Major Bible Themes

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Summary: The Finest Basic Evangelical Systematic Theology Around!
Review: As a student having attended Chafer's seminary in Dallas, I can say without hesitation--for evangelical Christians in search of a simple, well-organized study of the major themes of Scripture, this is the best.

I had to digest Dr. Chafer's seven-volume systematic theology while in seminary, and frankly, I enjoyed it. Chafer is unapologetically pre-tribulational, pre-millennial, and dispensational in his theology. If you aren't, his works will either convince you or send you running in a hurry!

This MUCH-abridged work divides the themes into fifty-two subjects, from 'salvation', to 'eternal security', to 'Angels', etc. If it's a theme in Scripture, Chafer discusses it simply, and with excellent Bible references. You could easily study a topic per week, and in a year be saturated with Bible understanding.

Even if you don't agree with Chafer's view on the Rapture, the tribulation, and the millennium, there is much to learn that will make anyone who doesn't want to tackle the multi-volume set, a much more informed Christian.

Indispensible, and highly recommended for personal and/or Sunday School use! Extremely well-organized.

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Summary: Perfect for the aspiring theologian
Review: I actually own an earlier edition of this book, which was passed on to me from my grandfather. It is certainly a book that any Bible School student or aspiring theologan should have in their personal library.

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Summary: A good solid survey of Bible doctrine
Review: Lewis Sperry Chafer is one of my all time favorite theologians. Dr. Chafer was a champion of conservative dispensational-premellinnial and "Free Grace" theology, and this work is nothing less than a delightful treatment of many of the major themes in the Bible.

For many who do not have the luxury of reading Chafer's eight volume Systematic Theolgy (in which I must confess, I have a long way to go), Major Bible Themes can serve as a helpful substitute.

But, because this book represents a systematic theology, I must split a few hairs.

Though Dr. Chafer was the original writer who helped me to understand that my assurance of salvation is based solely on Christ's promises, he does confuse the issue a bit in this work. He does not go so far to say, as many Reformed scholars do (in strong disagreement with Calvin who said assurance is of the essence of saving faith), that assurance cannot be had apart from a radically changed life, yet he does say that works do play a small role in assurance. The problem here, is that if works of any kind play any role in assurance, then assurance must necessarily be less than sure. In fact, the closer one walks with the Lord, the worse his life will seem to himself. Only by then comparing ourself to others can assurance be regained (which is clearly a faulty idea, since a Christian's standard of holiness is much higher than anyone we can observe [Matt 5:48]). The inconsistency here is minor but it does put a foot in the door for all kinds of mess.

Along the same lines, there are related passages such as Hebrews 6:4-9 where I disagree with Dr. Chafer (see Kem Oberholtzer's articles on the warning passages in Hebrews in Bibliotheca Sacra for a view similar to mine), but this is bound to be the case for nearly any author.

I commend Dr. Chafer highly for his stance on James 2:14-26 (on page 200). To the detriment of the church, his view is so rarely held today (Zane Hodges makes a strong exegetical argument for this view in his commentary on James available on Amazon.com).

All in all, I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars because, like all systematic works, there is bound to be some areas of disagreement. But I do recommend this book to anyone who recognizes that it is a helpful tool, not a substitute for your own personal exegetical work.

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Summary: At once a teaching tool, a reference book and devotional.
Review: Major Bible Themes is an excellent tool for the person who ever wanted to learn or even teach the essential doctrines of the Christian faith. The perfect book for Sunday schools or home Bible studies. The questions at the end of each chapter promote learning and dialogue within the class. It is also an excellent reference book for any theology student as well as enhancing one's devotional time with God by growing in the grace and knowlege of Jesus Christ.

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Summary: A great book for use in Bible study groups
Review: This book does a nice job of surveying 52 themes of the Bible in a devotional, easy to underatand style. The chapters are only 5 or 6 pages long, and they are saturated with Scripture references, which saves the Bible study leader lots of time in preparation. But the busy beaver who spends the time to look up the scripture references will be richly rewarded by what he discovers. The chapters on the Bible and the ones on God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are well written and say much about the character of God. But the chapters that deal with end times events are not quite as strong, mainly because of the false assumption of the authors that anyone who doesn't agree is simply guilty of not interpreting the scriptures literally. But other than that minor quibble, I love the book. After all these years, this is still of the best books to use to introduce people to the major themes of the Bible. I recommend it highly. But make sure you also buy "The Rapture Question Answered" by Robert Van Kampen to balance out the errors in end times thinking.

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Summary: Major Bible Themes...a work done right!!
Review: This book has 52 major doctrines that every Christian should know and be familiar with. I started reading it because I wanted to be more familiar with these doctrines, and it has opened a wealth of information that I didn't even know about. I teach Sunday School at my church, and it has come in handy more times than I can count. It is also great when I talk with youth one-on-one for a reference that is easy to understand, yet very compleate in it's answers. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about theology, escatology, Christology, ect. It is a great investment!

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Summary: If you seek the real truth....
Review: This is a fantastic book with many relevant Biblical references at the end of each chapter.
I have used this book in my sermons for over a year now, and will be starting a Bible study with this as the main text next week. I will update on how well it is received.
Approaching the major themes in the Bible gives the reader a general knowledge base with which to start from in understanding the Bible, and also refuting the lies that we as Christians are bombarded with on a daily basis.

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Summary: An excellent resource to study the Bible
Review: We've used this book since 1982 for individual studies and Bible study groups. It's an excellent resource for studying the Bible. It's just as valuable for new Christians as it is helpful for mature believers. The book contains 52 vital doctrines of the Bible, the cardinal doctrines that are essential for the understanding of Christianity and for a Christian's growth. It features chapters on "The Bible," "God the Son," "God the Trinity," "God the Holy Spirit," "Satan," "Man," "The Church," "The Second Coming of Christ," and so much more. Each chapter concludes with a short test which will be very helpful in Bible study groups. Everything is explained in an easy-to-understand format. This book is very helpful and we highly recommend it.