Luther For Everyone: Logos 5 Brings Luther Closer To You

“Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for he is victorious over sin, death, and the world. As long as we are here [in this world] we have to sin.”(LW 48.282) wrote Martin Luther in his letter to Philip Melanchthon in August 1, 1521.

I love Luther. I believe you would too when you get a chance to know more about him through his own works. Together with St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and John Calvin, Luther is among my top four Christian theologians who keep me up awake throughout many nights studying their works.

Theological Studies’ Students: 4 Reasons To Use Logos Bible Software 5

Consider the following representative scenario theological studies’ students find themselves in: You have a theological claim C to argue for or against. You’re expected to offer supporting evidences for the position you come to hold. You’re equally expected to interact with historical and contemporary sources dealing with claim C.

As a brilliant theological studies’ student, you must show that you are aware of other possible interpretations of the supporting evidences you have provided for your case. You’re required to demonstrate that you are conscious of possible objections to your position, their merits and shortcoming. When required, you need to show where you agree or(and) disagree with the opposing views.  Before offering a rebuttal of opposing views, you must show that you have fully understood their positions.

For such tasks, you need the right resources to read and interact. You have to research and be familiar with both past and present sources. Logos Bible Software 5 is just a tool you need to assist you for this kind of tasks. Here I shared  4 reasons I use Logos 5 Diamond package as a biblical and theological studies’ student.

Reasons To Use Logos Bible Software 5 Diamond

Library assistant was one of the most beautiful job I had as a young teenager who was methodical, passionate, and enthusiastic about the value of books. Assisting others to find the right books, journals and other information was more than a job for me, it was an utmost privilege that brought me joy.

Logos Bible Software 5, multi-platform Bible study software, does not only have an incredibly rich theological library on PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Android but also a personal library assistant that is revalorizing the way we interact with the Bible.

Logos is the most advance Bible software that will assist you in your academic studies, articles or sermon preparation, and personal education or devotion. It is powerful tool that brings you closer to the Word of God.

This is a short synopsis of Logos Bible Software 5 Diamond based packaged and the two features that will bring you closer to the Bible.

Diamond package is for those who seriously want to study the Bible. This package contains over 2000 magnificently rich resources for all Bible students and scholars.  659 volumes of Bible commentaries, 241 volumes of biblical studies, 395 volumes on church history and theology, 99 rich original language grammars, lexicons, word studies and much more.

Wilhelmus Brakel: The Christian’s Reasonable Service

The supreme object of God’s servants’ desire and delight is living a life in accordance to the will of God. In order to do so, God’s servants must know God. Systematical knowledge of God and practical application of that knowledge in ordinary Christians’ lives is the heart of Wilhelmus à Brakel’s (1635-1711), one of the less known but most eloquent Reformed minister and theologian, masterwork The Christian’s Reasonable Service.

This masterwork is 17^th century’s Didache. Brakel unloaded unmatched practical and systematic theology that would not only lead its readers to delight in God but also to personally apply the biblical truth acquired in their daily conducts.

Brakel is a minister first and a theologian second. He is James first and Paul (in Romans) second. He wrote this tremendously edifying work to lay churchmen and women first and scholars second. Echoing the practicality of the epistle of James, Brakel provided a biblical insight on how ordinary Christians ought to practically conduct themselves in their communities.

The Christian’s Reasonable Service’s contents and the style it was written makes it easy for an ordinary Christians, with only basic Bible knowledge, to understand the core doctrines of Christianity. Repeatedly Brakel introduces each doctrine with short definition and exposition packed with biblical passages’ support. He then raised and addressed possible misunderstanding. Last Brakel provided ways in which Christians can apply that particular doctrine in their daily walk with God and people around them.

Brakel’s masterwork is divided into four volumes. Volume one includes proper theology, anthropology, and Christology. Volume two includes ecclesiology and soteriology.  Soteriology covered the whole volume three and half of volume four.  The other half of this volume four includes eschatology and appendix, which touched some of the issues in ecclesiology that were not covered in volume two.

Logos Bible Software’s features enables you to take Brakel’s systematic and practical theology a step further.  The ability to read cited Bible passages, to view the timeline(see here), and to share notes with other readers is revolutionary.

Thank you Logos Bible Software for a review copy of Wilhelmus à Brakel’s The Christian’s Reasonable Service, given to me for the purposes of review.

Van Til’s An Introduction To Systematic Theology

The Bible, according to Reformed theologian and apologist Cornelius Van Til, is an absolute authoritative revelation source to which the whole interpretation of life ought to be based. Van Til’s An Introduction To Systematic Theology (1979) merged God-centered Reformed theology with presuppositional apologetic methodology.

In this work Van Til attempted to present what Scripture reveal about God in an organized and unified way. He aimed to explain that the ultimate source of truth and intrinsic value is not found in human beings but in God alone. Van Til combated all other philosophies that seeks to attain true self-knowledge and value in human beings.

Following John Calvin’s understanding that  “man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he has previously contemplated the face of God”(Calvin Inst. 1.1.2) Van Til argued that the knowledge of God as revealed in Scripture is the only standard by which all other conviction should not only be measured but also be based.

This masterwork will help Christians bring different parts of Scriptures into relation to each other forming one unified portrait of God’s nature and His works. It will also help them to be able to give an apologia of the hope that is in them and at the same time be able to confront and challenge nonbelievers’ presuppositions.

Using Logos Bible Software to reading Van Til’s An Introduction To Systematic Theology, Van Til’s apologetic theology is taken to the next level. Logos Bible Software enables you to easily read Bible passages in your favorite Bible version and explore in depth most of the original sources¹ cited in this Van Til’s work.

Thank you Logos Bible Software for a review copy of Cornelius Van Til’s An Introduction To Systematic Theology, given to me for the purposes of review.

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[1] This is possible only if you own that particular resource in your Logos Bible library. You often can buy a missing resource at Logos Products. You can add  The Works of Cornelius Van Til (40 vols.) in your Logos Bible Software library.