Amazing Love: The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Book Description:

An easily read and moving book, Amazing Love, by J.R. de Witt, is an introduction not only to the meaning of the parable, but to the heart of real Christianity.

How did the Parable of the Prodigal Son, possibly Christ’s best-known parable, get its name? It could easily have been called the Parable of the Waiting Father.

Jesus told the story to illustrate the joy which there is in heaven over one sinner who repents, and so he spoke of a wanderer. But to over-emphasize that aspect of the story would be a mistake. The joy in heaven is joy in the presence of the angels, not the angel’s joy. It is the joy of God as his amazing love welcomes the wanderer home.

Author:

Dr. John R. De Witt has been a minister of the gospel for over 50 years. He received his B.D. from Western Theological Seminary and an honorary degree of D.D. from Rhodes College. He was professor of church history and systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, from 1975-1982, and has served congregations in Paterson (New Jersey), London, Kingstree (South Carolina), Memphis (Tennessee) – where he was senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church for 10 years – and Grand Rapids (Michigan). He also pastored First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC. In 2009 he was the moderator of the General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.
Dr. De Witt is the author of Jus Divinum (an account of the Westminster Assembly), Amazing Love (on the parable of the prodigal son), and the booklet What is the Reformed Faith?, the latter two published by the Trust, of which he was formerly a Trustee. His wife of forty-one years, Jane Epps de Witt, passed away in February 2012.

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