by Francine Rivers (Author), Adam Verner (Narrator), Recorded Books (Publisher)

An Audiobook

THE SCRIBE is the fifth book in Francine Rivers’ “Sons of Encouragement” series about  the men who are just “one step down” from the really famous men in the Bible.  (By this, I mean that they are the “helper” of the more well-known character.)

In this book, Silas was the traveling companion of the Apostle Paul, a converted Jew who spread the Gospel message throughout the then-known lands around the Mediterranean Sea.  It’s a clever way to write about the time from a different point of view.  And besides, the “main” characters probably have many books written about them already.

Okay, enough of that. The Scribe is a very entertaining Biblical historical fiction book. Rivers fleshes out the characters that have very little written about them in the New Testament and gives them a life of their own.  She also links Silas to some of the other “unnamed” people in the Gospels, such as “the rich, young ruler” whom Jesus called to follow Him, and one of the “two on the Emmaus Road” whom Jesus joined and taught.  This made the reading fun and interesting, if not Biblically accurate.

Rivers got a few minor details wrong, but she doesn’t claim to be a Bible scholar, so we forgive her. And she glorifies Jesus throughout, which is important. She also conveys the Gospel message clearly. Yes, I will probably read at least one or two more in the Sons of Encouragement. series.