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Short Studies in Biblical Theology
The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
― Genesis 3:15 We’ve all heard this story: the hero fights a dragon in an epic battle, and just as it appears the dragon is going to prevail, the hero saves the day. Best-selling novels and blockbuster movies are filled with this type of story, but did you know that this is the main theme of the Bible too? Tracing the theme of serpents and dragons through both Testaments, trusted scholar Andrew David Naselli demonstrates that these stories reflect our desire to know the ultimate story―the struggle between God’s offspring and the offspring of the serpent. As we come to experience this captivating, unifying narrative, we will rejoice in the ultimate victory of Jesus―the serpent slayer―over the devouring dragon in Revelation.
― Genesis 3:15 We’ve all heard this story: the hero fights a dragon in an epic battle, and just as it appears the dragon is going to prevail, the hero saves the day. Best-selling novels and blockbuster movies are filled with this type of story, but did you know that this is the main theme of the Bible too? Tracing the theme of serpents and dragons through both Testaments, trusted scholar Andrew David Naselli demonstrates that these stories reflect our desire to know the ultimate story―the struggle between God’s offspring and the offspring of the serpent. As we come to experience this captivating, unifying narrative, we will rejoice in the ultimate victory of Jesus―the serpent slayer―over the devouring dragon in Revelation.
160 pages, Paperback
Published November 3, 2020
18 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Andrew David Naselli
45 books106 followersAndrew David Naselli (PhD, Bob Jones University; PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is associate professor of New Testament and theology at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota and an elder of Bethlehem Baptist Church.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
January 3, 2021
The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer is the most recent offering in Crossway’s Short Studies in Biblical Theology series. Naselli takes readers on a short and illuminating tour of Scripture and reveals the main features of God’s plan in redemptive history. In one sentence, Naselli skillfully summarizes the central theme of the book and the main theme of the Big Book:
Like each of the other books in this tour of biblical theology, The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer offers a short and readable treatment in a key theological area. The theological message of the book is clear and precise: “The Lamb will consummate his kingdom for God’s glory by slaying the dragon and saving his bride.” Or in the words of Joe Rigney, “Kill the dragon, get the girl.”
Naselli demonstrates how the central theme of the book relates to the everyday lives of God’s people. He offers six practical ways to live in light of the biblical plotline:
Don’t imitate the poisonous serpent
Beware of the serpent as the deceiving snake and devouring dragon
Fight the serpent as the deceiving snake and devouring dragon
Exult in the serpent slayer
Enjoy good serpent-stories as echoes of the greatest story
Trust the serpent slayer
In the end, The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer is an uplifting book that will help and encourage the people of God. It, along with the other works in the Short Studies in Biblical Theology are highly recommended.
The serpent defeated Adam under a tree (“the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” - Gen. 2.17), and the new and greater Adam defeats the serpent on a tree - a cross for executing criminals.
Like each of the other books in this tour of biblical theology, The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer offers a short and readable treatment in a key theological area. The theological message of the book is clear and precise: “The Lamb will consummate his kingdom for God’s glory by slaying the dragon and saving his bride.” Or in the words of Joe Rigney, “Kill the dragon, get the girl.”
Naselli demonstrates how the central theme of the book relates to the everyday lives of God’s people. He offers six practical ways to live in light of the biblical plotline:
Don’t imitate the poisonous serpent
Beware of the serpent as the deceiving snake and devouring dragon
Fight the serpent as the deceiving snake and devouring dragon
Exult in the serpent slayer
Enjoy good serpent-stories as echoes of the greatest story
Trust the serpent slayer
In the end, The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer is an uplifting book that will help and encourage the people of God. It, along with the other works in the Short Studies in Biblical Theology are highly recommended.
May 6, 2021
Really enjoyed this study of snakes and serpents in the Bible. His categories of “deceiving snakes” and “devouring dragons” are useful and memorable. I do wish he would have provided more in-depth commentary in some places rather than *only* quoting the text itself (though I applaud anyone who strives to include full Scriptural texts rather than paraphrases or allusions). Still, lots of good insights. His treatment of the bronze serpent was a highlight for me, and the appendix will be helpful for further research.
November 16, 2023
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, mainly because of its approach to providing answers through biblical theology. It methodically explores the recurring themes of the serpent and the serpent-crusher throughout the Bible, connecting them to the Fall of Man, the repeated exile and exodus of God's people, the grave consequences of believing Satan's deception (and his offsprings’ cunning and destructive ways), and God's redemptive purpose in human history. This theme culminates in Jesus’ crucifixion (which the author termed “climactic exile) and resurrection (climatic exodus) and concludes with the serpent's ultimate defeat when he is cast into the lake of fire along with his angels in Revelation. I absolutely agree that this theme used in literature never gets old because it points to the true and greatest story of the victorious Serpent-Slayer and Serpent-head-crusher, King Jesus!
August 31, 2025
I wasn't impressed with Naselli's work here, for a few reason.
1. This book reminded of me of a paper I wrote for an elective on advanced Hebrew grammar in seminary. I was looking through 1-2 Samuel for examples of the literary/linguistic device of "foreigner speech." I really didn't have a lot to say, because there weren't any clear examples in the text. So I padded out my paper with my translations of the relevant passages. Naselli's work is similar, except he quotes the ESV instead of using his own translation. And I mean entire pages of biblical text, often with only a couple sentences of commentary -- sometimes no commentary at all.
2. The book is thematically confused. It's ostensibly a biblical theology of serpent imagery in the Bible. But that turns into discussion of every text where he sees traits of "the seed of the serpent," which is a much broader topic. This include a brief diversion into instances of head-crushing in the OT.
3. Despite wandering off into tenuously related topics, he doesn't discuss combat with the sea at all, which actually is a closely related subject (many serpents mentioned in Scripture are sea serpents or are associated somehow with water). The frustrating thing is I know Naselli is aware of this, because he cites sources that talk extensively about that fact (Robert D. Miller II and John Day, among others).
4. The work is just sloppy. At one point he criticizes certain scholars for understanding Leviathan and Rahab as mythical creatures. A couple pages later he refers to Rahab as a mythical creature.
5. He also regularly refers to "poisonous serpents" instead of "venemous" ones.
6. Chapter 1 was frankly a waste of perfectly good paper. It consisted almost entirely in summaries of stories that, in his view, reflect the biblical dragon-slaying story. This includes Beuwulf, The Hobbit, all seven Chronicles of Narnia, and Harry Potter. This goes on for about 10 pages. 10 pages that could have been spent connecting the dots between biblical texts instead of simply italicizing key words within block quotes.
All in all, just not a great book. Can't recommend.
1. This book reminded of me of a paper I wrote for an elective on advanced Hebrew grammar in seminary. I was looking through 1-2 Samuel for examples of the literary/linguistic device of "foreigner speech." I really didn't have a lot to say, because there weren't any clear examples in the text. So I padded out my paper with my translations of the relevant passages. Naselli's work is similar, except he quotes the ESV instead of using his own translation. And I mean entire pages of biblical text, often with only a couple sentences of commentary -- sometimes no commentary at all.
2. The book is thematically confused. It's ostensibly a biblical theology of serpent imagery in the Bible. But that turns into discussion of every text where he sees traits of "the seed of the serpent," which is a much broader topic. This include a brief diversion into instances of head-crushing in the OT.
3. Despite wandering off into tenuously related topics, he doesn't discuss combat with the sea at all, which actually is a closely related subject (many serpents mentioned in Scripture are sea serpents or are associated somehow with water). The frustrating thing is I know Naselli is aware of this, because he cites sources that talk extensively about that fact (Robert D. Miller II and John Day, among others).
4. The work is just sloppy. At one point he criticizes certain scholars for understanding Leviathan and Rahab as mythical creatures. A couple pages later he refers to Rahab as a mythical creature.
5. He also regularly refers to "poisonous serpents" instead of "venemous" ones.
6. Chapter 1 was frankly a waste of perfectly good paper. It consisted almost entirely in summaries of stories that, in his view, reflect the biblical dragon-slaying story. This includes Beuwulf, The Hobbit, all seven Chronicles of Narnia, and Harry Potter. This goes on for about 10 pages. 10 pages that could have been spent connecting the dots between biblical texts instead of simply italicizing key words within block quotes.
All in all, just not a great book. Can't recommend.
August 9, 2025
The war between the serpent and the seed, the serpent and the serpent crusher, is my favorite theme to trace throughout the EPIC story of the Bible. This was a cool and concise exploration of that theme, full of scripture and encouragement. I really appreciated his references to other stories (Harry Potter, Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, Beowulf) and how they echo the greatest story. It also helps shape the lens through which Christians should interpret other stories/art. I thought this would be right up my alley and I was right!
(4.5 stars)
(4.5 stars)
October 28, 2021
Looking for a book that will make you be enchanted with the beauty of the Bible? This book might do it for you! The author Andrew David Naselli is a professor of the New Testament at Bethlehem College & Seminary and he did a masterful job of showing how the Bible has the theme of a hero that fights a monster/dragon in a great epic that results in the rescue and deliverance of many people. This isn’t just a minor theme; rather it is a subject that spans the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. I believe this book makes a unique contribution in biblical theology and as the book progresses I am convinced that Nasellis is right of how serpent slaying stories found in many legends around the world echoes the greatest story ever told in the Greatest book of all namely the Bible. It was not only educational but also a fun read!
The book begins with an introduction titled “Why we love Dragon Slaying Stories.” I love the introduction in which the author note that people love dragon stories and he surveys six of the most popular dragon slaying stories in English literature. Naselli really got my interests peaked! This is followed by four chapters, a conclusion and an appendix. Early in the book the author encourages readers to read the appendix which covers how often does the Bible explicitly mention serpents; I love here the word studies and statistics. With this as background information chapter one looks at twelve things that Genesis 3 teaches us about the deceitful snake in Genesis 3. Chapter 2 and 3 is titled “Snakes and Dragons Between the Bible’s Bookends” with chapter 2 being labeled part 1 and chapter three labeled part 2. Chapter two looks at how the Bible portray the serpent both negative and positive. Chapter three looks at how Satan energizes his “offsprings” to war against God and His people. Six categories of other serpent’s offsprings are examined: Egypt, wicked Canaan and Moab, king of Babylon, Herod then Pharisees and Sadducees and other false teachers. I thought this was the best part of the book and the chapter that I learned a lot of things I never thought of before. Chapter four looks at thirteen truths that Revelation teaches about the “dragon.” The conclusion of the book focuses on applications that are drawn from the four chapters in the book.
I learned a lot from this book. For example the author did a good job of pointing out the method of operation of how Satan works: Satan as the Serpent first deceives then devours. I also thought the book does a good job to show that many of the Old Testament narratives where villains get their head crushed echoes the themes of Genesis 3:15.
If I’m correct this is the ninth book I read from the “Short Studies in Biblical Theology” series published by Crossway and this would rank as among my favorites in this series. I highly recommend this book.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Crossway and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
The book begins with an introduction titled “Why we love Dragon Slaying Stories.” I love the introduction in which the author note that people love dragon stories and he surveys six of the most popular dragon slaying stories in English literature. Naselli really got my interests peaked! This is followed by four chapters, a conclusion and an appendix. Early in the book the author encourages readers to read the appendix which covers how often does the Bible explicitly mention serpents; I love here the word studies and statistics. With this as background information chapter one looks at twelve things that Genesis 3 teaches us about the deceitful snake in Genesis 3. Chapter 2 and 3 is titled “Snakes and Dragons Between the Bible’s Bookends” with chapter 2 being labeled part 1 and chapter three labeled part 2. Chapter two looks at how the Bible portray the serpent both negative and positive. Chapter three looks at how Satan energizes his “offsprings” to war against God and His people. Six categories of other serpent’s offsprings are examined: Egypt, wicked Canaan and Moab, king of Babylon, Herod then Pharisees and Sadducees and other false teachers. I thought this was the best part of the book and the chapter that I learned a lot of things I never thought of before. Chapter four looks at thirteen truths that Revelation teaches about the “dragon.” The conclusion of the book focuses on applications that are drawn from the four chapters in the book.
I learned a lot from this book. For example the author did a good job of pointing out the method of operation of how Satan works: Satan as the Serpent first deceives then devours. I also thought the book does a good job to show that many of the Old Testament narratives where villains get their head crushed echoes the themes of Genesis 3:15.
If I’m correct this is the ninth book I read from the “Short Studies in Biblical Theology” series published by Crossway and this would rank as among my favorites in this series. I highly recommend this book.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Crossway and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
November 11, 2024
It’s a short BT so it doesn’t cover everything. There’s some elements of the order of the book that threw me off.
That being said, this is a rich, rich theme and this is a great starting place - you must go deep into this topic.
That being said, this is a rich, rich theme and this is a great starting place - you must go deep into this topic.
September 6, 2025
A good introduction. I particularly enjoyed seeing how often dragons and snakes appear in the Chronicles of Narnia. And in the Bible too!
December 30, 2023
A good introduction to the Dragon/Serpent theme.
November 17, 2020
“Sleeping on a dragon’s hoard with greedy, dragonish thoughts in his heart, he had become a dragon himself”
~CS Lewis, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”
Published this month, Andrew Naselli writes, “The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer,” tracing the theme of serpents and dragons from the Bible. It’s part of the “Short Studies in Biblical Theology” series by Crossway, which outlines a topic from the beginning of Scripture to the end, teaching both context and application.
I’ll say I was definitely intrigued by the subject of serpents and dragons, having enjoyed stories like Chronicles of Narnia, Pilgrim’s Progress, and the Lord of the Rings. As I read this, I was humbly surprised to find how prevalent the theme of serpents and dragons is throughout Scripture.
Dragon-slaying stories “resonate deeply with us because they echo the greatest story. And the greatest story is true.” They parallel the gospel in their three main characters: “the serpent (the villain, Satan), a damsel in distress (the people of God), and the serpent slayer (the protagonist and hero – Jesus). The serpent attempts to deceive and devour the woman but the serpent slayer crushes the serpent.”
We don’t have to go past the beginning chapters to discover the first serpent. In the garden of Eden, we read his introduction. We learn that that “the serpent has two major strategies: deceive and devour. When a serpent in Scripture attempts to deceive, it’s a snake. When a serpent attempts to devour, it’s a dragon. Snakes deceive; dragons devour. Snakes tempt and lie; dragons attack and murder. Snakes backstab; dragons assault.” We make no mistake in identifying that the serpent is Satan.
After the serpent’s deception of Adam and Eve in the garden, sin is befallen mankind, the storyline of Scripture now plots the battle between serpent’s offspring and the woman’s offspring.
Continuing through the Word, we find the Leviathan in the book of Job, where we see God in control of all created things, sovereign over all things, no matter how great or mighty they seem. We read about the serpents in Egypt, as Moses and Aaron stand before Pharoah, again showing us that the snake of Aaron swallows up the other, demonstrating the strength and might of God. The bronze snake in the desert reminds us to beware of idolatry, that we persevere by remembering Him, and that Jesus will draw the curse away from those bitten and onto Himself.
The dragon in the Revelation 12 seeks to destroy God’s people. The woman symbolizing the people of God, and the 1,260 days as a period of intense suffering for God’s people, before He delivers them. This story reminds us that the dragon cannot destroy God’s people, and though His people must suffer, God promises deliverance.
References through God’s word remind us that, “Satan is the ultimate serpent, and he energizes other serpents to craftily deceive and devour people. The Bible depicts at least 6 categories of such serpents: 1) Egypt and its Pharoah, 2) wicked leaders in Canaan and Moab, 3) the king of Babylon, 4) King Herod, 5) Pharisees and Sadducees, and 6) other false teachers.”
In light of this reflection on serpents, he offers us practical application, answering the question, “How should a Christian live in light of that thrilling storyline?” He presents six ways:
1. Don’t imitate the poisonous serpent. We fall into sin by deceiving others, or by thinking we are better than God.
2. Beware of the serpent as the deceiving snake and the devouring dragon. In 1 Peter 5:8 we are admonished to “be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” This ought to humble us and bring our watchfulness to the next level!
3. Fight the serpent. By taking up our spiritual armour, and being watchful. “You won’t properly fight the serpent if you are flirting with him. You won’t properly fight the serpent if you think he makes some compelling arguments about what is true and what is good.”
4. Exult in the Serpent-Slayer. We rejoice in the hero!
5. Enjoy good serpent slaying stories as echoes of the greatest story. Reading epic stories, helps remind us figuratively of the gospel.
6. Trust the Serpent-Slayer.
In the midst of our battle, against temptation and sin, we have the mighty hero on our side, who has already slain the dragon. Take courage as you step further toward trust, when circumstances around us seem to be against us. Find strength in his Word and what He has accomplished for us, and is accomplishing for us.
“Jesus is the ultimate serpent crusher, and he decisively crushed the dragon by being ‘crushed for our iniquities’ “
Which dragon story, in literature, do you enjoy most?
*Thank you to Crossway and Netgalley for the ARC of this book, and the opportunity to post an honest review.
~CS Lewis, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”
Published this month, Andrew Naselli writes, “The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer,” tracing the theme of serpents and dragons from the Bible. It’s part of the “Short Studies in Biblical Theology” series by Crossway, which outlines a topic from the beginning of Scripture to the end, teaching both context and application.
I’ll say I was definitely intrigued by the subject of serpents and dragons, having enjoyed stories like Chronicles of Narnia, Pilgrim’s Progress, and the Lord of the Rings. As I read this, I was humbly surprised to find how prevalent the theme of serpents and dragons is throughout Scripture.
Dragon-slaying stories “resonate deeply with us because they echo the greatest story. And the greatest story is true.” They parallel the gospel in their three main characters: “the serpent (the villain, Satan), a damsel in distress (the people of God), and the serpent slayer (the protagonist and hero – Jesus). The serpent attempts to deceive and devour the woman but the serpent slayer crushes the serpent.”
We don’t have to go past the beginning chapters to discover the first serpent. In the garden of Eden, we read his introduction. We learn that that “the serpent has two major strategies: deceive and devour. When a serpent in Scripture attempts to deceive, it’s a snake. When a serpent attempts to devour, it’s a dragon. Snakes deceive; dragons devour. Snakes tempt and lie; dragons attack and murder. Snakes backstab; dragons assault.” We make no mistake in identifying that the serpent is Satan.
After the serpent’s deception of Adam and Eve in the garden, sin is befallen mankind, the storyline of Scripture now plots the battle between serpent’s offspring and the woman’s offspring.
Continuing through the Word, we find the Leviathan in the book of Job, where we see God in control of all created things, sovereign over all things, no matter how great or mighty they seem. We read about the serpents in Egypt, as Moses and Aaron stand before Pharoah, again showing us that the snake of Aaron swallows up the other, demonstrating the strength and might of God. The bronze snake in the desert reminds us to beware of idolatry, that we persevere by remembering Him, and that Jesus will draw the curse away from those bitten and onto Himself.
The dragon in the Revelation 12 seeks to destroy God’s people. The woman symbolizing the people of God, and the 1,260 days as a period of intense suffering for God’s people, before He delivers them. This story reminds us that the dragon cannot destroy God’s people, and though His people must suffer, God promises deliverance.
References through God’s word remind us that, “Satan is the ultimate serpent, and he energizes other serpents to craftily deceive and devour people. The Bible depicts at least 6 categories of such serpents: 1) Egypt and its Pharoah, 2) wicked leaders in Canaan and Moab, 3) the king of Babylon, 4) King Herod, 5) Pharisees and Sadducees, and 6) other false teachers.”
In light of this reflection on serpents, he offers us practical application, answering the question, “How should a Christian live in light of that thrilling storyline?” He presents six ways:
1. Don’t imitate the poisonous serpent. We fall into sin by deceiving others, or by thinking we are better than God.
2. Beware of the serpent as the deceiving snake and the devouring dragon. In 1 Peter 5:8 we are admonished to “be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” This ought to humble us and bring our watchfulness to the next level!
3. Fight the serpent. By taking up our spiritual armour, and being watchful. “You won’t properly fight the serpent if you are flirting with him. You won’t properly fight the serpent if you think he makes some compelling arguments about what is true and what is good.”
4. Exult in the Serpent-Slayer. We rejoice in the hero!
5. Enjoy good serpent slaying stories as echoes of the greatest story. Reading epic stories, helps remind us figuratively of the gospel.
6. Trust the Serpent-Slayer.
In the midst of our battle, against temptation and sin, we have the mighty hero on our side, who has already slain the dragon. Take courage as you step further toward trust, when circumstances around us seem to be against us. Find strength in his Word and what He has accomplished for us, and is accomplishing for us.
“Jesus is the ultimate serpent crusher, and he decisively crushed the dragon by being ‘crushed for our iniquities’ “
Which dragon story, in literature, do you enjoy most?
*Thank you to Crossway and Netgalley for the ARC of this book, and the opportunity to post an honest review.
January 11, 2021
In The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer, Andy Naselli offers as one way to summarize the Bible, “Kill the dragon, get the girl.” I love and hate this so much. On the one hand, it is horrible cliché and sounds chauvinistic. On the other hand, it betrays a fundamentally correct and, indeed, profound understanding of the Biblical storyline. At the heart of the Bible is the story of Christ’s kingdom breaking forth in a world ruled by Satan, the Serpent or Dragon, and of Jesus redeeming for himself a bride, perfected in holiness and beauty from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation of the earth. In the newest entry into Crossway’s Short Studies in Biblical Theology, Naselli exposits the theme of “serpents” and the serpent par excellence across the Bible. I was thankful to receive the volume as part of Crossway’s blog review program and found much to appreciate in it.
Naselli rightly identifies several key moments in this theme, such as the correlation between the Serpent and nations along with their rulers, a point which I draw on in my recent book, The Gift of Purpose. In his concluding reflections, Naselli attempts to articulate the practical implications of the theme. He is on the mark with many of these; I think the most important implication he draws is that Satan is a personal reality, a person at work in this world. We cannot ignore and must take into account the existence of personal evil working in the world as we attempt to live for Christ. Naselli aptly quotes from The Hobbit at this point, “‘It does not do,’ J. R. R. Tolkien reminds us in The Hobbit, ‘to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him’” (126).
In reflection on some of the places where the volume falls short, The Serpent offers typology or thematic points that do not easily emerge from the textual data. In his heading “King Herod: A Murderous Dragon” (93-95), Naselli correlates Herod’s attempt to kill the boys in Bethlehem with Pharaoh’s murderous actions in the book of Exodus and with the Dragon in Revelation 12. On the one hand, this is true enough; if we take the correlation between some earthly rulers and Satan seriously, I think the natural conclusion is that all “the world” or unredeemed humanity is aligned with Satan over against the world. On this logic, Herod is an “offspring of the serpent.” On the other hand, if Biblical theology is attempting to unpack a theme as it is taught in the Bible—which seems to be the point of this series—the Bible never portrays Herod as an offspring of the Serpent nor makes the connection. So, on the logic of the offspring tensions invoked Genesis 3, this is correct; but, if we are trying to follow how the Bible unpacks a theme, I think it is a stretch to include Herod and even Pharaoh in Exodus 1-2 in this theme (though elsewhere Pharaoh is connected with the serpent/dragon). Also, as in Greidanus’ Chaos and Cosmos, Naselli too eagerly adopts a comparative religion or ANE background approach to reading the Old Testament. As I have argued elsewhere and as has been argued by other scholars, such an approach is methodologically problematic. (The Gift of Reading – Part 1; The Gift of Reading – Part 2; e.g. Noel Weeks, “Problems with the Comparative Method in Old Testament Studies,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 62, no. 2 (2019): 287–306.) For the most part, I agree that chaos and its association with Leviathan is present in ANE literature. However, it is not clear that the Bible is ever making this connection. Moreover, even if an original reader connected the miracle of Moses’s staff becoming a serpent with Egyptian serpent worship, the text never makes this point. If we are to read the Bible as both a document, to be interpreted on its own terms, and as a document given by God for His people across 3000+ years of history, we must ground our interpretations in the text itself and not reconstructions of its reader’s or author’s thoughts. The theme of chaos (at least as portrayed in ANE literature), Leviathan as the chaos monster (again, in the way portrayed in ANE literature), and Egyptian serpent worship are not literary realities in the canonical Scriptures. (Also, just to nit-pick—though this by no means an inconsequential nit-pick—Naselli reiterates one of C.S. Lewis most painful theological ideas in The Chronicles of Narnia. He endorses Lewis along the lines that even if someone loves the fictional character of Aslan more than Jesus, this is not problematic because to love Aslan is really to love Jesus whom Aslan figures and whose works are actually Jesus’ (cf. Lewis account of the pious Calormene in The Last Battle). The problem is that this is, by definition, idolatry: to love/adore/worship someone other than God for what God has done, including fictional beings (such as a physical idol) is the heart of idolatry according to Romans 1:18ff.)
However, these reflections aside, The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer is a wonderful little book that will alert the reader to a key theme in the Bible. It promises to show the reader how rich the Bible is by unpacking one of its nuances and to help the reader better understand reality and their life with Christ in light of it.
Naselli rightly identifies several key moments in this theme, such as the correlation between the Serpent and nations along with their rulers, a point which I draw on in my recent book, The Gift of Purpose. In his concluding reflections, Naselli attempts to articulate the practical implications of the theme. He is on the mark with many of these; I think the most important implication he draws is that Satan is a personal reality, a person at work in this world. We cannot ignore and must take into account the existence of personal evil working in the world as we attempt to live for Christ. Naselli aptly quotes from The Hobbit at this point, “‘It does not do,’ J. R. R. Tolkien reminds us in The Hobbit, ‘to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him’” (126).
In reflection on some of the places where the volume falls short, The Serpent offers typology or thematic points that do not easily emerge from the textual data. In his heading “King Herod: A Murderous Dragon” (93-95), Naselli correlates Herod’s attempt to kill the boys in Bethlehem with Pharaoh’s murderous actions in the book of Exodus and with the Dragon in Revelation 12. On the one hand, this is true enough; if we take the correlation between some earthly rulers and Satan seriously, I think the natural conclusion is that all “the world” or unredeemed humanity is aligned with Satan over against the world. On this logic, Herod is an “offspring of the serpent.” On the other hand, if Biblical theology is attempting to unpack a theme as it is taught in the Bible—which seems to be the point of this series—the Bible never portrays Herod as an offspring of the Serpent nor makes the connection. So, on the logic of the offspring tensions invoked Genesis 3, this is correct; but, if we are trying to follow how the Bible unpacks a theme, I think it is a stretch to include Herod and even Pharaoh in Exodus 1-2 in this theme (though elsewhere Pharaoh is connected with the serpent/dragon). Also, as in Greidanus’ Chaos and Cosmos, Naselli too eagerly adopts a comparative religion or ANE background approach to reading the Old Testament. As I have argued elsewhere and as has been argued by other scholars, such an approach is methodologically problematic. (The Gift of Reading – Part 1; The Gift of Reading – Part 2; e.g. Noel Weeks, “Problems with the Comparative Method in Old Testament Studies,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 62, no. 2 (2019): 287–306.) For the most part, I agree that chaos and its association with Leviathan is present in ANE literature. However, it is not clear that the Bible is ever making this connection. Moreover, even if an original reader connected the miracle of Moses’s staff becoming a serpent with Egyptian serpent worship, the text never makes this point. If we are to read the Bible as both a document, to be interpreted on its own terms, and as a document given by God for His people across 3000+ years of history, we must ground our interpretations in the text itself and not reconstructions of its reader’s or author’s thoughts. The theme of chaos (at least as portrayed in ANE literature), Leviathan as the chaos monster (again, in the way portrayed in ANE literature), and Egyptian serpent worship are not literary realities in the canonical Scriptures. (Also, just to nit-pick—though this by no means an inconsequential nit-pick—Naselli reiterates one of C.S. Lewis most painful theological ideas in The Chronicles of Narnia. He endorses Lewis along the lines that even if someone loves the fictional character of Aslan more than Jesus, this is not problematic because to love Aslan is really to love Jesus whom Aslan figures and whose works are actually Jesus’ (cf. Lewis account of the pious Calormene in The Last Battle). The problem is that this is, by definition, idolatry: to love/adore/worship someone other than God for what God has done, including fictional beings (such as a physical idol) is the heart of idolatry according to Romans 1:18ff.)
However, these reflections aside, The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer is a wonderful little book that will alert the reader to a key theme in the Bible. It promises to show the reader how rich the Bible is by unpacking one of its nuances and to help the reader better understand reality and their life with Christ in light of it.
February 7, 2022
This was ok. It was fine. It was nice to get a tour of serpent-related imagery and trace the theme through the Bible.
But lots of the book was simple data gathering, and some of the links were tenuous (1 Peter 5:8 is not a convincing example of serpent/dragon imagery just because it uses the word "devour"!). When we finally got to dwelling on implications of this rich biblical theme in the conclusion, it felt disappointingly limp - we were given far more application along the lines of "don't be like the devil" and "fight him" than "trusting the true serpent slayer" / "marvel at His dragon-slaying brilliance!" / "feel the wonder of the rescued prisoner!". Really??! And it included a C.S. Lewis quote that I profoundly disagree with, but maybe I'm just being unfair.
However, it's a relatively simple biblical-theological book that helped me to appreciate Jesus' great work, and for that I'm grateful. I should be far moreso. Naselli shows a pastor's sensitivity when he spots the devil's tactics and cautions us against him. Moreover, it has a nice summary of the Bible's storyline ("The hero's mission: kill the dragon, get the girl"!). That's something I'll enjoy thinking about...
But lots of the book was simple data gathering, and some of the links were tenuous (1 Peter 5:8 is not a convincing example of serpent/dragon imagery just because it uses the word "devour"!). When we finally got to dwelling on implications of this rich biblical theme in the conclusion, it felt disappointingly limp - we were given far more application along the lines of "don't be like the devil" and "fight him" than "trusting the true serpent slayer" / "marvel at His dragon-slaying brilliance!" / "feel the wonder of the rescued prisoner!". Really??! And it included a C.S. Lewis quote that I profoundly disagree with, but maybe I'm just being unfair.
However, it's a relatively simple biblical-theological book that helped me to appreciate Jesus' great work, and for that I'm grateful. I should be far moreso. Naselli shows a pastor's sensitivity when he spots the devil's tactics and cautions us against him. Moreover, it has a nice summary of the Bible's storyline ("The hero's mission: kill the dragon, get the girl"!). That's something I'll enjoy thinking about...
November 21, 2024
Such a good book! The story of the serpent goes from Genesis to Revelation, and demonstrates how it’s relevant to Jesus ultimately defeating Satan in the end! Jesus, the serpent slayer, fulfills God’s plan to crush evil FOREVERRR. We have so much hope in Christ’s victory. I am studying Revelation as I went through this book, and it was especially helpful for understanding the bigger picture of God’s plan and ultimate defeat of the dragon.
June 7, 2021
Nothing revolutionary - felt at times to be little more than a compendium of all the references to snakes in the OT and NT. But then again, I probably shouldn't have expected so much from a 'Short Study in Biblical Theology'! Will give it 4 stars though as it was solid and contained my favourite summary of the Bible to date - 'kill the dragon, get the girl.'
May 7, 2025
A biblical theology from the perspective of Christ's victory over the Serpent. Some helpful insights, though there are quite a few points where I would have appreciated more commentary on the biblical passages he quotes. The classification of Satanic strategies in terms of deceiving serpents and devouring dragons was good to reflect on.
March 31, 2021
How might we summarize the message of the Bible? We could venture several summaries. Righteousness, justice, grace. Andy Naselli, however, offers this: “kill the dragon, get the girl!”
In the (very) concise Serpent and the Serpent Slayer, Naselli traces the theme of serpents, their offspring, and their conqueror through the Bible. That monstrous villain only deceives and devours. God, however, is sovereign over serpents. God the Son became man to slay the serpent and rescue His bride (Heb 2:14-16). The dragon is defanged; Christ has conquered. The seed of the woman crushed the seed of the serpent (Gen 3:15).
This study of snakes leaves one guarding against the dangers of the serpent, despising him and his offspring, and exulting in the serpent slayer. Read and rejoice.
In the (very) concise Serpent and the Serpent Slayer, Naselli traces the theme of serpents, their offspring, and their conqueror through the Bible. That monstrous villain only deceives and devours. God, however, is sovereign over serpents. God the Son became man to slay the serpent and rescue His bride (Heb 2:14-16). The dragon is defanged; Christ has conquered. The seed of the woman crushed the seed of the serpent (Gen 3:15).
This study of snakes leaves one guarding against the dangers of the serpent, despising him and his offspring, and exulting in the serpent slayer. Read and rejoice.
May 14, 2021
A quick read, easy to read, packed with Scripture. A wonderfully clear biblical theology of the serpent from page 1 of the Bible through to its last pages! "Kill the dragon, get the girl"!
August 14, 2021
Really helpful treatment of this topic.
December 26, 2023
Concise and well-done overview of the snake/dragon theme in the Bible. Love the idea that rang throughout that Jesus slays the dragon and gets the girl.
December 17, 2025
Excellent and helpful resource for the Nicea Term Rigney Lordship Essay.
Kill the dragon, get the girl!
Kill the dragon, get the girl!
February 6, 2023
I enjoyed this! I didn't realise how much snake imagery there was throughout the whole of scripture. Very interesting too to read of the various serpent parallels and allusions. Scripture references make up the majority of the book. I found the brief conclusion helpful for application.
January 9, 2024
Jesus is so metal!
August 26, 2022
Love a story about a dragon, now I know why.
Brilliant short biblical theology on serpents. The greatest story is one of dragons and prince's and princess's. LOVE IT.
Jesus our Saviour is the serpent slayer. Come to rescue His bride.
Thank you God that you are the original Knight in shining armour that all others are based off.
Brilliant short biblical theology on serpents. The greatest story is one of dragons and prince's and princess's. LOVE IT.
Jesus our Saviour is the serpent slayer. Come to rescue His bride.
Thank you God that you are the original Knight in shining armour that all others are based off.
February 4, 2021
Biblical Theology has for some time been kept within the academic field and away from the average Joe. Short Studies in Biblical Theology is a series put out by Crossway Publishing that puts out an effort to bring the discipline of Biblical Theology to the pew rather than leaving it at the lectern. I have currently read five of the eleven volumes in Crossway’s series and Nasalli’s volume has been the most helpful and enjoyable thus far.
First, Nasalli is an excellent writer and is a joy to read. Never once did I tire or think “I’ve got the point, move on.” A large amount of material was covered in a small space while still providing a thorough introduction to the subject.
In the Introduction, Nasalli provides a catchphrase that nicely summarize the scope of the book and a major biblical theme when he writes “Kill the Dragon, get the girl!” Chapter one develops the theme by demonstrating snakes and dragons are both subcategories of Serpents and should be viewed as two sides of the same coin (the Appendix provides a brief discussion of sixteen terms translated snakes, dragons, and serpents), and that serpents either deceive or devour.
Chapters 2 and 3 take the structural framework of chapter one and proceed to examine the theme of the Serpent and Serpent Slayer within the bookends of the bible as well as the prominence everywhere in between. Due to the size and audience of the book the discussion is kept simple, yet it still informs.
Chapter 4 (my favorite) develops the Serpent theme within the Book of Revelation. The chapter serves as an introduction to Revelation at large, identifies many of the recursive themes, and provides the reader with hope of making sense of the overall thrust of John’s message. Nasalli distinguishes between thirteen different traits of the Serpent in Revelation, and celebrates in the triumph of the Lamb.
The final chapter supplies six points of application that bring the message of the book to bear upon the daily life of the reader. Again, Nasalli’s desire to speak to the laymen rather than the academy is evidenced and appreciated in this chapter.
On the whole, The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer is enjoyable, stimulating, and provocative. Not only is a major them highlighted and brought to bear upon the overarching scope of the Bible, but along the way the reader learns helpful interpretive rules that provide the keys to complex narratives.
There were a few minor points of disagreement along the way, but overall much more chicken than bones. I will share two particular points of disagreement, one minor and one major, that I hope will aid future readers.
First, on page 36, Nasalli draws a chart that parallels Genesis 3:6, Luke 4:1-13, and 1 John 2:16 and then tentatively states, “I am not certain that the three phrases in 1 John 2:16 line up exactly with Genesis 3:16 and Luke 4 or that John has these parallels in mind. But the three phrases in 1 John 2:16 seem to line up at least roughly with Genesis 3:6 and Luke 4, so the parallel seems legitimate.” Though you might could argue that John 2:16 has some parallels with Genesis 3:16, but believe Luke 4 stands outside the scope of the parallel. When Jesus was tempted to throw himself from the pentacle of the temple, what was at stake was not the “pride of life” but rather the tempting of God. This may seem like a minor thing, and maybe it is, but I feel it needs to be noted.
Secondly, and more importantly, in chapter 4 (pages 119-120), Nasalli introduces three broad theological perspectives on Revelation: Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Amillennialism. The threefold categorization is overly simplistic and becomes problematic in what follows. Nasalli recounts how he used to hold the Premillennial view, but has lately sided more along the lines of the Amillennial and concludes by stating, “But you millennial view isn’t that important.” In footnote 16 he goes on to state, “The professors and pastors with whom I serve hold variations of all three views, and we get along just fine! Using the model of theological triage, one’s millennial view should not be a cardinal doctrine (i.e., a teaching that is most central and essential to Christianity - what is “of first importance” [1 Cor. 15:3]) or a denominational distinctive (i.e., an important teaching that is a disputable matter.” The problem with Nasalli’s assessment is twofold: First, by failing to distinguish between the divergent views of Premillennialism, the reader is left with the impression that it does not matter if one holds to Dispensational Premillennialism or not. I strongly disagree. It does matter if one views the church as the afterthought of Christ, that Jesus failed in His earthly mission, and that ethnic Jews are still the people of God (not the church). Such a view of the church and mission of Christ is heretical and must be rejected. Second, in an attempt to breed unity on a divisive issue, Nasalli has deemed eschatological viewpoints as “non-essential” to Christianity. If they are not “essential” why did God include matters of eschatology in the Bible? Furthermore, how are we to determine which doctrines are “essential” and which are not? When man begins to limit doctrines to categories of “essential” or “non-essential” true biblical unity is no longer possible because God’s full revelation has been exchanged for the arbitrary “likes” of an individual or group of individuals.
Though I strongly disagree with Nasalli on the “essential” nature of one’s eschatological viewpoint, I still feel his book overall was an enjoyable, helpful, and enlightening read. Distinguishing between meat and bones does not mean that the meat should be rejected.
First, Nasalli is an excellent writer and is a joy to read. Never once did I tire or think “I’ve got the point, move on.” A large amount of material was covered in a small space while still providing a thorough introduction to the subject.
In the Introduction, Nasalli provides a catchphrase that nicely summarize the scope of the book and a major biblical theme when he writes “Kill the Dragon, get the girl!” Chapter one develops the theme by demonstrating snakes and dragons are both subcategories of Serpents and should be viewed as two sides of the same coin (the Appendix provides a brief discussion of sixteen terms translated snakes, dragons, and serpents), and that serpents either deceive or devour.
Chapters 2 and 3 take the structural framework of chapter one and proceed to examine the theme of the Serpent and Serpent Slayer within the bookends of the bible as well as the prominence everywhere in between. Due to the size and audience of the book the discussion is kept simple, yet it still informs.
Chapter 4 (my favorite) develops the Serpent theme within the Book of Revelation. The chapter serves as an introduction to Revelation at large, identifies many of the recursive themes, and provides the reader with hope of making sense of the overall thrust of John’s message. Nasalli distinguishes between thirteen different traits of the Serpent in Revelation, and celebrates in the triumph of the Lamb.
The final chapter supplies six points of application that bring the message of the book to bear upon the daily life of the reader. Again, Nasalli’s desire to speak to the laymen rather than the academy is evidenced and appreciated in this chapter.
On the whole, The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer is enjoyable, stimulating, and provocative. Not only is a major them highlighted and brought to bear upon the overarching scope of the Bible, but along the way the reader learns helpful interpretive rules that provide the keys to complex narratives.
There were a few minor points of disagreement along the way, but overall much more chicken than bones. I will share two particular points of disagreement, one minor and one major, that I hope will aid future readers.
First, on page 36, Nasalli draws a chart that parallels Genesis 3:6, Luke 4:1-13, and 1 John 2:16 and then tentatively states, “I am not certain that the three phrases in 1 John 2:16 line up exactly with Genesis 3:16 and Luke 4 or that John has these parallels in mind. But the three phrases in 1 John 2:16 seem to line up at least roughly with Genesis 3:6 and Luke 4, so the parallel seems legitimate.” Though you might could argue that John 2:16 has some parallels with Genesis 3:16, but believe Luke 4 stands outside the scope of the parallel. When Jesus was tempted to throw himself from the pentacle of the temple, what was at stake was not the “pride of life” but rather the tempting of God. This may seem like a minor thing, and maybe it is, but I feel it needs to be noted.
Secondly, and more importantly, in chapter 4 (pages 119-120), Nasalli introduces three broad theological perspectives on Revelation: Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Amillennialism. The threefold categorization is overly simplistic and becomes problematic in what follows. Nasalli recounts how he used to hold the Premillennial view, but has lately sided more along the lines of the Amillennial and concludes by stating, “But you millennial view isn’t that important.” In footnote 16 he goes on to state, “The professors and pastors with whom I serve hold variations of all three views, and we get along just fine! Using the model of theological triage, one’s millennial view should not be a cardinal doctrine (i.e., a teaching that is most central and essential to Christianity - what is “of first importance” [1 Cor. 15:3]) or a denominational distinctive (i.e., an important teaching that is a disputable matter.” The problem with Nasalli’s assessment is twofold: First, by failing to distinguish between the divergent views of Premillennialism, the reader is left with the impression that it does not matter if one holds to Dispensational Premillennialism or not. I strongly disagree. It does matter if one views the church as the afterthought of Christ, that Jesus failed in His earthly mission, and that ethnic Jews are still the people of God (not the church). Such a view of the church and mission of Christ is heretical and must be rejected. Second, in an attempt to breed unity on a divisive issue, Nasalli has deemed eschatological viewpoints as “non-essential” to Christianity. If they are not “essential” why did God include matters of eschatology in the Bible? Furthermore, how are we to determine which doctrines are “essential” and which are not? When man begins to limit doctrines to categories of “essential” or “non-essential” true biblical unity is no longer possible because God’s full revelation has been exchanged for the arbitrary “likes” of an individual or group of individuals.
Though I strongly disagree with Nasalli on the “essential” nature of one’s eschatological viewpoint, I still feel his book overall was an enjoyable, helpful, and enlightening read. Distinguishing between meat and bones does not mean that the meat should be rejected.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2020
As Christians, we often have to defend our belief that the Bible should be taken literally. The writers of the Bible present much of the information as historical fact, and Christians need to accept certain claims of the Bible as historical fact to be true Christ-followers. For example, the apostle Paul wrote that if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then our faith is false (1 Cor. 15:14–19). Often, orthodox Christians find themselves battling against ideas that the claims of the Bible are purely symbolic of spiritual truths. One must believe in the literal resurrection of Jesus from the dead to be a Christian.
Yet, we also have to accept that the Bible is a work of literature and sometimes the writers of the Bible do, in fact, use symbolic language and metaphor. By identifying the genre of the book of the Bible, this becomes clearer. For instance, the Psalms are poetic songs. The Book of Revelation is a highly symbolic style of ancient writing called apocalyptic literature. Thus, both the Psalms and Revelation use figurative language, so often we often have to ask about any given verse in them: Are we to take this literally or figuratively?
On the other hand, works like 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, the four Gospels, and Acts are historical narratives, so we take them as factual history. Yet, even these historical narratives have non-literal elements. For instance, Jesus often teaches in parables. We all know parables are short fictional tales to teach a lesson. Jesus also uses metaphors when he teaches. He calls himself a door and bread and a shepherd, but even the most uninformed reader understands that he’s speaking metaphorically.
As a former high school English teacher, I enjoy learning about the often-overlooked literary elements of the Bible, including symbolic themes—elements that may not be so obvious to modern readers but repeat through God’s Word. The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer by Andrew David Naselli is part of a series called Short Studies in Biblical Theology. It’s a quick read exploring the symbolism in Scripture of the serpent and dragon.
Naselli writes of the love of dragon-slaying stories throughout history, which he sums up with a pithy explanation of their shared theme: “Kill the dragon, get the girl.” He claims this is the theme of the Bible as well: Satan is the villainous serpent/dragon; the damsel in distress is God’s people; and the serpent slayer is Jesus. This may seem like a stretch, but once we consider the symbolism of the snake and dragon in Scripture (as well as the Church as the Bride of Christ—Rev. 19:7–9, 21:1–2; Eph. 5:25–32), it might not be so far fetched.
Some of the same passages that equate Satan with the serpent also equate him with the dragon of the Book of Revelation:
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:8–9)
Naselli explains that the snake and the dragon express the two strategies of Satan. The snake is the deceiver. The dragon is the destroyer. He writes, “Snakes deceive; dragons devour. Snakes tempt and lie; dragons attack and murder. Snakes backstab; dragons assault.”
Though there are always sections that I wish were more fleshed-out in short books like Naselli’s, The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer is definitely worth the quick read if you want an introduction to these ideas.
*Crossway Books provided me with a free copy to review this book.
Yet, we also have to accept that the Bible is a work of literature and sometimes the writers of the Bible do, in fact, use symbolic language and metaphor. By identifying the genre of the book of the Bible, this becomes clearer. For instance, the Psalms are poetic songs. The Book of Revelation is a highly symbolic style of ancient writing called apocalyptic literature. Thus, both the Psalms and Revelation use figurative language, so often we often have to ask about any given verse in them: Are we to take this literally or figuratively?
On the other hand, works like 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, the four Gospels, and Acts are historical narratives, so we take them as factual history. Yet, even these historical narratives have non-literal elements. For instance, Jesus often teaches in parables. We all know parables are short fictional tales to teach a lesson. Jesus also uses metaphors when he teaches. He calls himself a door and bread and a shepherd, but even the most uninformed reader understands that he’s speaking metaphorically.
As a former high school English teacher, I enjoy learning about the often-overlooked literary elements of the Bible, including symbolic themes—elements that may not be so obvious to modern readers but repeat through God’s Word. The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer by Andrew David Naselli is part of a series called Short Studies in Biblical Theology. It’s a quick read exploring the symbolism in Scripture of the serpent and dragon.
Naselli writes of the love of dragon-slaying stories throughout history, which he sums up with a pithy explanation of their shared theme: “Kill the dragon, get the girl.” He claims this is the theme of the Bible as well: Satan is the villainous serpent/dragon; the damsel in distress is God’s people; and the serpent slayer is Jesus. This may seem like a stretch, but once we consider the symbolism of the snake and dragon in Scripture (as well as the Church as the Bride of Christ—Rev. 19:7–9, 21:1–2; Eph. 5:25–32), it might not be so far fetched.
Some of the same passages that equate Satan with the serpent also equate him with the dragon of the Book of Revelation:
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:8–9)
Naselli explains that the snake and the dragon express the two strategies of Satan. The snake is the deceiver. The dragon is the destroyer. He writes, “Snakes deceive; dragons devour. Snakes tempt and lie; dragons attack and murder. Snakes backstab; dragons assault.”
Though there are always sections that I wish were more fleshed-out in short books like Naselli’s, The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer is definitely worth the quick read if you want an introduction to these ideas.
*Crossway Books provided me with a free copy to review this book.
October 12, 2020
First sentence: Who doesn’t love a good dragonslaying story? There is a reason that classic literature features such stories—we love them! But why? We love good dragonslaying stories because they echo the greatest story—the grand story of the Bible. Stories that parallel the greatest story make our hearts soar with delight. Those stories are often fiction, such as Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Epic stories resonate deeply with us because they echo the greatest story. And the greatest story is true. A pithy way to summarize the Bible’s storyline is “Kill the dragon, get the girl!”
The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer is part of Crossway's Short Studies in Biblical Theology series. "Each volume in this series takes a whole Bible theme and traces it through Scripture. In this way readers not only learn about a given theme but also are given a model for how to read the Bible as a coherent whole."
This book presents the story of the Bible through the framework of the SERPENT (Satan/Devil/False Teachers) and the SERPENT SLAYER (Jesus Christ). This story begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation.
In one way it's a wee-little-book with just a few chapters.
The Deceitful Snake in Genesis 3
Snakes and Dragons Between the Bible's Bookends Part 1
Snakes and Dragons Between the Bible's Bookends Part 2
The Devouring Dragon in Revelation 12 and 20
But this wee-little-book packs a lot of BIG ideas and plenty of insights. I truly felt like he was giving me a new way to engage with Scripture and understand and appreciate it in a new way. While I had connected the dots between the deceitful snake in Genesis 3 and the dragon of Revelation, I hadn't ever really paid any attention to the in-between.
But this isn't just head-knowledge. He spends a lot of time explaining Satan's tactics and warning Christians not to slumber--to wake up and pay attention. The Bible is always, always, always relevant. I'm not arguing this book makes the Bible *more* relevant. It can't be made more relevant. But this book helped me see new things in Scripture. The Spirit used this book to open my eyes and engage with Scripture in a new way. Maybe it will be the same with other readers. I hope so.
I LOVED how Scripture-saturated this little book is!!!!
Quotes:
A serpent has two major strategies: deceive and devour. As a general rule, the form a serpent takes depends on its strategy. When a serpent in Scripture attempts to deceive, it’s a snake. When a serpent attempts to devour, it’s a dragon. Snakes deceive; dragons devour. Snakes tempt and lie; dragons attack and murder. Snakes backstab; dragons assault.
The Bible depicts at least six categories of the serpent’s offspring: (1) Egypt and its Pharaoh, (2) wicked leaders in Canaan and Moab, (3) the king of Babylon, (4) King Herod, (5) Pharisees and Sadducees, and (6) other false teachers.
The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer is part of Crossway's Short Studies in Biblical Theology series. "Each volume in this series takes a whole Bible theme and traces it through Scripture. In this way readers not only learn about a given theme but also are given a model for how to read the Bible as a coherent whole."
This book presents the story of the Bible through the framework of the SERPENT (Satan/Devil/False Teachers) and the SERPENT SLAYER (Jesus Christ). This story begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation.
In one way it's a wee-little-book with just a few chapters.
The Deceitful Snake in Genesis 3
Snakes and Dragons Between the Bible's Bookends Part 1
Snakes and Dragons Between the Bible's Bookends Part 2
The Devouring Dragon in Revelation 12 and 20
But this wee-little-book packs a lot of BIG ideas and plenty of insights. I truly felt like he was giving me a new way to engage with Scripture and understand and appreciate it in a new way. While I had connected the dots between the deceitful snake in Genesis 3 and the dragon of Revelation, I hadn't ever really paid any attention to the in-between.
But this isn't just head-knowledge. He spends a lot of time explaining Satan's tactics and warning Christians not to slumber--to wake up and pay attention. The Bible is always, always, always relevant. I'm not arguing this book makes the Bible *more* relevant. It can't be made more relevant. But this book helped me see new things in Scripture. The Spirit used this book to open my eyes and engage with Scripture in a new way. Maybe it will be the same with other readers. I hope so.
I LOVED how Scripture-saturated this little book is!!!!
Quotes:
A serpent has two major strategies: deceive and devour. As a general rule, the form a serpent takes depends on its strategy. When a serpent in Scripture attempts to deceive, it’s a snake. When a serpent attempts to devour, it’s a dragon. Snakes deceive; dragons devour. Snakes tempt and lie; dragons attack and murder. Snakes backstab; dragons assault.
The Bible depicts at least six categories of the serpent’s offspring: (1) Egypt and its Pharaoh, (2) wicked leaders in Canaan and Moab, (3) the king of Babylon, (4) King Herod, (5) Pharisees and Sadducees, and (6) other false teachers.
December 3, 2020
In The Serpent and The Serpent Slayer, Naselli traces the theme of serpents and dragons throughout the Bible in order to provide a descriptive analysis of their characteristics. In terms of technicality, Naselli demonstrates a proper biblical theology methodology. He begins with the serpent in the garden and proceeds to trace the various occurrences of serpents and dragons throughout the Bible, offering commentary on distinctive characteristics of serpents and dragons. Naselli also relates the occurrences of serpents and dragons to the overarching story of the Bible, showing how God continuously defeats the serpents and dragons throughout the Bible, culminating in Jesus' defeat of Satan.
In terms of information, Naselli doesn't necessarily say anything novel, nor does he have to, but this work serves as a helpful compilation of all the relevant Bible passages relating to serpents and dragons. Especially helpful is Naselli's descriptions of the characteristics of serpents and dragons as well as those who are influenced by Satan or follow after the pattern of dragons. For instance, Naselli notes that a key characteristic of serpents and dragons is that they seek to kill babies, informing that the serpent in the garden was to hate the woman's offspring, the Pharaoh in Egypt who was a type of dragon murdered the Israelite babies, Herod who was a type of dragon murdered babies, and the dragon of Revelation seeks to kill the offspring of the woman. Such helpful descriptors help readers identify those who are following after the patterns of serpents and dragons.
The major weakness of the book is the lack of practicality. Readers will no doubt notice the lack of application and practicality early on. A reader will find himself thinking, "Ok, this is informative, but why does it matter?" Thankfully, Naselli does add a chapter devoted to application at the end of the book. However, the chapter still lacks practicality and seems to have been added as a perfunctory measure rather than out of the author's desire to apply the information to the lives of the readers. This is seen in the fact that the application is fairly surface-level, lacking real depth.
Overall, The Serpent and The Serpent Slayer is a good book that is far more informative than practical. Readers will be able to follow Naselli's writing easily, learn to identify traits of serpents and dragons, and gain a better understanding of the overall biblical story.
Crossway provided me with a free copy of this book as part of their blog review program.
In terms of information, Naselli doesn't necessarily say anything novel, nor does he have to, but this work serves as a helpful compilation of all the relevant Bible passages relating to serpents and dragons. Especially helpful is Naselli's descriptions of the characteristics of serpents and dragons as well as those who are influenced by Satan or follow after the pattern of dragons. For instance, Naselli notes that a key characteristic of serpents and dragons is that they seek to kill babies, informing that the serpent in the garden was to hate the woman's offspring, the Pharaoh in Egypt who was a type of dragon murdered the Israelite babies, Herod who was a type of dragon murdered babies, and the dragon of Revelation seeks to kill the offspring of the woman. Such helpful descriptors help readers identify those who are following after the patterns of serpents and dragons.
The major weakness of the book is the lack of practicality. Readers will no doubt notice the lack of application and practicality early on. A reader will find himself thinking, "Ok, this is informative, but why does it matter?" Thankfully, Naselli does add a chapter devoted to application at the end of the book. However, the chapter still lacks practicality and seems to have been added as a perfunctory measure rather than out of the author's desire to apply the information to the lives of the readers. This is seen in the fact that the application is fairly surface-level, lacking real depth.
Overall, The Serpent and The Serpent Slayer is a good book that is far more informative than practical. Readers will be able to follow Naselli's writing easily, learn to identify traits of serpents and dragons, and gain a better understanding of the overall biblical story.
Crossway provided me with a free copy of this book as part of their blog review program.
December 8, 2020
How does this story echo the greatest story? Jesus mercifully forgives his people of their sins, and he enables them to persevere in faith. Jesus is the ultimate serpent slayer, and he enables his people to fight the serpent. Christians must put on the whole armor of God so that they can stand against the serpent's schemes. Eph. 6:11-18)
With much symbolism in the bible on serpents and dragons, it is imperative as Christians to understand the meaning and the implications of these words. Using the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, we see the war raging of good and evil. Sacrificial love and destroying the strongholds with the truth. Did not Jesus say he came to show the truth of man and God. The spiritual warfare that we are currently engaged in is demonic. We are in the end times and evil knows it's time is short.
This study will give you insight to devil's schemes and how from the beginning of time to Revelations, he will destroy life, the image of God (we are made in the image of God), and deceive his image bearers with false teaching. Why is this important? If we know the mission, we will stand for the truth. We are either following Christ the serpent slayer or the serpent slayer that is bound to destroy what God loves.
The study focuses on Garden of Eden, the story of Job, Moses and Revelation. A good study like this will encourage you dig deeper into God's word. Glory!
A special thank you Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
With much symbolism in the bible on serpents and dragons, it is imperative as Christians to understand the meaning and the implications of these words. Using the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, we see the war raging of good and evil. Sacrificial love and destroying the strongholds with the truth. Did not Jesus say he came to show the truth of man and God. The spiritual warfare that we are currently engaged in is demonic. We are in the end times and evil knows it's time is short.
This study will give you insight to devil's schemes and how from the beginning of time to Revelations, he will destroy life, the image of God (we are made in the image of God), and deceive his image bearers with false teaching. Why is this important? If we know the mission, we will stand for the truth. We are either following Christ the serpent slayer or the serpent slayer that is bound to destroy what God loves.
The study focuses on Garden of Eden, the story of Job, Moses and Revelation. A good study like this will encourage you dig deeper into God's word. Glory!
A special thank you Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
May 6, 2021
These short studies are one of my favorite sets that I have read. This work about the serpent may be my favorite one so far. I don't know if it is because it brought forth a new set of ideas to my mind or if it is because I want to be the one that slays the dragon to rescue the girl (my wife). Through the book we come to learn more about the ultimate dragon slayer.
As I said, the ideas conveyed in this book were new to me. Some of these were ones that were visible while others were hidden until I read them here and they were uncovered. Naselli does an excellent job keeping this one easily accessible to those without a seminary degree. He takes us through a lot of Scripture that speak to the serpent or lizard or snake.
Overall, as this series continues, I cannot recommend them enough. These are great books to add to any collection. If I were to start with one, this would be it. In my opinion it is the best written one and the most captivating from beginning to end.
A copy of this work was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for a review. The words above are my own and have not been influenced in any way outside of the written manuscript.
As I said, the ideas conveyed in this book were new to me. Some of these were ones that were visible while others were hidden until I read them here and they were uncovered. Naselli does an excellent job keeping this one easily accessible to those without a seminary degree. He takes us through a lot of Scripture that speak to the serpent or lizard or snake.
Overall, as this series continues, I cannot recommend them enough. These are great books to add to any collection. If I were to start with one, this would be it. In my opinion it is the best written one and the most captivating from beginning to end.
A copy of this work was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for a review. The words above are my own and have not been influenced in any way outside of the written manuscript.
December 4, 2020
I have never been into dragons. So why was I drawn to reading a theology book about serpents and serpent slayers?! Well, the truth is, this book was short, I was intrigued - and curiosity got the better of me.
What I do know is that the classic tales of our world are often about the triumph of good over bad and the bad guy getting his comeuppance. As Naselli explains, "epic stories resonate deeply with us because they echo the greatest story." Infact, the greatest book every written, is about creatures made by a King but instead of following that King, they chose to follow a serpent. What happened next? Well this serpent (or dragon) continues to cruelly wreak havoc over ordinary people and the world they live in. But the King is not sitting helplessly on the bleachers, unable to stop him. No, this king is also the rescuer and the ultimate serpent crusher. This little theology book unpacks this theme in the Bible; now I am inspired to be on the look out for more dragon slaying stories.
What I do know is that the classic tales of our world are often about the triumph of good over bad and the bad guy getting his comeuppance. As Naselli explains, "epic stories resonate deeply with us because they echo the greatest story." Infact, the greatest book every written, is about creatures made by a King but instead of following that King, they chose to follow a serpent. What happened next? Well this serpent (or dragon) continues to cruelly wreak havoc over ordinary people and the world they live in. But the King is not sitting helplessly on the bleachers, unable to stop him. No, this king is also the rescuer and the ultimate serpent crusher. This little theology book unpacks this theme in the Bible; now I am inspired to be on the look out for more dragon slaying stories.
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