 "Excellent Book" | 2009-10-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2XJSP4CEWHEEC |
| "Knowing God" is one of the most eloquent, scripture-driven, inspiring books I have ever read. Chapter 19 on being "Sons of God" is one of the gems of the book, painting a glorious picture of God adopting sinners. |
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 "Glorious chapter on adoption!" | 2009-08-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2KPDVBIEQ2LLP |
I know and agree that this book is a classic. So I should give it five stars, but I didn't. I think that many of my Christian friends would not have the patience to read it. It is reasonably readable, but has a rather strong intellectual bent. It also has a British style which doesn't flow so well for American readers, I think. The book has no anecdotes, either personal ones that would give us more insight into Packer as a person, or anecdotes about others, which would appeal to a lot of people and could help to convey the ideas. It does have a lot of Biblical quotes. It quotes a lot of hymns, mostly ones that I was not familiar with.
I thought the treatment of sovereign grace, election and regeneration could have been more direct and clear. These concepts are there, but they are presented in a subtle way at times, and someone who isn't already grounded in them (or who disagrees with the Reformed view) will likely not pick up on their full significance. You might argue that these doctrines are not central to "knowing God", but Packer inevitably bumps into them. There is a chapter on grace, but the actual presentation of grace is lacking in clarity and directness, devoting one sentence to regeneration (Page 135). It is not clear enough in showing that regeneration is the instrument of God's grace that brings people to saving faith.
If the reader has spent a little time studying the Bible and theology, some of the topics will be very familiar and there won't be anything new, and the presentation will be rather average. However, the chapter on propitiation is way better than average, and the chapter on adoption is glorious! When written in 1973, Packer noted that adoption is a neglected topic throughout the church. I believe it still is, just as much now as it was then. I see that 18 notable Christians have endorsed this book, but as far as I know, none of them have done much to advance the understanding of adoption. I believe that Packer correctly and clearly presents this doctrine.
There is no bibliography. Sometimes quotes or ideas are documented in the text, sometimes not. It would be a little difficult to track down the source documents.
The problems that Packer describes inside and outside the church are much the same today as they were in 1973. So the book is still very current. In the general culture, pluralism is perhaps a little stronger today. Rejection of object truth is stronger today. Within the church, there are stronger concentrations of both the good and the bad. Using the internet, you can find pastors who preach the whole truth of God's Word, and you can find pastors (and congregations) who avoid important parts of the Word and who do not encourage good Bible study or a high view of Scripture.
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| "Great Theology" | 2009-08-20 |
| - Reviewed By beatz02 |
Knowing God is an indispensable, theologically didactic piece of literature that every Christian should be required to read. I came away from this book with a strong inclination for a deep study of Scripture. I only have a few discrepancies, otherwise, I find Packer to be an extraordinary theologian who God has highly favored. That I spend time in refutation on some of his views in no way takes away from the veracity of the book as a whole.
First, in chapter 5 (God Incarnate), Packer undertakes to disprove the "Kenosis Theory." But it seems he either has a misunderstanding of it, or he is basing his judgment on the primordial teaching of it, rather than the revamped views of current theologians who have tweaked it.
He believes it teaches that Jesus in His humanity did not possess His incommunicable attributes. He takes those who hold to the theory to mean that Philippians 2:7 says Jesus emptied Himself of His divinity. But this is not at all the premise of those who currently hold to this theory. From what I've read, those who hold to the Kenosis Theory actually agree with the author that Jesus only operated divinely as directed by the Father/ when the Father willed for Him to do so. For example, Jesus did not know the time of His coming in judgment on the city of Jerusalem in Mark 13:32 because it was not the Father's will for Him to know.
A more precise understanding of the Kenosis is that Jesus "Voluntarily" laid aside His divine privileges, and gave the Father full control over them during His incarnation. The Kenosis means that Jesus voluntarily restricted the use of His omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience, during His incarnation, and rather, let the Father determine when and when not to exercise those attributes.
Another problem I observed with Packers analysis, is his belief that Jesus, even before His incarnation, was throughout all eternity dependent on the Father's will. Packer believes that the Son always functioned in submission and full dependency on the Father; even through all eternity, the Son is not omniscient, unless the Father wills Him to be, therefore making the possibility that the Son is still ignorant of His own Parousia, or that throughout eternity, the Father can always have information He wills the Son to be ignorant of. I reject this notion of eternal dependence and submission. Jesus is equal to God the Father and Colossians 2:9 expressly states Jesus' own personal deity. The Puritans distinguished between how the Son is operating in Redemption as opposed to how He has been operating throughout eternity, and they believed (as do I) that Jesus' position only differed when He became the God-man and dwelled among us.
Chapter 15 - The Wrath of God, pages 148-157:
In this section, Packer makes it clear that he holds to the infralapsarian position. It is obvious he believes God decreed election and reprobation after the fall of man. This is incorrect and impossible as well. There is no way God looks into the future without creating the future Himself. There is no way God can look into the future and see humans making choices apart from any of His own determination. He does not look into the future as if He is ignorant, and make His own choice only after He sees what the creature will do. This only makes the creature's will the absolute determining factor over God's will, and therefore contradicts Scripture that speaks of God's will always being accomplished and His purposes always coming to pass. If this view is correct and the creature wills one thing while God wills another, the conflict arises that the creature's will is always done, and God's will is thwarted, that is, if the two wills were opposed to one another.
Subsequently, Packer believes humans go to hell because they made the decisive choice to put themselves there. This is erroneous. Humans indeed choose hell, but this is only after God prepares their mind, works, and will for such. Before the foundation of the world, before any human did good or evil, God prepared His elect for heaven, and the rest for hell. God's wrath is not judicial from the beginning, it is by choice. But it is true that on judgment day, it will indeed be a judicial and retributive act. In opposition to Packer, it should be known that God's wrath abides on the reprobate from all eternity, before they did any good or evil. God's wrath is further incurred upon the actions and actual committing of the reprobates personal sinning, and His wrath will reach full consummation on the day of wrath. Just as the elect are saved in stages, the reprobate is also damned in stages.
Besides my above mentioned discrepencies, I love this book. Maybe one day I will even be able to speak with Packer about some of these doctrines. I do not know if this hope of mine will ever come to pass in this lifetime, but I know one thing;
Jesus is God |
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| "One of the top ten books you should own." | 2009-03-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: A34NLOBQ60QGY1 |
| Buy it and read it more than once -- maybe once a year. The best of the best -- classic Packer. |
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| "Great But Not Perfect..." | 2009-03-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1Q3K1XK7V590O |
| Great book with a great premise. Those who know God... Have great energy for God... Have great boldness for God... Have great contentment in God. Truly this book opens the door to a wealth of understanding that will inspire the reader with more energy, boldness & contentment as they learn more of God's character. God's love in this book, however, is described as only being selective and is guaranteed to have the opposite effect on any reader who swallows this error. Just remember that even the best of thinkers are wrong sometimes. Boost your energy with John 3:16 as you work your way through the love chapter. |
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| "Essential Christian Read" | 2009-03-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: AA9O2BDKOZIQA |
I recently had the opportunity to write a book review for our church newsletter. I was very appreciative to be asked do so.
Overview
Do you know God or just know about Him? Do you seek to know God through Scripture or through personal experience? Are you skeptical about the Bible being divine revelation from God?
In Knowing God, J.I. Packer sets out to answer who God is as revealed in the Bible and how we are to know Him. Packer asserts that `ignorance of God' is seen as the root weakness in today's church. He examines the ignorance of God's ways, and also as they relate to daily living. (12)
To address these issues Packer breaks the book into three main sections. I. Know the Lord, II. Behold Your God! III. If God Be For Us . . .
I. Know the Lord
Here Packer starts with the "Study of God," which is theology, and explains the importance of it. He also handles objections to studying theology. "Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder though life blindfolded... (19) Five basic principles for knowing God are laid out as a guide. In brief, they are 1. the Bible, 2. God is Lord, 3. God is Savior, 4. God is triune and 5. living by God's Word. (20)
Packer moves on to explain that this knowledge of God must be applied to daily living. The first section of the book will challenge the reader on what it means to know God and for God to know him.
II. Behold Your God!
This section surveys the characteristics of God and how they are displayed in His actions. This is the longest section of the book, and this brief description will not do justice to its depth. Packer moves from God being unchanging and majestic, and then through other characteristics such as wisdom, love, grace, justice, etc. He contrasts God and man, showing how man should act and think of himself in light of God's revelation of Himself.
Packer explains that while God gives wisdom about Himself to Christians, this does not give them the ability to understand the secret purposes of God. (101) He further explains that wisdom helps us depend on God and live godly lives.
Packer's in depth exploration on the love of God will help the reader gain a fuller understanding of what the Bible reveals in this area. For example, Packer explains that the phrase "God is love" is one of the most misunderstood statements in the Bible. (117) Following love is the understanding of God's grace. Packer explains that many churched people don't have a concept of grace. (129) "Grace and salvation belong together as cause and effect." (132)
Packer teaches that in trying to grasp the wisdom, love and grace of God there is the often overlooked wrath, justice, jealousy and the relation of goodness and severity. He explains that there are more references in Scripture of God's anger, fury and wrath than of God's love. (149) Packer paints a picture in these chapters so that the reader can see the greatness of God, and his own helplessness.
III. If God Be For Us...
Here Packer comes to the Gospel and the concept of adoption as children of God. "The Gospel tells us that our Creator has become our Redeemer." (189) Packer demonstrates that God is also our guide. He shows that, for many, guidance is a chronic problem. (230) He purports that the basic mistake is looking inward for a prompting of the Holy Spirit apart from the written word. (234) Packer reveals that the essence of Christianity is found by knowing God in Christ. (278)
Evaluation
Knowing God is a classic on the basics of who God is. First printed in 1973, it was re-printed in 1993 for its 20 year anniversary. The utility of this book ranges from personal devotion to small group settings. There is also an optional study guide available. Knowing God is practically useful by systematically spelling out who God is and how to know Him in a biblical framework.
New and maturing Christians will find this book useful yet challenging, and may find it helpful to work through it with a mentor. More mature Christians will also be fed by its teachings. Some readers may be challenged by the theological vocabulary that Packer uses, but this is another opportunity to learn and grow. Knowing God will help the reader understand biblically who God is and who we are in Jesus Christ. This book is not only relevant to today's Christian, it is an essential read.
J.I. Packer is Board of Governors' Professor, Theology, Regent College. MA, DPhil (Oxford). He recently celebrated is 82nd birthday. |
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