{Book Review} Church Doctrine and the Bible

Church Doctrine and the Bible: Theology in Ancient Context is published by Lexham Press and authored by David Instone-Brewer. 

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Church Doctrine and the Bible: Theology in Ancient Context

I really like the concept of this book. Instone-Brewer is a biblical scholar who is crossing over into the discipline of systematic theology. He is attempting as much as possible to understand difficult doctrines in the Bible in the same way that the original audience would have understood them. In other words, he is attempting to be as biblical as possible. So in 28 chapters, he examines different doctrines and addresses some of the hard questions that are often asked of them.

Though I like the concept, it felt like Instone-Brewer (at least in the introduction) thought that theologians don’t deal with exegetical theology in which they are seeking as much as possible to rightly understand the text of Scripture in its original context. It seems like he was claiming to be able to put away all of his presuppositions and peel away thousands of years of church history that has influenced us simply because his discipline is biblical studies.

We all bring presuppositions to the table, and Instone-Brewer isn’t exempt from that just because his discipline is biblical studies instead of theology. It is certainly true, though, that the best theologians are striving to rightly understand what Scripture says about a doctrine. 

The book comes in at just over 200 pages. That means that the author is very brief in his 28 chapters. This is both a pro and a con. It’s certainly a pro because concise writing and articulation of doctrine is very helpful to most people, and it will lead to greater readership. It’s a con, however, in that it’s very difficult to discuss a topic that divides many in the church in only 7 pages or less. Instone-Brewer does a good job, though, of tackling these difficult topics so concisely. 

I enjoyed reading this book even though I disagree with many of the author’s conclusions. I think it is a good thing to interact with others that you disagree with. It is evident that Instone-Brewer is not a theologian, and I appreciate him making that clear from the very beginning.

I must admit that this book wouldn’t be the first book that I would recommend to a Christian when they are trying to understand Christian doctrine or its understanding in ancient context. However, it’s a great resource to have on your shelf! You could read this book from cover to cover, or use it when you have a question about a certain doctrine. It’s a good reference book. You won’t find everything you want to know about the doctrine like you would in a systematic theology book, but Instone-Brewer aims to help you see a topic the way one would have understood it within the original context. 

Disclaimer: My thanks to Lexham Press for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own. 

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Other Book Reviews by Lexham Press:

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• In Season and Out: Sermons for the Christian Year
• Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans
• Ever in Thy Sight: 31 Devotions on the Psalms
• Journeys of the Apostle Paul
• Introduction to the New Testament
• Who God Is: Meditations on the Character of Our God
• The Lexham English Septuagint
• Demons: What the Bible Really Says about the Powers of Darkness

Reviews of Commentaries by Lexham Press:

• Walking the Ancient Paths: A Commentary on Jeremiah
• Ephesians: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary