Monthly Archives: March 2011

It was with uncertainty that I received the news of a ‘great coverup’ which was about to be righted by this intriguing book, being naturally cautious of those who seem to suggest they’ve found something crucial in the Bible that has been missed for centuries. However, John MacArthur does take pains to explain his introduction and then discusses the nuance left by what he has discovered.

The book revolves around questioning the translation of the Greek word doulos (δοῦλος) – often translated with a form of ‘servant’ but more literally rendered ‘slave’. The book is carefully structured to achieve three things; to explain what the word doulos meant to the original audience, to discuss passages of scripture which use the word in this light, and to paint a picture of our relationship to Christ understood through a more historically accurate understanding of the term.

With an eclectic mix of everything from ancient Hebrew customs and stories from recent church history the text is refreshing and enjoyable as well as containing a serious theological focus. John MacArthur is a natural story-teller and it shows in this work.

The theological points he makes seem to be generally well founded. There is a lot which is not well substantiated, particularly references to ancient customs outside of the Biblical narrative, leaving doubts in some places as to how strong the evidence is for a given point or how widespread a practice was.

As to whether there is a ‘great coverup’ regarding the word doulos, it is clear that there is variation in the way the word is translated and that the word cannot be directly correlated to either servant or slave, as we understand them today. Quite what English word John MacArthur thinks is correct remains unclear, given he himself notes many problems with using the word ‘slave’. On the other hand, it is worth remembering that Greek is common to the vast majority of Bible college curricula, and so the word has remained unchanged and open to trained pastors as they prepare to preach – and explain – a passage.

The copy I reviewed was narrated by John MacArthur, who did a great job of bringing his work to life.

With thanks to christianaudio who provided the review copy.

This book is renowned as a ‘modern Christian classic’, although having first been printed in 1973 it is rapidly becoming a classic in the the fullest sense of the word. That being said, its contents are a treasure-trove for the Christian, somehow managing the considerable feat of both explaining the basics and working out the fine detail in one very powerful work.

Based on a collection of essays, the twenty-two chapters do have a self-contained feel to them: although Dr. Packer’s work builds up a picture of God as a whole, yet the book does not proceed through a single-threaded development.

The work is divided into three broad sections, one on the knowing of God, the second on God himself, and the third on the implication of God as he is. Particularly powerful is the treatment given to God as judge, God’s wrath, God’s Goodness and Severity and God’s Jealousy; none of which are popular topics but all of which are treated with clarity and a deep sense of purpose.

Throughout this work Dr. Packer reveals himself to be an extraordinarily gifted and orthodox theologian with a rock solid understanding of what the Bible actually teaches. I have no hesitation in recommending this book widely to Christians of types and at all stages within their study of the scripture as I am confident they will not be misled by this time-tested work.

The version I refer to in this review is the new Audio version narrated by Simon Vance. The narration is clear and a pleasure to listen to, with Mr. Vance excelling himself yet again. At 9.5 hours it may be a little long for one sitting, however the episodic nature of the work lends itself brilliantly to being spread over a few memorable sittings.

This review was made possible by the christianaudio reviewer’s programmed who provided the review copy.