We live in a world filled with opinions and perspectives, where the truth is no longer absolute but simply another perspective. Sadly, the Church is often tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. With so many authors and books out there, who can we trust and what should we read? Pillar Baptist offers recommendations that we trust will draw readers to a deeper love for the Author of life and truth itself.

Pastor Eric’s Top 10 Picks

  1. The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards
  2. Charity and Its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards
  3. The Freedom of the Will by Jonathan Edwards
  4. Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George M. Marsden
  5. Spurgeon: A New Biography by Arnold Dalimore
  6. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones by Iain H. Murray, 2 Vols.
  7. George Whitefield by Arnold Dallimore, 2 Vols.
  8. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
  9. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton
  10. Paradise Lost & Regained by John Milton

Book Recommendations by Topic

Author, Title

Bibles
God, Bible, English Standard Version (ESV)
God, Bible, King James Version (KJV)
God, Bible, New American Standard Version (NASB)
God, Bible, New King James Version (NKJV)

Study Aids
Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction
Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Carson, Moo, Morris, Introduction to the New Testament
Dennis, ESV Study Bible
Guthrie, New Testament Introduction
Hendrickson Publishers, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
Hiebert, An Introduction to The New Testament
MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible
Mayhue, How to Interpret the Bible for Yourself
Merrill, Kingdom of Priests
Sproul, Reformation Study Bible
Unger, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary
Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation

Biographies
Anderson, To the Golden Shores: The Life of Adonirum Judson
Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther
Bonar, Memoirs of McCheyne
Brown, Augustine of Hippo: A Biography
Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners
Calhoun, Princeton Seminary 2 vols.
Daniell, William Tyndale
Dallimore, Spurgeon
Dallimore, Whitefield (2 Vols.)
Dodds, Marriage to a Difficult Man
Edwards, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd
Foxe, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
Gordan, Calvin
Harrison, John Bunyan
Keller, The Story of My Life
Markwald, Katharina Von Bora: A Reformation Life
Marsden, Jonathan Edwards: A Life
Muller, Autobiography of George Mueller
Murray, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (2 Vols.)
Murray, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Letters 1919-1981
Murray, Forgotten Spurgeon
Murray,Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography
Parker, John Calvin: A Biography
Piper, Hidden Smile of God
Piper, Legacy of Sovereign Joy
Piper, Roots of Endurance
Rutheford, The Letters of Samuel Rutheford
Ryle J.C., Five English Reformers
Sargent, The Life and Letters of Henry Martyn
Spurgeon, C.H. Spurgeon, Autobiography (2 Vols.)

Commentaries
This is an abbreviated bibliography of commentaries for beginning students. For deeper study on any particular book of the Bible see Rosscup, Commentaries for Biblical Expositors and/or Carson, NT Commentary Survey (www.bestcommentaries.com), before selecting any one particular commentary.

Carson, NT Commentary Survey
Calvin, Calvin’s Commentary
Gaebelien, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary
MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary
Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible
Rosscup, Commentaries for Biblical Expositors
Tasker, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries
Wiseman, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries

Christian Living
Alcorn, Money, Possessions & Eternity
Alcorn, The Treasure Principle
Augustine, Confessions
Bridge, A Lifting Up of the Downcast
Bunyan, All Loves Excelling
Bunyan, Holy War
Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress
Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
Carson, Call to Spiritual Reformation
DeYoung, Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will
Edwards, Charity and Its Fruits
Edwards, Jonathan Edwards on Revival
Edwards, Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards
Grudem, Business for the Glory of God
Gurnall, Christian in Complete Armour
Henry, The Pleasantness of a Religious Life
Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression
Keller, The Meaning of Marriage
MacArthur, Saved Without a Doubt
MacArthur, The Power of Integrity
MacArthur, Truth Matters
MacArthur, Twelve Ordinary Men
Mahaney, Cross-Centered Life
Metzger, Tell the Truth
Owen, The Mortification of Sin
Packer, God’s Plans for You
Packer, Growing in Christ
Packer, Meeting God
Packer, Passion for Faithfulness
Packer, Rediscovering Holiness
Piper, Dangerous Duty of Delight
Piper, Desiring God
Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life
Piper, Future Grace
Piper, God is the Gospel
Piper, God’s Passion for His Glory
Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad
Piper, Misery of Job-the Mercy of God
Piper, Pleasures of God
Piper, Pierced by the Word
Ryle, Aspects of Holiness
Ryle, Holiness
Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
Scudder, The Christian’s Daily Walk
Sibbes, Bruised Reed
Spurgeon, Finding Peace in Life’s Storms
Spurgeon, God’s Grace to You
Spurgeon, John Ploughman’s Pictures
Spurgeon, John Ploughman’s Talk
Spurgeon, Power of Prayer in a Believer’s Life
Spurgeon, Praying Successfully
Spurgeon, The Soul Winner
Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hand
Watson, A Godly Man’s Picture
Watson, Heaven Taken by Storm
Watson, The Mischief of Sin
Welch, When People are Big and God is Small
Welch, Addictions – A Banquet in the Grave
Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian
Whitney, 10 Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health
Whitney, How Can I Be Sure I’m a Christian?

Church & Worship
Anyabwile, Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons
Baxter, The Reformed Pastor
Carson, Worship by the Book
Clowney, Called to the Ministry
Clowney, Church Discipline
Cowper and Newton, Olney Hymns
Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
Dever, Polity
Dever, The Deliberate Church
Dever & Ferguson, The Westminster Directory of Public Worship
Lawson, Famine in the Land
MacArthur, The Master’s Plan for the Church
MacArthur, Worship: The Ultimate Priority
Murray, Invitation System
Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals
Piper, Supremacy of God in Preaching
Oliphant Old, Leading In Prayer
Robinson, Biblical Preaching
Ryken, Thomas, and Duncan, Give Praise to God: A Vision for Reforming Worship
Saucy, The Church in God’s Program
Stott, What Christ Thinks of the Church
Strauch, Biblical Eldership
Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church

Devotional
Bennett, Valley of Vision
Edwards, Edward’s Sermons
Herbert, The Complete English Poems
Luther, Luther’s Sermons
Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Sermons
Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

History
Beeke, Meet the Puritans
Brown, The English Puritans
Bruce, New Testament History
Houghton, Sketches from Church History
Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines
Loetscher, A Brief History of the Presbyterians
Murray, Evangelicalism Divided
Murray, Revival & Revivalism
Murray, A Scottish Christian Heritage
Needham, 2000 Years of Christ’s Power (3 Volumes)
Nettles, The Baptists (3 Volumes)
Reeves, Unquenchable Flame
Ryken, Worldly Saints
Schaff, History of the Christian Church (8 Vols.)
Scott, Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament
Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya

Marriage and Family
Harvey, When Sinners Say I Do
Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man
Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Woman
Grudem & Piper, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Mack, Strengthening Your Marriage
Piper, This Momentary Marriage
Priolo, Teach them Diligently
Scott, Exemplary Husband
Tripp, Instructing a Child’s Heart
Wilson, Reforming Marriage

Theology
Alleine, A Sure Guide to Heaven
Armstrong, Roman Catholicism
Bahnsen, Always Ready
Baxter, Saints’ Everlasting Rest
Benware, Understanding End Times Prophecy
Berkhof, Systematic Theology
Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices
Brooks, Heaven and Earth
Bolton, The True Bounds of Christian Freedom
Buchanan, Justification
Bunyan, Come and Welcome to Jesus
Bruce, NT Documents: Are They Reliable?
Bruce, The Message of the New Testament
Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (2 Vols.)
Clotfelter, Sinners in the Hands of a Good God
Clowney, Unfolding Mystery
Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God
Denault, The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology
Edwards, Freedom of the Will
Edwards, The Ends for Which God Created the World
Edwards, The Religious Affections
Ferguson, Christian Life
Ferguson, Grace of Repentance
Ferguson, The Holy Spirit
Flavel, Mystery of Providence
Frame, Apologetics to the Glory of God
George, Theology of the Reformers
Grudem, Systematic Theology
Guthrie, The Christian’s Greatest Interest
Judson, Christian Baptism
Kaiser, Old Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?
Kaiser, Toward an Exegetical Theology
Konya, Demons
Kuyper, Lectures on Calvinism
Luther, Bondage of the Will
MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus
MacArthur, The Gospel According to the Apostles
Macleod, The Person of Christ
Malone, Baptism of Believers Alone
Morris, The Atonement
Morris, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross
Murray, Redemption Accomplished & Applied
Owen, Apostasy from the Gospel
Owen, Communion with God
Owen, The Death of Death
Owen, The Glory of Christ
Owen, The Holy Spirit
Packer, Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God
Packer, Knowing God
Palmer, Five Points of Calvinism
Pettegrew, The New Covenant Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Perkins, The Art of Prophesying
Pink, Attributes of God
Pink, Sovereignty of God
Piper, Counted Righteous in Christ
Piper, The Justification of God
Pratt, Every Though Captive
Ridderbos, Paul
Scott, Articles of the Synod of Dort
Scott, The Synod of Dort
Scougal, Life of God in the Soul
Sproul, The Glory of Christ
Spurgeon, Christ’s Glorious Achievements
Traill, Justification Vindicated
Thomas, Understanding Spiritual Gifts
Van Till, The Defense of the Faith
Venning, The Sinfulness of Sin
Venning, Learning in Christ’s School
Vincent, The Shorter Catechism Explained From Scripture
Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance
Ware, God’s Greater Glory
Ware, God’s Lesser Glory

For The Advanced Student
Biblical Languages and Exegesis
Greek:
Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature
Carson, Exegetical Fallacies
Dana & Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament
Grassmick, Principles and Practice of Greek Exegesis
Machen, New Testament Greek for Beginners
Metzger, The Text of the New Testament
Metzger, The Cannon of the New Testament
Mounce, Basics of Biblical Greek
Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament
Rogers, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament
Smyth, Greek Grammar
Wallace, Greek Grammar
Zerwick, A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament

Hebrew:
Arnold & Choi, A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax
Barrick & Busentiz, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew
Chisholm, From Exegesis to Exposition
Johns, A Short Grammar of Biblical Aramaic
Kautzsch, Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar
Kelly, Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Grammar
Koehler & Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament
Muraoka, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew (2 Vols.)
Seow, A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew
Tov, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible
Watson, Classical Hebrew Poetry
Waltke and O’Connor, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax