I first encountered Dr. Richard Gamble because I sought him out for help. I was a student under care in St. Lawrence Presbytery and had come under fire in one of my theological exams regarding my understanding of a certain doctrine. I vowed to my presbytery that I would study this doctrine in greater detail.

I kept my vow. I read numerous books on the topic and even wrote a paper on the topic for the RP Seminary. However, I remained mostly unconvinced.

This prompted me to seek out Dr. Gamble at Synod. Although he did not know me, he immediately made himself accessible for a discussion. He walked back and forth with me and discussed the matter. I marveled at how he was able to combine his theological knowledge with true pastoral concern for me. In a time when some noteworthy Reformed scholars seem to think more highly of themselves than they ought, Dr. Gamble was a breath of fresh air. I left my encounter with Dr. Gamble having changed my views.

Dr. Gamble is a well-traveled and well-known scholar in the Reformed world. He currently serves as professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. He previously served as president of the Calvin Studies Society, a member of the editorial board of the Peter Martyr Library, and as the director of the Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies at Calvin Theological Seminary. He has edited works on, and translated works by, John Calvin. It would not be hyperbole to state that he is a world-renowned Calvin scholar.

However, there are some lesser-known facts about Dr. Gamble. First, he has been a dedicated member of the RPCNA for several years. Second, he played an instrumental role in the theological training of Reformed Presbyterian students in Indianapolis. Third, he contributed significantly to the work of the RPCNA Synod’s worship committee.

As a Reformed Presbyterian who loves Reformed theology, I am grateful that this gifted scholar has joined the ranks of our denomination. I am also excited that he will soon be sharing his knowledge with the broader Christian world. Later this year, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing (P&R) will publish the first volume of an anticipated three-volume series by Dr. Gamble entitled The Whole Counsel of God, Volume 1: God’s Mighty Acts in the Old Testament.

P&R was gracious in forwarding to me a manuscript copy of this work for the purposes of reviewing it for the RP Witness. Dr. Gamble informed me that the manuscript copy that I am reviewing is not in final form and that he intends to make some revisions before publication.

This first volume is a massive work, nearly 800 pages in length. Because of its size, and my effort to get this review published in the RP Witness before the book’s scheduled release in June, I acknowledge that I have not read every word. In fact, I have only begun to mine the depths of this work. Therefore, this review represents my initial impressions of this work, its methodology and content. (Editor’s note: Just prior to press time, the release date for the volume was changed to December of this year.)

First, it is clear that this volume represents a ground-breaking piece of biblical scholarship. I say this not because it is filled with novel ideas or innovative theology, but rather because Dr. Gamble is approaching the field of systematic theology in an entirely new way. This work is truly unprecedented in our time. Over the past 150 years theological scholarship has witnessed a growing emphasis on specialization. This means that modern theological scholars tend to specialize in a specific field of theology, such as historical theology, exegetical theology, systematic theology, or biblical theology. Because theological scholars specialize in one area, they tend to be unfamiliar and uncomfortable delving into other spheres of theology. Therefore, modern theologians generally do not produce comprehensive or integrated works on theology.

The most damaging ramification of this trend toward specialization in the modern church has been to pit various disciplines against one another. Dr. Gamble’s work is pioneering in that it is an attempt at integrating the major theological disciplines. He openly acknowledges that his goal is to produce this type of comprehensive theology.

In the introduction to the first volume, Gamble writes:

The Whole Counsel of God is written to continue discussions concerning the relationship between exegesis and hermeneutics, and between Biblical, systematic, and hist­or­ical theology. The Whole Counsel of God will attempt to meet the need of a comprehensive theology that is attuned to the methodological advantages of Biblical theology, but will combine that advantage with the strengths of historical and systematic theology.

Given this, it should come as no surprise that Dr. Gamble draws extensively on the work of biblical theologians, particularly Geerhardus Vos, and systematic theologians such as Charles Hodge and Wilhelmus a Brakel. In fact, Dr. Gamble’s footnotes reveal that he has drawn from a vast body of theological knowledge. For example, the reader will encounter numerous citations from historic Reformed theologians such as John Calvin, Herman Witsius, John Owen, B.B. Warfield, Herman Bavinck, Louis Berkhof, G.C. Berkhouwer, E.J. Young, John Murray, and Cornelius Van Til.

However, Gamble is not stuck in the past. He also engages the works of contemporary scholars, including John Frame, Richard Pratt, John Sailhammer, Richard Gaffin, Bruce Waltke, Robert Reymond, Richard Muller, Meredith Kline, Ralph Smith, Walter Kaiser, and John Bolt.

Even the structure of the first volume displays Dr. Gamble’s effort to be comprehensive and integrative in his approach to theology. For example, his biblical-theological emphasis becomes immediately apparent when one glances at the table of contents. The first volume is divided into five parts, ordered according to the progressive unfolding of special revelation:

Part 1—“Magnalia Dei: God’s Great Deeds!’”

Part 2—“Revelation from Adam through the Flood”

Part 3—“Revelation from Abraham to the Prophets”

Part 4—“The Historic, Wisdom-Poetic, and Prophetic Epochs of Revelation”

Part 5—“God’s People Respond to the Magnalia Dei”

Gamble’s focus on “traditional” systematic theology is also apparent in the structure of this work. For example, Part 1 includes sections with titles such as: “The Nature and Method of Theology,” “How Shall We Structure Systematic Theology?” and “The Idea of ‘Systematic Theology.’” I am not aware of another volume that integrates classic theological prolegomena with biblical theology. This is indeed a comprehensive work! In fact, it is so comprehensive that the volume even includes poetry from Dr. Gamble (which is quite good).

My second general comment is particularly significant to Reformed Presbyterians. Among the numerous areas of theology addressed in this volume is the issue of song in worship. Here Dr. Gamble winsomely, humbly, and convincingly advocates for our practice of worship. He spends nearly 15 pages on “The function of the Psalter in the lives of God’s people.” While his work on the psalms is not novel in its content (it’s primarily a recapitulation of thoughts that can be gleaned in Geerhardus Vos’ article “The Eschatology of the Psalter,” Michael Bushell’s book Songs of Zion, and the writings of John Girardeau), it is nonetheless incredibly significant for the RPCNA. With the publication of this first volume, our church will have a 21st Century defense of our worship practices published by a well-known and broadly recognized Reformed and evangelical publishing house. People from a variety of backgrounds will read this volume and be exposed to a reasoned defense of our understanding of worship.

I have only two criticisms of this volume. First, I would have liked to see more references to traditional systematic theology, particularly the Reformed confessional tradition. My first impression of this work is that, although Dr. Gamble is attempting to be integrative, biblical theology ultimately emerges as dominant. Of course, this could reflect my bias regarding the field of systematic theology. The planned third volume in this series will likely remedy my concerns in this area. Dr. Gamble describes the purpose of the third volume as tracking the “churches’ theological development in its understanding and explication of the Bible’s teaching, through the centuries.” I assume this third volume will specifically address the Reformed confessional tradition.

Second, I also found myself longing for more information on certain topics. While some topics are covered in great detail, others, such as the covenant with Adam, are covered in just a few short paragraphs. However, these weaknesses are relatively minor and are most likely a consequence of the volume’s greatest strength, its effort to be comprehensive and integrative.

This is an incredibly ambitious and helpful work. It is an effort to integrate the various theological disciplines for the glory of God and the enrichment of His Church. Dr. Gamble has no theological axe to grind; rather, his goal is to be faithful to the Word of God. His efforts in this regard are not only commendable, but are truly enriching. This volume, and this series, will be a must-have for Reformed pastors and many others. It will occupy a privileged spot on my bookshelf next to Hodge, a Brakel, Turretin, Warfield, Berkhof, and Bavinck.