3 out of 4 stars
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Book Review for the Book, Who Told You That You Were Naked? By William E. Combs
Who Told You That You Were Naked? By William E. Combs is a well-written book. It keeps the reader glued to the core message which is the origin of sin, its resultant consequences on humanity and how it has been finally dealt with through Jesus Christ. He seeks to enlighten his readers on the need to seek alternative means of overcoming their shortcomings without relying on their own efforts. He emphasizes the walk of faith. To achieve this, it is paramount to commune with God. The book appears to be an effective balance of Grace as evidenced in the scriptures.
The book is engaging since it calls the reader into action at the end of each chapter through the study questions. There is no way a reader will passively read the book for they will fail to answer the questions that are asked at the end of the chapters. The writer is very descriptive, the occasional testimonies being very refreshing. These keep the reader attached to the book and also help put the arguments in a practical perspective. As you read the book, it is very clear that you are not reading a fiction oriented work.
Despite all these good things going for the book, it has a few issues. It is very notable that some sentences are too long. For instance, the third sentence in the second paragraph in page (i) is very descriptive and interestingly poetic. It gets the reader in a rhythm that resonates well with the wording used. This does not, however, camouflage the fact that the sentence has 32 words, too many for a single-breath reading. Issues of formatting are very profound. Such can never escape the eye of a careful reader. On the other hand, the table of contents is not well aligned. Actually, it is arranged carelessly. Paragraphing is also wanting. Notably, some paragraphs have two or even one sentence as is the case of the first paragraph in the introduction. This is also evident in the second paragraph in page (ii) where there is only a single and very long sentence making a paragraph. There is also some content which needs to be checked since it seems contradictory to another part of the book. On this note, the reader should be made to understand what the writing of Isaiah on page 12 means in reference to the initial pages which portray animals hunting each other. A reader who is not conversant with the bible cannot make sense of this. Fortunately, I am a knowledgeable Christian and didn’t have problems fathoming the passage. However, I highly doubt that a person with scarce knowledge of the scriptures can understand the passage.
The book is poorly divided in terms of chapters and paragraphs. For instance, chapter two (2) starts as a continuation of chapter one. Chapter two should have begun on page 14 with a slight modification, before the second paragraph in the same page. There is also a glaring poor paragraph transition. In page 51, there is a subheading borrowing from an earlier argument but not acknowledging the same. The reader gets confused about what is being spoken of in the first paragraph under the subheading on page 51. The book is devoid of typos, save for a typo on page 109 in the second paragraph…unfamiliar terrain, how do your tread?
On page 182, there is a problem with the comparison of Jesus’ birth and that of children. This is because Jesus was conceived of the Holy Ghost and would not be sinful. The argument is valid though. At the back of the book, the last paragraph leaves the reader wondering if the author wanted to say the gospel has not lost (instead of has lost)…..this seems out of place when checked against the context.
This book is very lovely. I have loved the way the writer expresses his ideas, not violating intellectual property requirements when he borrows ideas from others. It shows respect to other authors. The writer is apparently well versed in the scriptures. I recommend this book to all Christians, especially those who struggle a lot with sin. The book will enable Christians to know that they do not stand condemned since God did not even condemn Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit. The poor formatting and long sentences are the worst occurrences in this book. Due to the above reasons, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
Summary of the book, Who told you that you were naked? By William E. Combs
The first chapter of the book presents the ordinary life as we see and know it today. Adam is seen enjoying what nature has in store for him as the eagle catches prey from the water. A ewe is preyed on by a lioness as it drinks water. The lioness kills the ewe. Adam later meets his creator, God who takes him around and requires of him to tend the garden so as to prevent it from relapsing into its former state. It is during this day that, as God leaves, Adam is told not to eat of the other tree that God capable of giving them life. This was because he would surely die the day he would eat of the same. Adam was fearful when he recounted the death of the ewe, but this didn’t prevent eve, who was created later as a companion, from being deceived by the enemy. She ate of the tree and also gave her husband who ate, and their eyes were opened. They realized that they were naked and started to compare themselves to each other and to God, something that made them hide when they heard him coming. This marked a significant turn of events with far-reaching consequences. This was later atoned for by Jesus Christ. Through faith, one can now be acceptable to God and not through focusing on sin and how to avoid it. This is through being born again.
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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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