In a society that says the Bible is irrelevant to today’s questions, Sydney Missionary and Bible College Press has produced a work that reassures Christians that the exact opposite is the case.
1st Century Answers to 21st Century Questions examines a range of significant issues in the lives of Christians today in the light of biblical material.
The 14 chapters are a compilation of addresses given at SMBC’s Principal’s Hour.
Contributors include SMBC Principal David Cook, along with other well-known figures such as John Chapman, Ray Galea, Simon Manchester and Neil Chambers.
The topics range from the cross of Jesus, the place of Christian experience and guidance to ethical issues such as alcohol, pornography and homosexuality.
In one chapter, David Cook grapples with the issue of depression and counselling. He talks about why some ‘Christian counselling’ can be extremely damaging. He writes that many Christian counsellors are cautious about using the Bible and are informed rather by theories developed by people like Freud.
He argues, however, that counselling will only be effective when practices outlined in the Bible are engaged. He shows that the Bible is concerned about the renewing of people’s minds, thus pastoral counselling must be concerned with the mind, not simply emotions.
Secondly, he points out that while we can learn from the past, dwelling on the past can lead to an unhealthy level of introspection. The Bible, rather, urges us to look forward to the sure and certain hope we have in Christ and how we can live proactively for this future.
If you read this book hoping to find exhaustive material on any of the topics addressed, you will be disappointed.
Each chapter is by no means the last word on any of the subjects. A whole book could be devoted to each (which in every case it has been, many times over).
Rather, 1st Century Answers to 21st Century Questions serves as a handbook to start you thinking about a given issue as it arises. The Bible references and additional reading material provides you with the tools to take the next step.
This book will be an invaluable resource to full-time Christian workers and Bible study leaders. But it will also be a great help to anyone who is earnestly seeking to grapple with God’s word and apply it to their life.
