In der jungeren Forschung haben die beiden klassischen Hypothesen einer Aufstiegsgeschichte Davids und einer Thronfolgeerzahlung an UEberzeugungskraft verloren. Damit rucken die Texte in II Sam 1-5 verstarkt in den Blick, denen eine Schlusselstellung fur die literarische Genese der Daviduberlieferung zukommt. Die vorliegende Studie ermittelt einen ersten durchlaufenden und noch vorexilischen Darstellungszusammenhang, der im 7. Jh. v. Chr. entstanden ist. Entsprechend erklart sie das Doppelkoenigtum Davids uber Israel und Juda als eine protodeuteronomistische Grundungsgeschichte der spaten Koenigszeit. Die Untersuchung schliesst mit einer redaktionsgeschichtlichen Skizze der Daviderzahlungen im zweiten Samuelbuch und einer Revision der geschichtlichen Zeugnisse.

For all Sundays, Solemnities, Major Feasts, and Other Occasions Edited by Bishop Peter J. Elliott. This new edition reflects the themes of both Pope John Paul II and the vision of Pope Benedict XVI. The style of the prayers anticipates the dignity, accuracy, and quality of the new ICEL translation of the Roman Missal.

The Straight to the Heart commentary series brings greater accessibility to the Bible so that people can understand the message that the Holy Spirit inspired the authors to write. It aims to get people reading so that they can hear God's voice for themselves; it will challenge them and provide a springboard into a deeper relationship with the divine.

In Straight to the Heart of Solomon we learn from Proverbs, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes that life only works God's way. That's what Solomon teaches us in the book of Proverbs and it's what he celebrates in his risque Song of Songs. Sadly, Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes in his old age as a record of what happened to him when he failed to follow his own advice. He warns us from experience that life really does only work God's way.

The series will cover the whole Bible in 25 volumes to be published through 2015. Previously published volumes include Genesis, Moses, 1 & 2 Samuel, Matthew, John, Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and Revelation.

"Fresh. Solid. Simple. Really good stuff."

--R. T. Kendall

"Phil Moore has served us magnificently."

--Terry Virgo

"Most commentaries are dull. These are alive. Most commentaries are for scholars. These are for you "

--Michael Green

"Think of these books as the Bible's message distilled for everyone."

--Adrian Warnock

An expert Bible teacher unpacks key passages from Romans.

Recently Markan scholarship has been exploring the role that the disciples play in the narrative of Mark's gospel. This interest in the disciples is a natural and logical concern given the widely held opinion that the gospel was written to a specific community comprised of young believers. While much of this has been helpful and necessary for understanding Mark, one must not allow equally significant themes to be forgotten. Any understanding of discipleship is only properly grounded in Christology. Most Markan scholars who have addressed the issue of Christology in Mark take for granted that Jesus' identity and mission are inseparable. Generally speaking, the gospel may be outlined in two halves, corresponding to the issues of identity and mission. This book is a verse-by-verse commentary that examines Mark 8:22-9:13, and concludes that these three episodes form the transition point dealing with Jesus' identity to his mission. Mark 8:22-26 serves to illustrate the inadequacy of sight already gained and the necessity for something additional. Mark 8:22-9:1 provides the opportunity for the final piece to be revealed about Jesus: a clear teaching about his suffering and death. The transfiguration episode (Mark 9:2-13) confirms the necessity of this outcome for properly understanding Jesus. Ultimately, the transfiguration, serving as a confirmation of Jesus' suffering death, provides the Christological resolution for the disciples to see clearly.

This volume commences a complete edition of the writings of Nilus of Ancyra ( ca. 430). It presents the first attempt to reconstruct the lost text of the commentary on the Song of Songs from the catenae sources. The introduction details the principles and methods used in the reconstruction, and comprehensive indexes provide access to the text. The commentary can definitely be attributed to Nilus; the edition is of fundamental importance for this reason too, as this is not the case for various other writings appearing under his name."

In this study, Dr J. Gary Millar provides a careful and perceptive analysis of Deuteronomy's ethical teaching set in the context of the book's theology.

The Bible has the astounding power to transform lives. The stories of people like Francis of Assisi, Antony of Egypt, Augustine of Hippo, Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Jr. vividly demonstrate this. Why aren't more of us transformed by Scripture today? Too often we study biblical texts without believing that God truly inhabits this book. Scripture seeks to capture our minds, not merely educate them. In these pages Chris Webb explains that we can transform our Christian life by reading as lovers rather than as theorists. This is possible by coming to the text prayerfully, expectantly, in humility and empty-handed. When we open the Bible, it does not say to us, "Listen: God is there " Instead, the voice of the Spirit whispers through each line, "Look: I am here." Reading the Bible this way can reconfigure the habits of your heart, refresh your imagination and memory, reshape and redeem your emotions, realign your reality individually and communally for kingdom life, and take us beyond the Bible into a renewed way of life. Here is the work of today--which is also the work of the whole of life--to open your heart afresh to the living Word of God.

Fresh translation and facing-page annotations bring the compelling wisdom of the Hebrew prophets to life.

Hundreds of commentaries and dozens of Bible translations make the Hebrew prophets available to modern-day readers, but most often these sources focus on history or apologetics, losing the reader who is searching for spiritual insight.

"The Hebrew Prophets: Selections Annotated & Explained" makes the wisdom of these timeless teachers available to readers with no previous knowledge of the prophets. With fresh, contemporary commentary, Rami Shapiro reveals the central themes covered by all the prophets: moving from ignorance to wisdom, injustice to justice, cruelty to compassion, and despair to joy.

This unique look at the Hebrew Prophets sharpens the personal nature of their message and highlights their critique of the spiritual errors we all face in life, challenging readers to correct those errors and experience a life of awakening and joy.

This monograph enquires into the unity of the Book of Isaiah. Was the final text of Isaiah intended to give an answer to the prophet Nathan's questioning of YHWH's faithfulness to his promises to David (II Sam 7)? The background to Nathan's prophecy - anchored above all in the union between the Royal House of David and the House of YHWH - forms the thread leading the reader through the 66 chapters of the Book of Isaiah and presenting it as the inheritance of the promise. The added meaning given by the final redaction in its turn poses the question of the role played by redactors in the prophetic literature.

Feasting on the Gospels is a new seven-volume series that follows up on the success of the Feasting on the Word series to provide another trusted preaching resource, this time on the most prominent and preached upon most preached upon books in the Bible: the four Gospels. With contributions from a diverse and respected group of scholars and pastors, Feasting on the Gospels includes completely new material that covers every single passage in the Gospels, making it suitable for both pastors who preach from the lectionary and pastors who do not. Moreover, these volumes incorporate the unique format of Feasting on the Word, giving preachers four perspectives to choose from for each Gospel passage: theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical. Feasting on the Gospels offers a unique resource for all who preach, either continuously or occasionally, on the Gospels.

The beginning chapters of Genesis come alive with characters, places, and events almost totally unknown outside of the Bible itself except when illuminated by the fascinating history of the ancient Near East. Did a man we call Adam actually exist? Was someone known to us as Noah warned of a cataclysmic flood and instructed to build an ark? Could the Tower of Babel incident actually have happened? When archaeological artifacts and literature began to surface from ancient Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) nearly 200 years ago, only a handful of archaeologists dared to point out that there appeared to be a close relationship between Genesis and the ruminations of the Sumerians and Akkadians who once lived there. Often enduring great personal hardships, these archaeological pioneers produced copious translations and marvelous insights. Cuneiform texts compiled from almost two centuries of exploration have added significantly to our understanding of the historical underpinnings of the Old Testament. The reader will gain a new appreciation for the historical integrity of Genesis 2-11, and marvel at the evidence that the persons, places, and events depicted, though long misunderstood, could be real. Please visit Richard J. Fisher's web site at http: //www.historicalgenesis.com.

Das Buch behandelt die in der Forschung umstrittene Frage, ob es sich bei der personifizierten Weisheit in der Sapientia Salomonis bereits um eine Hypostase oder lediglich um eine Vorstufe im Sinne einer poetischen Personifikation handelt. Auf die traditionsgeschichtliche Analyse der einschlagigen Weisheitstexte in Prov 1-9, Hiob 28, Sirach 1,1-10 und 24 folgt die Auslegung der zentralen Texte der Sapientia Salomonis (Sap 1,1-10; 7,1-8,1; 9,1-18 und 10,1-11,1). Da in der judischen Spatschrift zahlreiche philosophische Anleihen zu finden sind, muss auch im Blick auf den Weisheitsbegriff und das damit verbundene Problem der Vermittlung zwischen Gott und Mensch mit einer Beeinflussung durch die Vorstellungen der zeitgenoessischen Philosophie (mittlere Stoa: Poseidonios von Apamea; mittlerer Platonismus: Antiochos von Askalon, Eudoros von Alexandrien) gerechnet werden.

Join author and minister David Murray as he introduces you to Jesus through the lens of the Old Testament. When you think of a son trudging uphill, carrying wood for his own sacrifice because his father has decided to give him up to death, what biblical event does this bring to mind? Is it Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, or is it Christ's passion in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? The kinship between these two stories is deeper than mere coincidence, and the similarities don't end there. In fact, Murray argues that Christ isn't just present in the story of Abraham and Isaac--he's present on every page of the Old Testament. In Jesus on Every Page, Dr. Murray guides the reader down his own Road to Emmaus, describing how the Scriptures were opened to him, revealing Jesus from Genesis 1 all the way through Revelation 22. Dr. Murray shares his ten simple ways to seek and find Christ in the Old Testament, diving deep into: Christ's planet--discovering Jesus in the story of Creation Christ's people--discovering Jesus in the characters of the Old Testament Christ's promises--discovering Jesus in the covenants of the Old Testament Recognizing Jesus in the full breadth of scripture is important for every Christian. In this step-by-step guide to discovering Jesus in the Old Testament, Dr. Murray provides a framework that will help you start practicing this wonderful way of enjoying Jesus throughout the Bible. Whether you are preaching Jesus through Old Testament readings or just beginning to discover the reality of Christ in the Old Testament, Jesus on Every Page is an accessible guide to getting to know the Old Testament for what it truly is: full of Jesus.

" This book identifies the source of the Colossian error as from within Jewish mystical movements and shows how both the theology and practice which is taught in the epistle is to be understood from this context. The book gives a helpful overview of scholarship that has attempted to identify the nature and source of the Colossian error. The book, unlike many others on the topic, is exegetically driven, and will model thorough and careful exegetical practice. The book interacts with extra-Biblical texts which help the reader to understand the mystical contexts of first century Judaism."

If yours could be the ideal marriage, what would it look like? Would it be one where hearts are open? Where faith is shared, personal growth is encouraged, dreams are nurtured, individual strengths are appreciated, romance flourishes, and even fights lead to deeper care and understanding. You can have such a marriage . . . when you build it on wisdom. Meditations on Proverbs for Couples imparts choice gems from the richest treasury of practical wisdom ever known--the book of Proverbs. You and your mate will gain insights that can help you make your marriage a source of deep satisfaction and fruitfulness. In these thirty-one meditations by marriage experts Les and Leslie Parrott, you'll explore the Bible's books of ancient wisdom to uncover thoroughly modern perspectives on communication, money, sex, commitment, recreation, anger, forgiveness, praise, humility, conflict, and more. The Parrotts share refreshing, down-to-earth reflections, brought home by candid vignettes from their own marriage and other true-life examples. Each meditation includes questions you can reflect on by yourself or discuss with your mate. The wise sayings of Proverbs must be talked about, say the Parrotts. "Read them aloud together. Commit a few to memory. And fill you marriage with wise and good conversation." It's a great way to join hearts and minds--as together you lay wisdom for the foundation of a strong, happy relationship.

In Man of Sorrows, King of Glory, Jonty Rhodes uses the traditional categories of Jesus as prophet, priest, and king to enhance the Christian understanding of his life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.

Exploring the interrelated topics of Christology and discipleship within the apocalyptic context of Mark's Gospel, Henderson focuses on six passages: Mark 1: 16-20; 3: 13--15; 4: 1-34; 6: 7-13; 6: 32-44; 6: 45-52. Together, these passages indicate that the disciples failed to understand not just Jesus' messianic identity per se but the apocalyptic nature of his messiahship, as well as its implications for their own participation in God's coming reign. The implications of this for Mark's gospel as a whole ar situate Mark's Christological claims within the broader context of the apocalyptic 'gospel of God'. This lends coherence to Mark's bifocal interest in miracle and passion. It also illuminates the relationship between Mark's Jesus and his followers as those who carry forward his own mission: to demonstrate the coming kingdom of God, which is fully assured if not yet fully in view.

The beginning chapters of Genesis come alive with characters, places, and events almost totally unknown outside of the Bible itself except when illuminated by the fascinating history of the ancient Near East. Did a man we call Adam actually exist? Was someone known to us as Noah warned of a cataclysmic flood and instructed to build an ark? Could the Tower of Babel incident actually have happened? When archaeological artifacts and literature began to surface from ancient Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) nearly 200 years ago, only a handful of archaeologists dared to point out that there appeared to be a close relationship between Genesis and the ruminations of the Sumerians and Akkadians who once lived there. Often enduring great personal hardships, these archaeological pioneers produced copious translations and marvelous insights. Cuneiform texts compiled from almost two centuries of exploration have added significantly to our understanding of the historical underpinnings of the Old Testament. The reader will gain a new appreciation for the historical integrity of Genesis 2-11, and marvel at the evidence that the persons, places, and events depicted, though long misunderstood, could be real. Please visit Richard J. Fisher's web site at http: //www.historicalgenesis.com.

En Nunca estas solo, Max Lucado, el pastor y autor best seller del New York Times, te mostrara que eres mas fuerte de lo que crees porque Dios esta mas cerca de lo que te das cuenta. Seras consolado por el Dios vivo, amoroso y hacedor de milagros que ni lo pensara dos veces antes de entrar en los matorrales espinosos de tu mundo para sacarte de alli. Cuando sentimos que la vida no es suficiente, ?le importa a Dios? Cuando lo escucho decir "No", ?tiene una respuesta? Cuando me enfrento a una avalancha de desafios, ?me ayudara? Cuando la vida se vuelve oscura y tormentosa, ?se da cuenta? Cuando me enfrento al temor a la muerte, ?me ayudara? La respuesta en los milagros que dan vida en el Evangelio de Juan es un rotundo si. En este libro, Max Lucado te ayudara a: Darte cuenta de que Jesus esta caminando contigo y levantandote de tus tormentas. Permanecer en la gracia de la cruz, el milagro de la tumba vacia, y la garantia del poder de la restauracion. Creer que Dios es tu fuente de ayuda siempre presente. Reconocer que nunca estas sin esperanza o fuerza porque nunca, nunca, estas solo. Anhelamos a Alguien que nos acompane en medio de los lios de la vida. Anhelamos creer en un Dios vivo, amoroso y hacedor de milagros que ni lo pensara dos veces antes de entrar en los matorrales espinosos de nuestro mundo para sacarnos de alli. Si este es tu deseo, echa un vistazo a las palabras de Juan y los milagros de Cristo y ve si no logran su objetivo deseado: "Para que ustedes crean que Jesus es el Cristo, el Hijo de Dios, y para que al creer en su nombre tengan vida" (Juan 20.31). Hoy, armate de valor porque eres mas fuerte de lo que crees, ya que Dios esta mas cerca de lo que crees. You Are Never Alone In You Are Never Alone, Max Lucado, the pastor and New York Times best-selling author, will show you that you are stronger than you think because God is closer than you realize. You'll be comforted by the living, loving, miracle-working God who won't even think twice about entering the thorny bushes of your world to get you out. When we feel that life is not enough, does God care? When I hear Him say "No", does He have an answer? When I am faced with an avalanche of challenges, will He help me? When life gets dark and stormy, does He notice? When I am faced with the fear of death, will He help me? The answer in the life-giving miracles in John's Gospel is a resounding yes. In this book, Max Lucado will help you: Realize that Jesus is walking with you and lifting you up from your storms. Remain in the grace of the cross, the miracle of the empty tomb, and the assurance of the power of restoration. Believe that God is your ever-present source of help. Recognize that you are never without hope or strength because you are never, ever, alone. We long for Someone to be with us in the midst of life's troubles. We long to believe in a living, loving, miracle-working God who will not even think twice about entering the thorny bushes of our world to get us out. If this is your desire, take a look at the words of John and the miracles of Christ and see if they do not achieve their desired goal: "That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing in his name you may have life" (John 20:31). Today, take courage because you are stronger than you think, because God is closer than you think.

The Gospel isn't first and foremost about forgiveness. That's simply how we enter into the hallway of salvation to explore all of the rooms in the palace. That's why we need these three books of the Bible. They remind us that God has given us some Promised Land to take as a result of our salvation. They help us to discover the God who keeps on giving. God inspired the Bible for a reason. He wants you read it and let it change your life. If you are willing to take this challenge seriously, then you will love Phil Moore's devotional commentaries. Their bite-sized chapters are punchy and relevant, yet crammed with fascinating scholarship. Welcome to a new way of reading the Bible. Welcome to the Straight to the Heart series.