Review by ifeoma obike -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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ifeoma obike
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Review by ifeoma obike -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?
[Following is a volunteer review of "Who Told You That You Were Naked?" by William Combs.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Who Told You That You Were Naked?: A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden by William E. Combs is an insightful ChristIan non-fiction book that scrutinizes the events that took place in the Garden of Eden for a better clarification of the true nature of sin, faith, and salvation. The book is divided into ten chapters with each chapter sub-divided into sections. The synopsis of each chapter provides a clear idea of the subject matter. Each chapter ends with study questions that are can lead to personal reflection or bible discussion.
The major concepts of the book (as I stated earlier) are sin, faith, and redemption. Combs begins by taking the reader to the Book of Genesis, back to the Garden of Eden; he re-examines the events and circumstances that forced Adam and Eve out of the Garden, and the devastating impact of it on mankind. He explores the true nature of sin and the meaning of sin. With biblical references, Combs argues that sin is not a selection of evil over good or a list of errant acts and neither is repentance the need to confess and feel remorse for those sins. He further examines the nature of faith and its redemptive solution to the bondage of sin. He also discussed about walking with Christ and overcoming the challenges that follows it. Combs stresses that it is critical for Christians to acknowledge sin as both an antagonist "crouching at the door"- the knowledge of good and evil we inherited from Adam as well as the wrongful acts emanating from this wellspring, which is so innate, so instinctual, so pervasive a way of responding to our everyday circumstances, it is virtually impossible to avoid. He talks about salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of conquering this adversary.
The use of word pictures makes the book not only interesting, but also more relatable to biblical stories. The personal stories (most of which are quite startling) and the fictional retellings of biblical events added colour and warmth to the book that even readers who are non-Christians can still engage meaningfully in it.
I love Combs' idea of writing out bible verses and not just referencing them in the text. This increased my flow of reading as I don't always have to pause and look up a scriptural reference.
An error I discovered and one I wouldn't have if not that I'm familiar with the Bible is that some scriptural references in the book do not match with that of the Bible. For instance, the Bible quotation, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God", was referenced as 2 Corinthians 2:21, but this passage is written in 2 Corinthians 5:21. This error occurred so many times in the book, and this kind of error can result in confusion or lead to wrong conclusions for readers who are not conversant with the bible and seek to have more knowledge of it.
Overall, this book is Interesting and worth reading. The author's perspective on the events of the Garden of Eden, the true meaning of sin, and how sin entered the world is very thought-provoking and makes me question my belief. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I cannot give it a perfect score due to errors in the references. This book will appeal to Christian readers, and new converts will find this book helpful for their walk in Christianity.
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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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3 out of 4 stars
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Who Told You That You Were Naked?: A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden by William E. Combs is an insightful ChristIan non-fiction book that scrutinizes the events that took place in the Garden of Eden for a better clarification of the true nature of sin, faith, and salvation. The book is divided into ten chapters with each chapter sub-divided into sections. The synopsis of each chapter provides a clear idea of the subject matter. Each chapter ends with study questions that are can lead to personal reflection or bible discussion.
The major concepts of the book (as I stated earlier) are sin, faith, and redemption. Combs begins by taking the reader to the Book of Genesis, back to the Garden of Eden; he re-examines the events and circumstances that forced Adam and Eve out of the Garden, and the devastating impact of it on mankind. He explores the true nature of sin and the meaning of sin. With biblical references, Combs argues that sin is not a selection of evil over good or a list of errant acts and neither is repentance the need to confess and feel remorse for those sins. He further examines the nature of faith and its redemptive solution to the bondage of sin. He also discussed about walking with Christ and overcoming the challenges that follows it. Combs stresses that it is critical for Christians to acknowledge sin as both an antagonist "crouching at the door"- the knowledge of good and evil we inherited from Adam as well as the wrongful acts emanating from this wellspring, which is so innate, so instinctual, so pervasive a way of responding to our everyday circumstances, it is virtually impossible to avoid. He talks about salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of conquering this adversary.
The use of word pictures makes the book not only interesting, but also more relatable to biblical stories. The personal stories (most of which are quite startling) and the fictional retellings of biblical events added colour and warmth to the book that even readers who are non-Christians can still engage meaningfully in it.
I love Combs' idea of writing out bible verses and not just referencing them in the text. This increased my flow of reading as I don't always have to pause and look up a scriptural reference.
An error I discovered and one I wouldn't have if not that I'm familiar with the Bible is that some scriptural references in the book do not match with that of the Bible. For instance, the Bible quotation, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God", was referenced as 2 Corinthians 2:21, but this passage is written in 2 Corinthians 5:21. This error occurred so many times in the book, and this kind of error can result in confusion or lead to wrong conclusions for readers who are not conversant with the bible and seek to have more knowledge of it.
Overall, this book is Interesting and worth reading. The author's perspective on the events of the Garden of Eden, the true meaning of sin, and how sin entered the world is very thought-provoking and makes me question my belief. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I cannot give it a perfect score due to errors in the references. This book will appeal to Christian readers, and new converts will find this book helpful for their walk in Christianity.
******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like ifeoma obike's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "Escape" by Belle Ami
