This collection by Scandinavian scholars offers new studies on classical and modern problems in relation to the Fourth Gospel. There are essays on John and the Synoptics, and on John and the Qumran Scrolls. Other essays present new literary approaches such as the question of the 'implied reader', biblical imagery, and irony and sectarianism. Central theological issues are discussed, including the problem of anti-Judaism, the interpretation of the death of Jesus, the concept of mission, the relation between community and ethics, and the understanding of God in the Johannine writings.

40 short devotions on the different aspects of God's love in hard times

Catherine Campbell's experience as a nurse and as the mother of two girls who both inherited a rare genetic condition that required constant care until their deaths at ages 10 and 13 has given her a unique insight into suffering. As an inspirational speaker, she frequently encounters people with tragic stories. And yet she believes that God is Lord and that in both good times and bad, He is always good.

Isaiah 40:31 says, that "those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles." Campbell comments: How often have you wakened in the morning knowing that the problem, or the pain, or the unpaid bill has not disappeared? We worry and fret ourselves into exhaustion. Yet God has promised us endurance. The great eagle cannot reach the heights merely by its own strength. As it spreads its impressive wings the bird allows the wind to carry it to places no other bird can go. This kind of flying appears effortless because the eagle trusts in a power bigger than itself . . . the wind

In this unique devotional, Catherine examines different aspects of God's love for those times when life gets hard. Perfect for anyone needing encouragement in difficult times, Rainbows for Rainy Days gently shows readers how to turn pain over to Him.

In this exhilarating book, John Pritchard reclaims the narrative power of the gospels by retelling well-known stories in vivid, imaginative language, and showing us how our own stories fit into the Christian story and can be transformed by it. He takes key narratives like the visit of Mary to Elizabeth, the parable of the rich fool, and the Last Supper, and helps us to be part of them. We are given the opportunity to see the people involved more clearly, not least of all Jesus himself - and so to consider whether we might live our own lives a little differently. An ideal resource for anyone concerned to communicate the Christian faith in a lively, contemporary style, Living the Gospel Stories Today will prove no less helpful as an aid to personal meditation and group discussion.

For over one hundred years International Critical Commentaries have had a special place among works on the Bible. They bring together all the relevant aids to exegesis - linguistic, textual, archaeological, historical, literary, and theological - to help the reader understand the meaning of the books of the Old and New Testaments. The new commentaries continue this tradition. All new evidence now available is incorporated and new methods of study are applied. The authors are of the highest international standing. No attempt has been made to secure a uniform theological or critical approach to the biblical text: contributors have been invited for their scholarly distinction, not for their adherence to any one school of thought. >

In 1958, Bible scholar Morton Smith announced the discovery of a sensational manuscript-a second-century letter written by St. Clement of Alexandria, who quotes an unknown, longer version of the Gospel of Mark. When Smith published the letter in 1973, he set off a firestorm of controversy that has raged ever since. Is the text authentic, or a hoax? Is Smith's interpretation correct? Did Jesus really practice magic, or homosexuality? And if the letter is a forgery . . . why?
Through close examination of the "discovered" manuscript's text, Peter Jeffery unravels the answers to the mystery and tells the tragic tale of an estranged Episcopalian priest who forged an ancient gospel and fooled many of the best biblical scholars of his time. Jeffery shows convincingly that Smith's Secret Gospel is steeped in anachronisms and that its construction was influenced by Oscar Wilde's "Salome," twentieth-century misunderstandings of early Christian liturgy, and Smith's personal struggles with Christian sexual morality.

2020 Christian Book Award winner! Written by VeggieTales(R) creator Phil Vischer, the Minno Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids is more than a children's storybook Bible . . . it's a deep, engaging, and whimsical gospel experience. The Minno Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids guides readers ages 4 to 8 from Genesis to Revelation, retelling beloved Bible stories AND tackling tricky questions like "What is sin?" Each story is vividly illustrated, takes just five minutes to read, and includes a Family Connection section to encourage family Bible study and help readers learn, talk, and pray together! PLUS, bonus content connects the dots of each Bible story, making the Minno Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids a family devotional Bible that provides a big picture, applicational view of the Biblical narrative. Key Features: Written by VeggieTales(R) creator Phil Vischer Includes 52 beautifully-illustrated Bible stories from Genesis to Revelation Family Connection at the end of each story makes this children's Bible perfect for family devotional time. Features bonus content including maps, charts, and other tools not usually found in a Bible for kids Clearly teaches kids ages 4 to 8 about God's love and the gospel Previously published as the Laugh and Learn Bible for Kids.

The Choice of Yahweh as Refuge makes a unique and creative contribution to an emerging direction in Psalms study: the shape and shaping of the Psalter. Building especially on the work of Gerald Wilson, James Mays, Klaus Seybold and Gerald Sheppard, Creach provides an abundance of helpful data and advances the discussion significantly with his judicious interpretation of the root hsh ('to seek refuge') and related Hebrew roots. He shows that the arrangement of Psalms 2-89 reflects an editorial interest in which ideas expressed by the hsh field are a foil for complaints of being 'cast off' by Yahweh and that ideas expressed by the hsh field are also among the primary motifs in Psalms 90-106.

The classical Rabbinic tradition (legal, discursive, and exegetical) claims to be Oral Torah, transmitted by word of mouth in an unbroken chain deriving its authority ultimately from diving revelation to Moses at Sinai. Since the third century CE, however, this tradition has been embodied in written texts. Through judicious deployment and analysis of the evidence, Martin Jaffee is able to show that the Rabbinic tradition, as we have it, developed through a mutual interpretation of oral and written modes.

In this rhetorical-critical study of Ecclesiates, the author elucidates how Qoheleth teaches in his discourse, paying particular attention to the use of the cosmological texts (1:4-11 and 3:1-8) and the first-person speeches.

"You are the salt of the earth . . . You are the light of the world." Matthew 5:13-14 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church." Matthew 16:18 The world tries to define us in different ways. We try to define ourselves one way or another. But who are we really? How does God define us? The Gospel of Matthew was written to a group of Christians who didn't yet know who they were. They were faithful Jews in the synagogue community in Galilee who had found the Messiah. Jesus had changed everything. But how should they think of themselves now, as Jewish or Christian? What did it all mean? Matthew writes his Gospel to help his readers define their new identity as followers of Jesus the Messiah. Michael Card unpacks how Matthew's emphasis on fulfillment confirms their Jewish connection to the Torah, while his focus on the kingdom helps them understand their new identities in Christ. Matthew presents this process of redefinition as an exercise of the imagination, in which Jesus reshapes who we are in light of who he is. Come alongside Matthew in this pilgrimage, and discover how your new identity in Christ fulfills all that you are meant to be.

Jesus was condemned . . . so we could be set free. He was wounded . . . so we can be healed. He died . . . so we might have life. The cross has lost much of its appeal as a symbol of Christianity. Yet what Christ did at the cross remains central to our faith. In this richly designed book, Michael Card reflects on what it means for Christians that we meet our savior at a cross. Card combs the Old Testament prophecies and Gospel accounts of Jesus' self-sacrifice, seeking a renewed vision of the cross-the inconceivable meeting place of violence and grace.

Glazov demonstrates that the interlinked themes of bridling the tongue and opening the mouth, well-known components of wisdom teaching, are also crucial to understanding much in the prophets, as well as later Jewish and Christian writings, especially liturgical texts. His comprehensive survey and analysis of the theme contribute to both a literary and a historical perspective on the prophetic literature of the Bible.>

This monograph represents a critical juncture in Thomas studies since it dispels the belief that the Gospel of Thomas originates from gnostic traditions. Rather, Jewish mystical and Hermetic origins are proposed and examined.
Following this analysis, the anthropogony and soteriology of Thomas are discussed. The Thomasites taught that they were the elect children of the Father, originating from the Light. The human, however, became unworthy of these luminous beginnings and was separated from the divine when Adam sinned. Now he must purify himself by leading an encratite lifestyle. He is to ascend into heaven, seeking a "visio dei which will transform him into his original immortal state and grant him citizenship in the Kingdom.

Imperialism and Biblical Prophecy is a radically new interpretation of prophetic poetry. Using more than thirty new translations from the Hebrew Bible, it shows that this poetry is inseparable from imperialism, that each of the three major waves of biblical prophecy which have survived in the Old Testament occurred in response to simultaneous waves of imperialist conquest.

"Follow Me," Jesus told them, "and I will make you into fishers of men " Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. --Mark 1:17-18 The Gospel of Mark is a book of action and passion. Events happen one after another, with a vivid sense of immediacy and urgency. Jesus? emotions come through strongly--at times he is angry and distressed, other times filled with compassion. In this volume, Michael Card provides a lively tour of the Gospel of Mark. As a friend and interpreter of Simon Peter, Mark gives firsthand glimpses of the life and ministry of Jesus in vibrant and energetic narration. The first Gospel to be written, Mark is a "pamphlet for hard times," encouraging Christians that all their sufferings were already endured by Jesus. Accompany Mark on his journey with Jesus. The more clearly you see Jesus here, the greater your passion will be for him.

While the notion of submission (particularly women's submission) has been the focus in not only biblical studies and feminist theology, but also in church structure and in the wider context of modern Christian culture, little attention has been given to the theme academically. Deviating from the general tendency to seek answers to the issue of women's submission from creation accounts, this research focuses on Philippians 2:6-11 as the primary text and reason for embracing submission as the defining characteristic of a Christian community. The argument for submission is thus based on soteriology and ethics of the cross rather than creation. Thus, submission is an integral notion not only for women but all Christians. In this way, the rights language of feminist theology is addressed as well as the claims to male headship which reflect a concern for the right to rule rather than that of Christ's self-sacrifice (submission) in Philippians 2:6-11. Both attempts to attain power and retain power stand in direct opposition to the image of Christ in Philippians 2:6-11. Simultaneously, the notion of submission does not preclude equality or even authority: all three are present in Philippians 2:6-11. Christ voluntarily submits out of his equality with God and later is endowed with God's own authority in 2:9-11. This study shows that the three notions of submission, equality and authority are not as neatly compartmentalized as many assume.

This study attempts to analyse the text of Hebrews with a method of discourse analysis primarily based on a form of systemic functional linguistics developed for Hellenistic Greek, but it is also informed by other linguistic studies. It begins with a general survey of the literature that is either influential or representative of approaches to the structure of Hebrews. The survey is followed by an introduction to the terminology and definitions of discourse analysis, as well as the theory behind the methodology, and describes a procedure for analysing text. Hebrews is treated as having three sections. The first section of Hebrews (1:1-4:16) demonstrates the organization of the units, the topic of the units, the prominent text, and the relationship of the first section with the rest of the discourse. The second section of Hebrews (4:11-10:25) is described in two parts (4:11-7:28 and 8:1-10:25) because of its length. There is an overlap between the first and second sections in 4:11-16 and between the second and third sections in 10:19-25. Both of these passages have a concluding function for the preceding co-text and a staging function for the following co-text, so that they look backwards and forwards. The third and final section in 10:19-13:25 contains the climax or discourse peak. The study is concluded with a description of the coherence of the discourse and a presentation of a mental representation of the text. JSNTS and Studies in New Testament Greek subseries

While working as a docent in an art gallery, Juliet Benner began showing people how to meditate on Christian art treasures that are rooted in a passage of Scripture. She taught a way of encountering the Word behind both the words of Scripture and the artist's meditation on Scripture. This became a way of seeing art as an aid to contemplative prayer. This process resulted in her much-beloved "O Taste and See" columns that appeared in the spiritual formation journalConversations, now expanded into this book. In each chapter you'll encounter a passage of Scripture and a corresponding piece of art. You'll be guided into deeper levels of meaning and reflection through the text and the questions at the end of each chapter. In the process you'll find yourself entering into a new experience of prayer and meditation in God's presence.

The third volume in the four-volume commentary on the "Book of Acts", this work presents a fresh look at the text of "Codex Bezae" and compares its message with that of the more familiar Alexandrian text of which Codex Vaticanus is taken as a representative. It deals with Acts 13.1-18.23, the chapters that cover the first two stages of the mission to the Gentiles, with the intervening meeting in Jerusalem (14.28-15.41). For each section, there is a side by side translation of the Bezan and Vaticanus manuscripts, followed by a full critical apparatus which deals with more technical matters, and finally, a commentary which explores in detail the differences in the message of the two texts. Of particular interest in this part of Acts are the person of Paul and the unfolding of his character and theology. It is found that in the Bezan text Luke portrays him as a fallible disciple of Jesus who, despite his powerful enthusiasm, is hindered by his traditional Jewish understanding from fully carrying out the mission entrusted to him in these first stages. The conclusion is drawn that the portrait of an exemplary hero in the Alexandrian text is a later modification of the flawed picture. Formerly the "Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement", a book series that explores the many aspects of New Testament study including historical perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and theological, cultural and contextual approaches. "The Early Christianity in Context" series, a part of "JSNTS", examines the birth and development of early Christianity up to the end of the third century CE. The series places Christianity in its social, cultural, political and economic context. European Seminar on Christian Origins is also part of "JSNTS". "Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus Supplement" is also part of "JSNTS".

Celebrated author and Benedictine monk Anselm Grun offers a daily reader of very simple and often quite direct Advent reflections. Anselm Grun shows the reader how to approach the festive season consciously, making it a blessed time for ourselves and our families. He draws on his experience as a spiritual director to offer practices for personal devotion or for family prayer for each day of Advent. Also included are special reflections for the Sundays of the season. Anselm Grun's titles have sold more than 15 million copies in 30 languages. This title brings his spiritual wisdom to American readers who are eager for a new voice among titles for the Advent and Christmas season.

4Q Pesher Nahum, long considered one of the most important Qumran texts for understanding the historical context of the Dead Sea Scrolls, is the focus of this critical study. The author presents new readings and undertakes extensive analysis and reconstruction of broken text. Areas of focus include text-critical implications for the biblical text of Nahum, scribal practices, and formal and composition patterns common throughout the Qumran Pmesharim. One of the contraversial aspects of the study is a challenge to accepted thought; that the mysterious "Lion of Wrath" figure of the text has nothing to do with the Hasmonaean king Alexander Jannaeus. Rather, this study argues that Pesher Nahum portrays a coming conquest from the "Kittim", and the "Lion of Wrath" is to be understood within well-known biblical motifs of a Nebuchadnezzar-like foreign invader coming to deliver the wrath of God upon a sinful Israel.

For someone who has exercised such a profound influence on Christian theology, Paul remains a shadowy figure behind the barrier of his complicated and difficult biblical letters. Debates about his meaning have deflected attention from his personality, yet his personality is an important key to understanding his theological ideas. This book redresses the balance. Jerome Murphy-O'Connor's disciplined imagination, nourished by a lifetime of research, shapes numerous textual, historical, and archaeological details into a colourful and enjoyable story of which Paul is the flawed but undefeated hero.
This chronological narrative offers new insights into Paul's intellectual, emotional, and religious development and puts his travels, mission, and theological ideas into a plausible biographical context. As he changes from an assimilated Jewish teenager in Tarsus to a competitive Pharisee in Jerusalem and then to a driven missionary of Christ, the sometimes contradictory components of Paul's complex personality emerge from the way he interacts with people and problems. His theology was forged in dialogue and becomes more intelligible as our appreciation of his person deepens. In Jerome Murphy-O'Connor's engaging biography, the Apostle comes to life as a complex, intensely human individual.

In this outstanding commentary, Gordon McConville offers a theological interpretation of the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy in the context of the biblical canon. He gives due attention to historical issues where these bear on what can be known about the settings in which the text emerged. His dominant method is one that approaches Deuteronomy as a finished work. Dr McConville argues that in the context of the ancient world, Deuteronomy should be understood as the radical blueprint for the life of a people, at the same time both spiritual and political, and profoundly different from every other social, political and religious programme. The book incorporates the tension between an open-ended vision of a perfectly ordered society under God, and practical provisions for dealing with the frailty and imperfections of real people. Hence, it is capable of informing our thinking about the organisation of societies while maintaining a vision of the kingdom of God.