About the Author
I have been privileged to know the
author of this work personally some five years, and much longer than that
by his reputation as a writer. I have found him to be a man of knowledge
and experience and my respect for him grows each day. The readers of this
volume might be interested in a short biography of its writer.
James William Boyd was born April 15, 1930 to Bowling
Briggs and Katherine Louise Boyd. On January 14, 1940 he was born into
the Lord's Kingdom by baptism. He came from a rich heritage, having a father
who served as a deacon and elder at the old Donelson, Tennessee church
which was established by the author's grandfather, Dr. William Boyd, and
great grandfather, Dr. E.E. Buchanan.
The rich heritage of this family is continued through
the family of the author. He married the former Rosalyn Lee Hale in March,
1952, the daughter of Clyde and Christine Hale (Brother Hale preached the
gospel for nearly sixty years.). From this union came four precious children:
one daughter, Amy Hagewood, three sons, Bill, Stephen, and Sam. The three
oldest are all married, and each of them faithful Christians. This legacy
of this family carries on. Brother Boyd is the grandfather to some eight
little ones. With such a family it is no wonder that one of his favorite
verses is, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in
truth." (III John 4).
In addition to his family background,
the author is well-trained academically. He attended David Lipscomb University;
graduated with a B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University (cum laude); and
did graduate work at Indiana University, Harding Graduate School of Religion,
completing the M.A. degree from Alabama Christian School of Religion.
The author has been deeply involved
for many years in the Lord's work of preaching and teaching the gospel.
He started preaching in June, 1952, in Dekalb County, Tennessee with the
encouragement of J. Roy Vaughan. Since that time he has served with churches
in Nashville, Tennessee; South Bend, Indiana; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Jacksonville,
Alabama; Jackson, Tennessee; Tupelo, Mississippi; Rock Island, Tennessee;
and is currently serving the East End church of Christ in McMinnville,
Tennessee. Also during these years he taught daily Bible classes in the
Boyd-Buchanan School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Jackson Christian
School in Jackson, Tennessee. He preaches some six to ten gospel meetings
each year along with speaking on lectureships, radio, television, and writes
articles for several brotherhood publications. Perhaps one of his most
ambitious projects is the publication of A BURNING FIRE, a monthly publication
in which his sermons are put in manuscript form. This publication is now
in its eleventh year and is scheduled to extend to seventeen volumes.
I consider it an honor to introduce
you to the author of this book and invite you to weigh carefully his comments
on the Sacred Scriptures. There is no greater study than one can enter
than the Word of the Almighty.
September 21, 1990
Tony Lawrence