Christ Before the Manger: the life and times of the preincarnate Christ by Ron Rhodes. The book is published by WIPF and Stock Publishers (300 pages).
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1) Knowing God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
2) The Preexistent, Eternal Christ
3) Christ the Creator
4) Christ the Preserver
5) Christ the angel of the Lord
6) Christ the Shepherd
7) Christ the Savior
8) Christ the Eternal Logos
9) Christ and His Divine Names
10) The Virgin Birth
11) Eternal God in Human Flesh
12) Christ and his Eternal Glory
Appendices
A: A Glossary of Names, Titles, and Attributes of Christ
B: Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled in Christ
C: Types of Christ in the Old Testament
D: Was Melchizedek a Preincarnate Appearance of Christ?
E: Rightly Dividing the Word: Interpreting Difficult Passages
F: Important Creeds of Christendom
G: A Catalog of Ancient Errors on the Person of Christ
Notes
Bibliography
Name and Subject Index
Scripture Index
Ron Rhodes is well placed to write a book such as this. He has a fine track record of apologetics and ministering to different pseudo-Christian cults (e.g., Jehovah’s Witnesses) and other faith systems (e.g., Islam). John Walvoord writes of it:
This work addresses an area of neglect in the study and work of Christ, and its publication is overdue. Readers will find interesting insights into this significant part of the life of Christ which will help them evaluate the Gospels as well as establish their basic view of Christ himself.
I have several books on Christ, including Walvoord’s Jesus Christ Our Lord. But if I had to choose just one to own, it would be this. As you can see from the Contents Chapters, Rhodes systematically covers all the glorious aspects and roles of our Lord Jesus Christ, and ties them into the Trinity.
The book is written in the sort of non-technical language which I am most comfortable with, yet is packed with Scripture and sound reasoning. It is a valuable contribution for witnessing to cults and other faiths. One great example is the three-column Table 6.1 on page 110 which compares the Old Testament references to Yahweh, to the New Testament references to Jesus, and shows the mutual Titles and Acts.
Christians should know who their Lord is and be able to defend His identity from the Scriptures. As such, Christ Before the Manger is an important and much-needed book, especially in times when even some theologians appear confused.
Purchase Ron Rhodes’s
Christ Before the Manger !
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Christ Before the Manger: The Life and Times of the Preincarnate Christ
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