I Believe: A Concise Guide to the Essentials of the Christian Faith by Thom S. Rainer

I Believe: A Concise Guide to the Essentials of the Christian Faith Reviews

• 
  Conrade Yap

  What do Christians believe? Maybe, the question ought to be: What are the basic beliefs of the Christian? Today, there are many people who say they believe, but many are simply superficial or worse, ignorant about basic doctrines and fundamentals of the faith. As a new generation emerges, the need to pass down the basics of the faith grows. The hymn "Faith of our Fathers" captures this sentiment eloquently. "We will be true to Thee till death." True to what? It's true to our basic beliefs. This book is a summary of 15 of the most fundamental doctrines of the Christian. For many believers across all denominations and non-denominations, the historic Apostles Creed summarizes the faith in crisp statements. Today, this creed continues to be recited regularly in many churches. If the Creed is likened to the skeletal framework of the faith, this book fills in the flesh. Author Thom Rainer does a good job of describing to us the various tenets of the faith in a simple and clear manner. His purpose is to help believers know them, understand them, and in due process, to know God better so that this knowledge can spur one further to love and serve God better. I would even venture to say that we can use this book also as a discipleship resource or Christian Education class. Not only is it educational for new believers, but it also serves as a good reminder for older believers. As a discipleship resource, this book goes through a good summary of the following:
  
  1) The Bible (Inspiration, Canon, and Defense, etc.)
  2) God the Father (Love, OmniPotent, OmniScient, OmniPresent, Holy, Righteousness, etc.)
  3) God the Son (Fully Divine, Fully Human, Fully Present, etc.)
  4) God the Holy Spirit (Person, Work, Advocate, etc.)
  5) Trinity (Unity, Understanding, Implications, etc.)
  6) Prayer (Reasons, Efficacy, Manner, etc.)
  7) Angels, Demons, and Satan (Reality, Spiritual Warfare, etc.)
  8) Jesus Dying for our Sins (Atonement, Reason, Sacrifice, Victory, etc.)
  9) The Resurrection and the Ascension (Centrality, Significance, Consequences, etc.)
  10) Christ the Only Way to Salvation (Comparing 5 Different Beliefs, Why Christ Alone, etc.)
  11) The Local Church (Local and Universal Church, Membership, Metaphors, Significance, etc.)
  12) Spiritual Growth (Regeneration, Maturity, Sanctification Process, etc.)
  13) Sharing the Gospel (Evangelism Mandate, Message, Faith, etc.)
  14) The Return of Jesus (End-Times, Various Millenial Views, Implications, etc.)
  15) Heaven (Final Judgment, Hell, Heaven, etc.)
  
  The author ends the book with the two classic creeds for our reference: The Apostles and Nicene creeds.
  
  My Thoughts
  ==============
  This book skims on some of the most basic beliefs of Christianity. Written in an easily understood fashion, new Christians will benefit richly from the scope of coverage, albeit not the depth of details. Author Rainer gives just enough to whet anyone's appetite for more, and that is exactly what good teachers do. They spur deeper interest in the topics. For group study, this book can be used for general discussion and learning. Even older Christians can have something to learn. One thing I have noticed is that even older Christians forget the very basics they were supposed to know. One of my favourite chapters is the one that talks about the Bible and the criteria used for determining inspiration. I don't remember in my early years anybody ever teaching about these, so it must be something to help young believers address the modern culture of suspicion about the inspiration of the Bible.
  
  Personally, this is a nice refresher on the basics of the Christian faith. The structure of the book gives a nice general framework for a primer in basic Christian Education. It can also be used in Sunday School or basic Bible classes. For the beginner, some of the things mentioned might seem new. However, advanced readers will deem the book too brief or superficial. They might even be quick to point out topics that are missing, like Bible translations, Church History, Predestination, Spiritual Gifts, Old Testament and New Testament books, and so on. Perhaps, these topics could be considered at the next level, or maybe mentioned as topics for future interest.
  
  In summary, this is a good book for beginners and a welcome refresher for others.
  
  Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers. With nearly forty years of ministry experience, Thom has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of the local church and its leaders. He has been a pastor of four churches and interim pastor of ten churches, as well as a bestselling author, popular speaker, professor, and dean. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his MDiv and PhD degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Rainer has written numerous books, including three that ranked as number-one bestsellers: I Am a Church Member, Autopsy of a Deceased Church, and Simple Church. He and his wife live in Franklin, Tennessee.
  
  Rating: 4 stars of 5.
  
  conrade
  This book has been provided courtesy of Tyndale Publishers via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
• 
  Jeff

  Solid (Within Author's Worldview) Short Guide To Fundamentals Of Christian Faith. This book really does do what it sets out to do - lay out what Christians generally believe and at least some reasoning as to why they believe it. It doesn't get too heavily into the things that split off the various sects and denominations such as baptism or saints, and even when it touches on End Times discussions, it lays out the basic thinking of each of the different ways of thinking about the topic. And it does it in a fairly concise manner, covering a wide range of topics with fairly short chapters and clocking in as a whole at less than 200 pages - which is truly remarkable given its full breadth of discussion. More extreme liberal Christians may have more issues with the points here, as Rainer explicitly has a chapter about God the *Father*, and a few other quibbles here or there based on that thinking - which Rainer, given his more conservative Baptist background, doesn't dive into so much. Other potential attacks from Christians could include Rainer's focus on the Bible as the "Word of God", despite John 1:1 being quite clear that *Jesus Christ* is the "Word of God", not the Bible, and Rainer's frequent references to the Pauline epistles as defense of some of his claims - which anyone familiar with the Parable of Marvin Snurdley (from Frank Viola's Pagan Christianity) - will likely question.
  
  All of the above noted, the sole reason for the sole star deduction here is the frequent- beginning seemingly literally on Page 1 - use of "proof texting" - citing a Bible verse out of context in defense of some claim or another. I have been quite adamant in waging a one-man war against the practice, and the single star deduction is really the only "weapon" I have with which to wage my war. Thus, I apply it any time a book uses the practice.
  
  Ultimately though, this truly is a solid view of the fundamentals of Christianity, given the caveats of the author's own worldview, and is truly a solid resource for anyone seeking to understand the basic tenets of the general faith for any reason. Very much recommended.
• 
  Smitha Agy

  Some key Scripture takeaways to memorize from this book :
  
  All scripture is inspired by God: All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. (2 Timothy 3:15-16)
  
  Scriptures come from the breath of God. Second, the Bible is authoritative. The writer of Hebrews penned these powerful words about Scripture: " The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Hebrews 4:12)
  
  Thom S Rainer has highlighted why the bible is necessary, (Romans 10:14-15) (Acts 8:31) (2 Timothy 3:14-15) (1 John 5:1-3)
  
  The author has clearly highlighted God's attributes, Jesus is fully human and fully God, and the critical importance of the Trinity in an understandable manner so any level of Christian reader can grasp it quickly with supportive passages from the bible, Mathew 3: 16-17. This book convicts a Christian to repent and believe also turn to God and look to Jesus for salvation and forgiveness of man's sins at the cross.
  
  The author also explains Angels, Demons, and Satan as enemies and how to resist the enemy by quoting from the bible, Ephesians 6:13.
  
  If you are a born-again Christian this book is definitely for you to read and spread the Gospel to other unbelieving people around you.
  
  Thanks to Netgalley and Tyndale Momentum for an advance copy of the book for my honest review.
• 
  Jessica

  I Believe is an excellent book that gives us a concise and clear look at the basics of Christian beliefs. This book is a great tool for new believers as well as a resource for churches and small group study. It's easy to read and understand. Highly recommended!
• 
  Heather

  Read for Bible study.