Opening Up Proverbs

Opening up the Bible

by Jim Newheiser

Succinct, section-by-section, practical exposition and application of the Proverbs.

Genres: Theology, Christian

152 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2008

About the author

Jim Newheiser, DMin, Westminster Theological Seminary, California, has served in pastoral ministry and has practiced biblical counseling for over thirty years. He is the Director of the Christian Counseling Program at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte and the Executive Director of IBCD. He is an ACBC Fellow and board member.

Reviews

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose a short book on Proverbs will by necessity not be as nuanced as the author would like it to be, but I get the sense that even if this were longer, it would not be as nuanced as I would like it to be. That's a shame, since proverbs are pithy sayings that ought to be applied with great nuance (and, well, wisdom), but Newheiser often makes statements that make me grimace for their lack of qualification. For instance, when walking through his neighborhood and passing a house that is overrun, he says that he thinks of the proverb that says, "I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins." Not so fast. The sage of the Proverbs says he went past the field of the sluggard and noticed its overrun state, NOT that he noticed an overrun field and concluded the owner was a sluggard. The house in Newheiser's neighborhood very well may belong to a single mom who has two jobs or an elderly gentleman going through chemotherapy. I also found several of Newheiser's comments about women to be tone-deaf and in dire need of caveats. They might have validity to them, but they lack sensitivity to very real and very serious modern issues. Finally, in arranging proverbs by topic, I think Newheiser falls into the temptation of presenting the proverbs as speaking completely on the subject, instead of offering useful wisdom to consider. The division by topic, however, is useful in gaining a feel for the variety of proverbs on the subject and even for the nuance of the proverbs. Newheiser borrows from other books of the Bible to add some fuller treatment.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very quick read about the proverbs. Another great resource for biblical and christian counselors, or anyone who wants an overview of the book.