There are quite “almost free” books in the Logos FBOTM Promotion:
Terry L. Johnson, Reformed Worship: Worship That Is According to Scripture, $2.99
Earl M. Blackburn, John Chrysostom (Bitesize Biographies), $3.99
Derek W. H. Thomas, God Strengthens: Ezekiel Simply Explained (Welwyn Commentary Series), $7.77
David Jeremiah, Colossians and Philemon: The Lordship of Jesus (Jeremiah Bible Study Series), $5.99
Jonty Rhodes, Man of Sorrows, King of Glory: What the Humiliation and Exaltation of Jesus Mean for Us, $6.99
Michael Bentley, Luke : Saving a Fallen World (Welwyn Commentary Series). $7.99
John Blanchard, Major Points from the Minor Prophets, $8.99
Arnold Dallimore, A Heart Set Free: The Life of Charles Wesley (A Welwyn Biography), $10.99
Grant R. Osborne, George Guthrie, Hebrews Verse by Verse, $11.99 (Reviewed Here)
Gareth Crossley, The Old Testament: Explained and Applied, $22.99
As always, subscribers save another 5%.
What is new in Logos 53? For those who do not already know, Logos recently moved to a subscription model. Rather than a major upgrade every couple of years, upgrades are rolled out about every six weeks. Logos has been integrating more AI into the software for years (smart searches, fuzzy searches, etc.), but over the last year this has evolved into Study Assistant. This is a basic chat-style AI that uses only the books in your library. In Logos 53, when you highlight a few verses, you now have “explain” and “ask” on the context menu. The Study Assistant will then explain the text using commentaries from your library. Users can then ask further questions in a typical AI dialogue. The “Ask” option does just that; you ask a question about whatever you highlighted. For example, I highlighted “adverbial acc” in the Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. The Study Assistant gave me the definition from Dictionary of English Grammar for Students of Biblical Languages, plus additional information from Pocket Dictionary for the Study of Biblical Hebrew. It also gave an example from Joshua 7:25 and some examples from the New Testament (citing A.T. Robertson). All of these references include page numbers and links to the book, so I can open directly to the page and read the context of the citation.
I know many people who are concerned about AI in sermon preparation, and rightly so. Study Assistant will not write your sermon for you. I asked it, “Please write a sermon outline for Acts 20:1–6.” The response was, “I appreciate the request, but I’m not able to write sermons, outlines, or other long-form creative content. This falls outside my role as a study assistant.” Study Assistant is an amped up search engine that can do some amazing things, but it will not replace the Holy Spirit for pastors trying to write a sermon.
Should you subscribe to Logos? Some people just hate subscriptions. That’s OK. But if you’re the type to upgrade Logos every two years, you’d pay the same amount as you would for the subscription. I personally like the idea of getting smaller upgrades every six weeks rather than a massive dump of features every few years. I think I can use the newer features better when I get one or two at a time. I also think this system lets Logos be more flexible about what they choose to upgrade.
This Logos Free Book of the Month promotion runs through September 30.A new free book will be available on September 15 at 9:00 a.m. PST. As always, you can use the (free) basic edition or the inexpensive Fundamentals collection to access these free and discounted books. All the links are Logos Affiliate links. If you plan to buy Logos books, use this link to support Reading Acts.
There are quite a few additional books on the FBOTM promo that are “almost free.”
Curtis Vaughan, Thomas D. Lea, 1 Corinthians, $2.99
Did You Know? More Than 6,000 Bible Questions and Answers, $3.99
Kevin O’Donnell, Postmodernism, $4.99
Stephen Tomkins, A Short History of Christianity, $5.99
Alister McGrath, Mere Theology: Christian Faith and the Discipleship of the Mind, $6.59
Liz Hoare, Using the Bible in Spiritual Direction, $7.19
Trevor Dennis, Lo and Behold! The Power of Old Testament Storytelling, $8.99
Christopher Rowland, Christian Origins: An Account of the Setting and Character of the Most Important Messianic Sect of Judaism, $9.99
Aaron Chalmers, Exploring the Religion of Ancient Israel: Prophet, Priest, Sage and People, $10.99
Christopher J. H. Wright, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God, $14.99
Christopher J. H. Wright, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God is excellent and often used as a textbook. For me, Christopher Rowland’s Christian Origins is an exciting title and one I am certainly going to purchase. But there is a little something there for everyone. As always, subscribers save another 5%.
What is new in Logos 53? For those who do not already know, Logos recently moved to a subscription model. Rather than a major upgrade every couple of years, upgrades are rolled out about every six weeks. Logos has been integrating more AI into the software for years (smart searches, fuzzy searches, etc.), but over the last year this has evolved into Study Assistant. This is a basic chat-style AI that uses only the books in your library. In Logos 53, when you highlight a few verses, you now have “explain” and “ask” on the context menu. The Study Assistant will then explain the text using commentaries from your library. Users can then ask further questions in a typical AI dialogue. The “Ask” option does just that; you ask a question about whatever you highlighted. For example, I highlighted “adverbial acc” in the Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. The Study Assistant gave me the definition from Dictionary of English Grammar for Students of Biblical Languages and some additional information from Pocket Dictionary for the Study of Biblical Hebrew. It also gave an example from Joshua 7:25 and some examples from the New Testament (citing A.T. Robertson). All of these references are cited with page numbers and links to the book, so I can open directly to the page and read the context of the citation.
I know many people who are concerned about AI in sermon preparation, and rightly so. Study Assistant will not write your sermon for you. I asked it, “Please write a sermon outline for Acts 20:1–6.” The response was, “I appreciate the request, but I’m not able to write sermons, outlines, or other long-form creative content. This falls outside my role as a study assistant.” Study Assistant is an amped up search engine that can do some amazing things, but it will not replace the Holy Spirit for pastors trying to write a sermon.
Should you subscribe to Logos? Some people just hate subscriptions. That’s OK. But if you were the type to upgrade Logos every two years, you would be paying the same amount as you would for the subscription. I personally like the idea of getting smaller upgrades every six weeks rather than a massive dump of features every few years. I think I can make better use of the newer features when I get one or two at a time. I also think this system allows Logos to be more flexible on what they choose to upgrade.
This Logos Free Book of the Month promotion runs through September 15.A new free book will be available on September 15 at 9:00 a.m. PST. As always, you can use the (free) basic edition or the inexpensive Fundamentals collection to access these free and discounted books. All the links are Logos Affiliate links. If you plan to buy Logos books, use this link to support Reading Acts.
Renberg, Lynneth Miller, and Adam R. Renberg. Candles in the Darkness: Experiencing Advent with the Early and Medieval Church. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2026. 182 pp., Hb. $29.99 Link to IVP Academic
Candles in the Darkness is not simply a Christmas devotional book. The book combines the insights of a historian (Lynneth) and a theologian (Adam). In their introduction, the Renbergs introduce the reader to Egeria, a woman who made a pilgrimage from Spain to Jerusalem in AD 382. In a letter, she described a Christmas procession from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, “walking from cradle to cross” and celebrating the coming of the Light of the World. The authors of this set of Christmas devotionals invite their readers to make the same kind of pilgrimage over the four weeks of Advent and the twelve days of Christmas.
Each daily reading for Advent and the twelve days of Christmas includes Scripture to read, explore, and meditate on. Following Scripture is a meditation from a historical figure and a modern meditation written by the authors. Finally, each devotion ends with a prayer intended to spark the reader’s own prayers, drawn from Scripture or another historical figure. Each day’s readings are brief, rarely more than three pages.
Most readers will be familiar with Augustine, Anselm, or Francis of Assisi (or at least have heard of these names). But the Renbergs include readings from many unheard voices, including women who wrote spiritual reflections and had a significant impact on the church’s spiritual life. Hildegard of Bingen (ca. 1089-1179) is perhaps the most well-known female mystical writer included in the book. But readers will sample Macrina the Younger (ca. 327-379), the ninth-century Frankish noblewoman Dhouda, and Paula the Elder (ca. 347-404). The book also includes several obscure medieval liturgies, such as the Gregorian Sacramentary and Ethiopian liturgies, and books of poetry such as the Book of Exeter (ca. 970). At the very least, reading Candles in the Darkness may spark an interest in church history beyond “the usual suspects.”
Some readers might wonder how helpful an ancient writer can be. After all, many writers use typological or allegorical interpretations that miss the meaning of Scripture (from a modern reader’s perspective). As the Renbergs explain in their introduction to the book, ancient writers invite readers to “enter the text as active participants” (9). Any allegorical readings are faithful attempts to read behind the text. This sort of reading requires both the discipline of the mind and the heart (10).
Conclusion. Candles in the Darkness is a well-written Christmas devotional that invites readers into the unfamiliar world of medieval Christianity to think more deeply about Christ’s coming into the world. Although intended for reading during the Advent season, the book will reward readers at any time of the year.
McKinion, Randall L. and Jason K. Lee. Joshua. A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching. Kerux Commentaries. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Ministry, 2026. 301 pp. Hb. $28.99 Link to Kregel Ministry
Kregel’s Kerux commentary series combines rich exegetical commentary with timely preaching to help pastors and teachers prepare sermons and lessons for the church. In this new commentary on 1 Corinthians, Randall L. McKinion (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) provides the exegesis. McKinion is Professor of Old Testament at Cedarville University. Jason K. Lee (PhD, University of Aberdeen) contributes to the preaching helps for the commentary. Formerly Professor of Theological Studies, Director of Center for Biblical Integration at Cedarville, Jason K. Lee (PhD, University of Aberdeen) now serves as Provost and Vice President of Academic Administration at the University of Mobile and is a Discipleship Pastor at Heritage Fellowship Church in Springfield, Ohio. Lee edited the Matthew volume of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture.
Like other volumes in the Kerux series, McKinion and Lee divide Joshua into “preaching units” in three parts: Entering the Land (Joshua 1-12, twelve units), Distributing the Land (Joshua 13-21, five units), and the Final Days of Joshua (Joshua 22-24, four units). Observe that more than half the commentary covers the first twelve chapters of Joshua. This reflects the main problem with any commentary on Joshua, especially for one focusing on preaching the text. The first half of the book has all the exciting, preachable stories. The second half is rich in geographical detail but very difficult to preach or teach through. Except for the final challenge from Joshua, the second half of the book makes for difficult (boring?) sermons.
The twelve-page introduction begins with a brief discussion of authorship. Joshua 24:26 indicates that “Joshua wrote a book called torah” (34). But even the most conservative reader should not assume that the author of the biblical book is Joshua. McKinion and Lee do not accept the compositional theories of the Deuteronomic historian, as expressed by Martin Noth (34). Nevertheless, they state, “when considering the Books of Joshua through Kings, the reader, and the preacher of the Old Testament may no longer do so without recourse to the claims made about the Deuteronomic history” (35). Throughout the commentary, they consider how Josh will relate backward to the Torah, especially the book of Deuteronomy.
All this affects the book’s date. If the book’s origin is with the “historical Joshua,” even this depends on the date of the Exodus. But the final form of the book dates to the exile. The book uses the phrase “to this day” several times (e.g., 4:9, 5:9; 7:26). This may reflect an explanation of a given condition, an unusual object, or a practice. (an etiology). However, this is of no help since we do not know when “this day” was (37).
McKinion and Lee “take seriously, the historical veracity of the book’s claims” (37). They agree with a lengthy citation from Brevard Childs, distinguishing between the tasks of biblical interpretation and historical reconstruction. Both conservatives and liberals overemphasize historical reconstruction when approaching Joshua and miss the biblical and theological message. “This commentary has tried to take this warning seriously” (37). Are McKinion and Lee successful? In the main commentary, there is a little historical argument. Joshua is assumed to be accurate, so there are no lengthy excurses on the walls of Jericho, for example. There are other resources for the archaeology of the conquest, both positive and negative. This commentary is focused on preaching and teaching Joshua in the local church.
Regarding the theology of Joshua, McKinion and Lee focus on three major themes drawn from Joshan 21:43-45. First, Yahweh gave all the land to Israel that he had promised their fathers (21:43). Second, Yahweh gave Israel rest from their enemies as he promised their fathers (21:44). Third, none of Yahweh’s good words to Israel has failed (21:45). These main contours of the books theology are developed into a series of paragraphs on the promises to the fathers, the promise of the land, rest in the land, the coming heir the king, the importance of the Torah, serving the Lord, Joshua has a spirit filled wise man, and faith and trust in the Lord.
The theological section avoids making Joshua into a type of Jesus and interpreting everything in the book as foreshadowing Jesus. It also avoids the annoying tendency to make Joshua a model for contemporary leadership (Joshua the CEO?). They do discuss Joshua-Jesus typology. (59–60), but they avoid flattening out the book to the extent that Joshua is just a pattern for future Christology.
The Kerux series uses sidebars in the body of the commentary. In this volume, McKinion and Lee frequently provide a sidebar entitled “Where Have I Seen This Before?” (including an excellent chart on pages 80-82). These are intertextual links to the Torah. But these are far more than “Joshua is a new Moses.” In addition to these, there are several examples of intratextual illusions within Joshua. For example, there is a box comparing Joshua 3:7 and 4:14. McKinion and Lee include additional notes on the influence of Deuteronomy 31 on the book of Joshua and Chronicles (57-58).
The exegetical notes are based on the Hebrew text, which appears without transliteration. Grammatical and lexical details appear in sidebars labeled Translation Analysis. Readers without Hebrew will have no trouble reading the body of the commentary. Since chapters cover large sections of Joshua (often two or more chapters), the exegetical comments mostly cover paragraphs and individual verses.
In the commentary’s preaching sections, Lee offers assistance to the pastor or teacher preparing sermons on Joshua. This is much easier in the first twelve chapters of the book. The distribution of the land (Joshua 13-21) is divided into four parts (with the Levites and Cities of Refuge as a separate chapter. It is possible that this whole section could have been a single sermon on the theme of land and rest (see the sidebar on rest, 242-44). Lee divides his “creativity in preaching” section into a historical/literary option and a digital/life experience. For the first option, he gives an illustration drawn from history (although sometimes recent history). For the second, he offers an illustration that is more modern (popular books, films, YouTube videos, or common life experience).
I notice one shortcoming of the commentary. McKinion and Lee do not deal with the problem of violence in Joshua. Other than a sidebar on “devoted things” (125), little is said about God’s command to completely destroy Jericho and kill everyone in the city. Often, Joshua commentaries devote a section of the introduction of a major excursus to the “Canaanite Genocide.” For example, in his recent commentary in the Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (reviewed here), David Firth observes that Joshua narrates history in accordance with the conventions of the period. Following John Walton, he observes that ancient people believed land belonged to their god, who gives it to whom he chooses. The land did not belong to any one people. The land always belongs to God, who gave it to Abraham and his descendants.
Conclusion. This criticism aside, McKinion and Lee provide good exegetical notes and preaching tips to help pastors and teachers present Joshua to their congregations, which is the goal of the Kerux series. The commentary will be helpful to anyone wanting to dig deeper into this important Old Testament book.
Weaver, Paul D. Faith-Affirming Findings: 50 Archaeological Discoveries that Validate the Historicity and Reliability of Scripture. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Academic, 2026. 360 pp. Hb. $46.99 Link to Kregel Academic
Paul D. Weaver (PhD, Baptist Bible Seminary) serves as Associate Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. His 2018 doctoral dissertation was entitled “From Archaeology to Exegesis: Archaeological Discoveries of Ancient Corinth and the Exegesis of First Corinthians.” Weaver edited the Learn the Word Bible Survey series and hosts the Bible and Theology Matters podcast.
In the forward and acknowledgments to the book, Weaver states that the goal of Faith-Affirming Findings is to provide “careful and accurate description of discoveries found throughout the land of the Bible” (17) and that the book is self-consciously “biblical archaeology” (19). In addition, the book has an apologetic agenda, as implied by the title. The discoveries included in the book are “particularly relevant to the preacher, teacher, and Bible study leader” (27). Weaver says, “these discoveries will strengthen your beliefs and affirm your faith in the historicity and reliability of scripture” (27).
The introduction begins by defining some important terms. By “biblical archaeology,” Weaver means he is interested in the archaeology pertaining to the biblical texts. There are many locations in Israel and Turkey that are well excavated and important, but not useful as background for the New Testament. There is far more archaeology that pertains to the world of the Bible, but not necessarily to particular texts.
Weaver suggests that biblical archaeology sheds light on the cultural and historical setting of the Bible. This includes people, places, and things mentioned in the Bible. This will contribute to the overall historical reliability of scripture. There are some limitations to biblical archaeology. He suggested archaeology cannot prove crucial, theological claims of the Bible. Christian faith requires belief and trust that archaeology cannot provide (22).
Since archaeology requires interpretation, Weaver’s introduction also provides a few pages outlining the controversial minimalist/maximalist debate with respect to biblical archaeology. Minimalists assume that “the Bible is guilty until proven otherwise” (23). It presumes there are historical errors or mythological elements in the text since the writers were driven by an agenda. Maximalists, on the other hand, assume the Bible is historically reliable: “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence” (25). Weaver is clear: “I am in unabashed maximalist” (25). This is a brief overview of a debate among archaeologists, and it is good that Weaver states his position. However, the complexity of this debate is often the subject of entire books, and there is often a wider range of views than either minimalist or maximalist.
The book is divided into five sections. First, four chapters on the pre-kingdom. Second, Weaver devotes twelve chapters to discoveries pertaining to the kingdom, beginning with the House of David Stele and ending with Sennacherib’s Prism. In the third section, 11 discoveries from the exile and post-exilic period. From Nebuchadnezzar’s tablet through a chapter on biblical names found on seals and bullae. The fourth section collects twelve discoveries from the gospels, including the Jerusalem temple to the “crucifixion heel.” The final section of the book covers the apostolic era (the Book of Acts and beyond). These eleven discoveries begin with the politarch inscription (Acts 17:6) and conclude with the John Rylands fragment (p52), an early witness to the Gospel of John. It is not surprising that, given the topic of his dissertation, there are four chapters that focus on Corinth (Acts 18). Two chapters on Gallio (one on the bema seat and one on the Delphi inscription), a chapter on the Isthmian Games, and one on meat markets.
Each chapter follows the same general outline. The chapter begins by listing the relevant Scripture and then a brief description of the discovery. He then describes the artifact or site and provides a longer section on its significance for understanding specific biblical texts. Each chapter concludes with the location of the artifact (museum, etc.). Weaver some bibliography “for further study.” These are generally solid academic works, although I do notice quite a few Biblical Archaeology Review articles. If you are a BAR subscriber, these articles are available in their archive. Finally, each chapter ends with a QR code that links to a specific Faith Affirming podcast on YouTube. The book is illustrated with over 100 full-color photos.
Conclusion. On several occasions, I have presented a “top 10 archaeological finds” list for pastors and laypeople, covering both the Old and the New Testaments. My goals were similar to Weaver’s, although our lists differ slightly. I understand that selecting fifty examples evenly split between the Old and New Testaments is challenging. Informed readers will protest that Weaver has omitted some obscure site or find that they think is “the most important thing ever.” But consider Weaver’s goals. These are faith, affirming fines. Although I might want to see a longer chapter on the Dead Sea Scrolls or the importance of Arad (one of the highlights of my Israel tours—for me), Weaver has selected his fifty examples because of his apologetic interest.
The book is well written and illustrated and will be useful to pastors, teachers, and laypeople interested in the archaeology of the Bible. Weaver provides sufficient footnotes and a bibliography to point readers to more detailed and professional studies of these important finds and sites. Although it can be read from beginning to end, readers are encouraged to read sections that interest them (or randomly flip through the book and look at the pictures!) This will be an excellent resource for anyone who wants to understand the Bible in its historical and cultural context.
NB: Thanks to Kregel Academic for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work
