The Story of Scripture: How We Got Our Bible and Why We Can Trust It

by Robert L. Plummer

An excellent primer for those who want to understand who the original writers of the Bible were, how the books of the Bible came together, how we can be sure that the Bible is authoritative, and what the differences are between modern translations. Author Robert Plummer writes with a warm style in an accessible "big questions" format.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Christianity, Theology, History

96 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2013

About the author

Robert L. Plummer, Ph.D., is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky. Dr. Plummer is the author or editor of several books, including '40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible' (Kregel, 2010). Dr. Plummer is an elder at Sojourn Community Church (East Campus), Louisville, Ky. He has served on mission assignments in China, India, Malaysia, Ghana, Israel, Turkey, and Trinidad. He and his wife Chandi have three daughters. During his spare time, Dr. Plummer enjoys running mini-marathons and drinking hot tea.

Reviews

[J.C.Valdovinos · Rating 4 out of 5]

1 Star=Terrible
2 Stars=Bad
3 Stars=Good
4 Stars=Great
5 Stars=Phenomonal/Must Read

This book is simply a primer for the theological basis of why our scriptures are reliable, and although the book has a very strong protestant lean anyone can read this book and brush up on the basics regarding the topic of Scripture.

The questions at the end and all the historical evidence that points to scripture make this book both a quick review for Intermediate Christians and an engaging wrestle for those wanting to go deeper and solidify the truths they have learned.

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short book accentuating the fact that it can be trusted as to the accounts that are given within, both historically, and what the eyewitnesses to the events affirm. Great for a quick summation of places, historicity, authorship, and how the canon came about. Other books give greater detail on all of these, but for a kind of Cliff's Notes version of these topics, this is one of the best I've seen.

[Bruce Stopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. It's apparently a skimmed down version of a more scholarly book. Great book for new believers or anyone who wants to know more about how we got the modern Bible. Written in seven short chapters that can be used in a small group discussion.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very handy little book.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for my Theology I class

[gracepalm · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good for what it is--a short but detailed explanation of "How we got our Bible." I only wish it tied everything back together a bit better at the end!

[Rachel Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for my theology class, but I definitely recommend this for any new Christian who wants to learn more about how we got the Bible and why it's reliable.

[Megan Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great synopsis of the Bible and how we should understand the scriptures from the Christian background.

[Arwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this through the LibraryThing early reviewer program. Puts hefty ideas into easily understood quick reading chapters. Just a sample of the accessibility of the writing, "Inerrancy does not mean that the Bible provides definitive or exhaustive information on every topic... If you want to learn how to bake French pastries, for example, there is no biblical text I can suggest. I can, however exhort you do do all things diligently for God's glory... and I would be happy to sample any of the pastries you make." An enjoyable and quick read, and a handy reference for the future.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Story of Scripture by Robert L. Plummer is an excellent and brief (87 pages) overview what Christian Scripture is, including its purpose, authority, sources, and history. Plummer is a New Testament professor and writes as an academic reaching to a general audience. This book will answer many questions you may have and point you to other resources if you want more detail.

[Brian Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great concise review of how the Christian (Protestant) Bible came to be. Well documented and explained. Some redundancy in statement of facts from chapter to chapter, and an abrupt ending that left me wondering if there could have been more, but otherwise the book serves its stated purpose well. Be aware this is a very short book (only 87 pages).

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of each chapter had good questions to help review what was in the chapter and help to clarify what we should have learned from the chapter. It was a good review and some things were new to me. I received this as a good reads giveaway, and was glad that it was sent my way.

[Darrin Niday · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great study, I learned a lot about the History of the Bible, especially the how the old and new testament work together, but he shows great comparisons to other translations and their differences.

[Justin Dillehay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very simple, one stop source for the doctrine of Scripture. At 75 pages with questions at the end of each chapter, this would be great for small groups.