Best Way to Know a Book Is to Know the Author

The art and craft of writing books have fascinated me for a long time. Having written, co-authored and edited more than 20 books myself, I know it’s a complicated, challenging endeavor. Author Philip Yancey has described the writing process as something like this: “All you have to do is sit at the computer, fingers on the keyboard, until beads of blood appear on your forehead.” (Who said writing is ‘no sweat’?)

I identify very well with another of Yancey’s observations about writing: “I hate to write – but I love to have written.” Sometimes I can be extremely creative in procrastinating from sitting at the keyboard, but the end result from the hard work of writing can be very rewarding. 

 

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and interacting with a number of other authors. I’ve concluded that we writers are a strange bunch, many leaning toward being introverts since we spend so much time inside our own heads. 

 

Most of us will never meet our favorite authors – especially ones like Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, the Bronte sisters, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and many other literary greats who have passed from the scene. But in reading their books, we can capture a glimpse of who they are (or were). Because most of the time, authors write about things that interest or intrigue them. 

 

For instance, horrormeister Stephen King (whom I’ve met) obviously has a fascination with things that go bump in the night. As did Edgar Allan Poe. Agatha Christie must have thought it great fun to conjure up a good mystery. John Grisham revels in courtroom drama. And Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov had a particular penchant for the collision of science and futuristic fiction.

 

However, while books offer a glimpse into what authors think about, their writings don’t always reveal much about what they’re really like in real life. Are they as clever and engaging in person as characters in their books? Do they have sinister, brooding personalities? Would we enjoy being their friend? 

 

On the other hand, don’t you think you’d understand a book better if you truly knew its author?

 

At this point we should note a very important difference between every other book and…the Bible. Consisting of 66 books (39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament), compiled from about 40 different people who wrote under the inspiration of God, the Bible truly is the Word of God. Its pages teach us not only what interests Him but also reveals who He is – in extraordinary detail.

 

As 2 Timothy 3:16 informs us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” One new believer concluded after reading this verse, “God wrote a book!”

 

Not only that, but despite its many ‘sub-books’ and numerous human writers, the Bible is unique in that it carries one central theme that spanned thousands of years: redemption through Jesus Christ.

 

Books, whether produced on physical paper or displayed on an electronic screen, consist of words, sentences and paragraphs. The Scriptures tell us something about Jesus that no one else has or could ever claim: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:1,14).

 

If we wonder what God is like, we need look no further than to Jesus. As Hebrews 1:3 tells us, “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” In one of his books, Yancey expressed it this way: “Jesus became the visible, finite expression of the invisible, infinite, inexpressible God.”

 

When we think of famous authors, Jesus Christ might not be the first name to roll off our tongues. But the Bible states Jesus indeed was an author – in the most profound sense. Speaking to a crowd of people at a place in Jerusalem called Solomon’s Colonnade, the apostle Peter declared, “You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead” (Acts 3:15). 

 

Later in the New Testament we find another reference to Jesus’ authorship. Hebrews 12:2 urges us, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

Both passages show Jesus as a different type of “author,” not the writer of a singular work of non-fiction or fiction, but the giver of life itself. Even though we have beating hearts, blood pulsing through our veins, and air in our lungs, the Scriptures teach that apart from Christ we are spiritually dead. Yet because of what He has done on our behalf, we can experience and enjoy new life:

“…because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).

 

Another verse I’ve cited before speaks of this new life, available to everyone who will receive it: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

 

Receiving Christ’s gift of salvation, forgiveness and redemption not only assures us of life after death, but also eternal life right now. We know this because of what God says in the Bible: “I write these things to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Note this doesn’t say, ‘you will have eternal life,’ but rather, “you have eternal life” – present tense.

 

The Lord doesn’t just want to turn a page on our lives. He wants to start writing a new book in us. I like how James Banks, a devotional writer for Our Daily Bread, put it: “The author of life stands ready to write new beginnings for us!” Doesn’t that sound good?

Words: Inspiring or Inciting, Wonderful or Woeful?

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me!” When I was a kid, this old saying would be repeated over and over. One problem: it wasn’t true.

 

My boyhood had its share of cuts and scrapes. Even though I didn’t have a belligerent personality, I got into a scuffle or two. But I can't recall any of those injuries in detail. I can, however, remember harsh or unkind words that were directed to me and my fragile self-image as a youth. If I tried hard enough, some of those insults could still echo in my mind.

 

Perhaps this is one reason the Bible is replete with verses and passages that deal with the power of words, citing their capacity of uplifting and inspiring, as well as damage it can incite when misused.

 

In fact, the New Testament book of James clearly warns of the potential dangers of the tongue when not wisely restrained or controlled: “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell…no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:6-8).

Of course, we don’t need to be speaking directly to someone, or even on the phone, to inflict damage with our words. We have resources like social media, text messaging and emails to insult, demean, bully, antagonize and disparage. In fact, hiding behind the curtains of cyberspace, cowardly individuals have given an entirely different meaning to “bully pulpit.”

 

Used with grace, words – spoken or written – have the power to inspire; they can be wonderful tools of encouragement. But misused, words can deflate, even destroy. This is why we read such admonitions in the book of Proverbs as:

“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:11).

“He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin” (Proverbs 13:3).

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21).

 

When uncontrolled, one’s tongue inevitably strays into dangerous territory, so we find this admonition to speak with extreme caution: “When there are many words, transgression is not avoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19, NAS). The NIV translates it this way: “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” 

 

President Abraham Lincoln is reputed to have said, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.” We find a similar declaration that was made many centuries earlier in Proverbs 17:28, “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.”

 

All this is not to diminish the value of words, whether spoken or written. Proverbs 15:28 offers this contrast: “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things” (Proverbs 15:28). And we find this observation in Proverbs 17:27, “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.” 

 

These days it’s so easy to dash off an email thoughtlessly, failing to consider its impact on the recipient. Or to key in a derogatory comment on Facebook or Twitter. Perhaps, like a bit in the mouth of a horse, we need sound communication principles to keep our thoughts reined in. We find some in the 4^th chapter of the New Testament book of Ephesians.

 

As we prepare to speak or write something sensitive to another person, it would be helpful to pause and make certain that we are “…speaking the truth in love,” as Ephesians 4:15 phrases it.

 

A bit further into the chapter we find what we could term the “command for effective communicators: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).

Selfless, sacrificial love should be our primary motivation behind everything we do, according to the Word of God, including interpersonal communications. Passages like those above could serve as safeguards for everything we say and write. Being a writer who regularly uses an abundance of words in a variety of settings, I need the counsel of these verses as much as anyone. 

A Word About Words – and The Word

Lacking any mechanical mastery whatsoever, I occasionally employ the services of people who have it. Folks skilled at using tools like hammers, saws, wrenches, screwdrivers, and such. I admire them, even though I’ve never had any disposition toward learning how to use such devices. If hard-pressed, I can turn a screw or hammer a nail, but those aren’t things I particularly enjoy doing.

My tools are of the verbal variety – words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, punctuation. I suppose I’m better at using them than most, because for more than five decades they’ve helped me build a satisfying career. Words have always fascinated me, much as a carpenter is intrigued by a seemingly haphazard pile of wood, screws and nails, along with plans and the equipment needed to assemble them together.

If wanting to let others know what we are thinking, we use words to communicate it. What are we feeling? We use words to express that, too. When we want someone to do something, we use words to tell them. You don’t have to be an articulate speaker or proficient writer to get your point across – as long as you use the right words in the right ways.

Alistair Begg is among the small minority of individuals who are equally adept at conveying ideas as a pastor, public speaker and author. Recently a statement he made resonated strongly with me: “Words work – and God’s words work best.” Because I’m convinced that no matter how skilled a speaker or writer may be, nothing’s as effective or powerful as the Word of God.

I might have any number of views and values, but in the end they belong in the books of 1 or 2 Opinions. However, precepts supported by the Scriptures carry weight that surpasses all of human reasoning. From Genesis to Revelation, God reveals Himself in incomparable ways – through narrative, history, poetry, prophecy, theology, principles, promises and parables.

Bible scholars tell us approximately 40 different persons wrote individual books that comprise the Scriptures, and these writings took place over the span of an estimated 1,500 years. And yet, in many respects the Bible can be considered God’s autobiography, a sprawling account of His dealings with His people since the beginning of time.

How can we call it an “autobiography” since it was scripted by so many different people? Because, as we’re informed in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

The Lord used an array of writers, allowing latitude for their personalities and perspectives. However, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 makes the declaration, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

We find similar assertions in other parts of the Bible. In 2 Samuel  23:2, King David, author of much of the Psalms, stated, "The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.”  The book of Ezekiel opens by saying, “the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest…. There the hand of the Lord was on him” (Ezekiel 1:3). Another prophetic book begins, “This is the word of the Lord that came to Micah…what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem” (Micah 1:1).

Getting back to Pastor Begg’s view that “God’s words work best,” I heartily agree – not only for the quality of writing and depth of content, but also for their unsurpassed impact on those who believe them and put them into practice. As the apostle Paul told his disciple, Timothy, the Scriptures truly are “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” And for those of us who desire to serve the Lord and His people effectively, we can use His words to become “thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Cynics and skeptics may disagree, but I can attest that after reading, studying and seeking to apply biblical truths over nearly four decades, God has transformed me – and continues to do so – through His Word. I could also point you to thousands of people I’ve met over the years who have had the same experience. 

That’s one reason I’ve devoted much of my writing – using the tools of my trade – to addressing how to integrate our faith into every area of our lives. “My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer” (Psalm 45:1). I’m what you might call a “satisfied customer.”

Building with Boards . . . or Words

When we moved to Chattanooga in 1981, one of my career goals was to write a book. Over the years since, that dream has been realized and surpassed. It’s been my privilege to engage in writing and co-authoring about a dozen books.

Nearing completion of one book for a local company, I’m about to begin another about a family-owned company in the Midwest. I’ve learned much as a book author these three decades, but perhaps most striking is that book writing is a lot like building a house.

When people sometimes tell me they admire people who can write, I respond that I admire people with mechanical gifts. My father and grandfather were handymen; somehow the mechanic gene skipped right over me. Whenever something in our home needs to be fixed, fear fills my heart. Yet I see a correlation between working on a dwelling and dwelling on words.

Imagine all of the components of a house piled on the tract where it’s to be built. Boards and bricks, cement and steel, pipes and wires, nails, screws and plastic – all in a heap. “What a mess!” That’s until the craftsmen – the carpenters, masons, electricians, painters and plumbers – start making sense of the tangle.

Slowly, their skilled hands start forming the house: Foundation first, then frame, flooring, walls, ceilings, roof, fixtures and paint. Order built out of confusion.

Writing a book, the experience is similar. Interviews and research, “blueprints” of outlines and notes. From these emerge words, sentences, paragraphs, pages, chapters. All accumulated raw material eventually morphing into a book. It’s a daunting, sometimes intimidating process – but so fulfilling when it’s done.

So I embrace Psalm 45:1: “My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer."