Basic Books for Believers
Don Harrelson
A little while ago, Proclaim & Defend asked our writer’s pool for book recommendations for our readers. In particular, we are interested in books that might fill a single shelf full of basic Bible study resources that are accessible for every Christian. Our first submission comes from Pastor Don Harrelson. Our list isn’t intended to be exhaustive, nor would we endorse everything in every book on the list (excepting, of course, the Bible!). We trust these recommendations might be helpful to our readers.
Several years ago a church member asked if there were any resources that I could recommend that would help him in Christian growth. So I developed the following basic list of books to help believers in their Christian walk and discipleship.
1. Bible
a good literal translation of the Scriptures
(King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New King James Version, English Standard Version)
2. Concordance
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
Young’s Analytical Concordance
3. Bible Handbook
Unger’s Bible Handbook or Hailey’s Bible Handbook
4. New Testament Survey
New Testament Survey by Robert Gromacki
5. Old Testament Survey
A Survey of Israel’s History by Leon Wood
The Old Testament Speaks by Samuel J. Schultz
6. Systematic Theology (Bible Doctrines)
Basic Theology by Charles Ryrie
7. Commentary on the Whole Bible
Matthew Henry’s Commentary
Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Bible Commentary
The Bible Knowledge Commentary by Walvoord and Zuck
8. Books on God and Christ
Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
Incomparable Christ by J. Oswald Sanders
9. Sanctification
Changed into His Image by Jim Berg (Bob Jones University Press)
10. Devotional
My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
Don Harrelson is the pastor of Cumberland Bible Church, Cumberland, MD