The word Power on the cover of this book is the largest word in the title, emphasizing how the Bible has changed the lives of many people. The book starts off with Hugh Latimer. Thomas Bilney led Latimer into a deeper study of the Bible, and it changed his life, his preaching, and his fate, for Latimer was martyred for his faith. Marshall uses that story to lead into an introduction to the English Bible and the lives that it influenced.
Chapter 2 introduces some of the great themes of the Bible and the authors of the biblical books. He then he proceeds to the matter of how those writers were inspired. After considering the three main theories about the origin of the Bible; all from human (humanistic), all from God (dictation theory), and the divine-human cooperation producing the Word, Marshall concludes in favor of the third theory and places emphasis upon the Holy Spirit in that work.
Chapter 4 takes up the subject of canon and the role that the Great Synagogue and the Church played in that process. The extra-canonical works are mentioned and distinguished from the canonical works. The book is up-to-date in its discussion of lower and higher criticism and the reliability of the Old Testament in light of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Since the Bible is reliable, Marshall returns to the subject of its great themes and elaborates upon the God of salvation, the Cross and atonement, justification and sanctification. His focus is on Christ. The book is a clear and concise introduction to the Bible for Christians and non-Christians alike. It includes many interesting stories about how the Bible was written, how it was transmitted, what it really says, and how it has affected the lives of many people. It should be helpful to both pastors and lay persons alike.
