Book Review: Christ All Sufficient - An Exposition of Colossians by Brian G. Hedges
Before heading off into the review of this great book, I wanted to write a little bit on the “why” aspect. I first heard of Brian G. Hedges through my mentor at church and one the books on the discipleship curriculum was Christ Formed in You, written by Brian G. Hedges. Even if I grew up in church, there are times when one becomes a little hesitant, fearing that something might be too heady to comprehend. The older book that he authored was not that, yes it contained a lot of deep concepts, but what I appreciated about it was that it was written in a way that can be understood by someone who wanted to grow in theology, but someone who didn’t necessarily go to seminary. So when I was offered a chance to review this newer gem, I signed right up!
Paul’s letter to the Colossians is a great encouragement to believers as it contains both truth on who Christ is and how that truth should shape our lives as believers. The author is able to channel Paul’s goal of exhorting this ancient church and he does this by providing great exposition on the sufficiency of Christ. While it was written in an era of the early church, the truths expounded on by the author were very relevant and useful for Christians today. One of the things that easily caught me was the richness of the imagery provided by the author’s examples. He uses the pictures, metaphors and imagery used in a lot of Paulinian text (example: ships and anchors) but delves deeper and makes it rich for modern readers by describing it even more. It definitely kept me going on through the rest of the book.
Also, the book is very organized and that is another plus for me! It has a lot of rich theological content, but you never really get lost, because even the headings are useful. The author also provides context prior to interpreting the text and he includes other quotations or interpretations that has informed his understanding of the text he is explaining. Also, I appreciated the use and referral to a lot of biblical Greek words. It is one of the things that has helped me understand a lot of biblical texts even deeper. And speaking of text - one of the best things Brian Hedges has done is to highlight Christ and the gospel in the whole of his study of Colossians - and that does it for me. It is enough for me to excitedly share this book to my friends!
In about 156 pages, it is rich piece of literature - one that reminds us to rejoice in our gift of salvation, and challenges us to be fruitful, growing and serving as light-bearers of Christ in this world.
“ Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6
I received a complimentary copy from Crossfocusedreviews and Shepherd’s Press, in exchange for a review. I was not asked to write a positive review in exchange for a copy, but choose to write a review that is constructive, honest and helpful to other consumers.