Jeff Johnson has released a new edition of his book, He Died For Me, which is now available in paperback. He describes the book as essentially about an “in-house debate among Calvinists,” and that it is. But I think even non-Calvinists would learn a great deal from this book. It is an excellent introduction to the historical debate concerning the efficacy and sufficiency of the atonement that anyone interested in the issue ought to read. Whether one agrees with Jeff’s final answer or not, he or she will certainly come away with a better understanding of the issues, both biblically and historically, and, no doubt, a better understanding of his or her own position as well. As for me, when I read the first edition, I approached the book with a fairly high degree of skepticism, but I was surprised by it in several ways. First, I was surprised to discover that I did not understand the historical background of the debate nearly as a well as I thought I did. Second, I was surprised to discover that I hadn’t been nearly as consistent in my thinking on the matter as I thought I had been. And, third, I was surprised that the book won me over. Jeff convinced me of his position. In addition, the book is written in a very clear and accessible way. So, for all these reasons,even if you have already read the first edition, I highly recommend getting the second edition, since Jeff has made quite a few changes. Here is a picture of the table of contents so that you can see the difference:
I can’t wait to get into this new edition! And I hope the blog’s readers will be as excited as I am to read it. Even if you are not convinced by Jeff’s own arguments in the end, you will certainly learn a lot from the book, as I hope to learn even more from this new edition. However, you may end up being won over by Jeff’s clear, Scriptural arguments, just as I was. Be sure to buy your copy now!
