Top 20 Christian Books

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, ìBut we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour ,î so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isnít for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as weíre called by the divine trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Hereís our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Opening Remarks, Health Update, and Valentine’s Day

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry. My name is Mike Abendroth, and it is, in real time, February 9th, Wednesday, but weíre one week in advance in Star Trek space-time continuum. For years, I think Iíve said Star Track, but itís Star Trek, right?

You donít want to be a tracker. You want to be a Trekker. You want to be a Trekkie, not a Trackie. You can always write me, Mike, at NoCompromiseRadio .com. Thanks for praying for me. My health is pretty good.

I think Iíve got quite a ways to go, but Iím able to ride the bicycle, the exercise bike. I was riding it today at resistance 12 for about 15 minutes, resistance 10 for about half an hour, resistance 6 to warm up, and actually, sweat.

Broke a sweat today. I donít think my voice is fully recovered yet, but Iím hopeful it will, and I just have a lot of, I mean, I heard even today, and who knows what will happen by the time you hear this, but Michael Horton, the author and professor at Westminster Seminary, is in the hospital for COVID pneumonia, so it is difficult.

Itís a long haul. I donít feel normal at all, but I feel alive and out of the hospital. Thankful for that. I already got my Valentineís deal done, even though itís the 9th. Kim and I went up to New Hampshire.

This is like to brag a little bit, but she planned most of it. I just did some. Went up to New Hampshire and had a sleigh ride, 5 oíclock at night. The lights are lower, youíre through the woods, and a real sleigh with a real, some kind of Belgian horse, but it was fun.

It was romantic. No kids to be found, just Kim and I, private. I said, ìKim, do we have a private sleigh ride or with a group ?î She said, ìIím not going with a group .î I said, ìOkay .î A while ago, one of our deacons named Chuck emailed me, and he said something like, ìGive me your top 20 books, Christian books or important books to read if youíre a Christian .î I canít remember if he wanted to help his own library, he wanted to teach his kids, he needed to teach a class.

Chuck, I canít remember exactly why you wanted the list, but I just sat down and I quickly wrote out a list, and it was just like a knee-jerk thing. Spur of the moment, I didnít do a lot of research, I didnít walk around my library and look, and Iíve got certain sections in my library, these books mean more to me than other sections, and you know, I have Genesis commentaries, Exodus commentaries, Christology sections.

I also have a little section where these are valuable to me. They might not be valuable books, but theyíre valuable to me, and thatís kind of what this show is about, which Christian books are valuable to me.

I think 10 years ago I would have had a different list, 20 years ago I had a different list, and maybe 10 years from today I might have a different list. Who knows if Iím even here 10 years from now, but you can always listen to the show anyway in the rerun fashion.

I think Iím going to be like J. Verne McGee, just always, NoCo is just always on. Just kidding. Book list, suggested book list that you might read in addition to reading the Bible, in addition to creeds and confessions.

I did not put a creed or confession on here. In my mind thatís different than a book, right? If you want to read the Nicene Creed and believe it, I want you to do that. I want you to especially read the Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, Westminster Confession slash London Baptist Confession 1689 slash Savoy Confession, read the 39 articles, Anglican.

I like those. I like the app that I have on my phone about Christian creeds and confessions and you just get whatever you want, Goat Yard Confessions and Catechisms, theyíve got it all. Great little app.

But, short of creeds and confessions, Heidelberg, Belgic, these are the books. No particular order. These are not alphabetical. These are just books that I think you should get. And Iíve got 20 minutes to talk about 20 books, so that means Abendroth needs to stay on target.

If I talk about one book for one minute, another book for two minutes, that means I only have zero for the next. Iím going to have to really balance this out. What that means is, I talk about the books at the front of the list in more depth than I do at the end of the list.

But Iím going to give you all 20 today. If you want to email me, mike at no compromise radio dot com, Iíll send you the list or maybe Spencer can put it in the show notes. Again, not ranked. This is just my list.

J. Gresham Machen and the Liberalism Question

Machen, J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism. You can read that book online for free. You can listen to it. This is a book, if memory serves, and I donít remember all the publishers and dates, but I think itís 1923, Eerdmans.

And if you understand that book, youíre going to understand Christianity and youíll easily see anything that calls itself by a certain name but is, in fact, liberalism. You either are a supernaturalist or a naturalist, youíre either a Christian or a liberal.

And the book starts off a little slow. I always have to try to make sure I get people to keep reading a little bit past the first few pages. And once you get his writing style and we get in the doctrine of God and salvation, it is a book that you have to read.

It is so good. Christianity and Liberalism by Machen, M-A-C-H-E-N. Number two. I donít even know if I can write on here. Number two. I just have to read it here. Letís see. Can I write? I donít think I can write.

Burkhoff on Systematic Theology and the Christian Faith

Louis Burkhoff, Systematic Theology. There are many systematic theologies that are written. I have a section of systematic theologies. For many people in the last ten years, maybe fifteen, I donít know when it was written, they like Wayne Grudem.

And Wayne Grudemís Systematic Theology, I think you can have it and itís a resource and it has some things that are true but when it comes to prophecy and time stuff and eternal subordination, you donít need to read it.

I donít need to have a bunch of charismatics because they read that. Get Burkhoff instead. You can get a free PDF and it has just been reissued by Banner of Truth with Burkhoffís concise summary of the Christian faith or summary of the Christian faith at the end and thatís a book that is exactly that.

Itís just a little summary and lots of times in the morning, I will, during my Bible reading time, then Iíll read that next section for Burkhoff about sanctification or of good works or something like that.

Excellent. If you want to learn about justification, sanctification, other things, read Burkhoffís Systematic Theology. Everybody needs Burkhoffís Systematic Theology. Number three, Calvinís Institutes.

Calvinís Institutes were updated several times. It just kept getting bigger and bigger and you ought to just buy Calvinís Institutes. McNeill Battle is what I have, the two volume. I think thatís the best English translation and you should just, if youíve never read Calvin, read the section on justification.

I think my friend Nick Pickwitz did the justification book by Calvin. He pulled it out and then reissued it as a standalone. You can get that if you want. The Institutes contain all kinds of things that will be good for your soul, good for your mind.

Read the section on prayer and you will see to yourself. My thoughts of Calvin as cold, stern, stoic, icy are completely wrong and we understand his desire to honor the Lord even in prayer. Peter Petrus Dathanus, Pearl of Christian Comfort.

Assurance, Bruised Reeds, and the Whole Christ

We live in a society today that bombards, a Christian society that bombards assurance. Of course, the Catholics think itís a sin of presumption and a lot of Lordship teachers, they donít seem to maximize assurance like they should.

And it is Rome that takes away assurance and if youíre living with your girlfriend, I donít think you should have assurance. You can call yourself a Christian, but 1 Corinthians 6, verses 9 and 10, itís in the Bible and itís true.

There are false professors. But Christians can struggle with sin, they do struggle with sin, they are simultaneously just and sinful. And this is written in dialogue with a pastor and a lady in a church thatís struggling with assurance.

Short little book, I think you can get at Reformation Press, Reformation Heritage, excuse me. The Pearl of Christian Comfort. Youíll have to get that book and just hand it out to people. Easy to read, simple, short, dealing with the doctrine of assurance.

Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed. This is a Puritan paperback and I just picked up the Sibbes seven volumes, I think, Banner of Truth. Itís out of print, but I just, from seven different places, bought seven different volumes so now I have all of his works.

And Sibbes is known, I think, I have no notes in front of me except this list, I think he was known as the sweet dropper because he regularly taught things about the Lord Jesus and his compassion and kindness and come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and Iíll give you rest, Iíll give you refreshment, I think the King James might say.

This book is good for a similar reason to The Pearl of Christian Comfort, itís good for assurance. What about, what the Lord Jesus does with a bruised reed, with a struggling Christian? What do you think his attitude toward that struggling Christian might be?

And I think youíre going to be encouraged, especially if you live in a Paul Washer beat down world. Iím not saying thatís only what Paul does, but it seems like thatís whatís published a lot on social media, in my opinion.

Next, Sinclair Ferguson, The Whole Christ, W-H-O-L-E, The Whole Christ. This is a book written, I donít know, ten years ago maybe now, maybe a little less by Sinclair Ferguson. Sinclair Buchanan Ferguson.

You know one day Sinclair Ferguson wrote me a poem, sent me a poem, and he did, itís true, I still have it. That was good, I said to the kids, ìSinclair sent me a poem ,î and theyíre like, ìWhat ?î I said, ìItís true, the Scotman came through .î I have different Sinclair stories, but thatís one Iíll just let you know right now.

This is his retelling of the Merrill Controversy with the Octa-Arta Creed, and do you have to forsake sin in order to come to Christ? Is there something antecedent to faith? And fruit is, fruits of repentance, the fruit of faith is repentance, etc.

Which one comes first, faith, repentance, or is it a synecdoche? If I say faith, am I also including repentance, and vice versa? What about the law? What role does the law have? What about assurance? Really, itís revolutionary.

The next book, which is closely related, is The Marrow of Modern Divinity by E. Fischer. Edward Fischer, and you can get the, I canít remember, Evangelical Press maybe does the new ones, kind of brown and black, and itís got Thomas Bostonís notes, thatís the one that you should get, the one that has Thomas Bostonís notes, kind of a big circle on the front, orangish, I think.

And this was the book that was written in the 1600s that the Marrowmen, or the representers, or the representatives, used in that big debate in the Octor-Artor-Presbyterian controversy of the 17, like 17s to the 26th, Thomas Boston, Ralph Erskine, Ebenezer Erskine, and you get to see Bostonís notes in there.

This is making sure that the gospel is a free offer, and that the gospel does not require you to amend your ways in order to come to Christ. And thatís what Ferguson writes about in The Whole Christ. Heís got theology in the book, but also gives you an update of what happened in that Presbyterian gathering.

I donít know if it was the Senate or not, but whatever. The next book is Michael Horton, Christ the Lord. This subtitle of Christ the Lord, I canít remember, but itís something like a reformed response to Lordship Salvation.

I think that maybe is what it says. You have to get that book, especially if you grew up with reading Ryrie and reading Zane Hodges, reading Chuck Swindoll. Who else would be big in the Dallas camp? Letís see.

It was Ryrie, Hodges, Swindoll not as much. Thereís another author, but Iím forgetting. And then on the other side of the intramural debate was MacArthur with the Gospel According to Jesus. And what Horton does is Horton says, okay, this is where each group kind of got it right and MacArthur, he would think, was more right than Zane Hodges with the non-lordship, anti-lordship position, probably would be a better way to say it.

But was MacArthur, when he wrote the book, necessarily reformed? Does the Reformation deal with this? And I think at a high level, this is an important book because itís made me think of, oh, church history has probably much to instruct, can instruct me on this because Iíve already had a battle.

Thereís already been a sanctification battle. Thereís already been a justification battle. Thereís already been a simplicity battle and a deity of Christ battle. And what have these other minds, what have they said?

Has the Reformation helped us understand justification, sanctification? Are they commingled? When does one start? What if thereís no sanctification? Is sanctification monergistic, synergistic? Does God sanctify?

Do we have a role in sanctification? Do we respond in sanctification? Is sanctification by faith alone? Thereís all kinds of questions like that, and I really like what Horton did. Heís the general editor, so thereís other people who write sections in there.

Rod Rosenblatt, I think, has a chapter on God, Christ died for the sins of believers, too. You ought to read that book, especially if youíve been living in the evangelical world for the last 30 years or so.

I think the debate was really big in the 1980s, late 80s, if memory serves. Next book, R .C. Sproul, Chosen by God. Super easy to read, yet deep truths, devotional truths. If you already know the topic, you can still be refreshed and rekindled in your heart that God would choose you unconditionally, not because you were holy and blameless, but to make you holy and blameless, as Ephesians 1, verses 3 and 4 talk about.

He talks about symmetrical and asymmetrical issues in both election and reprobation. Is reprobation symmetrical or asymmetrical? And you think, well, what does that have to do with anything? And Iím going to let you read the book, because I think that little appendix, if my memory serves me, itís in an appendix, I think thatís good.

Rich, devotional, you could give this to somebody who comes out of a Calvary Chapel background that doesnít really understand election, or maybe a charismatic background, Pentecostal. This is a good intro for that, and I think even if youíve been around the block theologically, you could read it, and then it would help you as you teach other people this important doctrine.

Justification, Biography, and the Atonement

J .V. Fesco is on my list, his book on justification. I think itís in cursive, in a kind of an interesting font. Heís got chapters on justification, heís got chapters on new perspective on Paul and federal vision, things that are, in modern day, basically papish diversions from the doctrine of sola fide.

I think every seminary student, every Bible teacher, every pastor should read Fescoís book. Why is his chair slinking down? When I was slinking down, slinking down. Banton, Here I Stand, is the biography of Martin Luther.

I forgot his first name, Harold Banton, Harry Banton, I donít really remember. Roland, Roland Banton, Roland the Headless Thompson Gunnar Banton. And Here I Stand, Luther, I wanted to put at least one biography on this list, I think maybe I have two.

But anyway, that was such a good book that will give you history, some good theology written from a perspective that would fit in with the no-co theology. John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied, Jesus Actually Redeemed, and then the Spirit of God Applied that Redemptive Death to Every Believer.

This will help you with limited, unlimited atonement, that is definite or indefinite atonement, particular redemption. That type of stuff. While Murray may not have believed in the covenant of works and probably opened the door for Norman Shepard and others, this book stands the test of time and is excellent.

You wonít go wrong when you want to study Christís death by reading John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied. Short little book by B .B. Warfield called The Plan of Salvation is my next entry on top 20 books that you should read.

Itís got sections on self-salvation called auto-sotirism, auto-self, sotir, salvation. What about sacraments? What about non-Calvinistic views of salvation? Just easy to read. You say, ìB .B. Warfield, easy to read ?î Yeah, in particular, this one is The Plan of Salvation.

If youíd like to know about Godís plan of salvation, this would be a good book for you. Anderson, I forgot his first name. What is Andersonís first name? Iím looking over to my books now and I think itís Courtney, but I donít remember.

Courtney Anderson, To the Golden Shore, The Life of Adoniram Judson. This is another one of those that I put on that was a biography and Adoniram Judson left here in Massachusetts, Salem, Massachusetts, I think before we were, were we a country yet?

I think maybe it was post -1776. Of course, Evan Burns would know. Heís got an excellent book on Adoniram Judson as well. But this is an amazing book, fast-paced. Heís like, ìHow can this ever happen to one person ?î The stories, the trials, the triumphs, Adoniram Judson.

The Cross, Pilgrim’s Progress, Covenant Theology, and Sanctification

Next, John Stott, The Cross of Christ. This is similar to John Murrayís book on the atonement. Hereís what Jesus did, looking at it from different angles. Think about a prism and, you know, the light hits a prism and thereís all the different things that you can study when it comes to the cross of Christ.

You will be encouraged. John Bunyan, Pilgrimís Progress, the allegory of Christian and his burden and meeting vainglory and meeting the evangelist and all the different people, worldly wise men. You need to read Pilgrimís Progress.

You might differ slightly here or there, even when it comes to the Merrill Controversy book by Sinclair Ferguson, where he talks a little bit about Bunyan and do you have to go through the wicked gate to look at the cross first or whatever, but you need to read that book, Pilgrimís Progress, by not Paul Bunyan and his ox, babe, but John Bunyan.

Brown and Keele, Michael Brown and Zach Keele, I believe, The Sacred Bond, Covenant Theology Explained. I put this on the list because I think this is something that people need to read, especially in typical evangelicalism would be very often dispensational and maybe there are caricatures on both sides, you know, left behind as a dispensationalist and covenant theologians, you know, spiritualize everything and theyíre, you know, back and forth we go and try to fight and debate, but I am a covenant theologian.

Iím not a dispensationalist and this book has helped me and I think it would help you even if you donít believe in covenant theology as a kind of a structure or an architectonic scaffolding to see Scripture through, youíd like this book because it will at least help you without caricaturization.

There we go. Marshall, Walter Marshall, The Definitive Book on Divine Mystery of Sanctification. I meant to say The Definitive Book on Sanctification, but here, The Divine Mystery of Sanctification. God is the sanctifier, there is a response to sanctification, how that works out is kind of a mystery and so Walter Marshall will try to help you with that, but this is a book John Murray said was the most important book on sanctification, very, very helpful.

Most people do not believe that sanctification is anything but our holy living and I think we need to be careful even if you read any of the confessions, just Baptistic or Congregational or Presbyterian or Anglican, youíre going to realize that God is a sanctifier.

God saves, He justifies by grace alone through faith alone, He sanctifies by grace alone through faith alone. God sanctify me is a good prayer because God sanctifies and of course we do respond and we want to live a holy life, but who really is the sanctifier?

Walter Martian, Martian, itís Martian to think that sanctification is synergistic. A .W. Pink, The Attributes of God, you can read it online for free, excellent book. We can argue about should they be called perfections, are there real attributes, what about simplicity, but this is just good.

Itíll just have a section on holiness, itíll have a quote or two by a Puritan, a bunch of Bible verses and youíll just have an appreciation for how great God is as you go through Attributes of God by Pink.

Weíre not going to have to argue is wrath an attribute even though heís got it in there or is only holiness an attribute and the exercise of his holiness is wrath. Iím not going to get bogged down in that, just read the book, I think youíll be encouraged.

Covenant, Justification, and Pastoral Ministry

And lastly but certainly not leastly, R. Scott Clark, Covenant, Justification and Pastoral Ministry. Thatís the book that with Ferguson and a few others really did a number on me to take me out of kind of one theological world and camp and move me into another theological world and camp.

It really helped me with active obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ, why thatís so important. It helped me with thinking about things in covenantal terms. I think the book is out of print. Maybe you can get a Kindle or maybe you can look for it online someplace, but it is harder to get and I think different authors are in the book that Scott edits and also writes in.

Covenant, Justification and Pastoral Ministry. And you donít have to be a pastor to like the book. I think any person who would listen to No Compromise, Iím not the most sophisticated teacher but we talk about some pretty heady things here and if you like No Compromise Radio you could easily read R. Scott Clark, Covenant, Justification and Pastoral Ministry.

And just go pick chapters that you like and go ahead and read those, really, really like the books. So thatís my top 20, at least today, February 9th, 2022. If youíd like to get a copy of these top 20, you can send me an email, mike at nocompromiseradio .com.

Lots to learn about the Lord Jesus.

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life-transforming power of Godís Word through verse-by-verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 10 .15 and in the evening at 6. Weíre right on Route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.