Knowing the Doctrines of the Bible

Sadly, so many of us as Christians don't know the basics as it relates to the fundamentals of our faith. As a result of this, a lot of us are poorly equipped to deal with life (let alone minister to others). I read this book slowly over the course of 1.5 years. I will say that I found very little "questionable" material in it. It is a must have for ANY Christian. Don't get hung up on the denominational affiliation or even the date this book was originally published. In my humble opinion, this book is timeless. If I didn't look inside the cover, I would not have known that the book was written so long ago (also some of the language use gave it away). I imagine that this book resulted from many years of study, prayer, and submission to the Spirit. In a time when authors are churning out books like batches of ice cream, it was refreshing to read a book that took TIME to write. The chapters on "Sin," "The Atonement," and "The Holy Spirit," are awesome. In fact, the chapter on "The Atonement" offers us as Christians some real ammunition to answer unbelievers' and skeptics' problem reconciling the seemingly conflicting attributes of God. (e.g. How can a God who is holy, judging, and intolerant of sin simultaneously be perfect in love, mercy and forgiveness?) Get the book. Read the book. Check the Scriptures for proof. You will be blessed. However, (and most importantly) you will be better equipped to be a blessing to someone else.

I thank the vendor for his quickness in getting me this book and for the good condition it was in.

The late Myer Pearlman was known for his ability to read a book and quickly grasp its meaning. In his life Pearlman was said to have a personal library of over 10,000 volumes and that he had read all of them. It was also said that Pearlman was much self-taught. He was self taught in biblical languages and other foreign languages. So without a doubt, if this information is true, then Pearlman was indeed a genuis. This work is by far his most popular work. Pearlman was a former Baptist preacher turned Pentecostal during the early days of the movement. Many in Pearlman's day lacked biblical education and many stayed away from Bible colleges since the early Pentecostals were persecuted heavily by their evangelical brethren. Pearlman wrote his doctrinal book to help the average uneducated Pentecostal preacher know what they believed and defend it from Scripture. The book was written around the Assemblies of God statement of fundamental truths. Pearlman does a good job of first stating what the doctrine is, some historical information about the doctrine, and then he gives a Pentecostal understanding of the doctrine. Overall this work is useful in studying theology and Pentecostal teachings in particular. While it is true that the Assemblies of God no longer uses Pearlman's work in their Bible colleges, the work is useful for reference. The work is also starting to show its age. Pearlman, for example, uses the King James Version while newer systematic theologies either use the author's own translation from the original languages or a popular Bible translation such as the NKJV, NASB, or NIV. The A/G's use the NIV for all of their publications. However Pearlman was writing for a generation that was mostly using the KJV so I do not find fault with him or even the KJV. Overall I recommend this book. Some of Pearlman's arguments are stronger than others for various Pentecostal doctrines such as divine healing in the atonement, baptism with the Spirit subsequent to salvation, and speaking in tongues as the initial, physical evidence of Spirit-Baptism. Nonetheless it is good reading.

This was the book that was used for our Doctrines I & II seminary classes and I believe it is still relevant today as when Myer Pearlman wrote it. The edition that I have is part of the "Pentacostal Classics" series and it is definitely a great introduction to the doctrines or teachings of the Bible. As for the comment that this book is in the "dark ages" and is no longer the doctrinal position of the Assemblies of God, I would venture to say that the Bible is no longer part of the doctrinal position of the Assemblies of God. They started out so good, as well as the Church of God. Holiness, full gospel, Spirit-filled, sanctified.... I would say that reading these passages would prompt the question to the negative "poster": Galatians 5:7; Revelation 2:4-5 The book, "Bible Doctrines from a Pentecostal Perspective" IS a brief introduction to the Assemblies of God Doctrines and Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths written in 1914 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Some things that I saw were left out would be the contributions of Bishop Charles Harrison Mason and the Church Of God In Christ, in ordaining and licensing the founders of the Assemblies Of God. Nevertheless, that is still a good book as well.

For those interested in a good layout of Christian Theology this is an excellent book that can stand side-by-side with R.A. Torrey's "What The Bible Teaches."Myer Pearlman Approaches the subject with both an historical and systematic approach covering all the concepts of the christian faith. The author deals with many subjects that make some uncomfortable (particularly those with Calvinist, or developments of calvinist theology, backgrounds). This book is well worth having.