Recommended Reading

Review:
Richard Bauckham's book Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, (Eerdmans 2006) is highly recommended for its painstaking historical research and its clear demonstration that the four Gospels of the New Testament are indeed the testimony of eyewitnesses.

Bauckham and other scholars are responsible for a new wave of conservative New Testament research that not only stems the impure tide of writings that attempted to destroy the credibility of the canonical Gospels in the past century or so, but he also brings the kind of recovery of truth that makes for times of great spiritual refreshment.

In his characteristic thoroughness, Bauckham also makes a stunning case for the Fourth Gospel being authored by an ideal witness (the beloved disciple), someone other than the traditionally assumed author.

This book is well worth reading if you're serious about the Scriptures. Though some may find it academic at times, it is well worth disciplining onself to read it through with comprehension, and the reward will be a deeper appreciation for the Word of Truth which God has preserved for us in the unrestricted kindness of His Providence.

Review:
South African scholar John Ronning has brought an inestimable contribution to the study of the Fourth GospeI and the book of Revelation. He has effectively traced John's use of the Logos (the Word- e.g. John 1:1-3, 14) to the Jewish Targums, which are Aramaic translations--often with expansions and paraphrases--of the Jewish Scriptures. In the Targums there often appears the Aramaic equivalent (Memra) of the Greek Logos. Ronning shows the astounding connection of the Aramaic Memra with the Johannine Logos. The result is a treasury of insights.

Once, many could only imagine John's Logos to have been traceable only to Philo. No longer. Moreover, his various treatments of Jesus Christ as the "Man of War", "the Bridegroom of His People" and "the Son of Man come down from Heaven" are revelatory.

The Jewish Targums and John's Logos Theology is not necessarily an easy read for most of us, but it is well worth the effort to anyone wishing to grow in grace and the the knowledge af our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to bolster his understanding of the Word of Truth. Ronning treads new theological ground and the Spirit beckons us to follow!