I am grateful for a friend recommending this book to my family recently. I read it in just a couple of sittings. It was that good. My copy is now underlined and filled with marginalia. The book is Michael Kruger’s Bully Pulpit. Kruger is a respected New Testament scholar, professor, and pastor with decades of faithful writing, mentoring, pastoring, and teaching. I had read some of his earlier books on church history and biblical canonicity, which were excellent. But this volume focuses in plain, non-academic, biblical language upon how narcissistic insecure men often enter and infect Christian ministry and how we can guard the true sheep against these wolves dressed as sheep.

Kruger’s book is filled with examples from Scripture (1 Samuel 2, 3, 8, 25; 1 Kings 12; Ezekiel 34; Matthew 23, etc.) and from church history, both ancient and current. For those who only know recent events, Kruger cites these examples, among many others, of what happens when churches and organizations were duped and manipulated by wolves dresses as sheep: Ravi Zacharias, Mark Driscoll, Bill Hybels, James MacDonald, Jerry Falwell, Jr., Acts 29, etc. The list could go on and on–David Platt, David Timmis, etc. of the “trail of dead bodies” that is behind the ministries of many influential people that became successful in the world’s eyes (and in the eyes of many in the so-called church).

They do not care for the people but care only for themselves (p. 44). That is the repeated theme, evidenced over and over again via examples from Scripture, church history, and the recurring daily headlines, that runs throughout Kruger’s book.

If we love the truth, and therefore love the true church, we should read this book, commend it to others, and teach it to the saints.

Well done once again, Dr. Kruger. Grateful for your courageous and pastoral example. You are living out what it means to be a good and faithful servant by addressing an issue the true church needs to hear and heed.