Over the past few years I gave away hundreds of my books to the BLI library. I only have a few left. I asked myself a hypothetical question: Which ones are the best books for the BLI library? Which ones do I want to keep?
My friend, Thom Rainer, gave a list of his top 25. It was a privilege to study with him at Southern Seminary and to earn church consultant certification with him and Chuch Lawless. Thom’s choice books are listed below. These are the ones he chose to keep as he gave thousands of books away. He used some of the parameters below in his difficult decision making process:
- I didn’t hesitate to choose books that were simply personal preferences.
- I decided at the onset I would strive to choose a variety of issues and topics, rather than just the 25 best books.
- I was sufficiently lacking in humility, and put two of my own books on the list.
- I really struggled eliminating many commentaries of individual Bible books.
With those caveats in mind, here are the 25 books in alphabetical order. I have little doubt you readers will engage in some interesting conversations!
- Akin, Daniel, ed. A Theology for the Church . Nashville: B&H, 2007, rev. 2014.
- Archer, Gleason. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982.
- Bruce, F. F. The Canon of Scripture . Downers Grove: IVP, 1988.
- Carson, D.A. Exegetical Fallacies . 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996.
- Carson, D.A. The Gospel According to John . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.
- Carson, D.A., Douglas J. Moo, and Leon Morris. An Introduction to the New Testament . 2nd ed., Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005.
- Coleman, Robert. The Master Plan of Evangelism . Grand Rapids: Revell, 1963.
- Dallimore, Arnold A. George Whitefield: The Life and Times of the Great Evangelist of the Eighteenth-Century Reviva l (2 Volumes). Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1970, 1980.
- Elwell, Walter. Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology . Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996.
- Erickson, Millard. Christian Theology . 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2013.
- Green, Michael. Evangelism in the Early Church . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970.
- Guthrie, Donald. The Pastoral Epistles . TNTC. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007.
- HCSB Study Bible . Nashville: B&H, 2010.
- Kaiser, Walter C. Jr. “Exodus” in EBC . vol. 1. rev. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008.
- Keller, Tim. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism . New York: Dutton, 2008.
- Matthews, Kenneth. Genesis 1:1-11:26 . NAC . Nashville: B&H, 1996 and Genesis 11:27-50:26. NAC. Nashville: B&H, 2005.
- Merrill, Eugene H., Mark F. Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti. The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament . Nashville: B&H, 2011.
- Packer, J. I. Knowing God . Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1993.
- Piper, John. Let the Nations Be Glad : The Supremacy of God in Missions. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2010.
- Pohill, John. Acts . NAC . Nashville: B&H, 1992.
- Rainer, Thom S. I Am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude That Makes the Difference . Nashville: B&H, 2013.
- Rainer, Thom S. and Eric Geiger. Simple Church . Nashville: B&H, 2006.
- Schreiner, Thomas R. Romans . BECNT . Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998. TP
- Stott, John R.W. The Cross of Christ. Downers Grove: IVP, 1986.
- Strobel, Lee. The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.