Review

Rating: 8

An excellent study of Luke’s Nativity account. There are many extremely profound exegetical insights that can be gleaned here.

LaVerdier is no historian, though, and it doesn’t seem he cares to be one. He cannot figure out how to reconcile Luke with the known historical record, and makes little effort to do so. He is more interested the theological thrust of Luke’s account than he is of the historicity of the details. As such, he gives up on certain discrepancies pretty readily.

As long as one reads this book with the understanding that theological depth does not have to be sacrificed for historical scholarship, and can overlook LaVerdier’s shortcomings as a historian, there is a great deal of meaty theology that can be had from “The Firstborn of God.”