A Brief Book Notice from Books At a Glance
by Fred G. Zaspel
I’ve had this book on my shelf for decades, but until now I’ve used it only as a “check with this” kind of resource. And I’ve always found it helpful, as my underlining and marginal markings remind me. So I don’t know why, but only yesterday did I pick it up to begin reading with chapter one. Consulting a book as a resource and reading it can be two very different things, and never more so than here. Bruce’s commentaries are highly acclaimed and consistently valuable, but they don’t always make for exciting reading. This book is an absolute delight to read.
I can’t remember when I’ve read a book with such enjoyment. Bruce tells the story of the early years of Christianity with riveting interest. He writes, of course, as the deeply informed scholar that he was, but here he writes as a novelist also, relaying the developing story in big picture decorated with captivating details and insights along the way. Here you read in vivid portrayal how the Christian story began … and how the flame spread.
Written originally for a lay audience, these chapters provide the most enjoyable reading any student of the Scriptures has read in a long time. This is just classic. I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s one of those books you can commend with confidence that the reader – layman or biblical scholar – will read with thorough enjoyment. I’ve purchased a copy for my mother and another for my sister.
I’m only part way in today (it’s a big book!), and I’m loving it. Had to mention it for our readers. Enjoy!