Great book, true classic | Knowing God

Wow! J.I Packer has gone the extra mile......... | Knowing God | J. I. Packer

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	• Knowing God J. I. Packer InterVarsity Press, 1993 - 286 pages average customer review:based on 74 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Tremendous Christian Classic

This is one of the great Christian classics that is a must read for every generation. It is not heady theology though it is thoroughly rooted in Scripture. It's underlying theme is the love of God for human kind expressed through his character. I felt very loved!

Great book, true classic

The updated version of Packer's book features a new preface, an addition to the fourth chapter, and "Americanization" of the text (spelling and such). The list of endorsing readers is quite impressive, many singing the praises after having read the first edition. Apart from that, the book has been left alone, and Packer stated his hopes that the book would continue to enrich the lives of those who read it. It seems safe to say that anyone who reads this volume and attempts to put into practice the teachings it sets forth will find immense value in doing so.
The first few chapters deal with the subject of truly knowing God. Packer is quick and adamant in his distinction between knowing about God, and actually knowing God. The thesis of the book seems to be simply that. While Packer greatly went into theological issues, the tone was set quite nicely in the first few chapters, as he made it quite clear that walking away with doctrine and an unchanged heart would cause the book to be nothing short of a letdown. Another seeming thesis of the book is set forth in the first chapter, as well as the preface, and it involves coming to a right understanding of who God is--and Packer frequently warned the reader that the waters of theology are choppier today than ever before, despite the numerous books written on the subject.
Chapter 4 is an interesting chapter in itself, and will be discussed more fully later. However, while it is grouped with the first three (and the next two chapter, as well), it takes a different tone--"correctly" worshiping God. Chapters 5 and 6, though technically still in the first section, seem to fit well into the second section instead. Dealing with the second and third persons of the Trinity, respectively, they open a great door for what is the majority of the book--
the doctrine of God. Chapters 7-17 discuss different attributes of God--immutability, majesty, wisdom, truth, love, grace, judging, wrath, goodness, severity, and jealousy. These issues are dealt with in quite a bit of detail, and Packer sets forth the proper human response to each of these attributes.
The last sections takes a turn towards the gospel. The doctrine of propitiation pervades nearly the entire section, and the Christian's adoption into the kingdom is quite prevalent as well. Other issues dealt with are facing the trials Christians will deal with, understanding the security received from Christ's atoning work, and the last chapter--through an exposition of part of Romans--helps the reader develop a mindset with which to end the book.
It could easily be said of Knowing God that Packer sets out a brief systematic theology. While it would certainly be incomplete in some ways, one could hardly find a better volume as an introduction to theological study. Over and over again, Packer points out the false view of God that is rampant in society today (though it is interesting that "society" was 1973, and it still seems completely applicable today, 2006), and explains the importance of understanding the biblical view.
Stating the few negatives first would be the easiest way. As has already been mentioned, chapter 4 was quite peculiar. Titled, "The Only True God," it might be best suited with a subtitle/warning label reading something to the effect of "Warning, Anti-Catholic Teaching Ahead." Suffice it to say that Catholics and Orthodox alike would likely cease reading after coming across this chapter. The idea Packer is arguing for is that the second commandment--the prohibition of idolatry--means more than just the age-old idea of golden calves. Rather, in Packer's estimation, that idea is combated with the first commandment. The second commandment forbids the making of things like paintings, statues and crucifixes (hence, the anti-Catholic/Orthodox sentiment). He referred to the story from the book of Exodus where the Israelites, tired of waiting on Moses to return from Mr. Sinai, asked Aaron to build an idol for them to worship. Packer argued that the Israelites were not asking for another God, rather they wanted an image of Yahweh. The reason Moses was outraged was simply that, though they worshiped Yahweh, they had not worshiped Him properly.
However, this does not seem to be what the Scriptures are saying. After rereading the story multiple times, it seems quite evident that the golden calf was to be a replacement for Moses' God, not simply an image of the One True God. The other main argument Packer used was that the Israelites would have had not contact with idolatry, so the second commandment must have been the prohibition of making anything of the nature of statues, paintings or crucifixes. However, that seems to be a weak argument, as the Israelites had just left Egypt, which was full of idolatry. Also interesting to note is the dearth of Scriptures in this chapter. While the other chapters are so full of Scripture references that one could hardly look them up, this chapter had relatively few. At the end, the addition for this version is a complete discounting of criticisms he received since the first edition. The other question left unanswered is what to do with Christ as the physical representation of God, and with the abundance of metaphorical language for God in the Bible that is sure to invoke images in the minds of its readers. It seems Packer may have gone too far, as he argued that all renderings, even of Christ, are nothing short of idolatry--even when used for didactic and devotional purposes. While it should go without saying that worshiping an image would certainly be wrong, the existence of them is not likely to be sin.
Another complaint about the book is Packer's generalizations. Virtually every chapter attempts to go against the modern thinking about God and produce in the reader a biblical mindset. However, as he explains the culture, the reader is hit with "many people believe..." or "most churches do not believe..." without any reference as to the truth of those statements. That is not to say Packer is wrong, nor that his conclusions and assertions are mislead. The simple fact, however, is that the reader is left wondering exactly how common these errors really are. Sometimes the trouble of unsupported assertions is too readily apparent. In one chapter (16), Packer refers to "Santa Claus theology." In that, God is likened to Santa and seen as nothing but good. Packer says this liberal ideology has opened the door to the problem of evil, which was not a problem before the 20th century. This idea seems preposterous, as Augustine dealt with the problem of evil many centuries ago. However, these types of pitfalls found through unsupported assertions are scarce in the book.
All that said, the rest of the book was quite a joy to read. The overwhelming majority of the book is packed with Scripture references and biblical stories as he makes his points. References to past theologians, especially the Reformers and Puritans, are abundant. Hymns are used multiple times to reiterate the message (many from Charles Wesley, too--pleasant to see from someone who is so strongly Reformed). While there was a growing concern that Packer might have been advocating Puritanism, he showed his objectivity in saying that the Puritans did not stress nearly enough the doctrine of adoption as God's children. Another great strength of this book is the light touch of Reformed theology throughout. Someone once joked that without Packer's endorsement (or lack of) on a book, one would hardly know if a book was Reformed enough to bother reading. The expectation is to find an abundance of references to election and effectual calling. However, it is not until the end that many references to election are found, and these fit the context and purpose perfectly.
The theological topics were quite a blessing to read, even for someone who has some level of theological training. Packer displayed an extremely high view of grace and the utmost importance on the work of Christ on the cross. Those two themes, as well as God's sovereignty, seem to tie the whole book together--from God's love, to adoption, to His wisdom. Probably the best topic was that of adoption. Packer reiterated the lack of resources on this topic (in the past and present), and stressed its importance. He boldly stated that, though justification may be more important (as adoption is not possible without it), adoption is the highest privilege. He made quite clear the importance as he stressed the relationship between father and son. It might certainly be a blessing if Packer were to help fill the void of resources in the area of adoption by writing a volume devoted to it, as he did such a wonderful job here.
Another great aspect of this book has already been mentioned. At the end of most chapters is a section on our response. After giving a great explanation of a doctrine such as the wrath of God, Packer asks questions such as
It would be difficult to discuss every positive point of the book. While theologically trained individuals may find it more of a refresher than greatly insightful, the book is not devalued. From new Christians to those who have been in the faith for several years, this book should be a great help. It would serve marvelously for a small group. It would also suffice as a reference for preaching and teaching. If possible, it should be incorporated into the discipleship process of any church (that actually believes the Bible, that is), especially for new Christians.
The rather robust look at God which Packer supplies is evenly balanced, scripturally supported, and historically illumined. All who truly desire to know God should read this book.

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Wow! J.I Packer has gone the extra mile.........

Wow........ When I first saw the book cover I thought; " No Way am I gonna waste my time reading this!" But when I opened the book and read the first page, I could'nt stop! I read three to five chapters a day! When my youth Pastor mentioned this book, I was a little hesitant to purchase it. Now that I am heading toward the deep end, I have no regrets for purchasing it. I recommend that anyone who is reading this to buy the book. Trust me you won't have any regrets.

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Relevent today

This is a fantastic book full of wisdom and knowledge. Packer knows how to make it easily absorbed by anyone wishing to truly know more aboutt our living God.

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Knowing God reveals that knowing God is but a pursuit away

Packer's deep understanding of Scripture and ability to slowly bring his many concepts and points regarding the manifestations of God in our daily lives into the forefront of our minds is simply classic.

Though the book may seem a bit "textbooky" at first, Packer's work is very well written and only appears heavy because of the deep, weighty content that almost requires the reader to take a breath to let it soak all in.

Arguably the best book written in the late 20th century, Packer paved the way for other contemporary classics.

If you want to know God, as the title indicates, this book can and will help.

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During the past 20 years, J. I. Packer's classic has revealed to over one million Christians around the world the wonder, the glory and the joy of knowing God. This anniversary edition is completely retypeset, with Americanized language and spelling, and a new preface by the author. During July 2000, winner of the Platinum Book Award from Evangelical Christian Publishing Association in recognition of more than one million copies sold (and that's just in North America!)