Additional Details
If you own a base library package from Logos, you are probably familiar with R. A. Torrey's New Topical Text Book and Difficulties in the Bible. But Torrey's legacy goes well beyond these two volumes. As Eric M. Pazdziora, editor of the R. A. Torrey Archive notes of Torrey,
As an evangelist, he was in the same league as D. L. Moody and Billy Graham. As an apologist, his work compares to the best of Josh McDowell or C. S. Lewis. As a preacher, he held massive crowds captive with his sensible appeals to Scripture. As an author, his writings are regarded as classics in diverse fields including theology, apologetics, Bible exposition, and practical Christian living. His name: R. A. Torrey (1856-1928), the most undeservedly neglected Christian author of the past 150 years.
R. A. Torrey possessed an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the Bible, and used that knowledge to help readers apply Scripture in practical ways. These 15 books are an absolute gold mine of biblical doctrine and teaching.
Electronic Books Included
What the Bible Teaches: A Thorough and Comprehensive Study of what the Bible has to Say Concerning the Great Doctrines of which it Treats
- 539 pages
- Biblical doctrines; Lesson material
- Copyright 1898
- Title Page | Preface: 1, 2, 3 | Sample Pages: 1, 2, 3
What the Bible Teaches is a remarkably useful compendium of biblical teaching on 53 major doctrines of the Christian faith. As you can see in this screenshot, the author uses a highly accessible outline format based on specific Scripture passages followed by propositions. So, for example, Chapter 1 addresses "God as Spirit" and uses key Scripture passages to demonstrate the truth of five propositions:
- God is spirit.
- That which is spirit may manifest itself in visible form.
- God has in times past manifested Himself in visible form.
- Etc.
This book would be very useful in a classroom or inductive Bible study setting, or to give structure to your devotional study. It's a great way to get a handle on key biblical doctrines, using Scripture alone as a guide. As Torrey writes in the preface, "This work is simply an attempt at a careful, unbiased, systematic, thorough-going, inductive study and statement of Bible truth...The material contained in the Bible is brought together, carefully scrutinized, and then what is seen to be contained in it stated in the most exact terms possible."
Studies in the Life and Teachings of our Lord
It's suprising that this book has not been kept in print. What a fantastic resource for teaching or leading a Bible study! It's like having a Bible tutor at your side, asking probing questions of the Bible text and letting you provide the answers. This book shows how much Torrey was a master of the inductive method of Bible study—his questions could be used to write your own Bible study guide! Just take a look at this screenshot.
Here's how Torrey explains what this book is, "A consecutive, systematic course of studies in our Lord's life and teachings, divided into 140 lessons, each complete in itself, and adapted either for individual or class use." He continues, "The method is workable, and is calculated to develop the student's own gifts, and that in direct work upon the Bible text itself. It is not too laborious in quantity or manner for the every-day Christian...Dr. Torrey asks the questions, the student—each for himself or herself—answers the questions from the open Bible. Dr. Torrey gives a classification of the teachings, but each student should carry the discovery and classification further for himself."
How to Pray
- 100 pages
- Biblical doctrines
- Copyright 1900
A true classic, this book is still being reprinted today.
The Person & Work of the Holy Spirit: As Revealed in the Scriptures and in Personal Experience
- 262 pages
- Biblical doctrines
- Copyright 1910
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit
- 77 pages
- Biblical doctrines
- Copyright 1897
The Importance and Value of Proper Bible Study: How Properly to Study and Interpret the Bible
- 113 pages
- Bible study handbook
- Copyright 1921
How to Study the Bible for the Greatest Profit
- 121 pages
- Bible study handbook
- Copyright 1896
How to Succeed in the Christian Life
- 121 pages
- Discipleship
- Copyright 1906
How to work for Christ: A Compendium of Effective Methods
Book 1: Personal Work
Book 2: Methods of Christian Work
Book 3: Preaching and Teaching the Word of God
- 518 pages
- Handbook for pastors and lay leaders, Biblical counsel
- Copyright 1901
- Title Page | Preface | Table of Contents: 1, 2 | Sample Pages: 1, 2, 3
Anecdotes and Illustrations
Talks to Men About the Bible and the Christ of the Bible
- 138 pages
- Sermons
- Copyright 1904
Revival Addresses
The Gospel for Today: New Evangelistic Sermons for a New Day
- 216 pages
- Sermons
- Copyright 1922
Real Salvation and Whole-Hearted Service
- 267 pages
- Sermons
- Copyright 1905
The Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Faith
- 328 pages
- Sermons
- Copyright 1918
About the Author
(Excerpted from a biography at Biola University's Reuben Archer Torrey Honors Institute)
"Reuben Archer Torrey (1856-1928) was both an evangelist and a Bible scholar. Long associated with evangelist D. L. Moody, he became most prominent during world preaching tours in 1902 and 1921. His preaching in Wales in 1902 has been noted as one cause for the Welsh revivals of the early 1900s. He was the first superintendent of the Moody Bible Institute and wrote numerous devotional and theological books.
"Spiritual awakening followed R. A. Torrey throughout his career as an evangelist. In revivals with the popular gospel singer Charles W. Alexander, Dr. Torrey filled meeting halls with his magnetic presence, passion, and earnestness."
See also: