Review by JanetBlessing -- Who Told You That You Were Na...
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- Latest Review: Who Told You That You Were Naked? by William Combs
Review by JanetBlessing -- Who Told You That You Were Na...
[Following is a volunteer review of "Who Told You That You Were Naked?" by William Combs.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Who Told You That You Were Naked? was written by William E. Combs, a retired Presbyterian minister. As a minister, Combs had needed to paint vivid pictures of biblical events in the mind of his congregation at different times, this- he did in Who Told You That You Were Naked. The book started out as a sermon idea, but through the inspiration of the Lord as well as other life experiences, Combs was able to develop said sermon into a book. The book was Comb's attempt to answer the question of how sin came into the world and how a Christian can live untainted by sin. Through his introductory passage, Combs inadvertently called reading the book an 'adventurous journey' and so it was. Making use of biblical verses, real-life versions of biblical events as well as personal experiences, we were made to know how much the decision of Adam and Eve cost us today.
Through the book, we were able to go back a moment-in-time to the beginning of it all_ The Garden of Eden. There, we saw the events that had been documented in the Bible happen right before our very own eyes. The moment Eve took the forbidden fruit and was about to have a bite, I, as a reader, sat up and shouted right in my mind “don’t eat it Eve, don’t!!!”. Comb used imaginative and captivating words along with a real setting to describe the biblical events. Who Told You That You Were Naked? is a Christian book that grants an insight into the events that took place in the garden of Eden and how one single misstep changed the human course forever. The book's subtitle reads ‘’A refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden”.
Divided into introduction, 10 chapters, study questions at the end of each chapter, and finally endnotes, the book brings to life the establishment of sin and how it came into existence. Each chapter was further divided into subtopics which made the book easier to read and less in-the-face. Combs used imaginative words in painting a clear picture of different Biblical events and stories in the reader’s mind. With the introduction, the author, Combs, makes a flashback to his childhood at Alaska and how he came about the “aurora borealis” which was phenomenal and different from the normal light which he knew. That one phenomenal encounter with the “aurora borealis” gave him a new perspective of light, how much more the light of God which shines without season. The book showcased thematic points such as redemption, sin, relationship with God, anxiety, faith, fear and more.
I give this book 3 out of 4 stars because although wonderful, the book is not without flaws. In his introductory passage, Combs gave an insight into what all 10 chapters would be about. This brought readers into the know of the book without actually putting too much on the readers' plate. We were able to flow with the chapters due to foreshadowed knowledge given to us by the author. Also, reading biblical references which the author attached to each subtopic gave backup to the author’s valid points. I found the study questions to be of great use. They provided depth into the knowledge Combs had offered and above all, they gave one the opportunity to search the scripture as well as other related Christian books to get answers. I love the fact that Combs was able to relate the title of the book to the world today. He said “God is asking- who told you that you were skinny, fat, dumb, too intelligent, poor…?” He made it clear that one could have all the luxuries of life and still feel naked and incomplete. Also, the book was well edited. I only took notice of very few errors.
The book, while being simple, made use of complex theological expressions which could prove difficult for unversed or newly-converted Christians. Continuous reference to bible translation and language analysis made the book dull at some point, especially towards the end. Too much personal stories and testimonies which were meant to spice up and back up the book's points ended up crowding it. Also, at the end of the book we still did not have the “refreshing reexamination” we were promised. The book was more of a Bible analysis or commentary than a reexamination.
Overall, Who Told You That You Were Naked? brings one into the know of the word of God. Questions such as “why did God plant the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden?”, “Why did Adam eat the forbidden fruit along with Eve?”, “Why did they not wait for God to return before eating the fruit?” surfaced and were answered. No doubt, this book will be a blessing to Christians who thirst to know more about the word of God.
******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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3 out of 4 stars
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Who Told You That You Were Naked? was written by William E. Combs, a retired Presbyterian minister. As a minister, Combs had needed to paint vivid pictures of biblical events in the mind of his congregation at different times, this- he did in Who Told You That You Were Naked. The book started out as a sermon idea, but through the inspiration of the Lord as well as other life experiences, Combs was able to develop said sermon into a book. The book was Comb's attempt to answer the question of how sin came into the world and how a Christian can live untainted by sin. Through his introductory passage, Combs inadvertently called reading the book an 'adventurous journey' and so it was. Making use of biblical verses, real-life versions of biblical events as well as personal experiences, we were made to know how much the decision of Adam and Eve cost us today.
Through the book, we were able to go back a moment-in-time to the beginning of it all_ The Garden of Eden. There, we saw the events that had been documented in the Bible happen right before our very own eyes. The moment Eve took the forbidden fruit and was about to have a bite, I, as a reader, sat up and shouted right in my mind “don’t eat it Eve, don’t!!!”. Comb used imaginative and captivating words along with a real setting to describe the biblical events. Who Told You That You Were Naked? is a Christian book that grants an insight into the events that took place in the garden of Eden and how one single misstep changed the human course forever. The book's subtitle reads ‘’A refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden”.
Divided into introduction, 10 chapters, study questions at the end of each chapter, and finally endnotes, the book brings to life the establishment of sin and how it came into existence. Each chapter was further divided into subtopics which made the book easier to read and less in-the-face. Combs used imaginative words in painting a clear picture of different Biblical events and stories in the reader’s mind. With the introduction, the author, Combs, makes a flashback to his childhood at Alaska and how he came about the “aurora borealis” which was phenomenal and different from the normal light which he knew. That one phenomenal encounter with the “aurora borealis” gave him a new perspective of light, how much more the light of God which shines without season. The book showcased thematic points such as redemption, sin, relationship with God, anxiety, faith, fear and more.
I give this book 3 out of 4 stars because although wonderful, the book is not without flaws. In his introductory passage, Combs gave an insight into what all 10 chapters would be about. This brought readers into the know of the book without actually putting too much on the readers' plate. We were able to flow with the chapters due to foreshadowed knowledge given to us by the author. Also, reading biblical references which the author attached to each subtopic gave backup to the author’s valid points. I found the study questions to be of great use. They provided depth into the knowledge Combs had offered and above all, they gave one the opportunity to search the scripture as well as other related Christian books to get answers. I love the fact that Combs was able to relate the title of the book to the world today. He said “God is asking- who told you that you were skinny, fat, dumb, too intelligent, poor…?” He made it clear that one could have all the luxuries of life and still feel naked and incomplete. Also, the book was well edited. I only took notice of very few errors.
The book, while being simple, made use of complex theological expressions which could prove difficult for unversed or newly-converted Christians. Continuous reference to bible translation and language analysis made the book dull at some point, especially towards the end. Too much personal stories and testimonies which were meant to spice up and back up the book's points ended up crowding it. Also, at the end of the book we still did not have the “refreshing reexamination” we were promised. The book was more of a Bible analysis or commentary than a reexamination.
Overall, Who Told You That You Were Naked? brings one into the know of the word of God. Questions such as “why did God plant the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden?”, “Why did Adam eat the forbidden fruit along with Eve?”, “Why did they not wait for God to return before eating the fruit?” surfaced and were answered. No doubt, this book will be a blessing to Christians who thirst to know more about the word of God.
******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: Who Told You That You Were Naked? by William Combs
