Recommended Reading
The Reproducers
The Book of Acts
Why Grace Changes Everything
Living Water
The Work of the Pastor
The Ministry of the Word
Things to Come
Bible History: Old Testament
The Life and Epistles of St. Paul
Explore the Book
The Stain the Stays
Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
New Bible Dictionary
Handbook for Bible Teachers and Preachers
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
Exposition of the Whole Bible
A History of Christianity - Volume 1
A History of Christianity - Volume 2
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah
Basic Reference and Background Tools
All the Prophecies in the Bible – John Walroord
Bible Atlas – (Zondervan Altas of the Bible or Macmillan Bible Atlas for example)
Charts of Christian Theology and Doctrine – H. Wayne House
Chronological and Background Charts of the New Testament – H. Wayne House
Chronological Charts of the Old Testament – John Walton
Evidence That Demands a Verdict – Josh McDowell (in 2 Volumes)
From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya – Ruth Tucker
A General Introduction to the Bible – Geisler/Nix
Kingdom of the Cults – Walter Martin
New International Dictionary of the Christian Church – Zondervan
New International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology – Zondervan
New Testament Overview – Jeremy Kirby
Searchlights from the Word – G. Campbell Morgan
When Critics Ask – Geisler/Howe
When Skeptics Ask – Geisler/Brooks
Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible – Zondervan (5 volumes)
Good Commentary Sets
First Group
The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament – Warren Wiersbe (2 Volumes)
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Zondervan/Regency (12 Volumes)
Inter Varsity Press Old Testament Series (24 Volumes)
Inter Varsity Press New Testament Series (20 Volumes)
Second Group
Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Old and New Testament
The Daily Study Bible, New Testament – William Barclay (17 Volumes)
Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee (5 Volumes)
Good Individual Commentators
- James Montgomery Boice
- F. F. Bruce
- Derek Kidner
- Henry Ironside
- D. Martyn LLoyd-Jones
- C.H. MacIntosh
- J.R. MacDuff
- J. Vernon McGee
- F.B. Meyer
- G. Campbell Morgan
- Leon Morris
- William Newell
- J.B. Phillips
- Arthur W. Pink
- Alan Redpath
- John Stott
- Griffith Thomas
- John Walvoord
Good Greek Resources
The Complete Biblical Library – Various Authors (22 Volumes – World Library Press)
The Expositor’s Greek Testament (5 Volumes)
New Testament for English Readers – Dean Alford (4 Volumes)
Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament (4 Volumes – MacDonald)
Word Pictures in New Testament – A.T. Robertson (6 Volumes – Broadman)
Word Studies in the Greek New Testament – Kenneth Wuest (4 Volumes – Eerdmans)
Some Important Books to Have
30 Days to Understanding the Bible – Max Anders
Biblical Preaching – Haddon Robinson
Calvary Chapel Distinctives – Chuck Smith
Charisma vs. Charismania – Chuck Smith
Church History in Plain Language – Bruce Shelley
The Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Eerdman’s Handbook to the History of Christianity (also published as the Lion Handbook to the History of Christianity)
Full Surrender – J. Edwin Orr
How to Pray – R.A. Torrey
The Jesus Style; Spirit Style; and Body Style – Gayle Erwin
Lectures to My Students – Charles Spurgeon
Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis
The New Park Street Pulpit and the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit – Charles Spurgeon
Not Knowing Wither – Oswald Chambers
The Pilgrim Church – E. H. Broadbent
The Power of Prayer – E.M. Bounds
Spiritual Leadership – J. Oswald Sanders
Real Books or Digital Copies?
My library is almost only of books and I like reading books rather than a computer screen. However, you can get so much more for your money by buying digital copies that if I were building a library again, I would probably start with digital and then by books as I was able to.
For example, you can spend anywhere from $500 to $1000 to buy Spurgeon’s collected sermons in book form (65 beautiful volumes) or you can spend $35 and buy the digital copies. It just makes sense to do it that way.
– David Guzik