Book Review: Deeper into the Word by Keri Wyatt Kent


Deeper into the Word is a reflection of 100 words compiled from the New Testament. In this book, Keri Wyatt Kent attempts to give the reader a greater understanding of words the words she feels are most important in the New Testament scriptures. The author suggests that this book should be used, in conjunction with the Bible, in one of 3 ways: 1) as a reference tool, 2) a study guide for word studies, or 3) as daily devotional. With each word, the author gives scriptural references, along with historical information on the context in which the word was used.

What I like about this book is the root word information the author gives, explaining what the Greek word is and the different ways it is used (i.e. verb, noun, adjective). Greek is a language I would like to learn, so this was of interest to me. I also enjoyed the historical information the author gives, reminding us of the Biblical time and settings, who was involved and what was going at the time. She also ties in very relevant Old Testament scriptures and information to give the reader a better understanding of the word. Because of this, I would suggest using the book as a reference tool.

What I did not like about this book is that at times, some of the background information the author uses to help explain a word, is then left up to interpretation by the reader and may cause confusion. Take the word deacon, for example. She says that the Greek word for deacon (diakonos) is mostly translated as servant in the New Testament and this word was used to describe Phoebe in the Bible (Romans 16:1). She then poses questions, however, about whether or not Phoebe (as well as other women) may or may not have held the office of deacon in the early church. She does not give clear answers to the questions she poses and leaves room for debate and interpretation.

Overall, it is not a bad book. While I proably won't be using it regularly with my daily Bible study, it might come in handy for specific words of interest at some point.

**I received a free copy of this book from BethanyHouse in exchange for an honest review. All the opinons expressed were my own.**

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