18 Words: The most important words you will ever know

by J.I. Packer

If the modern world can be characterised by one thing it is probably the enormous increase in the number of words around - but that increase has also been accompanied by a seemingly corresponding decrease in understanding. It is the irony of the information age that instead of bringing clarity it has raised uninformed opinion to the same level as truth.
The church has also not been faultless. Rather than discuss ideas in order to come to some settled agreement, the church has been characterised as trying to make words mean different things in order to accommodate differences.
But the church should be a beacon of light to the world. The church has the words of eternal life.
J. I. Packer is a master wordsmith. He is also gifted with the ability of showing where truth lies in complicated reasoning. These skills combine to make Words from God a fascinating read - and a life-changing one.
The 18 words are Death, Devil, Election, Faith, Fellowship, Grace, Holiness, Justification, Lord, Mediator, Mortification, Reconciliation, Regeneration, Revelation, Sanctification, Scripture, Sin & World.


Jim Packer is named by Time Magazine as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals alive. He is the Board of Governor’s Professor of Theology at Regent College, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Faith, Reference, Church

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

What do J. I. Packer, Billy Graham and Richard John Neuhaus have in common? Each was recently named by TIME magazine as among the 25 most influential evangelicals in America.

Dr. Packer, the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College, was hailed by TIME as “a doctrinal Solomon” among Protestants. “Mediating debates on everything from a particular Bible translation to the acceptability of free-flowing Pentecostal spirituality, Packer helps unify a community [evangelicalism] that could easily fall victim to its internal tensions.”

Knowing God, Dr. Packer’s seminal 1973 work, was lauded as a book which articulated shared beliefs for members of diverse denominations; the TIME profile quotes Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington as saying, “conservative Methodists and Presbyterians and Baptists could all look to [Knowing God] and say, ‘This sums it all up for us.’”

In a similar tribute to Dr. Packer almost ten years ago, American theologian Mark Noll wrote in Christianity Today that, “Packer’s ability to address immensely important subjects in crisp, succinct sentences is one of the reasons why, both as an author and speaker, he has played such an important role among American evangelicals for four decades.”

For over 25 years Regent College students have been privileged to study under Dr. Packer’s clear and lucid teaching, and our faculty, staff and students celebrate the international recognition he rightly receives as a leading Christian thinker and teacher.

(https://www.regent-college.edu/facult...)

Reviews

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The section on the Trinity alone would give this book a 4 if not a 5 rating (and I here reserve the right to come back and raise the rating to 5 at a later date).

I marked this book as "skimmed". I calls for much deeper reading than I was able to give this library volume so I need to buy a copy of this book and re-read it...then possibly re-re-read it. I must recommend this to Christians who wish to look deeper into what they actually believe.

I would hope here, going on that you would already be fairly well versed in the Bible and have a good understanding of what you believe and WHY you believe it. Go into the book with an open mind, study it, run down the verses. THINK.

Yes there are a few times when the book gets a bit dry, it's almost inevitable in this kind of volume. There will most likely be times you'll disagree to one extent or another (in fact I hope you do at least at first. If the book convinces you to change your mind, of not at least you will think and have thought about what you believe.).

For non-Christians be aware this is a discussion and a somewhat in depth look at some basic Christian doctrines. For a basic look I'd suggest something different to start with (for example Mere Christianity).

For Christians this will I think stir your mental juices and be an uplifting study.

Recommended highly.

[Aaron Irlbacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have all heard the proverb “never judge a book by its cover”. Why do we all know the saying? Because we usually find ourselves judging books by their cover. My first reaction to the book before reading it was somewhat dismissive because the thought the cover was ugly and the title was uninteresting. However, Packer gripped me in his introduction, and page after page seemed to get better and better. To my surprise and joy, I was completely wrong about this book at first glance. I’m not sure I have ever misjudged a book so badly in my life. This book was 200 pages of pure gold. I will be highly recommending this book to many friends.

[Whitney Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

The information is very scripture-based, which is great. The content is so dense that reading is tedious and cumbersome. Reading this book felt like work, unfortunately. Took me 2 years to get through this jargon.

[Jacob Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I have read this year.

[Marguerite Harrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thankful for Kindle Touch for me to read and read wherever I go. I just finish reading 18 Words: The Most Important Words You Will Ever Know by J.I. Packer. It is a great book to have and learning a lot too. I do wish that I do have this book in a book form as well so that I can be marking that up with highlighter and red or colorful pen. When I got this e-book, I thought it would be a small book about 18 Words, but it isn't a small book. J.I. Packer is true to his name. Yes, he is a packer and packer in words to explain the Words in this book.

[Ethan McCarter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and thorough look at some of the specific words found in the Scripture. This isn't a word study, and Packer makes that clear at the beginning of the work. It is a theological look at what the words are bringing out for the purpose of formulating doctrine. If you want a book showing you the meaning of "propitiation" from a linguistic standpoint then you'd need to look at a dictionary or theological journal. If you're looking for the theology that flows from the Bible's unpacking of a word like "death" or "election" then this is a great place to go. Packer is always an excellent teacher and brings out some magnificent theological points. My one quibble is some of the language in the chapter on the Trinity is a bit confusing which he also makes in Knowing God and a few other works I've seen. They're not heretical but they're quite unclear and could lead you to skewed doctrines of God. I picked this book up to take a Wednesday night Bible study through in order to help my church with their understanding of the theology behind the words of the Bible. It helped greatly with that aim!

[Richard Angelus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read and savor this book from cover to cover except for the index at the end. My first introduction to the late Dr. Packer (1926 - July 2020) is his classic book Knowing God and later his shorter work Freedom, Authority, Scripture. His books are meaty but packed (Packer by name, packed by nature he said), Bible-saturated and not so hard to comprehend although some of the languages can be a bit difficult to understand (one time I'm struggling with the words justification and sanctification, Packer have helped me very much with these subjects).

To read my review of this book, CLICK HERE: https://legasitv.blogspot.com/2021/01...

[RJ Gernant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read paperback for a book club. This is an excellently written book that serves one purpose imho: To understand and keep specific words defined correctly, and in context, for students of The Word. Not a quick read but a necessary read. It is important to fully understand words spoken in scripture, why they are in scripture, and then use those words correctly in sharing one’s faith. The author did an excellent job presenting each of 18 words in support of and in an order of the others. Strongly recommend. But don’t be surprised if it keeps putting you to sleep. It’s a lot to comprehend!

[Tom James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Focuses on eighteen key theological words crucial to an understanding of the Christian Faith. Some are basic (e.g., “sin”), whole others are more complex (election, regeneration, etc.). An excellent resource for pastors and teachers who desire a more “fleshed out” explanation of terms than would be found in a theological dictionary. Each study is a full lesson in itself. Most challenging was Packer’s chapter on Christian fellowship.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, JI Packer does word studies on 18 important words from the Christian worldview, and he organizes it much like a book on systematic theology. He uses lots of Bible references to encourage more in-depth study. I took my time with this one, reading a couple of pages every morning. There are so many great insights, and I underlined a ton! I’m going to keep this book handy to re-read.

[Paul Pompa · Rating 5 out of 5]

18 Words

I’m a growing fan of JI Packer. His message is clear and applicable. His analysis thorough. His theology very sound. One cannot walk away from one of His books without having a clearer and deeper understanding of God’s Word.

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

He identifies 18 doctrine area that we should understand and know for our daily lives. Simply super.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a helpful book and will remain an important resource for me on my shelf.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straightforward Packer. No glorious prose, but concise and well written sound doctrine.

Read for a discipleship group at church.

[Eric Rankin]

Another great book by J.I. Packer. I especially liked the chapters about Fellowship, Mortification, Justification, and Death.

[Sougeitu · Rating 2 out of 5]

看不懂
我有
智力障
礙

[Syd Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gift.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words are powerful. It is by Gods word that rose Lazarus from the dead. It was a word that created nothing into everything we see. It is by the word that we can know our creator. J.I. Packer goes into great detail in the doctrine of these 18 words that are transforming and the life of the Christian. These 18 words will stir your heart to respond to Gods truth or Be indifferent. Election is one that is most misunderstood. We can easily understate or overstate election. It is very sad to me that election is not taught from the pulpit. The chapter on Election is balanced and valuable to the Christian as it will humble and cause an urgency in your walk. Another one that is hardly spoken from the pulpit is the mortification of sin. It is obvious that it is not being taught and taken to heart with the condition of the church. Each chapter gives you the why, the what and the who.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous book by J.I. Packer. His faithful adherence to Scripture, clarity, wisdom, sympathy, and powerful brevity are pretty much unparalleled, at least among the authors I'm familiar with. In this book, he tackles 18 familiar Biblical words/concepts and carefully dissects their meanings and implications. I gained new light on every single one of them through his exposition. Very highly recommended book.

The 18 words are:
- Revelation
- Scripture
- The Lord
- The World
- Sin
- The Devil
- Grace
- The Mediator
- Reconciliation
- Faith
- Justification
- Regeneration
- Election
- Holiness and Sanctification
- Mortification
- Fellowship
- Death

"Whatever else in the Bible catches your eye, do not let it distract you from Him."

[Christopher]

Great book

Packer provides solid summaries of important Christian doctrines like redemption, death and election. I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to know more about doctrines taught in the Bible.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional

Very insightful and well written. Packer has explained these important concepts thoroughly but incisively. He has chosen concepts that most would agree are very important.

[Janine Dell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very helpful read in understanding many biblical and theological concepts. I especially appreciated the chapters on mortification and death. I learned so much about mortification and encourage everyone to read this along with their Bible!

[Sharon Zink · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could be pretty technical in tracing the meanings of the 18 words J. I. Packer considers to be important. From my view, some of what he writes is heresy. Still, I believe he is a good man, and I will continue to read what he writes. Most of it is very spiritually nourishing.

[Gerhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not 'light' reading, you need to CHEW and DIGEST it. A need to read for anyone who have some questions about their faith and any one who doesn't!

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a comprehensive study of Christian doctrine by any stretch of the imagination, but well-suited for beginners of for a Sunday school class.

[Matt Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice brief exposition of many of the debated Reformed truths. I especially enjoyed regeneration and election