Book Review

For the class I am taking at Liberty University I had to read Howard Hendricks and his son William's tome, Living By The Book. I found this to be an incredible resource that was both inspiring and convicting. I thought I would post my review of this book here. I hope that those who teach/challenge others to read the Bible will get this book.

“The Bible was not written to satisfy your curiosity; it was written to transform your life (p. 290). This statement, in my opinion, is the heart and soul of Professor Hendricks’ classic work on Bible study, Living by the Book. Professor Hendricks and his son William updated this book, first published in 1991, to speak to a world that has changed dramatically in the last two decades. Living by the Book is a comprehensive look at how people should begin the process of Bible study. On the surface that does not seem to be such a difficult challenge. Almost everyone who has been in church for any length of time has heard a well-meaning church leader tell them to “get in the Word.” I know in my own ministry that I uttered words like that. Reading this book was somewhat convicting, though. While Christian leaders urge others to study the Bible, we don’t often equip them to do it well. This book provides such instruction.

The book highlights three steps for effective Bible study: observation, interpretation and application. Under each of these steps are a host of strategies, questions and suggestions. Unlike other study books of this type, Hendricks includes “You Try It” exercise at the end of each chapter to practice the emphasis of that particular chapter. All of them are good tools. I found the “You Try It” at the end of “Things That Are Emphasized” helpful. Charting both texts mentioned in that exercise was important for me and something that I don’t normally do. Looking at Daniel 1 and 2 under the topic of context was also a meaningful “You Try It” challenge. In Living by the Book, Hendricks presents a straight-forward approach to handling the Word. He starts with the need to read a verse, suggests how one should read and for what a reader should be looking. He then moves to the interpretation stage. His comments here are especially significant. I think he is right in his assertion that many people jump to this stage first. Before really looking at and reading a text, they “fire off” interpretations of passages that are, at best, “unusual,” and, at worst, “heretical.” He also warns about staying in this stage. It isn’t enough to know what it means; it must be applied to life. That is how he concludes the book.

The strengths of the book are evident. The book addresses a topic that, as I see it, is rarely mentioned. It provides a well-structured, disciplined approach to studying the Word of God. It doesn’t apologize for the need to work at and be persistent in reading and studying, but it also recognizes that not all who want and need to study the Bible come to it with the same set of skills. I think the book would make an excellent study in a small group or Sunday School class. That leads to what I think may be the book’s only weakness, if it has one at all. The book is very long. I can see it being taught in a seminary or Bible college where classes meet more than just once a week. In a church setting, it might need to be condensed to accommodate how most churches approach classes and studies.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to develop skills in handling the Word of Truth.