18 Words a collection of essays on keywords from the Bible, words like scripture, the devil, reconciliation, and holiness. That descriptions makes it sound like a book of word studies, but it isn't quite, at least not in the way we usually think of word studies. Rather, 18 Words looks at biblical words not as mere words, but as pointers to biblical themes with the purpose of "spelling out the gospel which is the Bible's central message." It's one way, and an effective one, to get at the core of true Christianity.

I'd not heard of this book, not as God's Words or 18 Words, before I saw it at Amazon and decided to order it.1 It isn't as well-known as Packer's classic Knowing God and that's too bad, because it's similar in quality, style and value, full of sentences and paragraphs to underline, or quotes and clever phrases to remember. Now that I think about it, I'd say it would make a perfect companion for Knowing God, with Knowing God expounding who God is, and 18 Words explaining the biblical themes that ultimately point us to Christ. Together they'd make an excellent two volume Christian Doctrine 101.

I first came across many of the words dealt with when a student in the IVF magazine.

It has been good to re-visit.

Would recommend this book to young in the faith christians.

I was already a huge fan of J,I, Packer and this book has done nothing but increase my admiration and love for his writing. Each of the 18 words is dealt with in a manageable section (6-8 pgs). Now of course 6-8 pages of Packer is equivalent to 20 of most authors. He does not waste words - his writing is dense, thought-provoking, and most certainly requires focus to absorb all he has to offer. A quote from his own foreword of this book states, " I love pregnant brevity, and some of my material is, I know, packed tight (Packer by name, packer by nature)...."

But it is a great book to keep in your purse or car for times when you will be playing the waiting game. Doctors offices, meetings, airports, etc. Bring a highlighter though - you will want to revisit this book often. Rest assured that J.I. Packer is not one of those authors that leaves the Bible by the wayside while he goes off on tangents and stories. He sticks to the point, develops it and cites Scripture without. An excerpt from the aforementioned foreword: "Biblical references in the studies themselves are not, however, skippable; they are part of the argument, and are meant to be looked up."

This may not be the best book for a brand new Christian, lest they be the diligent, studious type; it is however a book that I would say is a must read for every faithful Christian due to thorough handling of 18 Words that encompass a significant understanding of the Christian faith (faith being one of the words as well :-)

Below are (2) brief excerpts:

**regeneration, pg. 144** - <quote> Since the seventeenth century, Reformed theologians have tended to distinguish between regeneration and new birth.They defined regeneration as the first act of God instilling spiritual life into dead souls, below the level of consciousness; and they understood the new birth as the first conscious manifestations of that life in new spiritual apprehension, affections, and acts - the initial exercises of faith and repentance. On the basis of this narrowed definition, they have insisted strongly that regeneration must be related to faith as cause to effect. Deny this, they say, and you deny faith to be a gift of God's grace; and what youa re saying then is that man is his own savior, inasmuch as his faith is the decisive factor in his salvation and now becomes "all his own work'. <end quote>

**election, pg 155** - <quote>The very idea of election implies that some are not elected. God discriminates; He selects some, not all. Out of the nations, He chose only Israel (Amos 3:2, Psalm 147:20). Out of Israel after the flesh, salvation in Christ was enjoyed only by a remnant 'according to the election of grace': 'the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened' (Romans 11:5,7). Speaking of His elect at Corinth, whom He purposed to bring to faith through Paul's preaching, Christ told Paul in a vision, 'I have many people in this city' (Acts 18:10), but this did not mean the whole population (cf. 1 Corin 1:26-29). Part of the mystery of election is that God never appears to have chosen all whom He might have chosen. Thus He impresses upon us that His choice is absolutely free, and teaches us to value the grace that has come to us personally. <end quote>

Amen and amen!

Words are powerful. It is by Gods word that rose Lazarus from the dead. It was a word that created nothing into everything we see. It is by the word that we can know our creator. J.I. Packer goes into great detail in the doctrine of these 18 words that are transforming and the life of the Christian. These 18 words will stir your heart to respond to Gods truth or Be indifferent. Election is one that is most misunderstood. We can easily understate or overstate election. It is very sad to me that election is not taught from the pulpit. The chapter on Election is balanced and valuable to the Christian as it will humble and cause an urgency in your walk. Another one that is hardly spoken from the pulpit is the mortification of sin. It is obvious that it is not being taught and taken to heart with the condition of the church. Each chapter gives you the why, the what and the who

In print since 1981, 18 WORDS (originally titled GOD'S WORDS) is theologian James Packer's attempt to demonstrate how to do words studies from the Bible. Since the publishing of Kittel's THEOLOGICAL DICTIONARY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT (Eerdmans) to Colin Brown's NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY OF NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY

(Zondervan), Bible scholars have been writing about the words of the Bible and their meaning. Dr. Packer demonstrates how to do a word study and takes 18 important words from the Bible and takes the reader through both testaments to demonstrate what each word means in the inspired Word of God.

If I had the power, I would require each Protestant pastor and seminary student to master this volume and keep it near at hand when preparing sermons to check one's theology. It is that good.

Pastor Steve Martin.

Have read and re-read this book a number of times and learning something new every time I go through it.

I also have purchased a couple of books to give away to students going to collage. They all enjoyed the book.