{Book Review} The Apostles’ Doctrine of the Atonement

George Smeaton wrote a two-volume work on the topic of Christ’s atoning work on behalf of sinners. The first volume is called Christ’s Doctrine of the Atonement, and the second volume is called The Apostles’ Doctrine of the Atonement. I have already reviewed the first volume (here), and this is a review of the second volume. 

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The Apostles’ Doctrine of the Atonement

The Apostles’ Doctrine of the Atonement was originally published in 1870, and has since been published by the Banner of Truth Trust, first in 1991, and then again in 2009. As mentioned above, this is Smeaton’s sequel to Christ’s Doctrine of the Atonement which was originally published in 1868. 

Let me begin by saying that The Apostles’ Doctrine of the Atonement is a phenomenal work, and I wish that every Christian would have this book (as well as the first volume) on their bookshelves. This is an excellent book to read from cover to cover, but it is also extremely useful as a resource that is consulted while reading through God’s Word.

This book deals with every passage in the New Testament (with the exception of those found in the four Gospels as they are dealt with in the first volume) that pertains to the work of Jesus Christ! Smeaton exposits the Word of God, explaining what the Bible teaches us about Christ’s atonement. This book gets to the heart of the Christian faith, namely a perfect Savior dying in the place of wretched sinners. How could a Christian not desire to read such a book? 

Related Article: Who Is Jesus Christ?

Layout and Content

One of the things that I love most about this book is the layout (making it, as mentioned above, an excellent resource to consult). The book is divided into five chapters, with each chapter including the writer of a portion of the New Testament. For instance:

• Chapter 1: The reader will find a section that deals with the book of Acts and its teaching on the atonement.
• Chapter 2: Paul’s epistles and every passage that Paul writes about Christ’s atoning work.
• Chapter 3: Deals with the book of Hebrews and the atonement.
• Chapter 4: Moves on to Peter’s epistles, and
• Chapter 5: Deals with the Apostle John’s three epistles as well as his writing that we call Revelation.

The reason I love this layout so much is that it makes it very easy to consult this book while studying Scripture.

I am currently reading and studying the book of Titus. I turn to the table of contents in The Apostles’ Doctrine of the Atonement and I notice that there is a section on Titus in chapter two (Paul’s epistles). I turn to that section and read an exposition by Smeaton of the passages in Titus that deal with Christ’s atonement. What a blessing! It’s very similar to consulting a commentary. This is one of the best parts of this book! Again, one would greatly benefit from reading this book from cover to cover, but it is a book that is able to be consulted time and time again. 

As with all of Banner of Truth’s books, this volume is gorgeous. The book is a hardcover edition with a beautiful cover including a picture of a church in Auchterarder. 

Conclusion

Smeaton is an excellent expositor of God’s Word, and the church will greatly benefit from reading his work. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It will bless your soul. For that reason, tolle lege, take up and read! 

Disclaimer: My thanks to Banner of Truth 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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