A Biblical Theology of the Doctrines of Sovereign Grace: Exegetical Considerations of Key Anthropological, Hamartiological, and Soteriological Terms and Motifs

by George J. Zemek

George J. Zemek received his doctorate of theology at Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. He began his teaching career at Grace College in the Greek department from 1975-1977. During that period he also served as a part-time instructor in the Homiletics department of the seminary. From 1977-1988, he was a full-time professor of biblical languages, theology, and apologetics, serving also as the seminary's director of doctoral studies from 1985-1988. Beginning in 1988, he taught for six years at The Master's Seminary in Sun Valley, California. Zemek then became the founding pastor-teacher and professor, respectively, of Grace Bible Church and Training Center in Brandon, Florida. Since 2000 he has served as the director of The Ministry Training Center at The Bible Church of Little Rock in Arkansas.

Genres: Theology

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Stephen Satterlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t know semantics could be so rich. Thankful for this man and his candor and interpretive excellence. I may now be, with him, a 4-3/4ths Calvinist ;)

[Cameron Malott · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a study resource than a sit-down and read-through book, but a very deeply studied and researched treatment of the Hebrew and Greek words that build many important Christian doctrines.

[Jeremy Lehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an excellent treatment of Calvinism, also called the Doctrines of Sovereign Grace. Doc Z was my apologetics prof in seminary and had a shepherd's heart, coupled with a theologically brilliant mind. That combination comes out in this book with great clarity. Each section of the book gets down to a "pebble" inspection level of Biblical words related to the topic, then increases in altitude on the implications of each doctrine within the Doctrines of Sovereign Grace.

What I most appreciated in the book was the balance presented on such doctrinal positions. Calvinism is often polarizing, with people choosing their "proof texts" to the detriment of other texts. The issue with this is that God himself has revealed these things in Scripture – leaving believers in the tension of two realities. Consider God's Sovereign Choosing of every person who believes the Gospel. Scripture unapologetically teaches such things, and it also teaches that man is 100% accountable to hear the message of the Gospel and believe it.

The solution of some is to diminish or remove one side of such truths to the elevation of the other. The problem with that, is that such individuals end up diminishing the very truths that God himself has communicated. Doc Z helps the reader to both land with conviction on what God's Word says on these topics as well as embrace the tension that appears to us as a contradiction. Deuteronomy 29:29 is a helpful passage when considering such truths. The secret things truly do belong to God, but what he has revealed is to be embraced and believed.

I would recommend this book to anyone wrestling with the Doctrines of Sovereign Grace and having a hard time with the tension that they can create. Those with familiarity with Biblical Hebrew, and Greek will have a greater exegetical benefit from the book as Doc Z regularly references such things.

[L. R. Bouligny Bouligny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very technical book on the doctrines of sovereign grace, based on the original languages. Not a book to take on vacation with you. Will be a good reference in the future when I need to do a word study, but of seemingly little value to the average Christian.