoncran]

another ww2 buff, awesome.

 

[Scotth1960]

If You Could Only Have Ten books!

1. Practical Religion - J.C.Ryle (1816-1900)
Chapters include:
Self Inquiry
Prayer
Bible Reading
Charity
Zeal
Happiness
Formality (deadly for us today)
The World (his thoughts want to make you crawl under a table!)
Sickness
The Family of God
Our Home
Outstanding book – easily read – covers most of the Christian life – a must book

2. Pilgrims Progress - John Bunyan (1628-1688)
What can we say – one of the greatest books ever written on the Christian life. Bro. Bunyan covers all aspects of your quest for salvation, the obstacles to getting it, the battles that rage afterwards. If you want to know about the Christian life along with some great doctrine on Justification by faith – then this is the book – another must have.


3. The Precious Things of God - Octavius Winslow (1808-1878)
Mr. Winslow gives us a comforting book on the precious things of God. Chapters include:
The Preciousness of Christ
The Preciousness of Faith
The Preciousness of Trial
The Preciousness of Divine Promises
The Preciousness of Christ’s blood
The Preciousness of the Death of the Saints
And more….
Need I say anything else – review just the few chapters I listed above.


4. All Things For Good - Thomas Watson (died 1686)
Struggling with the above subject – just can’t see everything working for good? Well, Bro. Watson takes all these concerns a away – a must have classic for comfort and understanding the ways of God.

5. The Crook in the Lot - Thomas Boston (born 1676 Scotland)
Has God thrown you a “curve†lately? Can’t figure out why it came upon you? Thomas Boston will explain God’s providential hand I all these crooks that get thrown your way.


6. The Christian Directory - Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
This huge directory covers every aspect of the Christian life under subject matters. You have a question regarding the practical Christian life – go to The Directory!


7. John G. Paton - Missionary to the New Hebrides (1824-1907)
You never read anything like it – Hollywood can’t touch it for action and life threatening situation. John Paton got a burden for the cannibals of New Hebrides in the mid 1800’s – yes, they ate people and just got finished eating two missionaries before he landed. Paton endured the loss of all things including his wife and baby but he he got there they were all cannibals – when he eventually left they were all Christians! His story will curl your hair and take away any excuse you have for not witnessing.


8. The Young Lady's Guide - Harvey Newcombe
If there was ever a time when young ladies needed direction it is today – Mr. Newcombe uses the old tried and true ideas for preparing young ladies for being young ladies that glorify God.

9. The World Conquered by the Faithful Christian - Richard Alleine (1611-1681)
The world got a hold of you? Can’t break free? Well Bro. Alleine will help you get “weaned†from this vile world.

10. Keeping the Heart - John Flavel (1630-1691)
Having heart problems? Need some diagnosis and treatment. Let “Doctor†Flavel use the scriptures to expose and treat your heart ailments. This is a masterful look at the deceitfulness of the heart and how to handle those bad-heart attitudes.

Friends, 10 books
ACTUALLY 11 BOOKS!

1. Orthodox Study Bible Thomas Nelson Bibles, 2008.

2. The Lives of the Pillars of Orthodoxy. Holy Apostles Convent, Buena Vista, CO, 1990.

3. Becoming Orthodox. 2nd ed. Peter. E. Gillquist, Conciliar Press, Ben Lomond, CA, 1992.

4. The Mystagogy of the Holy Spirit. St. Photios. Joseph P. Farrell, trans.
Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1987.

5. On the Mystagogy of the Holy Spirit. Holy Transfiguration Monastery, trans. Boston, MA: Studion Publishers.

6. Old Orthodox Prayer Book. 2nd ed. 2001. Erie PA Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Christ (Old Rite).

7. The Psalter According to the Seventy. Boston, MA: Holy Transfiguration Monastery.

8. A Catechism of the Christian Doctrine of the Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church. Archbishop Bashir/ Metropolitan Philip. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.


9. A Service Book of the Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church. E. Hapgood, editor. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.


10. 11. The Orthodox New Testament. 2 vols. Vol. 1, The Gospels Vol. 2, The Acts and the Epistles, Revelation. Holy Apostles Convent, Buena Vista, CO, trans., 2000 AD.


GOD SAVE US . AMEN. In Erie PA USA Scott R. Harrington

 

[Protestant]

I counted multiple volume sets as one book:
1.The Bible
2.Matthew Henry's Commentary
3.Albert Barnes' Commentary
4.Horae Apocalypticae by E.B. Elliott
5.Thru The Bible by J. Vernon McGee
6.The Works Of John Wesley
7.The Works Of Jonathan Edwards
8.Foxe's Book Of Martyrs
9.Martyrs Mirror by Thieleman J. Van Braght
10.History Of The Christian Church by Philip Schaff
A big reason for these ten is their size. It would take a very long time to exhaust the content of these ten books.

 

[Gendou Ikari]

Non-Fiction:
(1) The Good Society: The Humane Agenda by John Kenneth Galbraith
(2) A Theory of Justice by John Rawls
(3) The Primacy of Politics by Sheri Berman
(4) The Theory of Social Democracy by Thomas Meyer

Fiction:
(5) Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
(6) Lord of the Rings (can I count this as one) by J.R.R. Tolkein
(7) The Con/Burn Your Life Down by Journaliar
(8) iCan't Do This by demondreaming

Religious:

(9) New Testament Gospels
(10)The Revelation of Lucifer the Divine

 

[Riverwolf]

Cool, I don't have to hide my Steven King or John Grisham books around here