This is the first major English-language introduction to the earliest manuscripts of the New Testament to appear for over 40 years. An essential handbook for scholars and students, it provides a thorough grounding in the study and editing of the New Testament text combined with an emphasis on the dramatic current developments in the field. Covering ancient sources in Greek, Syriac, Latin and Coptic, it - describes the manuscripts and other ancient textual evidence, and the tools needed to study them - deals with textual criticism and textual editing, describing modern approaches and techniques, with guidance on the use of editions - introduces the witnesses and textual study of each of the main sections of the New Testament, discussing typical variants and their significance. A companion website with full-colour images provides generous amounts of illustrative material, bringing the subject alive for the reader.

This ground-breaking commentary on The Revelation to John (the Apocalypse) reveals its far-reaching influence on society and culture, and its impact on the church through the ages.
Explores the far-reaching influence of the Apocalypse on society and culture.
Shows the book's impact on the Christian church through the ages.
Looks at interpretations of the Apocalypse by theologians, ranging from Augustine to late twentieth century liberation theologians.
Considers the book's effects on writers, artists, musicians, political figures, visionaries, and others, including Dante, Hildegard of Bingen, Milton, Newton, the English Civil war radicals, Turner, Blake, Handel, and Franz Schmidt.
Provides access to material not readily available elsewhere.
Will appeal to students and scholars across a wide range of disciplines, as well as to general readers.

More information about this series is available from the Blackwell Bible Commentaries website at http: //www.bbibcomm.net/

Sometimes our walk with God seems so difficult. We struggle to find the time to pray, the words to say, and the way to pray them. Are we making prayer more complicated than it needs to be? Charlie Dawes is a pastor and professor who understands both the desires and the challenges of deepening our prayer lives. He has identified simple, biblical prayers that will help you unlock the mystery of conversing with God by paring our words down to their most elemental level. By focusing our prayers, we can open up a new way of relating with God that we have never before experienced. Simple prayer is far from simplistic. Instead, it will help you connect with God at a heart level that cannot be mastered with words alone.

John's Book of Revelation -- the Apocalypse -- has been subjected to countless interpretations by theologians over the years, mostly based on theory and speculation. In contrast, Rudolf Steiner spoke from his own direct experience and knowledge of the spiritual truths contained in St. Johns mysterious pictures.

Although he had previously presented his insights tin the Book of Revelation a number of times, in 1924 Steiner ventured to give a completely new perspective -- in response to requests by priests of the Christian Community -- by relating the subject closely to the work of the modern priest.

These priests felt the need to achieve a closer relationship with the Book of Revelation, he wrote later:

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.

Where is God when life is filled with so much suffering? How can I be sure of God's presence and affection, even in my pain? Can you believe in God and still wrestle with questions and doubt? These are the questions honestly explored in Relentless. Whether in struggle, illness, death, or failure, the presence of pain causes us to question the presence of God. We pray and watch the sky, crossing our spiritual fingers for hardcore proof of God's nearness. And in the silence, we sense something more sinister: perceived abandonment. But what if we could collect evidence that God hasn't left us? What if we could be absolutely certain of God's presence and affection, strengthening our faith against any assault? Woven throughout Scripture sits a single, extraordinary theme: God is with us. Ours is a God who speaks through burning bushes and leads through pillars of fire, who responds to a broken world by giving himself. Like the Old Testament story of Joshua's altar of twelve stones, Relentless delivers twelve key biblical stories that demonstrate God's unfailing presence. Each chapter offers an invitation to identify a "stone" in your own life as tangible evidence of God's nearness. With the turn of the last page, you will have discovered twelve markers of your own, an altar of memory to carry you through questions and losses, even ones yet to come. For the truth-seekers, those drowning in impossible questions, and those who find themselves swallowed up by the dark, Relentless is an invitation to search for divine presence in our everyday stories. With Michele Cushatt's engaging narrative style, this transformational journey reassures us that God, indeed, is with us.

This New Testament is different from any other New Testament on the market. Written in the rhythms of today’s language, The Message New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs brings out the Scripture’s expressive flavor that will bring a unique freshness whether you are reading it for the first time or have been studying it for years.

Note: The book measures 5.3 inches in length and 3.7 inches in width.

Engage with the King James Bible in a new way through coloring the artistically expressed Scripture in this beautifully crafted My Favorite KJV Verses to Color Coloring Book.

The pages incorporate a variety of delightful patterns, motifs, and ink drawings that serve as a background to the free-hand drawn Scripture from the KJV Bible. Relax and be inspired while you enjoy this meditative pastime.

The cover of My Favorite KJV Verses to Color Coloring Book shows a work in progress with an incomplete image, just begging to be shaded. Lavish applications of spot-varnish and bronze foil accents add elegance to the cover.

The book is bound in heavy-duty stock paper and features 128 perforated pages with 62 elegant and contemporary designs to color. At least 7 of these pages include smaller cards and bookmarks and gift tags you can color, cut out, and give away.

Be inspired by the beautiful language of the King James Version paired with exquisite designs and color your way to calmness and serenity. While you are at it, share some pages with friends and family members and introduce them to the art of adult coloring.

• Inspirational Coloring Book for Adults
• Images are Based on KJV Scripture
• Printed on High-Quality Heavy Stock Paper
• 128 Perforated Pages
• Pages Printed on One Side
• 62 Images to Color
• Includes Gift Tags, Bookmarks, and Cards to Color, Cut Out and Share
• Presentation Page for Gift-giving

John Henry Newman is recognized as one of the greatest Christian thinkers of the modern age. He was also a man of prayer and deep spirituality. A. N. Wilson's wide-ranging anthology of Newman's prayers, poems and meditations will appeal to all those who are fascinated by this inspirational man. The readings cover the general themes of faith, prayer, the contemplation of Christ, discipleship, the meaning of holiness, and the hope of heaven. In an engaging Introduction, Wilson brings fresh insight to Newman's life and thought. This carefully arranged anthology will provide comfort and sustenance to all those who cherish Newman's writings and to those who are keen to discover one of our best loved spiritual writers for the first time.

In the second installment to the Suffering and the Christian Life series, Mark Talbot encourages readers to place their suffering within the arc of the full biblical story so that they will better understand their suffering and be able to take courage and find comfort in God as they walk through it.

Empire-critical and postcolonial readings of Revelation are now commonplace, but scholars have not yet put these views into conversation with Jewish trauma and cultural survival strategies. In this book, Sarah Emanuel positions Revelation within its ancient Jewish context. Proposing a new reading of Revelation, she demonstrates how the text's author, a first century CE Jewish Christ-follower, used humor as a means of resisting Roman power. Emanuel uses multiple critical lenses, including humor, trauma, and postcolonial theory, together with historical-critical methods. These approaches enable a deeper understanding of the Jewishness of the early Christ-centered movement, and how Jews in antiquity related to their cultural and religious identity. Emanuel's volume offers new insights and fills a gap in contemporary scholarship on Revelation and biblical scholarship more broadly.

Christianity is often accused of asserting humanity's dominion over nature - an attitude that has led to so much environmental destruction - and of viewing it as somehow 'fallen', instead of teaching that we are merely a part of creation and that 'what we do to the earth, we do to ourselves'. In fact, the Bible is teeming with information about plants and biodiversity and different animals and their behaviour, revealing that its writers, like King Solomon and the oracle Agur, had intimate everyday knowledge of the natural world around them and learned from it. Likewise, Jesus was a close observer of nature and was earthed in the here and now, as his parables show. In this book of biblical reflections botanist Ghillean Prance draws richly from his experiences exploring the Amazon and many other regions - from the White Mountains of Turkey to the Hawaiian Archipelago. It is his hope that this book will move Christians to wonder at some of the marvels of nature, and so to treat God's creation with reverence and more respect. God's Word is to be read not only in the Bible, but in God's 'big book'.

N T Wright offers reflections on the Sunday readings in the Revised Common Lectionary for Year B. This book brings together his widely read columns in the Church Times, and also contains new pieces, to cover all the Sundays and major festivals. Scholarship, history and insights into the world and language of the Bible are woven together to give a deeper understanding of the Word of the Lord. This book will be invaluable to anyone who wants to gather their thoughts in preparation for Sunday worship, or for regular Bible study throughout the year.

Here are 40 short meditations, each with a prayer. Each starts from a point of difficulty - weakness, betrayal, frustration, shame - and provides succinct paragraphs bringing the situation into the context of the Almighty. The book is generously illustrated and would make a great gift.

Come and experience the Scriptures in a fresh and life-giving way. "Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught." -Luke 1:3-4 In this collaboration between Alabaster Co. and IVP, the full text of the Gospel of Luke is presented alongside beautiful full-color photographs and guided meditations by Bible teacher, author, and spiritual director Jan Johnson. Carefully designed as a practical, study-focused version of Alabaster's other bible books, the Alabaster Guided Meditations invite readers into deeper reflection by incorporating the church's ancient lectio divina and visio divina traditions. Though the intersection of New Living Translation Bible passages, photography, thoughtfully designed layouts, and meditations, readers are invited to experience the Gospel of Luke anew.

Robert Alter sets a new standard in the translation of this formative book of the Hebrew Bible.

Genesis begins with the making of heaven and earth and all life, and ends with the image of a mummy—Joseph's—in a coffin. In between come many of the primal stories in Western culture: Adam and Eve's expulsion from the garden of Eden, Cain's murder of Abel, Noah and the Flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham's binding of Isaac, the covenant of God and Abraham, Isaac's blessing of Jacob in place of Esau, the saga of Joseph and his brothers.

In Robert Alter's brilliant translation, these stories cohere in a powerful narrative of the tortuous relations between fathers and sons, husbands and wives, eldest and younger brothers, God and his chosen people, the people of Israel and their neighbors. Alter's translation honors the meanings and literary strategies of the ancient Hebrew and conveys them in fluent English prose. It recovers a Genesis with the continuity of theme and motif of a wholly conceived and fully realized book. His insightful, fully informed commentary illuminates the book in all its dimensions.

Lectio divina is a practice of Scripture reading that treats the Bible not only as a text to be examined, but also as the living Word of God spoken anew to us. Traditionally, Lectio Divina has four separate steps: read; meditate; pray; contemplate. Experienced Bible teacher Jan Johnson presents forty Scripture meditations organised topically, giving us the tools we need to practice Lectio Divina on our own. Each meditation can be used both individually and in group settings, and includes: An introduction to the meditation encouraging a time of quiet preparatory exercise; the complete passage from Scripture with explanations, context, and background to the text, help to enter and absorb the text; space to contemplate the passage, respond to God in prayer and rest in his presence; and an exercise to implement the ideas of the passage in our daily lives. Meeting God in Scripture moves us beyond merely understanding what the text meant in its original context to a direct spiritual encounter with Christ.

"It is a special pleasure to introduce R T (Dick) France's commentary to the pastoral and scholarly community, who should find it a truly exceptional - and helpful - volume." So says Gordon Fee in his preface to this work. France's masterful commentary on Matthew focuses on exegesis of Matthew's text as it stands rather than on the prehistory of the material or details of Synoptic comparison. It is concerned throughout with what Matthew himself meant to convey about Jesus and how he set about doing so within the cultural and historical context of first-century Palestine. Amid the wide array of Matthew commentaries available today, France's world-class stature, his clear focus on Matthew and Jesus, his careful methodology, and his user-friendly style promise to make this volume an enduring standard for years to come.

This illuminating new series is devoted to the neglected reception history of the Bible. The Blackwell Bible Commentaries explore the way the bible has been--and still is--used in hymns, sermons, official church statements, and the like; its role in the evolution of religious beliefs and practices; the way it has influenced social and political developments; and its influence on literature, music, and the arts. The Book of Judges is fascinating biblical text, best known for the tale of Samson and Delilah, but containing many other rich and colorful stories. This commentary examines how the book has been received and interpreted through the ages not only be scholars and theologians, but also by preachers, teachers, politicians, poets, essayists, and artists. The commentary treats the text story by story, making it accessible to specialists and general readers alike. It shows how ideology and the social location of readers shape the Bible's reception. Predominant are women's stories, which have both inspired and offended readers for centuries: Deborah; Delilah; Jael, who slew Sisera; and Jephthah's daughter, sacrificed by her father. The reception of Judges discloses a long history of debate over the roles of women and the use of force, as well as christian prejudice against Jews and "Orientals." The stories also have provided doctrine for the faithful, subjects for artists, and lessons for life. Judges, in this commentary, offers a window into the use of the Bible in the western world.

Find your place in God's Epic Story. This 365 devotional shows how God weaves His plan throughout time. As you enjoy moments with Him daily, you'll see His plan for this place and this time of your life begin to unfold. The Story Devotional is also a wonderful companion to the bestselling Bible The Story. Spend every day reading God's story, and let Him be the author of your life.

Joel, Micah and Habakkuk - these ancient prophets have urgent relevance for a church and a world living at the beginning of a new millennium. They emphasise the life-or-death importance of listening to what God has to say, in times of disaster, disobedience and destruction. Joel, facing the bleakness of national disaster, anticipates a future outpouring of God's Spirit. Micah declares that God's punishment for wickedness is certain and thorough, but that he will preserve a faithful remnant. Facing imminent destruction of the city, the land and the people, Habakkuk is sure that God's hidden purposes are being worked out. The prophets stood in the market-place, powerfully applying their message from God. David Prior believes that, like them, the church today is to take its values into the market-place into the church. Only this stand will bring hope rather than despair to a society under God's judgment.