Daniel R. Hyde

In a manner similar to his treatment of the Belgic Confession, With Heart and Mouth, Daniel Hyde walks us step-by-step through one of the hallmark statements of Reformed theology, the oft-maligned and poorly understood Canons of Dort. He does so as a pastor who appreciates all that solid doctrine can bring to strengthen the faith of those in the pews. Over and over he highlights the grace of God on display in the Canons. I highly commend this book to anyone who wants a deeper understanding show more of God's glory as seen through a Reformed lens. show less

Paul's pastoral epistles are sometimes identified as his letters to Timothy and Titus, These are fruitful for pastoral leaders; however we shouldn't jump to the false impression that the rest of Paul's letters are non-pastoral. Most of Paul's letters are directed to congregations he formed and pastored. Even when Paul isn't 'the pastor' (as in Romans) he stll comes off pastoral. . In a new expositional commentary, From the Pen of Pastor Paul, Daniel Hyde explores the pastoral implications of show more the books of I & II Thessalonians (one of Paul's early church plants).

fromthepenofpastorpaul_1024x1024This isn't a normal verse-by-verse commentary. It was born out of sermon series that Hyde delivered at Oceanside United Reformed Church where Hyde pastors (he is also adjunct instructor at Mid-American Reformed Seminary and Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary). Hyde's sermons walks through the Thessalonican correspondence, rooting his understanding of Paul in the Reformed tradition. Hyde's chief dialogue partners include ancient preachers, medieval theologians, Reformers and the Puritans, and modern scholars like FF Bruce, and John Stott (14-15).

These aren't fluffy-feel-good-sermons addressed to the felt needs of the congregation. Hyde simply walks through the text: warnings about false teachers, apostasy and the man of lawlessness; advice for living; wonder at the public Second Coming of Christ. I appreciated that Hyde counters contemporary eschatologies which treat Jesus' return more as an occasion to fear than as our ultimate hope.

If I ever preach through Thessalonians, I will find this helpful; however, I didn't find hyde an easy communicator to relate with. I like the substance of what Hyde says, but wish he took greater pains at accessibility. He moved quickly to deep theology and discussing applications without much in the way of illustration (i.e. personal anecdotes, pop-cultural references, or stories). He is more likely to underline a point by quoting Calvin or one of the Puritans than to connect his message to life. I also wish his go-to-theologians weren't mostly dead white guys (not that there is anything wrong with that).

The expository nature of this book, makes it less useful if you are studying particular verses, but Hyde does a nice job of drawing out important themes. I give this three stars.

Note: I received this book from Cross-Focused Reviews in exchange for my honest review. show less

Passable but provincial intro to Reformed Churches. Hyde writes in an approachable manner to someone who is familiar with the faith, but a new believer would struggle to make sense of this book in a number of places. He tries to cast a wide net, referencing multiple confessions and catechisms, but becomes idiosyncratically narrow on several current hot-button issues. These points, largely centered around justification and imputation, turn his focus from giving a general introduction to show more making an extra-confessional defense of certain points. Telling is his extended quotation from an individual theologian rather than (as per usual) a confessional document to argue for a particular take on Christ's active obedience. I'd be happy if people exploring Reformed churches found this book; I'd be even happier if they came across a less parochial guide. show less

The only downside of this book is that it is written specifically for Presbyterian and Reformed churches. Baptists can still benefit tremendously from this work with tweaks in its ecclesiology.