I'm Jonathan Lehman.

And I'm Mark Devere.

And welcome to this episode of Nine Marks Pastors Talk.

Nine Marks exist to equip church leaders of the biblical vision and practical resources for building healthy churches.

Learn more at nine marks.org.

Mark, when was the first time you heard of James N.L. Packer?

J.I. Packer?

Probably freshman year in college when someone gave me a copy or showed me his book, Knowing God.

Was that the first book then you read of his?

Yeah.

That would have been in 1978.

It was published in 72 or 73.

78.

So that was 42 years ago, and you've been recommending that book ever since.

Yeah.

How did it impact you?

I think I already agreed with the theology that was in the book, but it put it so clearly

and compellingly.

Yeah.

It was just wonderfully worshipful experience, reading it and reading it slowly and using it at my quiet time.

Other books since then have surpassed that book, or is it still stand alone in helpfulness in your mind?

Well, it stands in a great history of books about God before it. Charonix's Exist and Attributes of God.

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