1 Timothy
By Phillip D. Jensen and Greg Clarke
St. Matthias Press. 89 pages. £2.99
ISBN 1 873166 23 0
These nine studies in 1 Timothy are a very thorough and useful aid for individual and group Bible study. The writers have obviously thought hard about how to show the meaning of 1 Timothy, and show it to be an accessible and relevant letter.
Each study includes questions on the text, introductions to sections and pointers for further discussion. Cross references are given sparingly and effectively. None of this makes the reader feel constrained to toe any 'party line'. There is a sensitive and helpful excursus before 'the women passage' in 2.9-15.
The care taken with this book means that it is far more than a 'best thought' key to a quick quiet time. Rather, the user should be prepared to work hard with the Bible, in which case the guide will be a great help. In a group setting, some might be a little intimidated by the detail offered, but a well-prepared leader could use it very effectively. An excellent resource for preachers too, in asking themselves, and their congregations, the vital questions of 1 Timothy.
