The Westminster Confession: A Commentary

When I decided to look into the confession a little deeper than just reading it I was mainly thinking "These fellows really put a lot of thought into this what were they thinking here" but would have never thought to look for a commentary on essentially a man made document about the greatest book ever written. Hodge is just the man to provide what is decidedly a thorough well thought out guide to the study of the Westminster Confession of faith. Published in the late 1800's it was originally for lay readers and for todays readers will be a little challenging but thats just because we have become a "study bible" clif notes generation. If your interested in a guided study of the Bible looking through the Westminster Confession of Faith is a good place to start. I own both the banner of truth hardback and kindle version of this book and can recommend both versions highly. The kindle version has a full table of contents that works well on both my Kindle Keyboard and paperwhite.Don't be put off by my comment on it not being simple reading, the topic you are reviewing is vast but the subject is well worth any investment. I'm not condoning replacing your Bible reading with confession reading, but if you aren't sure how to explain your beliefs or aren't even really sure what you believe, examining this historic document will provide a great place to start laying the foundation of lifelong pursuit of knowledge of our creator and redeemer through his word. May God bless your efforts.A good Kindle version:  A Commentary on the Confession of Faith

Amazing book. It contains the Westminster's Confession, the Bibles's references, and very useful comments to understand each one of its propositions. After each chapter we find some questions. They help us to highlight the most important concepts contained in each chapter as a guide for the biblical studies of the calvinist essential doctrines. It requires the use of a Blible for a better understanding of each section. It must be read by every christian.Despite it has a hard cover, the book is not heavy, concerning it's weight.Very good product.

Arrived early in new condition as stated. An absolute MUST READ for every Christian. A.A. Hodge explains what the Westminster Confession says that the Bible teaches about God, His decrees, His providence, Man, Creation, and many other subjects with scriptural citations.

All serious Christians should read this book. Doctrinally concise.

We are teaching an adult Sunday school class on the confession, and this book really does a good job of breaking down each statement within each article.

Cool

Standout

The Banner of Truth is the publisher of The Westminster Confession: A Commentary by A. A. Hodge. Let me put my cards on the table right up front: of all the Banner of Truth books that I own and cherish, this is one of my all-time favorites!Hodge’s work is exactly what the title tells us: it’s a commentary on the 33 chapters of the Westminster Confession of Faith of 1646. Before diving into the content of the commentary, I want to point out that there are two excellent introductory chapters in this book. The first chapter is on a short history of creeds and confessions. Given the lack of appreciation for the historic creeds and confessions of the church in American Christianity today, this chapter is much needed! It’s a short chapter, but it's packed with wisdom. The second introductory chapter is a short historical account of the Confession and catechisms (larger and shorter). This, too, is a wonderful chapter for those who are subscribers to the Westminster standards, or for anybody who enjoys history.I have four other commentaries on the Westminster Confession, and I love them all. Hodge’s may possibly be my favorite though. He is very clear and articulate. He writes rather concisely, and yet what he does write is powerful. He is very organized in his presentation. He is constantly dealing with Scripture to show why the Confession teaches what it does. Also, I don’t often say this, but I love his questions at the end of each chapter. They aren’t for the faint of heart. For instance, his chapter on justification by faith provides 44 questions at the end! I also like that Hodge interacts with both the shorter and larger catechisms throughout this commentary. It’s not that Hodge is saying something different than what other commentators are saying, but he’s saying it so beautifully, concisely, logically, and persuasively.This is a book that I would recommend Christians to read from cover to cover. But more than just that, I would recommend Christians to keep this book as a resource that you constantly reference. If you are reading about adoption in the book of Ephesians, jump into chapter twelve of this book and check out Hodge’s remarks. Most of the chapters are not very long, and you’ll greatly benefit from taking a few minutes to grow in your understanding of the whole Bible’s teaching on the particular topic.This Banner of Truth edition is aesthetically beautiful! It’s a black, hardcover, cloth-bound book with gold lettering on the spine. The dust jacket has a nice picture of London on the front. Banner produces the nicest books you’ll ever find, though that probably only matters to book lovers like myself.Most importantly, this book is an amazing help for anybody wanting to understand Reformed theology. It’s under 500 pages, but it covers so much terrain! Hodge proves to be a master teacher in this work, and the reader is sure to benefit from his commentary. I recommend it highly! Tolle lege, take up and read!Disclaimer: My thanks to Banner of Truth for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book on behalf of an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.