PREACHERS BASIC BOOK LIST 
Buy any of the below second hand from Amazon.com or ask retired preachers if they have them to help you build your library.
APOLOGETICS
* Know What You Believe – Paul Little (Evidentialist)
* More Than A Carpenter – Josh McDowell (Evidentialist)
* Mere Christianity – C.S.Lewis (Classic rational reasons - Evidentialist)
* The God Who is There – Francis Schaeffer Brilliant & always practical
* Escape from Reason “ “ “
* He is There & He is Not Silent “ “
* Every Thought Captive - Richard Pratt (Van Tilian) Van Til simplified
* The Defence of the Faith – Cornelius Van Til Worth the hard work
* By What Standard – Rushdony – Ross Press (Van Tilian)Van Til simplified
* Who Made God – Edgar Andrews – Brand new classic - answers the new Atheism
THE BIBLE
* Thy Word is Truth - EJ Young - Defends Scripture brilliantly
* The Sufficiency of Scripture – Noel Weeks Up to date defence
* Fundamentalism & Word of God – - J.I.Packer –A Classic
* God Has Spoken - J.I.Packer – Brilliant Defense Inspiration etc
* The Word of Truth/It’s Origin,Sufficency & Relevance – Robert Sheehan Defends Scripture brilliantly – Evangelical Press
* Authority - Martyn Lloyd Jones Classic on Authority Bible – Christ – Holy Sprirt
ON THE BIBLE
* New Bible Dictionary IVF A treasury of must have info
* New Bible Commentary IVF Get the lastest one –Top Commentators
INTERPRETING THE BIBLE
* How to Understand your Bible – Alan Stibbs – Must have classic
* How to study the Bible – R.A.Torrey – Great old Classic
* How to Read the Bible For all It’s Worth – Fee & Stuart - a modern classic – must have for every preacher
* Interpreting the Bible – Louise Berkof – a great old classic – so helpful
* Search the Scriptures – Edited by Alan Stibbs - Must have classic – great for daily personal Bible study
*
ON THE OLD TESTAMENT
A History of Israel – John Bright – A must have classic – Brillant historical background
* Living World of the Old Testament –Bernard W. Anderson – Old classic on books of O.T – Liberal
* An Introduction to the Old Testament – E.J.Young - Eedermans - Old but answers the Liberal arguments –gives brilliant
purpose/telos on each book etc
* Old Testament History –Alfred Edershiem - Old but insightful background to the text – great theological lessons here
* Lets Read the Old Testament – Raymond Brown – Victory Press - Brilliant practical O.T intro to each book
ON THE NEW TESTAMENT
* The New Testament/ An Introduction to it’s Literature & Histroy –
J Gresham Machem - Banner of Truth
Old Classic – brilliant on culture & guts of books – purpose of each book
* The Life & Times of Jesus the Messiah
David Cook’s favourite – insightful classic with amazing interpretation –index invaluable
* Introduction to New Testament – R.K Harrison – Old but Solid Gold
COMMENTARIES –SETS
* Calvins Commentaries – Baker Bookhouse
Essential – Calvin is the master of brevity – always focuses on the trust or Holy Spirit’s purpose in giving the passage, text. Again among Cookies favourites
* Matthew Poole – Banner of Truth.
Brevity & clarifity are brilliant – parallel references, so incightful
* Matthew Henry –
Check out his uses/Applications – He mined Calvin
OLD TESTAMENT COMMENTARIES
* Any of the following Titles/Sets – Grab them if they are cheap!
* Bible Speaks Today - IVF – Brilliant on background, text – get the lot
* Critical Commentary - Liberal but so insightful –Hebrew & Questions
* New International Commentary on O.T Testament - solid Gold
* Tyndale – Great old standby’s by evangelical scholars
* Evangelical Press - Brilliant for exposition – get the lot
* SCM – Liberal – insightful on text & questions
* Keil & Delitzsch – Must have set - Brilliant for exposition/ Hebrew etc
Any of the below Authors
* E. J. Young, Luepold (Lutheran) Kidner, R.K.Harrison Goldsworthy Dummbrall Alec Moyter
NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARIES
Any of the following – Grab them if they’re discounted/secondhand
* Bible Speaks Today - IVF
* Critical Commentary - Liberal but so insightful –Greek & Questions
* Hendricksen – Conservative, warm, insightful
* New International Commentary on New Testament - solid Gold
* Tyndale – Great old standby’s by evangelical scholars
* Evangelical Press - Brilliant for exposition
* Study Mark etc… Brilliant New Banner Commentaries
* SCM – Liberal – insightful on text & questions
* Daily Study Bible – Liberal – Brilliant > background & Greek –William Barclay
* Geneva Commentaries Don’t be fooled by these older gaints
Any others by Goldsworthy D.A.Carson Douglas Moo Alan Stibbs John Murray
PARABLES
* Redicovering the Parables – Joachim Jeremias -SCM
Brilliant Liberal Scholar – gets behind the parables – insightful
* Interpreting the Parables – A M Hunter SCM - Liberal -insightful
* Calvin – Brilliant on all the Parables
GREEK DICTIONARIES
* Theological Dictionary of the New Testament Abridged by Geoffrey
Bromiley - Liberal & Brilliant
* A Critical Lexican & Concordance E.W Bullinger - Bagster
So Easy to use – if you see a copy buy it & fall in love with it!
* Thayer - Excellent but hard to use
THEOLOGICAL DICTIONARIES
* Bakers Dictionary of Theology – Editor R.K Harrison – The earliest editors are classics
BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
* Gospel & the Kingdom – G Goldsworthy – A Classic –Brilliant –
* According to Plan –Builds on Gospel & the Kingdom - listen to his talks on this site
* Preaching & Biblical Theology – Ed Clowney – Deep but brillant
* Biblical Theology – Gerhardus Vos – The Daddy of Biblical Theology-
* Days Are Coming – Mark Strom – Must Have –Brilliant/Pracitcal
SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
* Institutes of the Christian Religion – John Calvin – Classic-must have!!
* Systematic Theology – Louis Berkof – Classic-brilliant on the Liberals
* Systematic Theology – Wayne Grudem – Must Have- John Murray for 2000’s brilliant interesting on Gifts etc – a Charismatic manifesto!
* Manual of Theology – Dagg – warm & so insightful
* Abstracts of Theology –Boice – amazing work – lots of soul food here!
COLLECTED WORKS
* Complete Works of Francis Shaeffer- The most practical theologian
* Collected Works of John Murray – Exegete & Theologian Par excellence!!
* Collected Works of J.I.Packer – At Last a must have Packer is solid gold!
* B.B.Warfield – Collected Works - A must have for every preacher
PASTORAL THEOLOGY – Crabb anything by Larry Crabb & Jay Adams
* Basic Principals of Biblical Counselling - Lawerance Crabb – Crabs Foundational ideas –philosphy
* Inside Out – Larry Crabb – Vinatge Crabb - brilliant & practical
* Competent to Counsel – Jay Adams – Must Read – Classic intro to Adams
* The Christian Counselor’s Manual - J. Adams – Classic – Must Have practical ideas – techniques
* What to Do on Thursday – J. Adams – Briiliant – so insightful
* Shepherding God’s Flock – J.Adams – Vol 1-3 Legendary Classic
THE PURITANS -Grab anything secondhand by these great dead guys – soul food
* John Owen –
* John Favel
* Richard Baxter
* Richard Sibbes
* Thomas Watson – Get his “The Body of Divinty” truth on fire – great soul food - brillant
* Thomas Goodwin
* Puritan Paper Books from Banner of Truth – Classics and great soul food – get the lot secondhand
* Amoung God’s Giants J.I.Packer – Brilliant Introduction
* The Genius of the Puritans – Peter Lewis Brilliant Introduction
* Temptation & Sin Modernised – John Owen – Must have-so helpful
HISTORICAL THEOLOGY
* History of Christian Doctrine – Louis Berkof – Must have brilliant Intro
* Historical Theology Vol 1-2 William Cunningham -Must have awesome!
PREACHING
* Preachers & Preaching - Martyn Lloyd Jones – Must Have-so helpful
* The Supremacy of God in Preaching – John Piper – Awesome – Must have
* Preach the Word –Denis Lane – Simple & so practical
* Pulpit Speech – Jay Adams – Old Classic quite brilliant so practical
* Preaching with Purpose – Jay Adams – Brilliant mind stretching ideas!
* Lectures to My Students – C.H.Spurgeon –Must have- awesome
PRAYER
* Prayer – E.M.Bounds - Brilliant Must have
* Prayer – O Hallseby - Brilliant Must have
* With Christ in the School of Prayer-Andrew Murray Brilliant Must have
* Pray with Your Eyes Open – Richard Pratt – Brilliant Must have
* A Call to Spiritual Reformation – D.A.Carson - Brilliant Must have
EVANGELISM
* Evangelism & Sovereignity of God. J.I.Packer Simply the best book on it
* Introduction to Death of Death J.I.Packer – Yes, Yes, Yes
* Out Growing Ingrowing Church C John Miller - Brilliant Must have
* Evangelism & Your Church C John Miller - Brilliant Must have
* The Soul Winner – C.H.Spurgeon Brilliant Must have
* Tell the World –Eric Wright - Brilliant Must have
* Saving Grace – John Cheeseman Old Classic brilliantly rehashed supurb!!
* Todays Gospel –Walter Chantry – Exposes easy believers
* Alarm to the Unconverted – Joseph Alleine – preparationism but classic
* The Christian’s Greatest Interest – William Guthrie – Classic must have
MISSIONAL
* Introduction to the Science of Missions –a must have classic – foundational
* Urban Harvest – Roy Joslin - a must have classic – Brilliant thoughts
* Promoting the Gospel – John Dickson – A great inspiration to urban missions
* Missional Church – A vision for a sending church in North America – Darrell L. Guder – A modern classic – foundational – brilliant & so insightful
* The Conversion of the Church - Darrell L. Guder – A modern classic – foundational – brilliant & so insightful to revitalize middle age churches
JESUS CHRIST
* Person & Work of Jesus Christ – B.B.Warfield – a classic –must have – soul food
THE CHURCH
* The Church – Ed Clowney – A must have classic – foundational
* The Church – Mark Driscoll – A classic for this decade – great missional teaching
CONFESSIONS OF FAITH – essential – put steel in your soul
* Baptist Confession of Sixteen Eighty Nine
* Baptist Confession of Sixteen Eighty Nine Exposition – Sam Waldon -Classic
* Westminister Confession of Faith
* Westminister Confession of Faith Expostion A. A.Hodge – Classic
* The Savoy Declaration of Faith
* The Thirty Nine Articles
* The Belgic Confession
* Canons of Dort
DOCTRINES OF GRACE
* The Sovereignity of God – A.W.Pink – Study this well - CLASSIC FOR ALL PREACHERS
* The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination – Lorraine Boettner - The definitive work – not surpassed – study, it believe it & preach it
* The Five Points of Calvinism – Steel & Thomas – Must have – Standard work – great study manual
* The Practical Implications of Calvinism – Al Martin – Dynamite for your soul and ministry
The Forgotten Spurgeon - Iain Murray - Know well, a classic
HOLY SPIRIT
* Keep in Step with the Spirit – J.I.Packer – Must have classic
* The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit – George Smeaton – The Definitive Work
* Baptism & Fullness – John Stott – Classic -brilliant
ATONEMENT
* The Atonement – George Smeaton - Classic, brilliant exegesis of the texts!!
* Redemption Accomplished & Applied – John Murray – Classic Must have!!
* Vol 10 The Works of John Owen – Blows limited atonement out of the water!
* The Atonement - Hugh Martin Classic Must have!!
* Apostolic Preaching of the Cross – Leon Morris – Must have classic
SERMONS –Grab anything by these great dead guys
* C H SPURGEON -
* D M LLOYD JONES – Sermons on Acts, Ephesians, Romans – Evangelistic Sermons
* WGT Shedd
* Gresham Machen
* B B Warfield
* J C Ryle
* Jonathan Edwards
* Martin Luther
* John Calvin – Ephesians, Timothy, Deuteronomy, Samuels
* Charles Simeon
* John Owen, John Newton, John Favel
CHRISTIAN LIFE
Anything by – Bridges, Piper, Packer, Carson, Keller, the Puritans, Spurgeon, A.W.Pink & J.C Ryle
Classics – Knowing God – J. I.Packer - Essential for every preacher – digest them, then live and preach these truths
Desiring God – John Piper
The pleasures of God – John Piper
Marriage & Family
Grab anything by on these by Jay Adams, Larry Crabb, Ed wheat, Steve Farrar, John Macarthur, Wayne Mack, John Piper
JOURNALS
The Briefing, Banner of Truth, Reformation Today, Westminster Theological Journal, Kategoria…
Websites - Bookmark these and visit often
9 Marks
Acts 29,
Reformissionary (Tim Keller resources)
Monergism (A must for all preachers)
Mars Hill ( Mark Driscoll resources)
Desiring God ( John Piper Resources )
Christian Library – see our unique resources for preachers