Book Jacket

 

rank 5457
word count 41388
date submitted 09.09.2011
date updated 15.05.2012
genres: Non-fiction, History, Instructional...
classification: universal
incomplete

THY WONDROUS WORKS VOLUME ONE THE BAPTISM OF JESUS CHRIST - revised

Harold Eugene Crow

This manuscript strives to search out what laws given by Moses required Jesus to be baptized by John.

 

Mat 21:25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? ...

Jesus poses the question about the water baptism that John administered. After deliberating and reasoning among themselves, the people concluded that they could not tell whether it was from Heaven or of man. The question has been therefore unanswered even to this day.

Can this question posed by Christ be answered today?

When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John first refused Him until Jesus told John it was to fulfill righteousness. This means that there are laws that required Jesus, who had stated that He came to fulfill the law, to be baptized by John.

Just what these laws are that required this to be done is the subject matter of this exegesis in an attempt to ascertain from where the baptism of John came from.

Was it from Heaven or of man?

 
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EltopiaAuthor wrote 252 days ago

I imagine the critics might say that the author lacks perfect control of the language, but I would remind them that scholars have said the same thing of the apostles and the writers of many of the New Testament books. Intellectuals might point out that many of the great themes being argued in the seminaries are ignored, and I think I would agree. However, the same has been said about the interpretations of the twelve and their self-appointed representatives. They took note of them that they were ignorant and unlearned men.

I would agree that this book is not based upon perfect exegesis, so why do I find it so appealing and poignant? I think the answer is that this book appears to be the gospel as hammered out by just a man with a bible and his own faith. What it has that is almost totally lacking in other religious novels is that it seems to be solidly based in the author's experience. It doesn't come out as contrived or trite, in my opinion. Yes it has the rough edges of imperfectly hammered iron, but iron it is, hammered with love and devotion and -- perhaps I am imagining this but --, a certain amount of pain. The book reads more like the work of a Christian mystic than of an academic scholar, and I think there is something to be said for that, because what I sense when I read it is, I think, Spirit. That's the difference; it's the difference between head knowledge and the speaking of the heart longing for God. While I might not agree with all of the assumptions the author seems to hold, I have to respect that kind of faith filtered through devotion.

Perhaps it is also the faith of a man purged by the fires of anguish. It would be interesting to learn more about the author and how he came to some of these conclusions, but they seem to stem from a deep devotion and a solid commitment to the Christ of Calvary. In these respects I think the story is a change from much of the flippant me-to-ism of today's shallow Christian lit. I note that the book seems far from complete, with only a few chapters listed.

One writer noted that he was not sure what the author was "trying to prove." Well, it may be that the author is not trying to "prove" anything. He is just making observations and registering his personal reactions to various accounts in scriptures. I would suggest taking the account for what it is without trying to read something into it that probably is not there. The author does seem intense about challenging the heart, rather than the mind. So be it.

Another comment was that one has to be extremely careful to distinguish between the three meanings of "the law" under the Jewish system. Perhaps, but I don't see any of the gospel writers belaboring that point, and seeing as much of the New Testament was aimed at explaining Christ to non-Jews, if that were a big issue if's rather odd that it was overlooked. Perhaps it was not such a big issue in the early church as the commenter seems to think.

If the title seems old-fashioned (another crit) at least one might note that the entire flavor of the book is old fasioned. Along these lines, the author quotes what I think is the King James version or some other older version, replete with all the thee's and thou's. So the title is completely in line with the tenor of the entire book. The approach even is old-fasioned, if you please, and more reminiscent of St. John of the Cross than, say, Paul Tillich. The point may well be taken that religion has strayed far from its roots, and that the spirit of Christ is captured via spiritual devotion rather than by means of post-modernist rationalism. I think this is just a guy documenting his attempts to understand and interpret the scriptures for himself. That's a unique concept nowadays in itself.

julie3201 wrote 61 days ago

Harold, Your book certainly inspires one to think and think hard. I've been reading through your book and coming back to passages and searching commentaries on scripture verses you've referenced and have offered your own interpretation of. I've repeatedly read a few sections of your book in trying to decide if I fully understand what you're saying. It should all be very clear, but somehow I get a little confused here and there. You've certainly done an amazing job in writing this and I did get a look at the first volume. What I think I will do though is read that and come back to this also.

You and I may diverge in certain ways in regard to how we interpret some areas of scripture, but we both share a great love for God and a belief that salvation is ours through Christ, He being one with God, and that through Christ we receive God's Spirit.

May God guide you in all you do. I believe you have a deep and sincere desire to live for Christ.

julie

Margaret0307 wrote 56 days ago

Wow what a lot of work has gone into this book. It is very detailed and very deep and should be read with a Bible close by for reference. It certainly made me think. I applaud the author's obvious desire to give glory to God with this work. I love the fact that very early on in the book he says 'It is all about Jesus. The knowledge of Him should be the one desire and focal point of all diligent inquiries.' Amen to that! It has been said that history either points forward to Christ or backward to Him - likewise the whole of the Old Testament points to His coming and we can find Jesus there and not just in the New Testament.

I was not sure about some comments on the resurection especially where the book states the Bible is not clear about this. I do feel the Bible is clear about this - but respect the point you are trying to make about the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

I certainly believe that Jesus fulfilled the law - because he said this himself, 'I have not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.'

This book is obviously a labour of love. God Bless you in all you are doing to glorify Him.

Margaret Weston - How do I know I know God?

Dianna Lanser wrote 47 days ago

Hi Harold, This is a CCRG review

Sorry it’s taken me so long to read Thy Wondrous Works. But I’m glad I finally made it.

After reading chapter two about Jesus’ trial, it almost seems as if you could take on the role of the public defender, delivering the evidence that Jesus never broke the ancient law.

Although I enjoyed reading through your introduction and seeing how you took a careful and methodical approach to coming to the conclusions you have come to, I wonder if the question and answer format is the best to start your book with. Would a paragraph format work just as well?

You made some wonderful, helpful observations in your intro though. One that really hit me was this one: “By studying scripture for the sole purpose to learn of Jesus, the wisdom that is hidden within the verses will strengthen our faith in Him and Him alone. .. It is only for those who make the decision to learn of Jesus for the single reason to become more like Him.” I think this gets to the core of what you have to say.

Having chapter one in the question format seemed the more appropriate place to use the question and answer format. Your knowledge and study of the word is obvious and I love how you back up all your points with scripture as if you are presenting evidence for Jesus’ case.

I really liked the part in chapter one where you explained the differences between the Pharisees and the Sadducees and how their joint opposition of Jesus gave them the fuel they needed to destroy Him. In his debating with both groups, Jesus totally blows their understanding of God out of the water. Perhaps it’s because of the Easter week, but I found this very moving and affirming.

Here’s a couple easy fixes I found:

Where Jesus is replying to the Sadducees about the resurrection. Matthew 22:30 I think there is a word missing in Matthew 22:30. I don’t have a King James Version Bible, but I think the word that’s missing is resurrection.

In the part where Jesus remains silent before Pilate, there is an extraneous “that” “It is said, (that) it is the guilty that cry out the loudest.”

Harold, I’m looking forward to reviewing your book even more in the forum. I’m sure it will provoke some lively discussion. Highly starred!

Dianna Lanser
Nothing But The Blood

Grey Muir wrote 123 days ago

Hi Harold,
I saw on the Christian Lit Forum that you asked for someone to read you work. I hope that you find some of my comments useful. Please feel free to only use what fits for you.

Your book discribes why we should search the scriptures for truth. And then provides an in depth study of the Law of Moses and the Scriptures overall.
It does seem to bounce around a bit and meander from topic to topic. Each successive discussion follows from the one before though, which is logical. It has an interesting summary of many of Jesus' actions. There was a good comparison and difference between the Sadduccees and Pharisees.
And there were a number of interesting lines of reasoning that I found new to me. I am glad to have the opportunity to read your research.
Chapter 4 - "In the previous chapter it was shown that Jesus had both touched the uncleanness of man and had been touch unknowingly by it." I suggest "touched" for both words.

It seems to me that this may be very interesting to persons of Jewish descent since it traces the Laws of Moses in such detail as they pertain to Christ. There is a great deal of information in a very condenced form. This is certainly material for a Bible study, I would think.

The context and applicability of some of the conclusions could create some discussion (which is true with many things and may help people to ask the hard questions). The logic is very interesting and references seem clear enough. Plus I can see considerable research was put into this.

"The shaving of his hair..." - Interesting comment about shaving Christ. The Shroud of Turin, depending one ones feelings of it, definitely shows a bearded figure. But there are no portaits or photos of course as you say. So much to debate. And such an interesting line of discussion.

I did not know much of the detailed information on subjects such as Nazarites.

I can't comment on the theoretical aspects, but the work is impressive in its detailed research.

Good luck with your success.

JamesRevoir wrote 15 days ago

Hello Harold:

I read through the first few chapters of THE WONDROUS WORKS and it is clear that you have invested a lot of time in compiling this book.

My feedback would mostly address the formatting and not the theology.

Glancing at the book, I would estimate that about half of the content consists of biblical text, often quite lengthy, and the other half consists of brief commentary. I think that this format may work against you if you desire publication. Most editors have been schooled in an environment where lengthy passages are seen as fillers. In graduate school this is considered a form of "cheating" when writing term papers or theses. I'm not calling your work into judgment-just highlighting a prejudice that might be going through the editor's mind. I know this may be anathema, but my suggestion would be that the textual references be shorter, even referenced instead of quoted, and that more focus be devoted to developing your ideas so that the content has more of your voice.

It is not clear where you are going with this book theologically. I think this is the purpose of the introduction; instead, the introduction and subsequent text throughout the book is written in a question/answer format. If this is to be the format, you may want to rename the book and/or present this in the pitch; otherwise, question/answer sections are more traditionally reserved for appendices.

I would say, take the content which you have researched and use it as a launching point to more thoroughly develop and present the themes that you want to communicate. So doing will broaden your audience.

Blessings to you as you continue to hammer out this book and may you find wonderful success.

James

jlbwye wrote 17 days ago

Thy Wondrous Works. I enjoyed your (personal) blurb very much. Your pitches sound as if the book will be too theological for me, but here goes.

Ch.1. Introduction. I wonder if it might be a good idea to show the bible quotes in italics? Yours is a different version from from mine. It is a refreshing change.
Indeed, there are gems to be found among the pages of the bible - messages wherever one looks.
From thestyle of this chapter, it would seem your target audience are the theologically minded. The questions and answers are quite a ponderous way of introduction.
There are one or two split infinitives, if you want nits!

Ch.2. This chapter appears to be directed at new Christians, or those seeking to know more - and yet it is also a detailed history lesson, which assumes some prior knowledge of the bible.
You quote some of my favourite passages. What a wealth of beauty is to be found in the bible - Ezekiel and his dry bones! And every time I read a passage, I learn something new.

This is indeed a deep book, as you delve into the Old Testament to justify the recordings of the New. An ambitious task.
I am becoming used to the questions and answer format in this chapter, and see its worth.
I admire your tenacity. It is something I feel I should do for myself..

Jane (Breath of Africa).

faith rose wrote 21 days ago

Dear Harold,

I wanted to stop by for a little peek at your book today, but please know that I will be back for a more in depth look when it's your turn in the CLF. First of all, I am SO impressed by the wealth of knowledge here. You have certainly done a lot of research, and the Scripture is utilized and explained very well. I really liked how you took a verse and focused on its truth. My pastor similarly targets specific passages and extracts truth and application. I deeply appreciate that approach, as opposed to finding verses for the sake of making sense of our circumstances. Nicely done.

I also liked your use of questioning. It definitely gets the reader thinking. You reminded me today that the purpose of studying the Bible is simply to know more of God. I love that. And...I need that each and every day. Also, thank you for sharing your piece in such a loving tone. Your passion and gentle spirit truly shine through every line. Looking forward to reading more of your book and wishing you every success.

All the very best,
Faith Rose
Now To Him

patio wrote 24 days ago

I salute you for spreading His words. Bless you

Shelby Z. wrote 34 days ago

This IS ORIGINAL idea for a book to say the least.
It has a interesting twist to look at what the Bible says to create the character of Christ.
Great idea.
Good work.

Shelby Z./Driving Winds

P.S. Please take a look at my Christian pirate adventure Driving Winds.

Ron Mitchell wrote 42 days ago

I appreciate what you are trying to accomplish in this study guide. I read through chapter 3 and established a strong message waiting to come forth to the reader. It depends how you want to have your work perceived by your readers as a study guide or personal insights. I believe you have the start to make each of these two things happen. By expanding on a point, you can then bridge the readers through more of the thought-provoking questions you have a various points in your book. If you expand on your examples, for instance, above where you share the illus. about the man rescuing his family, lead the reader through a series of questions and comments interspersed in the scriptures given to bring the reader deeper into what you are professing. This is a work in progress. I wish you all the success only as God our Savior can give. May your writing someday provide comfort and spiritual hope for someone that it was meant to reach. That is how I wrote December Gold. God's blessings.

Dianna Lanser wrote 47 days ago

Hi Harold, This is a CCRG review

Sorry it’s taken me so long to read Thy Wondrous Works. But I’m glad I finally made it.

After reading chapter two about Jesus’ trial, it almost seems as if you could take on the role of the public defender, delivering the evidence that Jesus never broke the ancient law.

Although I enjoyed reading through your introduction and seeing how you took a careful and methodical approach to coming to the conclusions you have come to, I wonder if the question and answer format is the best to start your book with. Would a paragraph format work just as well?

You made some wonderful, helpful observations in your intro though. One that really hit me was this one: “By studying scripture for the sole purpose to learn of Jesus, the wisdom that is hidden within the verses will strengthen our faith in Him and Him alone. .. It is only for those who make the decision to learn of Jesus for the single reason to become more like Him.” I think this gets to the core of what you have to say.

Having chapter one in the question format seemed the more appropriate place to use the question and answer format. Your knowledge and study of the word is obvious and I love how you back up all your points with scripture as if you are presenting evidence for Jesus’ case.

I really liked the part in chapter one where you explained the differences between the Pharisees and the Sadducees and how their joint opposition of Jesus gave them the fuel they needed to destroy Him. In his debating with both groups, Jesus totally blows their understanding of God out of the water. Perhaps it’s because of the Easter week, but I found this very moving and affirming.

Here’s a couple easy fixes I found:

Where Jesus is replying to the Sadducees about the resurrection. Matthew 22:30 I think there is a word missing in Matthew 22:30. I don’t have a King James Version Bible, but I think the word that’s missing is resurrection.

In the part where Jesus remains silent before Pilate, there is an extraneous “that” “It is said, (that) it is the guilty that cry out the loudest.”

Harold, I’m looking forward to reviewing your book even more in the forum. I’m sure it will provoke some lively discussion. Highly starred!

Dianna Lanser
Nothing But The Blood

Margaret0307 wrote 56 days ago

Wow what a lot of work has gone into this book. It is very detailed and very deep and should be read with a Bible close by for reference. It certainly made me think. I applaud the author's obvious desire to give glory to God with this work. I love the fact that very early on in the book he says 'It is all about Jesus. The knowledge of Him should be the one desire and focal point of all diligent inquiries.' Amen to that! It has been said that history either points forward to Christ or backward to Him - likewise the whole of the Old Testament points to His coming and we can find Jesus there and not just in the New Testament.

I was not sure about some comments on the resurection especially where the book states the Bible is not clear about this. I do feel the Bible is clear about this - but respect the point you are trying to make about the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

I certainly believe that Jesus fulfilled the law - because he said this himself, 'I have not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.'

This book is obviously a labour of love. God Bless you in all you are doing to glorify Him.

Margaret Weston - How do I know I know God?

julie3201 wrote 61 days ago

Harold, Your book certainly inspires one to think and think hard. I've been reading through your book and coming back to passages and searching commentaries on scripture verses you've referenced and have offered your own interpretation of. I've repeatedly read a few sections of your book in trying to decide if I fully understand what you're saying. It should all be very clear, but somehow I get a little confused here and there. You've certainly done an amazing job in writing this and I did get a look at the first volume. What I think I will do though is read that and come back to this also.

You and I may diverge in certain ways in regard to how we interpret some areas of scripture, but we both share a great love for God and a belief that salvation is ours through Christ, He being one with God, and that through Christ we receive God's Spirit.

May God guide you in all you do. I believe you have a deep and sincere desire to live for Christ.

julie

Grey Muir wrote 123 days ago

Hi Harold,
I saw on the Christian Lit Forum that you asked for someone to read you work. I hope that you find some of my comments useful. Please feel free to only use what fits for you.

Your book discribes why we should search the scriptures for truth. And then provides an in depth study of the Law of Moses and the Scriptures overall.
It does seem to bounce around a bit and meander from topic to topic. Each successive discussion follows from the one before though, which is logical. It has an interesting summary of many of Jesus' actions. There was a good comparison and difference between the Sadduccees and Pharisees.
And there were a number of interesting lines of reasoning that I found new to me. I am glad to have the opportunity to read your research.
Chapter 4 - "In the previous chapter it was shown that Jesus had both touched the uncleanness of man and had been touch unknowingly by it." I suggest "touched" for both words.

It seems to me that this may be very interesting to persons of Jewish descent since it traces the Laws of Moses in such detail as they pertain to Christ. There is a great deal of information in a very condenced form. This is certainly material for a Bible study, I would think.

The context and applicability of some of the conclusions could create some discussion (which is true with many things and may help people to ask the hard questions). The logic is very interesting and references seem clear enough. Plus I can see considerable research was put into this.

"The shaving of his hair..." - Interesting comment about shaving Christ. The Shroud of Turin, depending one ones feelings of it, definitely shows a bearded figure. But there are no portaits or photos of course as you say. So much to debate. And such an interesting line of discussion.

I did not know much of the detailed information on subjects such as Nazarites.

I can't comment on the theoretical aspects, but the work is impressive in its detailed research.

Good luck with your success.

RossClark1981 wrote 227 days ago

- Thy Wondrous Works Volume One -

(introduction and chapters one to three)

I don't really have much theoretical grounding to draw on so I want be able to comment from that point of view. I do, however, take an interest in these things so I can give some reader reactions as they occured to me. Although, how useful these will be I couldn't say.

I liked that the concept shaped the questions being investigated as a mystery. Indeed, the posing of questions throughout and the attempt to answer these certainly adds to the air of inquisitiveness throughout and makes it feel as if we are working towards a goal.

There are some intereting nuggets of information in there too. In reading through the Bible, I always felt I was missing out on context and backstory when, for example, the Pharisees are mentioned. One always has the sense these are the bad guys, from the tone they are portrayed in, but never knows why - if you're not particularly up to speed on these things in any case. So it was certainly interesting to have the theological division between the Pharisses and Saducees explained. I'm sure that will shed more light and give depth to any future readings of the Bible.

In terms of contrsuctive criticism, I can only really say that the implementaion of so many Bible quotes disturbed the flow of my reading somewhat. I would have preferred to have had some of the background explained to me more by the author, without the quotes. In some cases, of course, the quotes are essential to the point and the author goes on to explain their meaning and significance well. At other stages, however, it feels as if the quotes give the background where the author could do that for as, summarizing the main points in a more readale style.

As I say, I make no claim to being knowlegable in this area so my thoughts may be taken or discarded as desired.

All the best with it,

Ross

EltopiaAuthor wrote 252 days ago

I imagine the critics might say that the author lacks perfect control of the language, but I would remind them that scholars have said the same thing of the apostles and the writers of many of the New Testament books. Intellectuals might point out that many of the great themes being argued in the seminaries are ignored, and I think I would agree. However, the same has been said about the interpretations of the twelve and their self-appointed representatives. They took note of them that they were ignorant and unlearned men.

I would agree that this book is not based upon perfect exegesis, so why do I find it so appealing and poignant? I think the answer is that this book appears to be the gospel as hammered out by just a man with a bible and his own faith. What it has that is almost totally lacking in other religious novels is that it seems to be solidly based in the author's experience. It doesn't come out as contrived or trite, in my opinion. Yes it has the rough edges of imperfectly hammered iron, but iron it is, hammered with love and devotion and -- perhaps I am imagining this but --, a certain amount of pain. The book reads more like the work of a Christian mystic than of an academic scholar, and I think there is something to be said for that, because what I sense when I read it is, I think, Spirit. That's the difference; it's the difference between head knowledge and the speaking of the heart longing for God. While I might not agree with all of the assumptions the author seems to hold, I have to respect that kind of faith filtered through devotion.

Perhaps it is also the faith of a man purged by the fires of anguish. It would be interesting to learn more about the author and how he came to some of these conclusions, but they seem to stem from a deep devotion and a solid commitment to the Christ of Calvary. In these respects I think the story is a change from much of the flippant me-to-ism of today's shallow Christian lit. I note that the book seems far from complete, with only a few chapters listed.

One writer noted that he was not sure what the author was "trying to prove." Well, it may be that the author is not trying to "prove" anything. He is just making observations and registering his personal reactions to various accounts in scriptures. I would suggest taking the account for what it is without trying to read something into it that probably is not there. The author does seem intense about challenging the heart, rather than the mind. So be it.

Another comment was that one has to be extremely careful to distinguish between the three meanings of "the law" under the Jewish system. Perhaps, but I don't see any of the gospel writers belaboring that point, and seeing as much of the New Testament was aimed at explaining Christ to non-Jews, if that were a big issue if's rather odd that it was overlooked. Perhaps it was not such a big issue in the early church as the commenter seems to think.

If the title seems old-fashioned (another crit) at least one might note that the entire flavor of the book is old fasioned. Along these lines, the author quotes what I think is the King James version or some other older version, replete with all the thee's and thou's. So the title is completely in line with the tenor of the entire book. The approach even is old-fasioned, if you please, and more reminiscent of St. John of the Cross than, say, Paul Tillich. The point may well be taken that religion has strayed far from its roots, and that the spirit of Christ is captured via spiritual devotion rather than by means of post-modernist rationalism. I think this is just a guy documenting his attempts to understand and interpret the scriptures for himself. That's a unique concept nowadays in itself.

MaryBe wrote 252 days ago

Harold,
I enjoyed reading your book, especially the fact that you expressed your own point of view. I was not familiar with your theories of John the Baptist's baptism. When I thought of my baptism, I realized that it was not just a cleansing by water but a baptism of the Holy Spirit. God Bless You as you finish your book.
MaryBe

mapleyther wrote 256 days ago

This is a BHCG review!

I should preface my remarks by saying I am going to split my comments into two sections. The first section is on content and the second section is on everything else. I will try my best to separate the two and not let my view expressed in the first, influence the second too much. I will also not bother trying to adhere to the usual BHCG categories as this is a non-fiction work.

Content

I was quite intrigued to read your pitch and try to figure out what the subject matter really was. As a Christian who enjoys Bible study I am always ready to engage the brain in looking at things from a different angle.

I tink I have two basic issues here. Firstly, I am not entirely sure what you are trying to prove here and why it matters. You seem to imply that Jesus could have saved himself from execution at his trial by opening his mouth and proving that he had not violated the Law of Moses. However, you earlier admit that this wasn't why Jesus was on trial! There were a number of reasons why he was on trial - one of them was that they believed he was a blasphemer, making himself God when he was a man. It would not make sense for the Jews to call for execution for the simple breach of Moses Law - it was something that everybody did regularly and in most cases could be atoned for by sacrifice.

The bigger question that I think you could try and answer was whether Jesus did breach any laws of Moses, and if so, did that jeopardise his sacrifice as a sinless offering and make the whole thing a waste of time. To do that, you could probably use quite a bit of the material you already have.

However, here is my second issue. I think you have to be very careful to make a distinction between the three types of law that were in play in the old covenant - the moral law, the civil law and the ceremonial law. They were very different - for one thing, the moral law is permanent, the other two were for that dispensation or society only. A lot of your material seems to focus on the ceremonial law which really served two purposes - in terms of uncleanness, a lot of it was to do with basic hygiene and avoiding widespread sickness in a large moving camp, and a lot of it was to do with providing a picture or type of Christ. Breaching a ceremonial law was an entirely different matter from breaching the moral law.

I also don't find your treatment of John's baptism convincing at all. Quite clearly, John's baptism had nothing to do with rectifiying ceremonial uncleanness, it was a baptism of repentance - it was a precursor, it was getting people warmed up for Jesus' message, if you will. I think this misunderstanding forces you to make all kinds of false linkages, for example about reverse chronology which do not exist in reality. I would go further and say that (in my view at least) you take quite a large number of verses and take them out of their context to suit your argument. I don't think for a minute that this is being done malevolently but I think it is misguided. The text as it currently stands also doesn't have a conclusion so I don't know where you are really going with this.

Having said all of the above, I think you have some interesting material here and if it could be re-directed appropriately to answer a real question then I see value in it.

Everything else

I don't like the title at all. It strikes me as very old fashioned and you would have to be a Bible scholar to have a clue what it meant. It is not clear what this is Volume One of. I don't like the short pitch. I am a Christian and I found myself asking the question - who cares? You need to tell people why this issue really matters. Is it fundamental to the whole Christian faith - if it is then it is going to be worth reading about. You need to convey that. Your longer pitch is a bit better - I've already pointed out the conflict between the reasons you state for Christs death. I don't care for the reference to Abel's blood - its pretty obscure and its not used again in the text in any meaningful way. Again, you need to tell people why they should care.

In terms of structure - you get off to a bad start with the Introduction - once again you need to hammer home what the issue is an why it is important. I don't like the use of King James Version of the Bible either but you probably have theological reasons for using it - perhaps you should explain why - otherwise use NIV or at least NKJV!

I am not sure if I like the Q&A format - it does work well at times but at others it just seems to be a random series of questions and I am not sure where you are going with it. I think I would prefer a more narrative, conversational style, but I think I could live with it if I liked the content more.

Is this publishable - based on the content which I think is misdirected and flawed I would say no - but there might be lots of other Christians who would disagree and either know their Bibles much more than I do, or much less! I would be fascinated to hear others opinions, and if I were you I would get your content reviewed by a well respected theologian.

Self-publishing is probably going to be the way to go here..

MP Jones (They Shoot Birds Don't They?)

stevew wrote 257 days ago

This is not my genre - Though this must have been a work of love..?

Very well crafted; the biblical knowledge of the author makes the flow natural, but the reader does have to turn the pages; manually - A very heavy, deep title; making the read difficult to digest, as there is too much information overload.

Wishing you every success!

stevew

Neville wrote 258 days ago

THY WONDROUS WORKS VOLUME ONE THE LAW OF MOSES FULFILLED - revised
By Harold Eugene Crow.

Your book is beautifully written and displays the huge knowledge of the Bible that you posses.
The research and facts have been carefully laid out for the reader…no small task in my opinion.
I just wonder whether the red font is necessary, it can be a bit off-putting when reading such a well written piece.
I can’t see anything much wrong within your book…then again, I’m not so learned as yourself regarding Biblical extracts, I wished I was.
All the best with your book, the effort put in will be looked upon as very worthwhile.
Starred and rated.

Kind regards,

Neville. THE SECRETS OF THE FOREST – THE TIME ZONE.

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