Dr VanDoodewaard is a minister in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and serves as professor of church history at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. His book is a fine addition to the Welwyn Commentary Series. Written in a popular and readable style, it will appeal to the average Christian within our churches, but ministers and elders will also benefit from reading it.
It has 25 short chapters, usually 5-6 pages long. Each one seeks to be faithful to the text and includes helpful insights and solid applications under a ‘You and the Word’ section.
The first 20 chapters deal with 1 Peter, where the author repeatedly highlights Peter’s encouragement to the elect exiles of the dispersion. The author brings out Peter’s theme of hopefulness, arising from who Christ is and what he has done.
Although Feed my sheep is encouraging, I also found it challenging in places, as the author has a habit of asking questions that, at times, make you feel uncomfortable. However, we all need to be asked such questions, as it helps us make progress in our Christian faith. It also has to be said that the questions are posed in a gentle and gracious way, in keeping with the tone of the whole book.
Showing his breadth of reading, the author regularly uses quotations from well-known Christians of past and present, rooting his work in the Reformed tradition.
We only have five short chapters on 2 Peter, which means the sections covered are much larger and less detailed. The chapters are, nonetheless, helpful and practical. I so enjoyed reading this book that I would have loved the author to have dealt a little more extensively with 2 Peter. Much more could have been said on 2 Peter 2-3, which are treated in only 15 pages.
An excellent read, suitable for daily or family devotions, as each chapter can be read in about ten minutes.
Noel Ramsey
Leyburn
