Because it completely repudiates the definitions of covenant given by Witsius, a'Brakel, Turretin, and the WCF, by denying that covenant is an agreement, and saying instead that it is a relationship. Furthermore, according to van der Waal, the covenant is not made with the elect (contra the WLC), and hence does not have an internal/external distinction, but is rather along the lines of Schilder. Van der Waal is a precursor to the Federal Vision, in other words. Barach and Schlissel both say that their doctrine of the covenant is based on him, at least to some extent.

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Rev. Lane Keister
Teaching Elder, PCA, North Dakota (working out of bounds in a CRC and an RCA church)
http://greenbaggins.wordpress.com
http://brahmsgreenglove.blogspot.com
http://accenttranslation.blogspot.com
Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Anything by 'the Pearls'.

Crazy.

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Pastor Nathan Eshelman, Los Angeles, CA
Reformed Presbyterian Church
PRESBYTERIAN THOUGHTS
Los Angeles Reformed Presbyterian Church
RPCLA Sermons Online
Puritan Reformed Seminary

New Age Bible Versions, by Gail Riplinger. Even my KJV-only friends were embarrassed at this one. Her arguments are silly at best, and shamefully dishonest at worst. Why, one wonders, would anyone seriously read a book on textual issues written by someone with a home economics degree, and who knows neither of the Biblical languages? ( I had to for a class).

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Jacob Mearse
Reformation Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Olympia, WA
Student, Reformed Theological Seminary (Virtual)
Lieutenant, U.S. Navy
Husband to April; Daddy to Wesley, Cyrus, FaithMarie and SarahAnn.

Grace by Lewis Sperry Chafer - a classic dispensationalist tells us grace is. Yuck.

Prayer - Asking and Receiving by John R. Rice - an old-style fundamentalist thinks this is all there is to prayer. Yuck.

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Richard T. Zuelch, M.Div
Ruling Elder, OPC (not currently serving)
Westminster Presbyterian Church, CA (OPC)
www.alexandermaclaren.wordpress.com
www.reiterations.wordpress.com
www.spurgeonswords.wordpress.com

Devout souls do not take offence at the depths and difficulties of God's Word, but are, thereby, drawn to intenser contemplation of them. - Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910)

Couple of books by Neil T. Anderson...Bondage Breaker and I can't remember the other one.

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Chris Rhoades -33
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church (PCA) Nashville, TN-Under Care

Vera theologia non theoretica, sed practica est; Finis siquidem eius agere est hoc est vitam vivere deiformem. - Martin Bucer
""True theology is not theoretical, but practical. The end of it is living, that is to live a godly life."

Anybody ever hear of C.S. Lovett?

Hew boy....those were stinkers.

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Ivan R. Schoen, B.A., M.A., M.L.I.S.
Pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church (SBC)
Poplar Grove, IL, USA
http://maranatha-sbc.org

"The Saving Life of Christ" by Major W. Ian Thomas - miserable "carnal Christian" sanctification theology - this book really did a number on me.

Ditto for Charles Stanley's works.

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Scott - Dallas, Texas - Faith OPC

"It is not what a lawyer tells me I may do; but what humanity, reason, and justice tell me I ought to do." - Edmund Burke

Mere Christianity by C S Lewis. Lewis was a clever writer, and this book makes some good points and interesting observations, but Lewis ultimately misses the heart of the Christian faith. His "mere Christianity" should be about the Gospel, in its purist form, instead it is Lewis' attempt at ecumenism, with mere Christianity defined roughly as "what all branches of Christianity believe." I made the awful mistake of rereading this book during a theological crisis in my early 20's, as Lewis had been my favourite author as a teenager, and came away thinking that Lewis was very confused as to what the Gospel actually was.

The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money by John Maynard Keynes. I had to read this book, and an earlier work by Keynes, and write an essay on them in 3 days as an undergrad. Quite possibly the worst non-theological book ever written on any topic. Poorly written, containing constant obfuscations and errors of logic, while claiming to do the opposite. In the end, Keynes' economic system just doesn't add up, and he never deals with the stronger arguments of his opponents, which were already well known in 1936. Keynes was a very clever man, and highly articulate in person, but had an awful habit of deliberately convoluted and confusing writing. The 1938 German edition contained some wholehearted praise from Keynes for Hitler's government in the Introduction.

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T W Hopper
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church
Currently between churches since PRC closed here - attending Crossroads Christian Church.
Canberra, Australia.

Woah! I was just given The Shack tonight. Hmm....interesting.

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Dan Pemberton
Vacaville, CA

Member, First Baptist Church San Luis Obispo
Formerly ABUSA (We left, so I guess that makes us American Baptists Unleashed!)

There have been more than a couple of books I have enjoyed are listed here. While I can't say that my overall opinion of them will change, the comments here, though, have provoked me to look closer at them. Thank you!

666 by Salem Kirban. I hope that it's long out of print.

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~Jay~
Husband of ENS, father of J II. | Indian Trail, NC
disabled - cancer
Communicant Member, Precentor | Presbyterian Reformed Church of Charlotte, NC | Presbyterian Reformed Church

zzzzzz ...

That was the first ever Christian book I bought, and the worst I ever read - though I did not realise it at the time.

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Daniel Ritchie
Saintfield, Northern Ireland - Queen's University, Belfast:History/Politics
Member of Dromara Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland (Covenanter)

Recently, the worst book I've read is the Book of Mormon. The number of times it says "it came to pass" is ridiculous.

Probability and Statistical Inference by Hogg and Tanis was a fairly bad textbook I had to read two semesters ago.

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Chris
Independent Baptist
Michigan
Layman

I agree with John J. above, "What Love is This?" by Dave Hunt. It infuriated me.

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Jim
An Elder, Harvest Reformed Church (RCUS),Minot, ND
http://www.harvestreformedchurch.org/
http://tbftgoggi.wordpress.com/

Upon a life I did not live; upon a death I did not die, Another's death, Another's life, I'd rest my soul eternally
Omnia dicta fortiora,si dicta Latina
Si vis pacem, para bellum

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Kevin Rogers
Sovereign Community Church, PCA
Moncton NB

How about the worst book you ever tried to read. I really tried to read Brian McLaren's "A Generous Orthodoxy" but I just couldn't finish it.

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How often have you wondered why Christ should set His heart upon such a one as you! --Octavius Winslow

Lon Wadkins (Jesup, Iowa)
New Covenant Fellowship, OPC
Independence, Iowa

Also one of the first books recommended to me after I became Christian. The Bondage Breaker by Niel T. Anderson.

A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren.

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Casey, Chicagoland, OPC

I totally forgot this book! Great example! I went through the first fifty pages, and documented all the factual errors in her quotations of the modern versions. Constantly, she misrepresented the facts, by saying that "the modern versions say x," when only one of them did, and the rest agreed with the KJV! She made the differences far greater than they actually are. Furthermore, she has no hermeneutical training, and so she misrepresents other differences as well. I had a 13 page document when I was done, ripping her book to shreds. James White has quite adequately answered her as well.

Calvary Chapel Distinctives...

Calvary's attempt at a systematic theology


Tribulation and the Church

Eschatological madness


The philosophy of Ministry of Calvary Chapel

Romanism repackaged under evangelical vernacular.

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John
Member
Christ Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Salt Lake City, Utah
www.christpres.net

I've got that book at the house. If you've lost yours I'll be gald to sell you mine.

__________________
Psa 55:16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
Psa 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
James Farley
Husband of Melissa and father of Ann.
Members of Redeemer Church ARP, Blacksburg Va.
http://www.redeemerblacksburg.org/

Another John R. Rice book that nobody needs to waste their time on is:

Predestined For Hell? No!

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Sterling Harmon
Presbyterian Church of Coventry (PCA)
Coventry, CT
Deacon
________________

"Whatever is laudable in our works proceeds from the grace of God."
-- John Calvin, Institutes III:xv.3.

"Our Lord God must be a good man, to be fond of worthless fellows. I cannot like them, and yet I, myself, am one."
-- Martin Luther, Table Talk
Interim Pulpit Supply of New England

My Facebook

Owner/Administrator @ Reformed Theology Institute

No sir, in that case I would expect you to pay me to take it off your hands.

I like your new avatar, Randy. Perhaps you could manufacture it and sell it for profit. I would certainly buy one.

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Stephen Welch
PCA Teaching Elder
Nova Scotia :cheers:

Late Great Planet Earth by that greatest scholar of all time, Hal Lindsey.

Rev,

I think I know why you put these in here, but worse than [I]Purpose Driven Life[I]or something by Osteen? Given the mass circulation of the Warren, Osteen, Hinn garbage--aren't they far more misleading? I guess what I'm asking is: Are widely circulated Osteen books worse than books by Norman Shepherd that 98 % of people in the world have never and would never pick up? Just curious. Thanks.

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Daniel Franzen
Church Creek Presbyterian (PCA)
Charleston, SC

Now that's sarcasm.

I was given a copy of The Believer's Authority by Kenneth Hagin peeehuuuu!! This guy is living proof that anyone can get people to follow them

I also read a book by his son called Executing Basics of Healing that one was worse than his fathers, I mean, it stinketh!!!!!

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Rev. Toby Holland
Director of Evangelism
Wiltsie Community Church (CCCC)
LBC - 1689

That is a bit of an extreme statement. Especially as the book is endorsed by RC Sproul and John Macarthur.

Hal Lindsay bears a striking resemblance to Joe Stalin.

Dick and Jane. Did more to hinder my intellectual development than anything else.

The book of mormon was by far the most boring book I've ever read. Boring!!!! Boring!!! I had to read it because I was working with a bunch of mormons and I wanted to talk to them about their god. Did I say it was boring?

__________________
Timothy Johnson
First United Presbyterian of Moline
PCUSA (Yea, I know)
Theology/Philosophy Sunday School Teacher
Davenport, IA

The Signature of Jesus by Brennan Manning Not a reformed book, very fly by the seat of your pants mysticism.

__________________
*

I almost forgot about Brennan Manning. I thought I had repressed the memory of reading this book,

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Benjamin P. Glaser, M. Div, Licentiate, Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
Member Fairmount ARP Church
Pittsburgh, PA

Deo Vindice

More than a bit.

Recovering the Scandal of the Cross: Atonement in New Testament & Contemporary Contexts
by Joel B. Green and Mark D. Baker

I had to read this for a Christology class. It's basically the newest attempt to deny substitutionary atonement with a post-modern twist. They completely misrepresent covenant theology. Horrible scholarship...

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Patrick
MDiv, RTS Jackson
Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church (OPC), Lisbon, NY

"He does well, that discourses of Christ; but he does infinitely better, that by experimental knowledge, feeds and lives on Christ." Thomas Brooks.
"Let us not please ourselves that we have deep understandings, but let us shew our understandings by our practice." Richard Sibbes

Amen to that!

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Mike Mariotti
Husband and Father
Kaleo Fellowship
San Diego, Ca

www.kaleochurch.com

Manning has been recommended to be by some of my Reformed friends. Is he really that bad?

The absolute worst is Barth, anything by Barth. John Hagee is more interesting than Barth. Probably more biblical too!