Biblical Studies
Showing 201–300 of 1112 results
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Myths And Mistakes In New Testament Textual Criticism
$45.00Add to cartA renewed interest in textual criticism has created an unfortunate proliferation of myths, mistakes, and misinformation about this technical area of biblical studies. Elijah Hixson and Peter Gurry, along with a team of New Testament textual critics, offer up-to-date, accurate information on the history and current state of the New Testament text that will serve apologists and offer a self-corrective to evangelical excesses.
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Holy Imagination : A Literary And Theological Introduction To The Whole Bib
$40.99Add to cartMost literary works have one primary voice, a discourse that expresses an author’s dominant culture and ideology. The whole Bible, however, should be read by allowing numerous voices or discourses during a thousand years of literary imagination to emerge and interact. This dialogic reading process introduces theological insights that are larger than the individual parts of the Bible.
Many books about the Bible introduce students to this sacred literature through a critical tour of the historical events and cultures that were present when the authors were at work. Holy Imagination, however, groups sections of the Bible by genre, to include the whole canon.
This “reader’s introduction” is informed by literary theory and theological synthesis. For example, the first section will describe the primordial history in Genesis 1-11 as literary myth. How do we use the term myth when it is applied to the beginning of Genesis? The next section, the ancestral narratives in Genesis 12-50 is described as “formational narratives of identity.” How do the stories use sibling rivalry to shape national identity then and now?
Each section in the introduction will identify and describe the genre (myth, historiography, poetry, apocalyptic literature, and so on) and then move into a discussion about its literary characteristics. Once the range of materials within a genre is evaluated, the introduction will deploy literary tools useful in reading a particular genre. The application of these tools will be guided by a set of “literary rules.”
Reading is always an act of interpretation. The Bible is a theological text. The Bible is a literary text in that it is written and uses literary devices. Scripture comes to us in a variety of forms/genres and knowing the genre helps the reader in the task of reading. Scripture comes from multiple sources, representing a variety of perspectives over time. These different sources form a dialogue from which greater meaning can be achieved.. This dialogue is ongoing and never-ending (always making new meanings). Scripture is highly metaphorical, and metaphor is a distinct form of dialogue.
Holy Imagination can serve as the primary text for an introductory course on the whole Bible. For instructors who prefer an historical-critical structure, this book could be an appreciated supplementary text that gives new Bible readers the larger picture of the wider biblical literature.
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Not Scattered Or Confused
$50.00Add to cartThe Hebrew Bible displays a complicated attitude toward cities. Much of the story tells of a rural, agrarian society, yet those stories were written by people living in urban environments. Moreover, cities frequently appear in a negative light; the Hebrew slaves in the book of Exodus were forced to build cities, and the book of Samuel’s critique of monarchy assumes an urban setting that supports that monarchy. At the same, time Ezra-Nehemiah makes restoration of Jerusalem and its wall a holy priority, and Genesis 1-11 (and subsequent references to the primeval narrative) show a much more layered view of the dangers and opportunities of the urban context. As the world’s population continues to move into cities and we debate the impact on human life and the natural environment, it becomes increasingly important to know how the biblical writers understood the ways in which urban life enhances and disrupts human thriving. In this book, McEntire offers a comprehensive and hopeful understanding of the Bible and the city.
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Unseen Realm : Recovering The Supernatural Worldview Of The Bible
$22.99Add to cartIn The Unseen Realm, Dr. Michael Heiser examines the ancient context of Scripture, explaining how its supernatural worldview can help us grow in our understanding of God. He illuminates intriguing and amazing passages of the Bible that have been hiding in plain sight. You’ll find yourself engaged in an enthusiastic pursuit of the truth, resulting in a new appreciation for God’s Word.
*Why wasn’t Eve surprised when the serpent spoke to her?
*How did descendants of the Nephilim survive the flood?
*Why did Jacob fuse Yahweh and his Angel together in his prayer?
*Who are the assembly of divine beings that God presides over?
*In what way do those beings participate in God’s decisions?
*Why do Peter and Jude promote belief in imprisoned spirits?
*Why does Paul describe evil spirits in terms of geographical rulership?
*Who are the “glorious ones” that even angels dare not rebuke?After reading this book, you may never read your Bible the same way again.
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Paul And The Giants Of Philosophy
$28.00Add to cartWhat forces shaped the intellectual world of the Apostle Paul?
How familiar was he with the great philosophers of his age, and to what extent was he influenced by them? When he quoted Greco-Roman sources, what was his aim? Pauline scholars wrestle with such questions in journal articles and technical monographs, but now Paul and the Giants of Philosophy brings the conversation into the college classroom and the church. Each essay addresses Paul’s interaction with Greco-Roman philosophical thinking on a particular topic, such as faith, slavery, gift-giving, and the afterlife. And each chapter includes discussion questions and reading lists to help readers engage the material further. Dodson and Briones have gathered contributors with diverse views from various traditions who are united in the desire to make Paul’s engagement with ancient philosophy accessible to many readers.
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Galatians Debate : Contemporary Issues In Rhetorical And Historical Interpr
$47.00Add to cartStudents and scholars reading the secondary literature on Galatians must often negotiate specialized language and complex lines of argumentation. In addition to the theological jargon that traditionally characterizes discussion of Galatians, there is also a significant amount of rhetorical and sociohistorical terminology.
This volume facilitates familiarity with the technical terminology and with issues central to the interpretation of Galatians and presents examples of the prevailing points of view as well as some recent challenges to them. The essays included explore the rhetorical and epistolary approaches to examining Galatians, comprise a comprehensive introduction to significant research in the field, and represent some of the best work available. Mark Nanos offers an introduction and glossary of terms to help students begin their study and a comprehensive volume bibliography and modern author and ancient sources indexes for those who are continuing on to further study.
Contributors
John M. G. Barclay
Robert M. Berchman
Hans Dieter Betz
C. Joachim Classen
Nils A. Dahl
James D. G. Dunn
Philip F. Esler
Paula Fredriksen
Robert G. Hall
G. Walter Hansen
A. E. Harvey
James D. Hester
Robert Jewett
Paul E. Koptak
B. C. Lategan
Troy Martin
J. Louis Martyn
Dieter Mitternacht
Mark D. Nanos
Joop Smit
Johan S. Vos
Nikolaus Walter -
World Around The Old Testament
$45.00Add to cartLeading Experts Introduce the People and Contexts of the Old Testament
What people groups interacted with ancient Israel? Who were the Hurrians and why do they matter? What do we know about the Philistines, the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and others?
In this up-to-date volume, leading experts introduce the peoples and places of the world around the Old Testament, providing students with a fresh exploration of the ancient Near East. The contributors offer comprehensive orientations to the main cultures and people groups that surrounded ancient Israel in the wider ancient Near East, including not only Mesopotamia and the northern Levant but also Egypt, Arabia, and Greece. They also explore the contributions of each people group or culture to our understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures.
This supplementary text is organized by geographic region, making it especially suitable for the classroom and useful in a variety of Old Testament courses. Approximately eighty-five illustrative items are included throughout the book.
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Participating In Christ
$30.00Add to cartWorld-renowned scholar Michael Gorman examines the important Pauline theme of participation in Christ and explores its contemporary significance for Christian life and ministry. One of the themes Gorman explores is what he calls “resurrectional cruciformity”–that participating in Christ is simultaneously dying and rising with him and that cross-shaped living, infused with the life of the resurrected Lord, is life giving. Throughout the book, Gorman demonstrates the centrality of participating in Christ for Paul’s theology and spirituality.
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Feasts Of Repentance
$25.00Add to cartOnly when we grasp the need for true repentance can we fully understand the gospel Jesus preached. In this NSBT volume, Michael Ovey comments on the relevant biblical material in Luke-Acts and systematic-theological aspects of repentance, then gives a pastoral theology for the corporate life of the people of God today with regard to self-righteousness, hypocrisy, humility, forgiveness, and justice.
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Rediscovering Scriptures Vision For Women
$24.00Add to cartDoes God call women to serve as equal partners in marriage and as leaders in the church?
The answer to this straightforward question is deeply contested. Into the fray, Lucy Peppiatt offers her work on interpretation of the Bible and Christian practice. With careful exegetical work, Peppiatt considers relevant passages in Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Peter, 1 Timothy, and 1 Corinthians. There she finds a story of God releasing women alongside men into all forms of ministry, leadership, work, and service on the basis of character and gifting, rather than biological sex. Those who see the overturning of male-dominated hierarchy in the Scriptures, she argues, are truly rediscovering an ancient message–a message distorted by those who assumed that a patriarchal world, which they sometimes saw reflected in the Bible, was the one God had ordained. -
10 Words That Will Change Everything You Know About God
$15.99Add to cartThe Bible teaches that we will experience God based on how we perceive Him. Incidentally, it’s the same with God, people, and the world at large; we are never fully experiencing anyone as they are as much as the way we perceive them.
Contrary to what religion has pushed down our throats for centuries, God is proactively attempting to give us life at its best! But like the children of Israel, because of our beliefs, we limit what God can do in our lives.
What if we could identify just 10 words that, when properly understood, could change the way we perceive and experience God and open our hearts to an entirely new level of hope, faith and optimism?
Would you want to know those 10 Words? That’s what this book is all about!
These are the words that:
-Religion deliberately mistranslated to make you see God has harsh and vengeful!
-Reveal the love of God beyond anything you’ve ever imagined!
-Remove the veil from your heart that limits how what you can receive from God!
-Make walking with God easy and light!
-Will make you fall deeper in Love with God.
-Develop an immovable trust in Him. -
Gospel
$15.00Add to cartHow can Christians effectively engage today’s world while staying true to Scripture?
Calling us to listen well to both the Word and the world, John Stott shows how Christianity can preserve its authentic identity and remain relevant to current realities. With the God’s Word for Today series, pastor Tim Chester has updated Stott’s classic book The Contemporary Christian and made it accessible to new generations of readers. In The Gospel, Stott declares that Christianity is not a religion but God’s good news for the world. To present the gospel faithfully, we must emphasize both the human need for true freedom and the historical work of Christ. Beginning with the question “What does it mean to be human?” Stott explains a biblical perspective on the human paradox: our dignity and our depravity. He then considers common objections to the gospel message, the importance of Jesus’ physical resurrection, and what affirming that Christ is Lord means for all of life. The gospel is truth from God that has been committed to our trust. This book offers a trustworthy guide for readers to understand the essence of the Christian faith and share the good news in a way that connects with people around us.
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Interpretation Of The Book Of Revelation
$35.95Add to cartRevelation is a book of prophecy. Revelation 1:3 proves this. Jesus will destroy this heaven and earth (see Rev. 6:12-14) and will create a new heaven and a new earth (Isa. 65:17 and 2 Pet. 3:13).
Interpretation of the Book of Revelation seeks to explain everything and to prove everything in the Bible. All the symbolic languages are interpreted and are used to prove that nothing is hidden-the four beasts with six wings, the beast with seven heads and ten horns, the woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars, the sharp two-edged sword, and the battle of Armageddon.
The bottomless pit-where is it and what is it? The last war fought on Earth is plainly written. It was not fought between men. Rather, it was kingdom against kingdom-good against evil (see Matt. 24:7 and Rev. 20:7-10). Everything is interpreted by the Holy Spirit.
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Most Important Stories Of The Bible
$15.00Add to cartMost of us are familiar with the exciting adventures of David and Goliath, Noah, or Daniel in the lions’ den, but we don’t always understand how they fit together. We lack context, and so we sometimes miss the point.
The Most Important Stories of the Bible will give you a working knowledge of the key events in Scripture and how they flow into one big story. The book’s 75 stories are compact, easy to read, and enjoyable. Each chapter includes a brief introduction that gives historical context to help you grasp the overall narrative of the Bible, and concludes with an explanation of why that story matters in our lives.
There’s a reason most of the Bible is made up of stories. They speak to us in a deep way, helping us internalize God’s message. And in the end, understanding the stories of God’s Word will help us connect more closely to Jesus, the greatest storyteller of all.
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Core 52 : A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide To Build Your Bible IQ In A Year
$16.99Add to cartIn just fifteen minutes a day, you can master the 52 most important verses in the Bible in a year.While there are lots of one-year Bible reading plans, few help you understand the words that you’re reading. What if we could introduce you to a Bible reading plan that would dramatically increase your mastery of the Bible in one year? Mark Moore coaches you through 52 of the Bible’s most important verses. These are the “core” of the Bible. Each verse clears the path to master and manage dozens of other verses that run along the same principle path. At the end of this journey, you will move from curiosity about the Bible to competence in the Bible. It is the quickest onramp to understanding the whole of God’s Word for your life.
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Reading Romans With Eastern Eyes
$28.00Add to cartIntroduction
1. How To Read With Eastern Eyes
2. Paul’s Mission Frames His Message (Rom 1, 15)
3. Dishonoring God And Ourselves (Rom 1-2)
4. Distinguishing “Us” And “Them” (Rom 2)
5. Christ Saves God’s Face (Rom 3)
6. Who Is Worthy Of Honor? (Rom 4)
7. Faith In The Filial Christ (Rom 5-6)
8. The Hope Of Glory Through Shame (Rom 5-8)
9. Shamed From Birth? (Rom 7)
10. They Will Not Be Put To Shame (Rom 9-11)
11. Honor One Another (Rom 12-13)
12. The Church As “Harmonious Society” (Rom 14-16)
Discussion Guide
Bibliography
Author Index
Subject Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
What does it mean to “read with Eastern eyes”? According to Jackson Wu, an Eastern perspective is in many ways culturally closer to that of the first-century world. Cultural values of honor and shame, social status, tradition, hierarchy, and relationships are similar in both East Asia and the New Testament.As readers, we bring our cultural understanding and values to the text. Our biases and background influence what we observe-and what we overlook. Wu aims to help us develop our “Eastern lenses” in order to interpret Scripture well and gain insights we might have missed.
In Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes, Wu demonstrates how an Eastern perspective sheds light on Paul’s most complex letter. When read this way, we see how honor and shame shape so much of Paul’s message and mission.
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Reading Scripture Canonically
$22.00Add to cartVeteran Old Testament teacher Mark Gignilliat explores the theological and hermeneutical instincts that are necessary for reading, understanding, and communicating Scripture faithfully. He takes seriously the gains of historical criticism while insisting that the Bible must be interpreted as Christian Scripture, offering students a “third way” that assigns proper proportion to both historical and theological concerns. Reading and engaging Scripture requires not only historical tools, Gignilliat says, but also recognition of the living God’s promised presence through the Bible.
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Romans Disarmed : Resisting Empire, Demanding Justice
$29.00Add to cartGlobalization. Homelessness. Ecological and economic crisis. Conflicts over sexuality. Violence. These crisis-level issues may seem unique to our times, but Paul’s Letter to the Romans has something to say to all of them.
Following their successful Colossians Remixed, Sylvia Keesmaat and Brian Walsh unpack the meaning of Romans for its original context and for today. The authors demonstrate how Romans disarms the political, economic, and cultural power of the Roman Empire and how this ancient letter offers hope in today’s crisis-laden world.
Romans Disarmed helps readers enter the world of ancient Rome and see how Paul’s most radical letter transforms the lives of the marginalized then and now. Intentionally avoiding abstract debates about Paul’s theology, Keesmaat and Walsh move back and forth between the present and the past as they explore themes of home, economic justice, creation care, the violence of the state, sexuality, and Indigenous reconciliation. They show how Romans engages with the lived reality of those who suffer from injustice, both in the first century and in the midst of our own imperial realities.
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Sleuthing The Bible
$28.99Add to cartWhy is there crime-scene tape on my Bible? Elementary, my dear reader.There is an element of detective work to biblical scholarship that entails sniffing out and interpreting clues that often escape the notice of readers. John Kaltner and Steven L. McKenzie introduce the art of sleuthing the Bible, providing the necessary training to hunt for clues and piece them together to understand the larger picture.Sleuthing the Bible helps answer questions that occur during thoughtful examination of the Bible and provides exercises enabling readers to work through biblical passages on their own. Kaltner and McKenzie analyze two kinds of clues: (1) Smoking Guns- those that are obvious upon any close reading of biblical texts, and (2) Dusting for Prints-those that are more subtle or hidden from nonspecialists because of their unfamiliarity with the languages, culture, and larger content of the Bible.Written in a jargon-free and accessible style, Sleuthing the Bible is an ideal resource for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the biblical text.
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Surprised By Jesus Again
$25.99Add to cartA bold, historical, robust approach to reading Scripture and encountering Jesus anewNo one expects to be surprised. Yet biblical interpretation can do exactly that. Christians expect to see Jesus as they read the Bible, but when and how Jesus actually speaks through Scripture can still surprise us!Drawing on the early church’s theological giants-Origen, Augustine, Gregory the Great, and more from the historical cloud of witnesses-author Jason Byassee models how we can recover ancient Christians’ multiple ways of reading the Bible to our benefit. As Byassee says, God himself is Jewish, Catholic, and Pentecostal-so much larger than our own little corner on the truth-and this book offers readers a refreshingly enhanced vision of the Bible and of Jesus himself.
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Old Testament In Seven Sentences
$18.00Add to cartSome people find the Old Testament to be confusing, out of date, and essentially replaced by the New Testament. They are missing out. The Old Testament offers us a grand narrative that reveals God’s work, God’s purposes, and God’s wisdom. Christopher J. H. Wright fits the pieces together and shows us the coherent whole. Using seven key sentences drawn straight from the Old Testament, he connects the dots and points us toward Jesus.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
“All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
“You shall have no other gods before me.”
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news.”Such sentences as these are not merely beautiful or helpful (though they are that). They are part of the great drama of Scripture, the story of God’s plan of redemption that embraces all nations and the whole of his creation. Wright starts from the beginning, describing God’s promises and covenants with his people and his mission to bless the world. At the end of this short survey, readers will clearly see God’s faithfulness and love for his people and will understand how the Old Testament scriptures prepared for the identity and mission of Jesus as Messiah, Savior, and Lord.
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Disability And The Way Of Jesus
$30.00Add to cartWhat does healing mean for people with disabilities?
The Gospels are filled with accounts of Jesus offering physical healing. But even as churches today seek to follow the way of Jesus, people with disabilities all too often experience the very opposite of healing and life-giving community: exclusion, judgment, barriers. Misinterpretation and misapplication of biblical healing narratives can do great damage, yet those who take the Bible as authoritative mustn’t avoid these passages either. Bethany McKinney Fox believes that Christian communities are better off when people with disabilities are an integral part of our common life. In Disability and the Way of Jesus, she considers how the stories of Jesus’ healings can guide us toward mutual thriving. How did Jesus’ original audience understand his works of healing, and how should we relate to these texts today? After examining the healing narratives in their biblical and cultural contexts, Fox considers perspectives from medical doctors, disability scholars, and pastors to more fully understand what Jesus does as he heals and how he points the way for relationships with people with disabilities. Personal reflections from Christians with disabilities are featured throughout the book, which concludes with suggestions for concrete practices adaptable to a variety of church settings. Bridging biblical studies, ethics, and disability studies with the work of practitioners, Fox provides a unique resource that is both theologically grounded and winsomely practical. Disability and the Way of Jesus provides new lenses on holistic healing for scholars, laypeople, and church and parachurch leaders who care about welcoming all people as Jesus would.
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Prophetic Literature
$31.99Add to cartThis unique introduction to the Prophetic books provides a comprehensive examination of one of the most important, and misunderstood genres of the Hebrew Bible. It examines the nature and purpose of prophetic literature, as well as providing an in-depth account of the origins and development of each individual book. The book begins by placing the prophets in their historical context and introducing the idea of a prophetic book. A series of chronological chapters focus on each prophetic book examining its literary structure, authorship, and the editorial processes that produced each book. Readers are also introduced to the most recent scholarly research into the formation of prophetic books and the ongoing task of the scribes in updating previous works to meet new situations. The Prophetic Literature offers rich and rewarding insights into a series of prophetic works whose profound influences and inspirational wisdom have endured to the present day.
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Old Testament Ethics
$30.00Add to cartWhat is ethics? Ethics is not merely about tricky situations or hot topics. Instead, ethics asks questions about what sort of people we are, how we think, what sort of things we do and don’t do, and how we ought to live our everyday lives. How might we learn ethics from the Old Testament? Instead of searching for support for our positions or pointing out problems with certain passages, trusted guide John Goldingay urges us to let the Old Testament itself set the agenda. In this volume, readers will encounter what the Old Testament teaches about relationships, work, Sabbath, character, and more. Featuring Goldingay’s own translation and discussion questions for group use, Old Testament Ethics: A Guided Tour is a resource for ethics like no other. Topically organized with short, stand-alone chapters, this book is one to keep close at hand.
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Visual Theology Guide To The Bible
$29.99Add to cartWe live in a visual culture. Today, people increasingly rely upon visuals to help them understand new and difficult concepts. The rise and stunning popularity of the Internet infographic has given us a new way in which to convey data, concepts, and ideas.
But the visual portrayal of truth is not a novel idea. Indeed, God himself used visuals to teach truth to his people. The tabernacle of the Old Testament was a visual representation of man’s distance from God and God’s condescension to his people. Each part of the tabernacle was meant to display something of man’s treason against God and God’s kind response. Likewise, the sacraments of the New Testament are visual representations of man’s sin and God’s response. Even the cross was both reality and a visual demonstration.
As teachers and lovers of sound theology, Challies and Byers have a deep desire to convey the concepts and principles of systematic theology in a fresh, beautiful, and informative way. In this book, they have made the deepest truths of the Bible accessible in a way that can be seen and understood by a visual generation.
Visual Theology Guide to the Bible is a multi-faceted introduction to the Bible, combining graphics and text to teach the nature and contents of the Bible in a fresh and interesting way. Intended for both new believers and long-time Christians, you will encounter familiar teachings from the Scriptures in a fresh format. Meet the Bible again for the first time.
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House Of El Shaddai
$54.99Add to cartA Project 314 Title
“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” – Exodus 25:8
How was God’s house created? At Mount Sinai, God gave Israel plans to build a special “Tabernacle” so that he might dwell among his people. Although the Exodus Tabernacle or “dwelling place” is thought of as a portable and temporary structure, the divine tent first erected in the Sinai wilderness remained in use for 480 years, outlasting both Solomon’s Temple and the second Temple built by Zerubabel in Jerusalem.
After God’s tent was lost to history, it seems that Moses’ plans for God’s house were similarly lost in translation. How so? Relying more upon on religious tradition than the original Exodus texts themselves, scholars imagine the beams, bars, curtains, and coverings to form a rectangular Tabernacle structure and courtyard barrier. However, in The House of El Shaddai, Tabernacle orthodoxy is seriously reconsidered in the light of recent discoveries made in the Hebrew Exodus texts. Contrary to tradition, Tabernacle construction begins with the understanding that the curtains are not joined on the long edges, but rather on the short and “outermost” edges. Trivial as this detail may seem, the resulting curtain arrangement and measurement ultimately reveals the Hebrews’ tent featured a circular Tabernacle perimeter (boasting a circumference of 314 and diameter of 100 cubits), conveying p (PI) more accurately than known to any other ancient culture. Instead of being part of a bizarre four layer roof–as tradition also assumes–the curtain assembly is used to create fabric walls, which encircle an enormous domed yurt-like structure, which is likewise the logical outworking of the Tabernacle hardware rearrangement per literal Exodus texts.
With the help of hundreds of annotated high definition images and colorful diagrams, The House of El Shaddai demonstrates the cunning and divine design of the Tabernacle that has been “hidden in plain sight” in Moses’ writings for scores of generations. Written for an English audience, The House of El Shaddai proves beyond a reasonable doubt how the long edges are the wrong edges, and why nearly every Bible translation made for thousands of years following the introduction of Septuagint has drifted off course based on the misinterpretation of a single verse.
See firsthand how plans for God’s original Tabernacle come alive after being lost for scores of generations, revealing a massive tent towering perhaps
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21 Qualities Of Leaders In The Bible
$19.99Add to cartWhere do most people today turn for leadership? Some examine the world of politics. Some look for models in the entertainment industry. Many look to the world of business-to the successful stories of CEOs, management consultants, and theoreticians with PhDs. However, the truth is that the best source of leadership teaching today comes not from not any of these sources but from the one true source: the Word of God. The Bible is the greatest source on leadership that has ever been written.
John Maxwell has spent decades researching and equipping others for leadership, and his primary source of leadership principles has always been the Word of God. In this workbook, he draws on the stories of the men and women in Scripture to show how they modeled what he calls “the 21 indispensable qualities of a leader.” He also shows how many of the people in the Bible failed to embody these leadership qualities, and how that affected them and, in some cases, entire populations of people.
Sessions include in-depth studies on the leadership qualities of men and women such as Ruth, Boaz, Joshua, David, Abigail, Nathan, Elijah, Daniel, Stephen, John, Paul, James, and especially Jesus.
Each session contains the following sections:
*The quality: An overview of the quality and how it operates (includes quotes from the book and discussion questions based on the qualities covered)
*Biblical example: An overview of the primary character in the Bible who demonstrated that quality or wrote about that quality
*Another look: Bible study questions based on the highlighted passages
*Highlighting the lesson: questions that focus on the central teaching points
*Lasting implications: questions to help draw out personal conclusions
*Daily assignments: five sets of questions that guide readers on how to put the qualities into effect during their weekThis workbook has been designed to enhance readers’ experience of working through John Maxwell’s leadership materials and is intended both for individual use and for small groups.
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Millenial Narrative : Sharing A Good Life With The Next Generation
$20.99Add to cartA good education will land you a good job, “Be an entrepreneur/Start something in a garage or dorm room” and even “Jesus saves” are narratives that collapsed for the millennial generation (born 1982-2002). These narratives, amongst many similar social and religious ones, have lost their meaning and power as millennials question all authorities and struggle to flourish in a world come of age. With their needs for community and success, a strong spirituality, and believing that their gifts should be recognized and can make a difference, millennials increasingly find meaning and purpose outside the church. As they face economic uncertainty, reduced career prospects, unceasing change, as well as civic, global, and ecological uncertainties, however, a large number of millennials are overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety and depression. Caught between hope and fear, millennials leave the church with their values of personal transformation, purpose, community, spirituality, social transformation and ecological awareness. Ironically the church often holds the same values. Reaching the Millennial Generation is written for pastoral leaders who want to welcome millennials, both inside and outside their congregation. The book draws on the wisdom of the prophetic Book of Joel as a narrative worth living into. Drawing on Joel’s three chapters, Reaching the Millennial Generation empowers pastoral leaders to: – Facilitate the work of mourning Millennials are facing; – Envision a spiritual community that can welcome millennials; – Introduce a compassionate God that restores and indwells as the Spirit; – Reflect on God’s judgment through the lens of accountability; and, – Support and encourage millennials to be a blessing to others.
In addition, pastoral leaders will receive a sermon outline and material for adult education. -
Revealed : What The Bible Can Teach You About Yourself
$14.99Add to cartRevealed: What the Bible Can Teach You About Yourself presents a unique look at a familiar cast of biblical characters through the eyes of a psychologist. While weaving in her personal story of healing, Schaffner uses her professional background to expertly highlight themes of seeking simplicity, finding purpose, and navigating painful and emotional experiences. Comprised of compelling, relatable stories, Revealed makes the Bible come alive to readers in a personal and meaningful way. Through an in-depth look at the hearts of well-known biblical characters, Schaffner explores ways readers can relate to these cherished stories in their own spiritual lives, acknowledging that everyone shares the common experiences of being pulled toward external measures such as wealth, achievement, and affirmation from others. The author challenges readers to face the reality of their hearts and begin an inward journey of renewal, listening for God’s voice in unlikely places-and through unlikely people. Readers will see themselves more clearly through the lens of scripture and ultimately experience deeper self-awareness and spiritual growth.
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Lost World Of The Torah
$25.00Add to cartOur handling of what we call biblical law veers between controversy and neglect.
On the one hand, controversy arises when Old Testament laws seem either odd beyond comprehension (not eating lobster) or positively reprehensible (executing children). On the other, neglect results when we consider the law obsolete, no long carrying any normative power (tassels on clothing, making sacrifices). Even readers who do attempt to make use of the Old Testament “law” often find it either irrelevant, hopelessly laden with “thou shalt nots,” or simply so confusing that they throw up their hands in despair. Despite these extremes, people continue to propose moral principles from these laws as “the biblical view” and to garner proof texts to resolve issues that arise in society. The result is that both Christians and skeptics regularly abuse the Torah, and its true message often lies unheard.
Walton and Walton offer in The Lost World of the Torah a restorative vision of the ancient genre of instruction for wisdom that makes up a significant portion of the Old Testament. In the ancient Near East, order was achieved through the wisdom of those who governed society. The objective of torah was to teach the Israelites to be wise about the kind of order needed to receive the blessings of God’s favor and presence with the context of the covenant. Here readers will find fresh insight on this fundamental genre of the Old Testament canon.
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Marks Of Scripture
$26.00Add to cartThis volume written by a theologian and a biblical scholar offers a fresh model for understanding Scripture as God’s Word. The authors work out the four Nicene marks of the church–one, holy, catholic, and apostolic–as marks of Scripture, offering a new way of thinking about the Bible that bridges theology and interpretation. Their ecclesial analogy invites us to think of Scripture in similar terms to how we think of the church, countering the incarnational model propagated by Peter Enns and others.
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New Testament You Never Knew Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartThe New Testament You Never Knew Study Guide by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird is the definitive introduction to the New Testament.
In this 8-session video-based study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), leading New Testament scholars, N.T. Wright and Michael Bird, hope to take you on a tour of the New Testament Story, from Galilee to Golgotha, from Jerusalem to Rome. They will look at who Jesus is, the real meaning of his death and resurrection, the expansion of the church in the Greco-Roman world, examine the debates and setbacks that they had along the way, and show how Christians can live out the story of New Testament in their own lives today.
Sessions include:
*The Story of the New Testament
*The World of Jesus
*Life and Death of Jesus
*The Resurrection of Jesus
*The Apostle Paul
*The Early Christians
*The Mission of the Church
*How the NT Came to BeDesigned for use with The New Testament You Never Knew Video Study (sold separately).
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Genesis Of Good And Evil
$30.00Add to cartFor centuries, the Garden of Eden story has been a cornerstone for the Christian doctrine of “the Fall” and “original sin.” In recent years, many scholars have disputed this understanding of Genesis 3 because it has no words for sin, transgression, disobedience, or punishment. Instead, it is about how the human condition came about. Yet the picture is not so simple. The Genesis of Good and Evil examines how the idea of “the Fall” developed in Jewish tradition on the eve of Christianity. In the end, the Garden of Eden is a rich study of humans in relation to God that leaves open many questions. One such question is, Does Genesis 3, 4, and 6, taken together, support the Christian doctrine of original sin? Smith’s well-informed, close reading of these chapters concludes that it does. In this book, he addresses the many mysterious matters of the Garden story and invites readers to explore questions of their own.
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Encountering The Living God In Scripture
$30.00Add to cartThis work gives a philosophical and theological account of the belief that Scripture enables people to encounter the life-giving reality of God. The authors examine the biblical foundations for this belief as given in a variety of witnesses from both Testaments and explain the philosophical and theological underpinnings of Christian exegesis. What results is a contemporary statement of the traditional belief that Scripture can put its readers in transforming contact with the living God.
Encountering the Living God in Scripture sums up and makes accessible the teaching of revered senior scholar and teacher Francis Martin. Aimed squarely at students, the book assumes no advanced training in philosophy or theology and will work well in Bible, interpretation, and doctrine of Scripture courses.
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Inexpressible : Hesed And The Mystery Of Gods Loving Kindness
$18.00Add to cartPreface: The Untranslatable Defining The Inexpressible
Introduction: A Word On The Meaning Of WordsPart I. The God Of Hesed
1. Opening The Door
2. The Definitive Encounter
3. Slow To Anger
4. Like No Other God
5. An Everlasting Refrain
6. A Prayer Of Honest RagePart II. The Objects Of Hesed
7. When Dinah Held My Hand
8. The Heseds Of David
9. Ethan: “I Will Sing”
10. Moses: “In The Morning”
11. Jeremiah: “I Am Hesed”
12. Hosea: A Novel Of HesedPart III. Hesed Finally Defined
13. Hesed And Truth
14. On Jesus’ Lips
15. How To Amaze Jesus
16. The One Who Showed Hesed
17. Paul And The Path To RedemptionPart IV. An Instinct For Hesed
18. Here, Rabbi, Take My Seat
19. Hesed In Post-AD 70 Judaism
20. Gemilut Hesed And Tikkun OlamConclusion: Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly: The Monumental Nature Of Kindness
Afterword
Acknowledgments
Appendix A: Occurrences Of Hesed In Scripture
Appendix B: Comparison Of Translations
Appendix C: A Vocabulary Of Associated Words
Appendix D: For Further Study
Notes
Bibliography
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
God’s identity is beyond what we could ever fully express in human words. But Scripture uses one particular word to describe the distinctiveness of God’s character: the Hebrew word hesed.Hesed is a concept so rich in meaning that it doesn’t translate well into any single English word or phrase. Michael Card unpacks the many dimensions of hesed, often expressed as lovingkindness, covenant faithfulness, or steadfast love. He explores how hesed is used in the Old Testament to reveal God’s character and how he relates to his people. Ultimately, the fullness of hesed is embodied in the incarnation of Jesus.
As we follow our God of hesed, we ourselves are transformed to live out the way of hesed, marked by compassion, mercy, and faithfulness. Discover what it means to be people of an everlasting love beyond words.
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Canon Of Scripture
$38.00Add to cartPreface
Abbreviations
Part One: Introduction
1. Holy ScripturePart Two: Old Testament
2. The Law And The Prophets
3. The Greek Old Testament
4. The Old Testament Becomes A New Book
5. The Christian Canon Of The Old Testament: A. In The East
6. The Christian Canon Of The Old Testament: B. In The Latin West
7. Before And After The ReformationPart Three: New Testament
8. Writings Of The New Era
9. Marcion
10. Valentinus And His School
11. The Catholic Response
12. The Muratorian Fragment
13. Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Novatian
14. Tertullian, Cyprian And Others
15. The Alexandrian Fathers
16. Eusebius Of Caesarea
17. Athanasius And After
18. The West In The Fourth Century To Jerome
19. Augustine To The End Of The Middle Ages
20. The New Testament Canon In The Age Of PrintingPart Four: Conclusion
21. Criteria Of Canonicity
22. A Canon Within The Canon?
23. Canon, Criticism And InterpretationAppendix 1: The ‘Secret’ Gospel Of Mark
Appendix 2: Primary Sense And Plenary Sense
Bibliography
Index
Additional Info
How did the books of the Bible come to be recognized as Holy Scripture?Who decided what shape the canon should take?
What criteria influenced these decisions?
After nearly nineteen centuries the canon of Scripture still remains an issue of debate. Protestants, Catholics and the Orthodox all have slightly differing collections of documents in their Bibles. Martin Luther, one of the early leaders of the Reformation, questioned the inclusion of the book of James in the canon. And many Christians today, while confessing the authority of all of Scripture, tend to rely on only a few books and particular themes while ignoring the rest.
Scholars have raised many other questions as well. Research into second-century Gnostic texts have led some to argue that politics played a significant role in the formation of the Christian canon. Assessing the influence of ancient communities and a variety of disputes on the final shaping of the canon call for ongoing study.
In this significant historical study, F. F. Bruce brings the wisdom of a lifetime of reflection and biblical interpretation to bear in answering the questions and clearing away the confusion surrounding the Christian canon of Scripture. Adept in both Old and New Testament studies, he brings a rare comprehensive perspective to his task.
Though some issues have shifted since the original publication of this book, it still remains a significant landmark and touchstone for further studies.
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Family Its Complicated
$12.99Add to cartThe health of our families is the health of our nation. From the first book of the Bible to the latest news headline, every household has its own generational story of how they interacted, reacted, and treated one another. While some of the biblical accounts are encouraging, some are filled with unexplainable dysfunction–and these troubles still plague modern-day families. Why are we angry? Why are there so many single-parent homes? Why do we suffer with addictions?
So much of our own brokenness is rooted in our childhoods. In a study on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), researchers found an alarming percentage of adults who had grown up abused and neglected in dysfunctional homes, which has resulted in a myriad of health, mental, and family issues. Although we can’t go back and mend our childhoods, we do have the ability to break the cycle of brokenness and encourage our own children and others that they indeed have the power to live better lives.
This small-group or individual Bible study offers reactive solutions and brings to light information about ACEs by discussing dysfunctional similarities between families found in Genesis and today’s families. The balance of anecdotes, statistics, and study questions will enable you to proactively dig to the roots of your struggles and empower you to rebuild and form healthier, stronger family relationships.
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Testimony Of Christ
$17.95Add to cartIn a world with so many voices telling us how to find God and how to know him, how can we know what is the truth? How can we separate what is true from what is false? Jesus said that we can know the truth and that the truth will make us free.
Author Stephen W. Lange writes an enlightening book showing how we can know the truth about God and Christ. Jesus Christ said there were four witnesses that corroborate his testimony-John the Baptist, the miracles Jesus performed, the witness of God the Father, and the prophecy about the Messiah from the Old Testament. Stephen highlights the testimony of Christ and examines the four witnesses that corroborate it. Stephen then explores the doctrines of Christ and what they mean for people today.
We can know the truth of God. We only have to examine the evidence.
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Basics For Believers
$16.00Add to cartChristians taking their first steps of faith, as well as experienced believers reexamining their spiritual foundations, will find wisdom in this study of Philippians and the disciplines of the Christian life. They’ll be encouraged to let the cross shape their outlook on suffering, emulate worthy Christian role models, persevere by developing seven virtues, and put the gospel first in all aspects of life.
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Believe The Unbelievable
$9.99Add to cartA Teleioteti Title
Believe the Unbelievable guides the reader in a study of the book of Habakkuk, considering its theology and application to the life of a Christian. It features an introduction to Habakkuk as part of the Old Testament, 10 chapters with study questions, and theological and exegetical excurses throughout. Ideal for group and individual study.
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Bible Unwrapped : Making Sense Of Scripture Today
$30.99Add to cartMany people have questions about Scripture they are too afraid to ask. Drawing from the best of contemporary biblical scholarship and the ancient well of Christian tradition, scholar and preacher Meghan L. Good helps readers consider why the Bible matters. The Bible Unwrapped delves into issues like biblical authority, literary genre, and Christ-centered hermeneutics, and calls readers beyond either knee-jerk biblicism, on the one hand, or skeptical disregard on the other. Instead, Good invites readers to faithful reading, communal discernment, and deep and transformative wonder about Scripture. Join an honest conversation about the Bible that is spiritually alive and intellectually credible. Read the ancient story of God in the world. You may even learn to love it.
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Upside Down Living Parenting
$9.99Add to cartRaising kids is hard enough. But raising kids to heed Jesus upside-down call away from status and power and toward service and sharing? It can seem almost impossible. So how can parents model countercultural choices? What habits can help families joyfully follow Christ instead of the latest trend? Gather with your faith community to search the Scriptures and discuss how to raise faithful kids in the twenty-first century.
Weary of Christian faith wrapped in a flag and trapped in your heart? Tired of faith as usual? Live out your Christian faith through the lens of Jesus. Follow values that seem so counter-cultural they appear to be upside down. Each compelling six-session Upside Down Living Bible study helps us encounter the teachings of Jesus and wrestle with living out the kingdom here and now. The Bible isn’t a cookbook with solutions for every ethical dilemma, but it helps us raise the right questions, encounter the teachings of Jesus, and discover new ways of faithful living in the world. Ideal for Sunday school or Bible study sessions, each topical study covers a specific theme or issue, and comes with thought-provoking discussion questions and activities. Be inspired and transformed in your faith. Live upside down. -
Finding Favour In The Sight Of God
$28.00Add to cartSeries Preface
Author’s Preface
List Of Abbreviations
1. The Problem Of Wisdom Literature In Old Testament Theology
2. The Message Of Proverbs 1-9
3. The Hermeneutics Of Proverbs
4. The Theology Of Proverbs
5. Theological Issues In Job 1-3
6. Divine Retribution, Suffering And God’s Justice (Job 4-26)
7. Where Is Wisdom To Be Found? (Job 27-42)
8. Key Questions Concerning The Book Of Ecclesiastes
9. The Message Of Qohelet
10. The Theology Of Ecclesiastes
11. Jesus And Wisdom
Bibliography
Index Of Names
Index Of Scripture ReferencesAdditional Info
There has been an explosion of interest in wisdom literature, and many studies are now available. There is every opportunity for people to “get wisdom, get insight” (Prov. 4:5). However, in today’s world it seems the practical sensibilities that come from wisdom are found in very few places. Wisdom literature is needed now more than ever. By walking in the way of wisdom, we will “find favour and good success in the sight of God and man” (Prov. 3:4).In this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, Richard Belcher begins with a survey of the problem of wisdom literature in Old Testament theology. Subsequent chapters focus on the message and theology of the books of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. These point forward to the need for Christ and the gospel. Belcher concludes by exploring the relationship of Christ to wisdom in terms of his person, work, and teaching ministry.
Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.
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Phoebe : A Story
$28.00Add to cartSometime around 56 AD, the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome. He entrusted this letter to Phoebe, whom he describes as the deacon of the church at Cenchreae and a patron of many. But who was this remarkable woman?
Biblical scholar and popular author and speaker Paula Gooder imagines Phoebe’s story?who she was, the life she lived, and her first-century faith?and in doing so opens up Paul’s world, giving a sense of the cultural and historical pressures that shaped his thinking and the faith of the early church. Rigorously researched, this is a book for anyone who wants to engage more deeply and imaginatively with Paul’s theology.
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Old Testament Theology
$50.00Add to cartPreface
1. Old Testament Theology: History And Methodology
2. The God Who Creates – Genesis
3. The One God Who Delivers Instructs – Exodus
4. The One God Who Is Holy – Leviticus
5. The God Who Expects Faithfulness – Numbers
6. The God Who Renews The Covenant – Deuteronomy
7. The God Who Gives Rest In The Land – Joshua
8. The God Who Disciplines Delivers – Judges
9. The God Who Protects, Blesses And Assesses – Samuel
10. The God Whose Word Shapes History – 1-2 Kings
11. The God Who Saves – Isaiah
12. The God Who Enforces The Covenant – Jeremiah
13. The God Who Is Present – Ezekiel
14. The God Who Keeps Promises – The Book Of The Twelve
15. The God Who Rules – Psalms
16. The God Who Is Worth Serving – Job
17. The God Who Reveals Wisdom – Proverbs
18. The God Who Extends Mercy To The Faithful – Ruth
19. The God Who Oversees Male-Female Sexuality – Song Of Solomon
20. The God Who Defines Meaningful Living – Ecclesiastes
21. The God Who Is Righteous Faithful – Lamentations
22. The God Who Protects The Exiles – Esther
23. The God Who Protects, Discloses Rules – Daniel
24. The God Who Restores Remnants To The Land – Ezra-Nehemiah
25. The God Who Elects, Chastens Restores – 1-2 Chronicles
26. The God Of The Old Testament: A Summary
Appendix: Old Testament Theology Since 1993Notes
Bibliography
Subject Index
Author Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
The discipline of Old Testament theology continues to be in flux as diverse approaches vie for dominance. Paul House serves as our guide-without being partisan or uninformed-exploring each Old Testament book, summarizing its content and showing its theological significance within the whole of the Old Testament canon. Readers with little prior background will find House’s thematic surveys particularly helpful for coming to grips with basic biblical content as well as for probing the theological nuances of individual parts of the canon. The book concludes by forging a set of summary statements concerning God and his character, the people of God, and links between the Old and New Testaments that suggest avenues for the exploration of a full biblical theology.Old Testament Theology offers an overview of the discipline and a fair treatment of differing views while remaining unabashedly evangelical. Readers will welcome the obvious passion of its author for the subject matter. Student friendly and useful to a wide audience, this impressive work has proved a profitable read for many. -
Less Than Perfect
$19.99Add to cartWhat can the Bible’s most flawed men and women reveal about who God is and how he reaches out to less-than-perfect people? In Less Than Perfect, bestselling author Ann Spangler takes us beyond cardboard cutouts of 38 biblical characters to show us how these were real individuals who had dreams, temptations, and weaknesses just like us.
Whether considering the murderous Herodias, the scheming Jacob, or the doubting Sarah, Spangler approaches both familiar and lesser known characters with fresh eyes. We meet each of these individuals again as if for the first time as Spangler offers a dramatic retelling of their lives, insight into the historical and cultural context of their time, and key takeaway points for our lives today. Each chapter includes questions for discussion or reflection, making Less Than Perfect ideal for individual or group Bible study.
Entertaining, informative, and inspirational, Less Than Perfect gives you a big picture view of the Bible even as it takes you into the hearts and minds of people with struggles just like yours. As you learn more about the individuals who are part of your spiritual family tree, you’ll discover why God loves to use imperfect people to tell his perfect story of redemption.
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Spiritual Transformation
$14.00Add to cartThis book will take you on a journey of spiritual transformation as St Paul wrote about it in his letters. This spiritual transformation is not only in the way we pray or behave in church but, as this book highlights, it involves all aspects of our daily life so that we may be able to do His good, pleasing and perfect will.
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Wisdom Literature (Student/Study Guide)
$32.99Add to cartIf the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom formed in the life of faith, its end is nothing less than the shaping of a moral self and community attuned to the character of God. This pursuit of wisdom is an ongoing journey, never a simple arrival. For the wisdom writings of the Old Testament, the pursuit of wisdom calls for the ongoing attainment of instruction, insight, shrewdness, knowledge, prudence, learning, and skill. And persons who attain wisdom think more deeply, are more discerning, and have a keener insight into the complexities and nuances of decision making. For a world-perspective that assumes the power and reality of divinity, being wise means living ethically – and to live ethically, one must be in a constant intellectual pursuit of meaning. The book details the structure, themes, and contribution to both ancient and modern society of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. The chapters on Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon will discuss the consonance and dissonance with “canonical wisdom,” giving special attention to the development of their core ideas. The book will conclude with a chapter on Wisdom’s abiding legacy.
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Early Christian Readings Of Genesis One
$38.00Add to cartAcknowledgments
Abbreviations
IntroductionPart I: Understanding The Context
1. Who Are The Church Fathers, And Why Should I Care?
2. How Not To Read The Church Fathers
3. What Does “Literal” Mean? Patristic Exegesis In ContextPart II: Reading The Fathers
4. Basil The Literalist?
5. Creation Out Of Nothing
6. The Days Of Genesis
7. Augustine On “In The Beginning”
8. On Being Like MosesBibliography
Author Index
Subject Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
Do the writings of the church fathers support a literalist interpretation of Genesis 1? Young earth creationists have maintained that they do. And it is sensible to look to the Fathers as a check against our modern biases.But before enlisting the Fathers as ammunition in our contemporary Christian debates over creation and evolution, some cautions are in order. Are we correctly representing the Fathers and their concerns? Was Basil, for instance, advocating a literal interpretation in the modern sense? How can we avoid flattening the Fathers’ thinking into an indexed source book in our quest for establishing their significance for contemporary Christianity?Craig Allert notes the abuses of patristic texts and introduces the Fathers within their ancient context, since the patristic writings require careful interpretation in their own setting. What can we learn from a Basil or Theophilus, an Ephrem or Augustine, as they meditate and expound on themes in Genesis 1? How were they speaking to their own culture and the questions of their day? Might they actually have something to teach us about listening carefully to Scripture as we wrestle with the great axial questions of our own day?Allert’s study prods us to consider whether contemporary evangelicals, laudably seeking to be faithful to Scripture, may in fact be more bound to modernity in our reading of Genesis 1 than we realize. Here is a book that resets our understanding of early Christian interpretation and the contemporary conversation about Genesis 1. -
When In Romans
$20.00Add to cartWhen reading the book of Romans, we often focus on the quotable passages, making brief stopovers and not staying long enough to grasp some of the big ideas it contains. Instead of raiding Paul’s most famous letter for a passage here or a theme there, leading New Testament scholar Beverly Roberts Gaventa invites us to linger in Romans. She asks that we stay with the letter long enough to see how Romans reframes our tidy categories and dramatically enlarges our sense of the gospel.
Containing profound insights written in accessible prose and illuminating references to contemporary culture, this engaging book explores the cosmic dimensions of the gospel that we read about in Paul’s letter. Gaventa focuses on four key issues in Romans–salvation, identity, ethics, and community–that are crucial both for the first century and for our own. As she helps us navigate the book of Romans, she shows that the gospel is far larger, wilder, and more unsettling than we generally imagine it to be.
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Conformed To The Image Of His Son
$38.00Add to cartForeword By N. T. Wright
Preface1. Introduction
1.1 Getting To This Point
1.2 A Few Notes On Methodology
1.3 Outline And Agenda For Each Section
AbbreviationsPart I: The Hope Of Glory In Romans 5-8
2. Glory And Glorification In Jewish Literature
2.1 A Discussion Of Semiotics
2.2 Glory And Glorification In The LXX
2.3 Glory And Glorification In Apocalyptic Literature
2.4 Conclusion3. Humanity’s Glory And Glorification In Romans
3.1 Humanity’s Glory And Glorification In Romans: Current Approaches
3.2 Humanity’s Glory And Glorification In Romans: Considerations
3.3 Paul’s Anthropological “Narrative Of Glory” In Romans
3.4 Conclusion4. Participation In Christ’s Glory
4.1 Participation As A Foundational Motif In Pauline Literature
4.2 Participation Elsewhere
4.3 ConclusionPart II: Romans 8:29
5. Image Of The Son
5.1 Son Of God Backgrounds
5.2 Christ As Messiah-A Presupposition
5.3 Son Of God As The Davidic Messiah
5.4 Son Of God As The New Adam
5.5 Conclusion6. Participation In The Firstborn Son’s Glory
6.1 Adoption Into God’s Eschatological Family: The Basis Of Conformity
6.2 Participation In The Son’s Inheritance And Glory In Romans 8:17
6.3 A Reglorified Humanity In Romans 8:30
6.4 Conclusion7. Purposed For Conformity
7.1 God’s Eternal Decree: Called With A Purpose: Romans 8:28-30
7.2 Called With A Present Purpose: Romans 8:17-30
7.3 Conclusion8. Conclusion
8.1 Alternative Proposals
8.2 Chapter Conclusions
8.3 Summary Of The ArgumentBibliography
Name Index
Subject Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
With its soaring affirmations and profound statements of salvation in Christ, Romans 8 is a high point in Pauline theology. But what does Paul mean when in 8:29 he speaks of being “conformed to the image of his Son”?Remarkably, there has been little scholarly attention awarded to this Pauline statement of the goal of salvation. And yet in Christian piety, preaching, and theology, this is a treasured phrase. Surprisingly, its meaning has been variously and ambiguously expressed. Is it a moral or spiritual or sanctifying conformity to Christ, or to his suffering, or does it point to an eschatological transformation into radiant glory?In Conformed to the Image of His Son, Haley Goranson Jacob probes and reopens a text perhaps too familiar and a meaning too often assumed. If conformity to the image of the Son is the goal of salvation, a proper understanding is paramount. Jacob points out that the key lies in the meaning of “glory” in Paul’s biblical-theological perspective and in how he uses the language of glory in Romans. For this investigation of glory alone, her study would be valuable for the fresh understanding she brings to Paul’s narrative of glory. But in introducing a new and compelling reading of Romans 8:29, this is a study that makes a strong bid to reorient our understanding of Paul’s classic statement of the goal of salvation. -
Bare Bible : Uncovering The Bible For The First Time Or The Hundredth
$15.99Add to cartThe Bible holds huge religious, historical and cultural weight, but it can be daunting to approach it with no idea of where to begin, or how to read it. Here enters The Bare Bible, the perfect introductory guide to the Bible. Written with humour and a friendly, accessible tone, author Peter Graystone assumes no prior knowledge from his readers and cheerily sets out on a lively discussion of all the Bible is and isn’t: the various genres found within its pages, the history of how these various books came to be known as the Bible and – most importantly – why, even after all these years, its words are still relevant to us today.
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Good Samaritan : Discover The Scriptures Jesus And Luke Used In Luke 10:30-
$9.99Add to cartThe account of the Good Samaritan in Luke has been examined by many scholars. Yet, in examining over 100 commentaries on the passage, very few even mention the account in the Hebrew Scriptures that Jesus drew from to present his teaching. These few that mention the account in the Hebrew Scriptures mostly only mention a possible relationship between the two passages. Far fewer still, acknowledge and examine the passage in the Hebrew Scriptures that the account in Luke comments upon, which is from a different passage yet. This pastoral commentary on the Good Samaritan(s) examines the different passages and the interactions between the different accounts. This new approach yields exciting new avenues for Scriptural study and preaching. Jesus never mentions why the man in Luke was beaten and robbed or who the robbers were and why they attacked the man. However, these inferences can be made to better understand Jesus’ teaching and Luke’s writing.
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Brief Insights On Mastering Bible Study
$19.99Add to cartThe Bible is the most important book in history. It’s also one of the most misunderstood. Studying Scripture involves much more than reading. Serious Bible study can be a daunting task. It takes effort and skill.The Bible was put together over 2000 years ago. There are serious obstacles to grasping its meaning and message. Wouldn’t it be great to have a seasoned Bible scholar by your side to help? Now you can. In Brief Insights on Mastering Bible Study, biblical scholar Michael S. Heiser is the guide by your side, providing easy-to-read lessons and truisms for grasping God’s Word.
Adept Bible study isn’t about a checklist of tasks. It’s about using the right tools, thinking carefully, and sticking to it. You don’t need to be a scholar to understand the Bible. You just need some advice from one along the way.
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Brief Insights On Mastering The Bible
$19.99Add to cartThe Bible was written for us – but not to us. We’re not part of the ancient world that informed its writers. We’re strangers to their ideas, experiences, and worldview. Because we’re cultural and historical outsiders, what we read in the Bible can often be perplexing and impenetrable.
But take heart. Clear comprehension of what’s in the Bible isn’t a lost cause. In this 60 Second Scholar book, biblical scholar Michael S. Heiser reveals the most indispensable insights for understanding the Bible.Brief Insights on Mastering the Bible presents readers with a straightforward but audacious proposition: Grasping these insights will mean comprehending Scripture more clearly than you ever have before. You don’t need to time travel to understand Scripture, but you do need directions.
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House Of El Shaddai
$44.99Add to cartA Project 314 Title
“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” – Exodus 25:8
How was God’s house created? At Mount Sinai, God gave Israel plans to build a special “Tabernacle” so that he might dwell among his people. Although the Exodus Tabernacle or “dwelling place” is thought of as a portable and temporary structure, the divine tent first erected in the Sinai wilderness remained in use for 480 years, outlasting both Solomon’s Temple and the second Temple built by Zerubabel in Jerusalem.
After God’s tent was lost to history, it seems that Moses’ plans for God’s house were similarly lost in translation. How so? Relying more upon on religious tradition than the original Exodus texts themselves, scholars imagine the beams, bars, curtains, and coverings to form a rectangular Tabernacle structure and courtyard barrier. However, in The House of El Shaddai, Tabernacle orthodoxy is seriously reconsidered in the light of recent discoveries made in the Hebrew Exodus texts. Contrary to tradition, Tabernacle construction begins with the understanding that the curtains are not joined on the long edges, but rather on the short and “outermost” edges. Trivial as this detail may seem, the resulting curtain arrangement and measurement ultimately reveals the Hebrews’ tent featured a circular Tabernacle perimeter (boasting a circumference of 314 and diameter of 100 cubits), conveying p (PI) more accurately than known to any other ancient culture. Instead of being part of a bizarre four layer roof–as tradition also assumes–the curtain assembly is used to create fabric walls, which encircle an enormous domed yurt-like structure, which is likewise the logical outworking of the Tabernacle hardware rearrangement per literal Exodus texts.
With the help of hundreds of annotated high definition images and colorful diagrams, The House of El Shaddai demonstrates the cunning and divine design of the Tabernacle that has been “hidden in plain sight” in Moses’ writings for scores of generations. Written for an English audience, The House of El Shaddai proves beyond a reasonable doubt how the long edges are the wrong edges, and why nearly every Bible translation made for thousands of years following the introduction of Septuagint has drifted off course based on the misinterpretation of a single verse.
See firsthand how plans for God’s original Tabernacle come alive after being lost for scores of generations, revealing a massive tent towering perhaps
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Introduction To Israels Wisdom Traditions
$28.99Add to cartIt can be a challenge to understand wisdom’s place in Israel’s salvific history, but John L. McLaughlin makes this complicated genre straightforward and accessible.
This introductory-level textbook begins by explaining the meaning of wisdom to the Israelites and surrounding cultures before moving into the conventions of the genre and its poetic forms. The heart of the book explores the wisdom books themselves: Proverbs, Job, Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes), and the deuterocanonical Ben Sira and Wisdom of Solomon. McLaughlin also points to where wisdom is expressed in the historical books and in the New Testament.
Designed especially for beginning students, An Introduction to Israel’s Wisdom Traditions offers an informed, panoramic view of wisdom literature’s place in the biblical canon.
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Old Testament Wisdom Literature
$38.00Add to cartPreface
Abbreviations
Introduction1. An Introduction To Old Testament Wisdom
2. The Ancient World Of Wisdom
3. The Poetry Of Wisdom And The Wisdom Of Poetry
4. Proverbs
5. Women, Wisdom And Valor
6. Job
7. Where Can Wisdom Be Found?
8. Ecclesiastes
9. For Everything There Is A Season
10. Jesus, The Wisdom Of God
11. The Theology Of Old Testament Wisdom
12. The Theology Of Wisdom TodayAuthor Index
Subject Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
The books of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes are rooted in the order created by the one true God. Their steady gaze penetrates to the very nature of created reality and leads us toward peace and human flourishing. Craig Bartholomew and Ryan O’Dowd tune our ears to hear once again Lady Wisdom calling in the streets.Old Testament Wisdom Literature provides an informed introduction to the Old Testament wisdom books Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Job. Establishing the books in the context of ancient Near Eastern wisdom traditions and literature, the authors move beyond the scope of typical introductions to discuss the theological and hermeneutical implications of this literature. -
Better Than Yesterday Workbook (Workbook)
$11.99Add to cartWe long to forget the daunting memories of failure, poor choices, hurt, and regrets. Can we escape our past of misery and heartbreak? This companion to “Better than Yesterday” will help you to answer that question in a simple, yet, practical, interactive, self-reflective format. Do the work to break free and stay free.
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Mission Of God
$55.00Add to cartPreface
IntroductionPart I: The Bible And Mission
1. Searching For A Missional Hermeneutic
2. Shaping A Missional HermeneuticPart II: The God Of Mission
3. The Living God Makes Himself Known In Israel
4. The Living God Makes Himself Known In Jesus Christ
5. The Living God Confronts IdolatryPart III: The People Of Mission
6. God’s Elect People: Chosen For Blessing
7. God’s Particular People: Chosen For All
8. God’s Model Of Redemption: The Exodus
9. God’s Model Of Restoration: The Jubilee
10. The Span Of God’s Missional Covenant
11. The Life Of God’s Missional PeoplePart IV: The Arena Of Mission
12. Mission And God’s Earth
13. Mission And God’s Image
14. God And The Nations In Old Testament Vision
15. God And The Nations In New Testament MissionConclusion
Bibliography
IndexesAdditional Info
Most Christians would agree that the Bible provides a basis for mission. But Christopher Wright boldly maintains that there is a missional basis for the Bible! The entire Bible is generated by and all about God’s mission.In order to understand the Bible, we need a missional hermeneutic, an interpretive perspective in tune with this great missional theme. We need to see how the familiar bits and pieces fit into the grand narrative of Scripture.
Beginning with the Old Testament and its groundwork for understanding who God is, what he has called his people to be and do, and how the nations fit into God’s mission, Wright gives us a new hermeneutical perspective on Scripture. This perspective provides a solid and expansive basis for holistic mission. God’s mission is to reclaim the world-including the created order-and God’s people have a designated role to play.
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Finding The Love Of Jesus From Genesis To Revelation (Reprinted)
$15.00Add to cartIn this sweeping overview of the Bible, Elyse Fitzpatrick reveals how each section–the Law, history, poetry, epistles–points to God’s eternal love for you and the good news of redemption through Christ. You’ll find yourself drawn to the Bible like never before as you begin to see Jesus on every page.
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Lost World Of The Flood (Student/Study Guide)
$22.00Add to cart“The flood continued forty days on the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth . . . and the ark floated on the face of the waters” (Gen 6:17-18 NRSV).
In our modern age the Genesis flood account has been probed and analyzed for answers to scientific, apologetic, and historical questions. It is a text that has called forth flood geology, fueled searches for remnants of the ark on Mount Ararat, and inspired a full-size replica of Noah’s ark in a biblical theme park. Some claim that the very veracity of Scripture hinges on a particular reading of the flood narrative. But do we understand what we are reading?
Longman and Walton urge us to hit the pause button and ask, what might the biblical author have been saying to his ancient audience? The answer to our quest to rediscover the biblical flood requires that we set aside our own cultural and interpretive assumptions and visit the distant world of the ancient Near East. Responsible interpretation calls for the patient examination of the text within its ancient context of language, literature, and thought structures. And as we return from that lost world to our own, we will need to ask whether geological science supports the notion of flood geology.
The story of Noah and the flood will continue to invite questions and explorations. But to read Longman and Walton is put our feet on firmer interpretive ground. Without attempting to answer all of our questions, they lift the fog of modernity and allow the sunlight to reveal the true contours of the text. As with other books in the Lost World series, The Lost World of the Flood is an informative and enlightening journey toward a more responsible reading of a timeless biblical narrative.
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Practicing With Paul
$34.00Add to cartCollecting essays from prominent scholars who span the globe and academic disciplines, Practicing with Paul speaks into the life of the church in ways that inspire and edify followers and ministers of Jesus Christ. Each contribution delves into the details and historical contexts of Paul’s letters, including the interpretation of those texts throughout church history. Meanwhile, each author interprets those details in relation to Christian practice and suggests implications for contemporary Christian ministry that flow out of this rich interpretive process. By modeling forms of interpretation that are practically-oriented, this book provides inspiration for current and future Christian ministers as they too attempt to incarnate the ways of Christ along with Paul.
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Place Called Heaven (Reprinted)
$15.99Add to cartIf any of us learned we were going to move to a foreign country, we’d do everything we could to learn about that place so that we’d be prepared when moving day arrived. As Christians, we know some day we will leave our familiar country and be united with God in heaven. And yet many of us know very little about this place called heaven. In this enlightening book, bestselling author Dr. Robert Jeffress opens the Scriptures to unpack ten surprising truths about heaven and explain who we will see there and how we can prepare to go there someday.
Perfect for believers or skeptics who are curious about heaven.
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Holy Spirit In The New Testament (Student/Study Guide)
$31.99Add to cartIn an area of study that is sometimes neglected and often debated, this book offers readers fresh insight through careful attention to the different ways the New Testament writings present and interpret the Spirit of God. With Carroll’s guidance, readers will gain a sense of the identity and activity of the Spirit manifest in the cultures and literature that informed the New Testament and its earliest audiences. The author also maps the distinctive views of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament books, employing a literary “close reading” of texts where the Spirit figures prominently. Readers discover that for the writers of the New Testament all of life is touched by the Holy Spirit. And for human beings this life is lived in the awareness God’s presence, sustained in hope through adversity and pain, open to change and new possibilities, and equipped and empowered to act boldly and speak prophetically by wise Spirit shaped discernment. The Spirit in the New Testament is a creative force sustaining, fostering, and restoring life – the first and last word both whispered and even shouted as the divine breath animating embedded and embodied human life and community.
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Revelation : 30 Day Devotional (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartDoes the church have a future?
Across the generations troubled Christians have often asked this question. Even as early as the end of the first century the future of the church hung in the balance. False teaching, internal division, and persecution were rife. Emperor Domitian had exiled the apostle John, probably in his 90s, on the island of Patmos. You can imagine John, pacing up and down the island at night, looking across the sea to the cities on the shore, wondering, “Does the church have a future?”
Into this situation the Lord comes and makes these glorious revelations. He gives John this vision and tells him to write to the seven churches of Asia Minor, in the eastern part of the Roman Empire, in what is now called Turkey.
To each of these churches Jesus says, “I know… I know your hopes and dreams, your faults and failings, your joys and sorrows, your temptations and frustrations.” Jesus knew each church, and so he could speak wisely and truthfully into each circumstance. He said some hard things to shake the believers out of their apathy. He also spoke words of comfort. The letter ends by pointing the believers to heaven, a reminder that despite their present struggles, ultimately they are on the side of victory.
Today the church still faces internal division, opposition and persecution. It is understandable that some believers ask, “Does the church have a future?”
The answer is the same as it always has been. Absolutely.
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Gospel The Book Of John
$29.99Add to cartIn his fresh and life-giving translation of the Gospels with sparkling commentary, spiritual innovator Thomas Moore strips the Gospels of their theological agendas and reclaims them as a fundamentally new way of imagining human life. He blends scholarship and pastoral guidance to highlight the Gospels’ teachings on earthly, rather than otherworldly, living in which community, compassion, inclusiveness, prayer and healing are key elements. He draws deeply from Greek philosophy, literature and spirituality to craft an accurate and challenging yet accessible translation that, free of religious moralism and dogmatism, is beautifully imaginative and inspirational.
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Beatitudes Not Platitudes
$19.00Add to cartBeatitudes, Not Platitudes shows that the Beatitudes are not overused, well-worn answers to the question, “”What would Jesus do?”” Rather, they are undervalued and hardly touched claims that transform our destinies. More than spiritual nuggets for personal devotion, practical advice, or propositions to be believed, the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 envision and entail a reorientation of the good life in view of Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus’ teachings reveal to us that living our best purpose-driven life now involves dying to self and the world system, and dying for our enemies. Ideal for group study, this series of meditations on each of the Beatitudes, followed by cultural reflections and study questions, helps to bridge the gaps between personal devotion and societal revolution, the academic and the practical, the ancient and the contemporary. All of us want to be happy, to be well and blessed, and esteemed with honor. However, we look for happiness, wellness, blessing, and honor in different places and with mixed results. This book helps us reimagine the good life by taking a fresh look at the Beatitudes as citizens of Jesus’ ever-new kingdom order.
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Death And The Afterlife (Student/Study Guide)
$28.00Add to cartSignificant aspects of death and the afterlife continue to be debated among evangelical Christians. In this NSBT volume Paul Williamson surveys the perspectives of our contemporary culture and the biblical world, and then highlights the traditional understanding of the biblical teaching and the issues over which evangelicals have become increasingly polarized.
Subsequent chapters explore the controversial areas: what happens immediately after we die; bodily resurrection; a final, universal judgment; the ultimate fate of those who do not receive God’s approval on the last day; and the biblical concept of an eschatological “heaven.”
Taking care to understand the ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman backgrounds, Williamson works through the most important Old and New Testament passages. He demonstrates that there is considerable exegetical support for the traditional evangelical understanding of death and the afterlife, and raises questions about the basis for the growing popularity of alternative understandings.
Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.
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Case For Miracles For Kids
$8.99Add to cartFrom bestselling author Lee Strobel’s well-renowned, bestselling series exploring the life of Jesus and what it means to be a Christian, The Case for Miracles for Kids tackles the tough questions kids ask about God, Jesus, and miracles, as well as providing information for kids who want to learn more so they can share their faith and knowledge with others. Mixing light-hearted prose and a conversational style with historical facts, research, and true stories, this book brings the miracles and ministry of Jesus to life and shows why they still matter today.
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Gospel According To Paul
$19.99Add to cartFrom master-expositor and Bible teacher John MacArthur, a revelatory exploration of what the apostle Paul actually taught about the good news of Jesus. Now in trade paper.
The apostle Paul penned a number of important passages in his letters to the early church that summarize the gospel message in just a few well-chosen words. Each of these key texts has a unique emphasis highlighting some essential aspect of the good News. The chapters in this remarkable new book closely examine those vital gospel texts, one verse at a time. John MacArthur, host of the popular media ministry Grace to You, president of the Master’s College and Seminary, and longtime pastor at Grace Community Church, tackles such questions as: What is the gospel? What are the essential elements of the message? How can we be certain we have it right? And how should Christians be proclaiming the good news to the world? As always, the answers John MacArthur gives are clear, compelling, well-reasoned, easy to grasp, and above all, thoroughly biblical. The Gospel According to Paul, which follows in the tradition of MacArthur’s bestsellers The Gospel According to Jesus and The Gospel According to the Apostles, is written in a style that is easily accessible to everyone, including those who know very little about the Bible, while being of great value to seasoned pastors and experienced ministers. It explains the rich and complete gospel preached by Paul and its perfect harmony with the teachings of our Lord and the writers of the New Testament.
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Doubters Guide To Jesus
$18.99Add to cartA Doubter’s Guide to Jesus is an introduction to the major portraits of Jesus found in the earliest historical sources. Portraits because our best information points not to a tidy, monolithic Jesus, but to a complex, multi-layered and, at times, contradictory figure. While some might be troubled by this, fearing that plurality equals incomprehensibility or unreliability, others take it as an invitation to do some rearranging for themselves, trying to make Jesus neater, more systematic and digestible.After two millennia of spiritual devotion and more than two centuries of modern critical research, we still cannot fit Jesus into a box. He is destined to stretch our imaginations, confront our beliefs, and challenge our lifestyles for many years to come.In A Doubter’s Guide to Jesus readers will find themselves both disturbed and intrigued by the images of Jesus found in the first sources.
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Rule Of Faith And Biblical Interpretation
$44.00Add to cartAmong the dizzying array of approaches to reading the Bible, the oldest, most revered interpretive tool rises above the rest: the Rule of Faith. Faithful interpretation of Scripture in the postmodern context has much to learn from this ancient principle. Deeper engagement with the sacred text flourishes with the assistance of the Rule of Faith. That engagement in turn renews the Body of Christ. This book explores the interpretive practices of great reformers and renewers of the church, including Luther, Calvin, and Wesley, who kept up a lively dialogue with the ancient authors of the Christian movement. In that dialogue, they discovered a dynamic guide to better exegesis. Robert C. Fennell provides a compelling account of faithful interpreters from the past whose example inspires contemporary readers as they seek to understand the Bible.
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Paul : An Apostles Journey
$25.99Add to cartA dramatic journey through the life and thought of the apostle Paul
Douglas Campbell has made a name for himself as one of Paul’s most insightful and provocative interpreters. In this short and spirited book Campbell introduces readers to the apostle he has studied in depth over his scholarly career.
Enter with Campbell into Paul’s world, relive the story of Paul’s action-packed ministry, and follow the development of Paul’s thought as he travels both physically and spiritually from his conversion on the road to Damascus to his arrest and eventual execution by agents of the Roman Empire.
Ideal for students, study groups, and individual readers, Paul: An Apostle’s Journey dramatically recounts the life of one of early Christianity’s most fascinating figures-and offers powerful insights into his mind and his influential message.
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Book Of Revelation Made Clear
$16.99Add to cartGetting a glimpse into the future is always intriguing, especially when that glimpse comes from God’s Word. But let’s face it, the book of Revelation has some pretty weird stuff in it: seven-headed beasts, locusts with gold crowns, a city coming down from the sky. What does it all mean, and how does it help you in your Christian faith? This lighthearted yet accurate guide to the last book of the Bible will help you overcome the confusion. Engaging and user-friendly, The Book of Revelation Made Clear helps you:
-Understand the message of this often misunderstood book chapter by chapter
-Discover what Revelation says about how end-time events will unfold
-Make sense of all the symbolism
-See how Revelation relates to other parts of the Bible
-Learn how others interpret controversial parts
-Worship God with a new vision of his glory and ultimate triumph, and of what that means for you -
Lent Talks : Seasonal Selections From Radio 4
$13.99Add to cartA selection of the best from BBC Radio 4’s Lent Talks over the last ten years. With a dynamic introduction from BBC Head of Radio for Religion and Ethics, Christine Morgan, six well-known personalities invite readers to reflect on a range of thoughts and themes from a number of different perspectives. From writer James Runcie’s reflection on the passion through the prism of mystery drama to Ann Widdecombe MP’s exploration of the “greater good’, this blissfully brief and entertaining book will provide something for everyone in the busy lead up to Easter. WEEK ONE – JAMES RUNCIE – MYSTERY First broadcast as part of the BBC Lent Talks 2015, director, literary curator and writer of The Grantchester Mysteries, James Runcie looks at the passion through the prism of mystery drama. WEEK TWO – BONNIE GREER – NAMES A gem of BBC Lent Talks 2014 archive, this talk sees playwright, novelist and critic Bonnie Greer reflect on the power of names. WEEK THREE – ANN WIDDECOMBE – GOODNESS Taken from the 2008 Lent Talks series, former MP, TV personality and author Ann Widdecombe reflects on the examples set by Jesus in his decision to go to the cross. WEEK FOUR – GILES FRASER – SACRIFICE First broadcast as part of the BBC Lent Talks 2010, Rev Dr Giles Fraser, Church of England priest, journalist and broadcaster, invites readers to reflect on the nature of sacrifice. WEEK FIVE – ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH – ABANDONMENT Taken from the Lent Talks 2013, author Alexander McCall Smith explores the sense of being abandoned as you grow older. WEEK SIX – NICK BAINES – VISION Marking the beginning of the Lent Talks 2012, author, broadcaster and Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines reflects on the challenges of finding a new narrative for the individual and community.
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Genesis As Torah
$27.00Add to cartShould Genesis rightly be identified as law–that is, as torah or legal instruction for Israel? Peterson argues in the affirmative, concluding that Genesis serves a greater function than merely offering a prehistory or backstory for the people of Israel. As the introductory book to the Torah, Genesis must first and foremost be read as legal instruction for Israel. And how exactly is that instruction presented? Peterson posits that many of the Genesis accounts serve as case law. The Genesis narratives depict what a number of key laws in the pentateuchal law codes look like in practice. When Genesis is read through this lens, the rhetorical strategy of the biblical author(s) becomes clear and the purpose for including specific narratives takes on new meaning.
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Womanist Sass And Talk Back
$42.00Add to cartWomanist Sass and Talk Back is a contextual resistance text for readers interested in social (in)justice. Smith raises our consciousness about pressing contemporary social (in)justice issues that impact communities of color and the larger society. Systemic or structural oppression and injustices, police profiling and brutality, oppressive pedagogy, and gendered violence are placed in dialogue with sacred (con)texts. This book provides fresh intersectional readings of sacred (con)texts that are accessible to both scholars and nonscholars. Womanist Sass and Talk Back is for readers interested in critical interpretations of sacred (con)texts (ancient and contemporary) and in propagating the justice and love of God while engaging those (con)texts.
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Womanist Sass And Talk Back
$22.00Add to cartWomanist Sass and Talk Back is a contextual resistance text for readers interested in social (in)justice. Smith raises our consciousness about pressing contemporary social (in)justice issues that impact communities of color and the larger society. Systemic or structural oppression and injustices, police profiling and brutality, oppressive pedagogy, and gendered violence are placed in dialogue with sacred (con)texts. This book provides fresh intersectional readings of sacred (con)texts that are accessible to both scholars and nonscholars. Womanist Sass and Talk Back is for readers interested in critical interpretations of sacred (con)texts (ancient and contemporary) and in propagating the justice and love of God while engaging those (con)texts.
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Caesar And The Sacrament
$27.00Add to cartWhen the earliest Christ-followers were baptized they participated in a politically subversive act. Rejecting the Empire’s claim that it had a divine right to rule the world, they pledged their allegiance to a kingdom other than Rome and a king other than Caesar (Acts 17:7). Many books explore baptism from doctrinal or theological perspectives, and focus on issues such as the correct mode of baptism, the proper candidate for baptism, who has the authority to baptize, and whether or not baptism is a symbol or means of grace. By contrast, Caesar and the Sacrament investigates the political nature of baptism. Very few contemporary Christians consider baptism’s original purpose or political significance. Only by studying baptism in its historical context, can we discover its impact on first-century believers and the adverse reaction it engendered among Roman and Jewish officials. Since baptism was initially a rite of non-violent resistance, what should its function be today?
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Clarifying The Bible
$17.99Add to cartClarifying the Bible” is a two-hour video presentation and workbook giving viewers the basic framework and storyline of the Bible. The material is presented in a passionate, compelling fashion, delivering on its promise to help people see the Bible with more clarity than ever before.
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Living Hope : Examining History’s Most Important Event And What It Means Fo
$14.99Add to cartNo one has had a greater effect on the world than Jesus of Nazareth. But how does a simple carpenter from first-century Palestine end up shaping the course of history more than anyone who has ever lived? By accomplishing what no other person has ever done: by rising from the dead.
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Gods Mediators : A Biblical Theology Of Priesthood
$25.00Add to cartThere are many investigations of the Old Testament priests and the New Testament’s appropriation of such imagery for Jesus Christ. There are also studies of Israel’s corporate priesthood and what this means for the priesthood of God’s new covenant people. However, such studies are less frequently connected with each other: key interrelations are missed, and key questions are not addressed.
In this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, Andrew S. Malone makes two passes across the tapestry of Scripture, tracing these two distinct threads and their intersection with an eye to the contemporary Christian relevance of both themes in both Testaments.
Malone shows how our Christology and perseverance as God’s people in an unbelieving world are substantially enhanced by the way the book of Hebrews pastorally depicts Christ’s own priesthood. Furthermore, Christians better understand their corporate identity and mission by discerning both the ministry of individual Old Testament priests and Israel’s corporate calling. Combining the various biblical emphases on priesthood in one place provides synergies that are too easily disregarded in atomizing, individualistic Western societies.
Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.
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Gospel The Book Of Luke
$29.99Add to cartThis new translation with commentary strips the Gospels of their theological agendas and reclaims them as a radically new way of imagining human life. It blends scholarship and pastoral guidance in an accurate, accessible translation with profound insights that, free of religious moralism and dogmatism, is beautifully imaginative and inspirational.
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Role Of The Synagogue In The Aims Of Jesus
$79.00Add to cartNo one disputes today that Jesus must be understood as a participant in the currents of Second Temple Judaism. However, his relation to the institution of the synagogue has received much less attention despite the clear depiction in all four Gospels of the synagogue as the site of his activity and the considerable recent scholarship on the place of the synagogue in Jewish life. Reviewing what we now know about actual synagogues in the land of Israel and what we understand of their public role in Jewish life and culture, Jordan J. Ryan shows that Gospel narratives placed in synagogues accurately reflect the ancient synagogue setting, a fact that points toward the historical plausibility of the setting of these narratives and suggests that synagogue research must be a starting point for their interpretation. Further, he argues that the synagogue setting of Jesus”s activities reveals that his efforts at the restoration of Israel were intentionally aimed at the synagogue as an institution of public and political life; that is, Jesus sought to bring the kingdom of God into being by persuading local public synagogue assemblies to participate in it. This book marks an important new direction for research.
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Johannine Ethics : The Moral World Of The Gospel And Epistles Of John
$39.00Add to cartThe Gospel and Epistles of John are often overlooked in discussions of New Testament ethics; indeed, it has been asserted that the Fourth Gospel is of only limited value to such discussions–even that John is practically devoid of ethical material. Representing a range of viewpoints, the essays collected here by prominent scholars reveal the surprising relevance and importance of the Johannine literature by examining the explicit imperatives and the values implicit in the Gospel narrative and epistles. The introduction sets out four major approaches to Johannine ethics today. Essays in subsequent sections evaluate the directives of the Johannine Jesus (believe, love, follow), tease out the implicit ethics of the Gospel”s narrative (including its fraught and apparently sectarian representation of hoi Ioudaioi as Jesus”s opponents), and propose different approaches for advancing the discussion of Johannine ethics beyond the categories now dominant in critical scholarship. In a concluding essay, the editors take stock of the book”s wide-ranging discussion and suggest prospects for future study. The sum is a valuable resource for the student as well as the scholar interested in the question of Johannine ethics.
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Easter Earthquake : How Resurrection Shakes Our World
$14.99Add to cartLike a news reporter announcing breaking news, Matthew reports that on the first Easter morning, a great earthquake shook the earth. An angel descended from heaven, rolled back the stone from the entrance to Jesus’ tomb, and sat on the stone. This is the second earthquake recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. The first one took place on Friday, when the noonday sky turned black and Jesus died. Matthew says, “The earth shook, and the rocks were split.” In Easter Earthquake, James Harnish invites us to place Easter at the center of our Lenten journey. This study explores how Christ’s resurrection shakes some of our most basic assumptions about ourselves and God. Harnish reverses the usual focus of Lenten studies by starting at the empty tomb and seeing the entire journey in light of the resurrection. This different perspective on the passion can bring fresh energy into our lives as followers of Christ.
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Old Testament Theology For Christians
$40.00Add to cartAbbreviations
1. Introduction And Foundations
2. God And The Gods
3. Cosmos And Humanity
4. Covenant And Kingdom
5. Temple And Torah
6. Sin And Evil
7. Salvation And Afterlife
8. Conclusions
Author Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
The Old Testament was written for us, but not to us. We will fully grasp its theology only when we are immersed in the ancient cultural river of Israel and the broader cultural river of the ancient Near East.In Old Testament Theology for Christians, John Walton invites us to leave our modern (and even many of our Christian) preconceptions at the threshold as we enter the world of the Old Testament. He challenges us to see it anew-as if for the first time-as guests in a strange and foreign land.
Walton offers a theology of the Old Testament that is consistently guided by what the ancient authors intended as they wrote within their cognitive environment. As we engage with their world, questions arise:
Why was the law given to Israel and how should we view it today?
How does the Old Testament understand sin and salvation?
Did God command Israel to commit genocide?
What was the role of the temple and its sacrifices in God’s covenant with Israel?
Is there an integrating and central theme of Old Testament theology?
What did God require of Israel and how does that apply to Christians today?
Should we look to the Old Testament for solutions to twenty-first century issues?
How should we read the Old Testament in light of Christ?In this capstone to a career of studying and teaching the Old Testament, Walton’s answers take unexpected turns. Viewed within its ancient Near Eastern cognitive environment, the text blossoms into fresh and challenging insights. No matter how you are accustomed to approaching the Old Testament, Old Testament Theology for Christians will challenge and sharpen your perceptions.
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Rediscovering Paul : An Introduction To His World Letters And Theology
$50.00Add to cartIntroduction: The Challenges Of Rediscovering Paul
1. Rediscovering Paul In His World
2. The Christophany
3. Paul, The Letter Writer
4. The Itinerant Paul: Galatians
5. The Itinerant Paul: The Thessalonian Letters
6. The Itinerant Paul: The Corinthian Letters
7. The Itinerant Paul: Romans
8. The Imprisoned Paul
9. The Pastoral Paul
10. Paul’s Theology And Spirituality
11. Paul’s Legacy
12. Paul’s Letters To Our Churches
Maps
Glossary
Bibliography
Author Index
Subject Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
For some of us, the apostle Paul is intimidating, like a distant and difficult uncle. We’re told he’s pretty important. We’ve even read some of the good parts of his letters. But he can come across as prickly and unpredictable. Not someone you’d like to hang out with at a coffee shop on a rainy day. He’d make a scene, evangelize the barista, and arouse looks across the room. For a mid-morning latte, we’d prefer Jesus over Paul.But Paul is actually the guy who-from Ephesus to Athens-was the talk of the marketplace, the raconteur of the Parthenon. He knew everyone, founded emerging churches, and held his own against the intellectuals of his day. Maybe it’s time to give Paul a break, let go of some stereotypes, and try to get to know him on his own terms.
If you’re willing to give Paul a try, Rediscovering Paul is your reliable guide. This is a book that reacquaints us with Paul, as if for the first time-arrested by Christ on the Damascus Road, holding forth in the marketplace of Corinth, working with a secretary in framing his letter to the Romans, or dealing with the messiness of emerging churches from Ephesus to Rome.
Drawing on the best of contemporary scholarship, and with language shaped by teaching and conversing with today’s students, Rediscovering Paul is a textbook that has passed the test. Now in an expanded edition, it’s better than ever. There are fresh discussions of Paul’s letter writing and how those letters were received in the churches, new considerations of pseudonymity and the authenticity of Paul’s letters, and updated coverage of recent developments in interpreting Paul. In addition, the “So What?” feature-much loved by students-has been expanded. For considering the full range of issues, from Paul’s conversion and call to his ongoing impact on church and culture, this second edition of Rediscovering Paul comes enthusiastically recommended.
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Bible As Political Artifact
$39.00Add to cartBiblical studies and the teaching of biblical studies are clearly changing, though it is less clear what the changes mean and how we should evaluate them. In this book, Susanne Scholz engages some of the issues as she has encountered them in the field over the last twenty years. She casts a feminist, class-critical eye on the politics of pedagogy, in higher education and in wider society alike, decrypting important developments in “the architecture of educational power.” She also examines how the increasingly intercultural, interreligious, and diasporic dynamics in society inform the hermeneutical and methodological possibilities for biblical exegesis, whether the topic is rape in ancient Near Eastern legislation or Eve and Adam in the American Christian right”s approaches. In bold strokes, Scholz lays out a program for biblical scholarship and pedagogy that connects to current events and ideas, such as the Title IX debate, inclusive language, or film. Taken as a whole, the fourteen chapters demonstrate that the foregrounding of gender, placed into its intersectional contexts, offers intriguing and valuable alternative ways of seeing the world and the Bible”s place in it.
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Engaging The Powers (Anniversary)
$37.00Add to cartIn this brilliant culmination of his seminal Powers Trilogy, now reissued in a twenty-fifth anniversary edition, Walter Wink explores the problem of evil today and how it relates to the New Testament concept of principalities and powers. He asks the question, “How can we oppose evil without creating new evils and being made evil ourselves?”Winner of the Pax Christi Award, the Academy of Parish Clergy Book of the Year, and the Midwest Book Achievement Award for Best Religious Book.
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Known By God
$29.99Add to cartWho are you? What defines you? What makes you, you? In the past an individual’s identity was more predictable than it is today. Life’s big questions were basically settled before you were born: where you’d live, what you’d do, the type of person you’d marry, your basic beliefs, and so on. Today personal identity is a do-it-yourself project. Constructing a stable and satisfying sense of self is hard amidst relationship breakdowns, the pace of modern life, the rise of social media, multiple careers, social mobility, and so on. Ours is a day of identity angst. Known by God is built on the observation that humans are inherently social beings; we know who we are in relation to others and by being known by them. If one of the universal desires of the self is to be known by others, being known by God as his children meets our deepest and lifelong need for recognition and gives us a secure identity. Rosner argues that rather than knowing ourselves, being known by God is the key to personal identity. He explores three biblical angles on the question of personal identity: being made in the image of God, being known by God and being in Christ. The notion of sonship is at the center – God gives us our identity as a parent who knows his child. Being known by him as his child gives our fleeting lives significance, provokes in us needed humility, supplies cheering comfort when things go wrong, and offers clear moral direction for living.
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Liquid Scripture : The Bible In A Digital World
$29.00Add to cartWhat difference does it make to our experience of Scripture if we no longer hold a book in our hands, if we again scroll through Scripture? How does the flow of electronic Scripture change our perception of the Bibles authority and significance? Jeffrey S. Siker reviews the latest research on how the reading brain processes digital texts and into how churches use digital Bibles, and synthesizes the advantages and risks of the digitized Bible. Sikers conclusions merit serious reflection in classrooms and churches alike.
