This builds on and develops a new approach to Paul being formulated by a group of scholars (including Tom Wright). The book is based on the prestigious Hulsean Lectures he gave this Spring at Cambridge.

Underlying Proverbs 1-9 is a rich tradition of instruction in how to live. Its primary value is wisdom. In this groundbreaking work, Daniel Estes describes that tradition and explains how wisdom is founded in "the fear of the Lord." Skillfully organizing what otherwise seem to be random collections of sayings, Estes sets out in a clear and insightful way what Proverbs 1-9 tells us about teaching and learning how to live well.

This book not only opens a window to the wisdom writings of the Old Testament, but also provides important material pertaining to practical education and pedagogical theory today. It will be of interest to Bible readers, parents, and teachers alike.

Understand the Prophets Like Never Before with Amazing Insights from One of Today's Foremost Old Testament Scholars For many Christians reading the Old Testament, trying to understand Israel's prophets is like listening to just one side of a phone conversation--you only get half the idea of it. You hear the answer, but how do you know what question the prophet is answering? In The Lost Letters to the Twelve Prophets, John Goldingay uncovers the questions behind the prophets' answers that make their meaning and relevance intelligible to us. Written as a series of imaginary letters to the twelve Minor Prophets, The Lost Letters to the Twelve Prophets asks the kinds of questions that Hosea, Micah, Zechariah, and others were answering. The letters make clear the issues these prophets of Israel were dealing with or deliver the news they were responding to in their Old Testament writings. For example, To Hosea: Why did you marry someone you knew might be unfaithful? To Joel: It looks as if a locust epidemic is on the way: what should we do? To Amos: What should we do about the war crimes of peoples around us? To Obadiah: The Edomites have occupied our land and pushed us out: what's up with that? To Jonah: When is God going to fulfill his undertaking to destroy Nineveh? To Micah: Will God always be angry with us as a people? To Nahum: When is God going to fulfill his undertaking to destroy Nineveh? To Habakkuk: When is God going to do something about injustice in Judah? To Zephaniah: What do you mean by "the day of the Lord"? To Haggai: When is God going to fulfill his promises about rebuilding the temple? To Zechariah: Should Jeshua be High Priest when he has been in an unclean land? To Malachi: Why does serving God seem pointless? These and other questions help readers peer behind the veil of Minor Prophets' utterances and unlock their significance for today's Christians. Each chapter: begins with a brief paragraph of background about the prophet recounts questions or reports that have been addressed to the prophet in the form of a letter sums up message of the prophet responding to that question offers a brief comment or explanation after each passage The Lost Letters to the Twelve Prophets offers an imaginative, fun, and engaging way for students, pastors, and all serious Bible readers get a better grip on what is happening in these often misunderstood biblical books and get more out of their Bible reading and study.

Full of awesome and gruesome scenes that seem to provoke more fear than faith, the Book of Revelation is often read as a roadmap through the doom and gloom of the end time. Correctly understood, however, this grand finale of the New Testament is aloud and clear call to conversion as well as a message of hope and consolation for Christians of every age. Catherine Cory carefully explains the variety of Visions that unfold in kaleidoscopic fashion throughout the book. Scenes from the Old Testament form collages that convey the central theme; namely, that God is in control and evil is being conquered. The breathtaking conclusion resounds with God's promise, Behold, I make all things new." Cory's lucid style reveals the true message of the Book of Revelation. Catherine Ann Cory, PhD, is an associate professor in the theology department, at the University of Saint Thomas, St.Paul, Minnesota.

The classic "All Series" books have graced the shelves of pastors, students, and laypeople alike for decades. "All the Teachings of Jesus" continues in the series' tradition of offering a faithful and comprehensive treatment of biblical subjects.

Herbert Lockyer begins this enlightening book by writing that the words of Jesus "were not only 'thoughts that breathe, and words that burn, ' but mighty words that were to shape the destinies of men and nations." With the wisdom that comes from years of preaching and studying the Bible, Herbert Lockyer provides his readers with insights into the teachings of Jesus and encourages us to allow those teachings to shape our lives.

One of Jesus' main purposes during his time on earth was to teach. In this useful, heart touching book, Herbert Lockyer examines the nature and authority of the Great Teacher himself. He points readers to the life giving words Jesus spoke to his disciples and the multitudes. Jesus taught on a variety of topics that are as significant to believers today as they were then: sin, forgiveness, money, sickness and death, love, ministry, and many more. In his teaching Jesus invited repentance and belief in the gospel, and he instructed his followers in how to live sanctified lives.

The negative biblical presentation of King Saul of Israel has been biased in favour of David at the expense of Saul. This book presents a more positive picture and more realistic view of the culture of the period extending from Saul to the schism. Simcha Shalom Brooks explores a number of controversial issues such as the historicity of the biblical text on which so many modern scholars are sharply divided: that David was ambitious and coveted Saul's throne, and even though David became king, the people continued to support the house of Saul. This book makes a valuable contribution to the current biblical debate as to the existence of ancient Israel in the Iron Age 1 Period. Simcha Shalom Brooks draws on literary, historical and archaeological material to present a balanced view of the period.

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 unique preaching resource, this time on the most prominent and preached upon New Testament books, the four Gospels. With contributions from a diverse and respected group of scholars and pastors, Feasting on the Gospels will include completely new material that covers every single passage in the New Testament Gospels, making it suitable for both lectionary and non-lectionary use. Moreover, these volumes will incorporate the unique format of Feasting on the Word, with four perspectives for preachers to choose from for each Gospel passage: theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical. Feasting on the Gospels will provide a special resource for all who preach, either continuously or occasionally, on the Gospels.

With the overwhelming pace of life, many of us struggle to stop long enough to be present. Our long to-do lists and full calendars leave little breathing room to hear from God. We know we need to slow down but we don't even know how to begin. Alan Fadling has spent years coaching leaders and communities on how to live an unhurried life, teaching that productivity and success are not our chief end, but rather living at the pace that our true self longs to live. Designed to help you center your day around God's loving presence, A Year of Slowing Down offers six devotionals for each week of the year. Each day begins with a Scripture passage followed by a short reading and a reflection question. This book is an invitation to slow down and be present to the movement of God in your everyday life. Will you accept God's call to welcome a year of slowing down?

In this book, Graeme Auld brings together his work relating to Samuel and the Former Prophets in an invaluable single volume. Including 'Prophets through the Looking Glass', which has been described as marking a paradigm shift in our thinking about the Bible's 'writing prophets', and which led the author to equally novel proposals about biblical narrative, the first part of this volume traces the route through the looking glass to his radical argument in Kings without Privilege (1994). The apparently straightforward, but actually controversial, claim is defended that the main source of the biblical books of Samuel-Kings and of Chronicles was simply the material common to both. The major portion of this volume of collected papers explores some of the fresh perspectives opened for reading the present books of Samuel, the books from Joshua to Kings as a whole, and the Pentateuch.

He has made everything beautiful in its time.Ecclesiastes 3:11Your devotional time is precious as you draw near to the Lord and experience His love in your life. The Beautiful Word Devotional is the perfect companion to help you experience His goodness through His Word as beautifully lettered Scripture.This devotional includes:182 verses illustrated in full colorSpecial places to write your own reflectionsWarm devotions for each day of the yearDive into 365 devotions to nurture your spirit and encourage your heart as God's Word washes over you with its promises. With lovely devotions and inspiring images, The Beautiful Word Devotional will refresh your heart daily as you seek to enjoy God's Word in a creative way.

Emil Brunner sees St Paul's Epistle to the Romans as the chapter of destiny of the Christian Church. Here, in Luther's words, is the purest gospel upon which the very existence of the Christian faith depends and from which it draws its life. Concentrated, decisive and instructive, nothing within the New Testament is more closely argued both theologically and personally. Out of his years of scholarly wisdom Brunner meditates on the great Epistle, and in his commentary elucidates the massive Pauline arguments which are the bedrock of the Christian belief and the Christian proclamation.

Enfolded in Love is a selection of readings from The Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich rendered in modern English. It can either be read straight through as a presentation of the great themes of a remarkable mystic, or taken page by page as a basis for daily prayer and meditation over a period of two months. First purblished in 1980, Enfolded in Love has sold more than 120,000 copies and has become an established classic as interest in Julian of Norwich has grown. Enfolded in Love is both a perfect introduction for newcomers to Julian and an ideal resource for her devotees. This book is part of the acclaimed Enfloded in Love series of books which presents selections from the spiritual classics in a form suitable for daily reading and meditation.

Reading Ecclesiastes explores the literary style and themes of the Book of Ecclesiastes, investigating its overall theological messages and the cultural perspectives which readers bring to bear on their act of reading. Examining the meaning found in Ecclesiastes through the use of two important contemporary reading methods - narrative criticism and cultural exegesis - Mary E. Mills breaks new ground. Highlighting the range of theological meaning attached to the book of Ecclesiastes as a result of treating the text as a form of narrative and a story told in the first person, this innovative book will appeal to all those interested in narrative criticism, literary studies and interpretation and Wisdom tradition and the ancient world more widely, as well as biblical scholars.

This book considers medieval literary criticism of the Bible; it centers on the paradoxical interdependence of the literal and spiritual senses through examination of Nicholas of Lyra's literal commentary on the Gospel of John, and of the anonymous Middle English biblical adaptation, the Cursor Mundi. Inheriting a vocabulary of interpretation that split meaning into the literal and spiritual, Mark Hazard shows how biblical commentary of the late Middle Ages attempts to transform the relation between the literal and the spiritual from one of difference to continuity by adopting novel approaches to interpretation.

Daily encouragement from the Bible for men The NIV Once-A-Day Devotional for Men has 365 inspirational readings for every day of the year, equipping you on your journey to become a man after God's own heart. You can spend time every day learning to be more of a man after God's own heart with this NIV devotional book, designed with daily readings created specifically for men. Using devotions from Livingstone, the group that produced the Life Application Study Bible, each daily reading includes a Scripture passage, a devotion on that passage, and a prayer starter to help lead you into conversation with God. Features: Scripture passages from the accurate, readable, and clear New International Version (NIV) Devotions for reflection, written specifically for men Each reading includes a prayer starter to help lead you into conversation with God 9-point type size

How to behave in the diaspora has been a central problem for Jews over the ages. They have debated whether to assimilate by adopting local customs or whether to remain a God-centered people loyal to their temporal rulers but maintaining the peculiar customs that separated them from their host nations. The question not only of survival, but of the basis for survival, is also a central problem in the Joseph stories of the Book of Genesis. The work shows its readers the grand alternatives of Judaism, instilled in two larger-than-life figures, so its readers can reassess for themselves the road Judaism did not take, and understand why Joseph though admirable in many respects, is left out of the rest of the Bible.

The question is answered through the stories about how Joseph, the son of Jacob, saved his people/family from famine by becoming a high-ranking administrator to Pharaoh. By analyzing his behavior to the people over whom he exercises power, Joseph lords it over his brothers, grieves his father, takes lands from Egyptian farmers, and engages in forced deportation. Wildavsky explains why Joseph-the-assimilator is replaced in the Book of Exodus by Moses-the-lawgiver. The book ends by demonstrating that Joseph and Moses are, and are undoubtedly meant to be exact opposites.

As in his earlier book on "The Nursing Father: Moses as a Political Leader," Wildavsky combines analysis of political and administrative leadership with both traditional and modern study of texts: thematic linkages via plot, grammar, dreams, poetry, and religious doctrine. Thus the chapter on "Joseph the Administrator" is preceded by a chapter on Joseph as The Dream Lord" and followed by an analysis and explanation of why Jacob's obscure blessings to his sons are more like curses. Always the emphasis is on the reciprocal influence of religion and politics, on rival answers to questions about how Hebrews should relate to each other and to outsiders. New, in paperback, the book will be of interest to biblical scholars and readers as well as those concerned with the interaction of religion and political life.

Are there different degrees of faith? Does faith always prove itself only through action? James provides powerful, practical answers to timeless questions of the Christian faith, including teaching on how to gain wisdom, prevent hypocrisy, and control the tongue.

The Cambridge Companion to Genesis explores the first book of the Bible, the book that serves as the foundation for the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures. Recognizing its unique position in world history, the history of religions, as well as biblical and theological studies, the volume summarizes key developments in Biblical scholarship since the Enlightenment, while offering an overview of the diverse methods and reading strategies that are currently applied to the reading of Genesis. It also explores questions that, in some cases, have been explored for centuries. Written by an international team of scholars whose essays were specially commissioned, the Companion provides a multi-disciplinary update of all relevant issues related to the interpretation of Genesis. Whether the reader is taking the first step on the path or continuing a research journey, this volume will illuminate the role of Genesis in world religions, theology, philosophy, and critical biblical scholarship.

First Published in 2001. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In the history of nineteenth-century religious thought, William Robertson Smith occupies an ambiguous position. More than any other writer, he stimulated the theories of religion later advanced by Frazer, Durkheim, and Freud. Smith himself was not an original scholar, but was rather "clever at presenting other men's theories" within new and sometimes hostile contexts. Smith was an important contributor to two of the most serious challenges to Christian orthodoxy of the last century, the "Higher Criticism" of the Bible and the comparative study of religion, and was also the victim of the last successful heresy trial in Great Britain. Yet he was an utterly devout Protestant, whose views on Biblical criticism (for which he was damned) are now considered as true as his views on totemism and sacrifice (for which he was praised) are now considered false.

Despite Smith's enormous significance for the history of religious ideas, he has been written about relatively little, and most of what we know about his life and work comes from a source almost a century old. Originally published in 1882, The Prophets of Israel is a collection of eight lectures, including "Israel and Jehovah;" "Jehovah and the Gods of the Nations," "Amos and the House of Jehu," "Hosea and the Fall of Ephraim," "The Kingdom of Judah and the Beginnings of Isaiah's Work," "The Earlier Prophesies of Isaiah," "Isaiah and Micah in the Reign of Hezekiah," and "The Deliverance from Assyria."

A new introduction by Robert Alun Jones discusses Smith's early life, the heresy trial, Smith's early view of prophecy, and the classic text itself. The book will be of interest to students and teachers of religious studies, and general readers interested in Robertson Smith.

These three short prophetic books of the Old Testament each contain a dual message. On one hand are messages of impending judgment---for all peoples on the Day of the Lord, for an enemy of Israel, and for Israel herself. On the other hand are messages of great hope---of the pouring out of God s Spirit, of restoration and renewal, and of a coming Messiah. Placing judgment and hope together in such a manner may seem paradoxical to a contemporary mindset. But the complete message of these prophets gives a fuller picture of God---who despises and rightly judges sin and rebellion, but who also lovingly invites people to return to him so that he might bestow his wonderful grace and blessings. It is a message no less timely today than when these books were first written, and David W. Baker skillfully bridges the centuries in helping believers today understand and apply it. Most Bible commentaries take us on a one-way trip from our world to the world of the Bible. But they leave us there, assuming that we can somehow make the return journey on our own. They focus on the original meaning of the passage but don t discuss its contemporary application. The information they offer is valuable---but the job is only half done The NIV Application Commentary Series helps bring both halves of the interpretive task together. This unique, award-winning series shows readers how to bring an ancient message into our postmodern context. It explains not only what the Bible meant but also how it speaks powerfully today."

Holy Habits is an adventure in Christian discipleship. Inspired by Luke's model of church found in Acts 2:42-47, it identifies ten habits and encourages the development of a way of life formed by them. The habits are: Biblical Teaching, Fellowship, Breaking Bread, Sharing Resources, Serving, Eating Together, Gladness and Generosity, Worship, Prayer and Making More Disciples. These Bible reading notes have been created to help churches and individuals explore the habits through prayerful engagement with the Bible and live them out in whole-life, missional discipleship.

This journey through the book of Luke includes 50 daily devotionals written by David Murray, author of The StoryChanger. Part of the StoryChanger Devotional series, this book features daily readings designed to help you learn, love, and live the whole Bible.

In this selection of new sermons, Barbara Brown Taylor walks us through the church year, from the expectancy of Advent to the fires of Pentecost and beyond.

Richard Bauckham explores the historical and literary contexts of the Epistle of James, discussing the significance of James as the brother of Jesus and leader of the early Jerusalem church. He gives special attention to the aphorisms which encapsulate James' wisdom, and to the way that James' teaching closely resembles that of Jesus.