Woods examines Luke's use of the unusual phrase 'Finger of God' at Lk. 11.20 as a key to understanding the role of the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts. Luke's interest in the Holy Spirit is well-known, so when instead of having Jesus say,' It I cast out devils by the Spirit of God...', as Matthew has it, he writes, 'If I by the finger of God..', Luke poses a question that has puzzled many commentators since. Woods argues that in fact the phrase finger of God' holds the key to understanding the role of the Spirit in Luke-Acts. Taking into account the background to the phrase. Luke's larger theological interests within the Beelzebub section itself, the Travel Narrative, and the programme of Luke-Acts as a whole, he offers a new solution to an old exegetical question.

Finding God in the diversity of races, cultures, and creeds that make up our neighborhoods and cities, our country and our world, is one of the most important tasks for people of faith today. Seeing God in Diversity: Exodus and Acts, takes that task seriously. Here readers will find a parish study resource that promotes tolerance, diversity, and inclusiveness by looking at two biblical stories from multiple points of view: the story of the returning Jews in the Book of Exodus and the story of the new Christian community in the Book of Acts. The lessons of these ancient communities - and the way they dealt with many of the issues we face today - lead readers to put themselves in the place of each group and re-examine their faith and work for greater inclusiveness in their own communities. Lessons are arranged as six two-hour sessions, and include background commentary for study leaders, readings, activities, and discussion questions.

For contemporary Christians, Johns Gospel is a paradox. On the one hand, it stresses boundaries while on the other it stresses community. This edition encourages readers to draw out the tensions between these two perspectives to make the gospel more meaningful to their lives.

How do we live as "resurrection people"? How do we take those stories into our hearts and lives, living as though we believe resurrection to be a reality? Frank Brookhart takes stories of the resurrection and illuminates a way for Christians and seekers to explore life in the new creation. Tying the Gospel narrative to our lives as followers of Jesus, he proposes a means for transforming people and churches through livinginto the resurrection with the Risen Lord."

The "difficult psalms" which amount to more than a third of the Psalter, shock us with their cries of pain, anger, and alienation. They call on God for revenge on their enemies and mercy for themselves. Lyn Fraser, following the lead of Old Testament theologian Walter Brueggemann, shows how to integrate these "psalms of disorientation" in Sunday morning worship, pastoral care, and any situation of extreme need.

The form and function of the 'synagogue' in the first century CE has been the focus of a great deal of recent scholarly discussion. A previous generation of scholars would have perceived a reference to a synagogue in a New Testament text as a monolithic institution with clearly defined functions principally involving worship. More recent scholarship has questioned many of these assumptions, pointing out that in the first century CE 'synagogue' should be understood as a reference to a gathering and not a building. Similarly, it is noted that many of the reconstructions of what happened in a 'synagogue' are built on evidence that dates to a period much later than the first century.The purpose of this work is to engage with primary material, both literary and archaeological, in order to assess the positions of current scholarship in the debate. It addresses the literary and archaeological evidence; the range of sacred activities that could have taken place within a first-century synagogue; and finally, the presentation of the 'synagogue' in Luke-Acts by means of case studies, to draw conclusions not only useful to NT studies in general, but also historical Jesus studies.This was 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.

Phillips undertakes a sequential reading of the Prologue of John's Gospel. By using the reading strategies of Iser, Emmott, and Eco, the book establishes a reading strategy termed sequential disclosure, which is then applied to the text. In order to arrive at the reading, preliminary chapters focus both on historical interpretation of the Prologue in terms of reader response and on the role of the author, the use of persuasion and the development of irony. Special focus is given to the role of the dramatic prologue, as well as the interaction between rhetoric, irony and community. As such, the book discusses the role of the reading process in developing a specific community language. The book focuses on the didactic role of the Prologue in teaching readers this language and so including them into the Johannine community. The reading of the Prologue highlights the key aspects of the reading process: ambiguity and disambiguation; resemanticization; antilanguage; community development and intertextuality. A sequential reading of the Prologue highlights the didactic and evangelistic role of this text. JSNTS 294

The biblical story of King David and his conflict with King Saul (1 and 2 Samuel) is one of the most colorful and perennially popular in the Hebrew Bible. In recent years, this story has attracted a great deal of scholarly attention, much of it devoted to showing that David was a far less heroic character than appears on the surface. Indeed, more than one has painted David as a despicable tyrant. Paul Borgman provides a counter-reading to these studies, through an attentive reading of the narrative patterns of the text. He focuses on one of the key features of ancient Hebrew narrative poetics -- repeated patterns -- taking special note of even the small variations each time a pattern recurs. He argues that such "hearing cues" would have alerted an ancient audience to the answers to such questions as "Who is David?" and "What is so wrong with Saul?" The narrative insists on such questions, says Borgman, slowly disclosing answers through patterns of repeated scenarios and dominant motifs that yield, finally, the supreme work of storytelling in ancient literature. Borgman concludes with a comparison with Homer's storytelling technique, demontrating that the David story is indeed a masterpiece and David (as Baruch Halpern has said) "the first truly modern human."

It is generally agreed within Hebrew Bible scholarship that Zechariah 9-14 is filled with allusions to other books within the Hebrew canon. Rex Mason's doctoral dissertation in the early 1970s contributed significantly to the foundation of this consensus. However, although Mason's thesis remains a seminal work for those studying Deutero-Zechariah, it has never been published. This volume contains a publication of that work together with reflections from leading biblical scholars who have published on Zechariah 9-14. The volume is rounded off with a response by Mason to these scholars and a reflection on his own contribution. In some ways this project is a replication of the social process that gave rise to Zechariah 9-14, as the multiple authors bring out of this treasure that which is new and that which is old.

This book charts the mutations of the book of Jonah as it latches onto Christian and Jewish motifs and anxieties, passes through highbrow and lowbrow culture, and finally becomes something of a scavenger among the ruins, as, in its most resourceful move to date, it begins to live off the demise of faith. This book is concerned with those versions of the biblical that escape proper disciplinary boundaries: it shifts the focus from "Mainstream" to "Backwater" interpretation. It is less a navigation of interpretative history and more an interrogation of larger political/cultural issues: anti-Judaism in Biblical Studies, the secularization of the Bible, and the projection of the Bible as credulous ingenu, naive Other to our savvy post-Enlightenment selves.

May 2003 is the 300th anniversary of the birth of John Wesley. This is a beautifully written biography intended for a general audience. While not at all hagiographical, the book leads one to admire Wesley immensely. He traveled throughout the British Isles more than anyone in history. Reviled early on during his plein air evangelical crusades, he became deeply loved in old age by all sectors of the population. While the book has a slightly British cast to it (which is unavoidable given the extent of Wesley's travels throughout Britain), it gives adequate coverage to his period in the American colonies.

This comprehensive Companion to the Hebrew Bible offers a broad overview and survey of Old Testament study. It consists of newly commissioned articles from an impressive range of top international Old Testament scholars, from the UK, Europe, Canada and the US. The history, archaeology, theology, sociology and ancient Near Eastern context of the Hebrew Bible are all given considerable attention, and by addressing questions of methodology and interpretation the Companion also introduces readers to important issues in the academic study of the Old Testament.The articles are written so as to be accessible to non-specialists whilst also of interest to scholars, since the contributors articulate their own position on their subject. The volume as a whole is introduced by an editorial overview of the discipline, providing the reader with a guide to the interconnections between individual articles. This Companion is an ideal tool for students, not just for use on one course, but over several years of study.

The prophets Haggai and Zechariah, near contemporaries, were active at a critical period in Israel's history. The recently restored Jerusalem community had come through national downfall and exile. Its religious and sociopolitical identity in the Persian Empire had to be established. This volume offers a thematic study of the prophetic response to that situation. The prophets, their status and their styles of prophecy are compared with those of their predecessors, as are their attitudes towards Israel's religious traditions. Their theological understanding of proper leadership, divine judgment, and Israel's relationship to other nations is compared with the developing theology of the classical prophets. The purpose is to discover whether Haggai, Zechariah and their tradents demonstrate continuity with, or divergence from, the prophetic traditions in which they stood. This study concludes that Haggai is a traditionalist, while Zechariah emerges as an innovative and radical theologian ahead of his time.

* Spiritual resource for Bible study and reflection/discussion prior to church meetings * Passages deal with common issues of group life (conflict, change, leadership, vision, burnout) After years as a member of parish staffs and as a congregational and diocesan consultant, Judith Carlson became increasingly aware how seldom Bible study or some spiritual component is incorporated into church meetings. Even when they want to, busy lay people worry it will take "too much time" or aren't sure what scripture to use or fear they "don't know enough" about the Bible. Clergy too, despite good intentions, often have trouble finding time to prepare something. This simple model provides a way to add the missing (and needed) spiritual dimension. First Order of Business contains 36 brief sessions, 12 minutes a piece. Each has a scripture passage and three open-ended reflection questions-open-ended to fit a variety of situations (though not automatically suggesting "right answers") and allowing some genuine reflection in a non-threatening way. Carlson's hope is that allowing "space" for the Spirit's presence can transform ordinary "business as usual" into a broader, more spiritual context for a group's work of mission or ministry.

A meditation on the meaning of Good Friday and the value of silence. Good Friday is not like any other time of the year, and Christians everywhere wonder about the best way to mark the day. Again and again, sermons and meditations have centered our attention on the words Jesus spoke from the cross, but those few, brief words would have needed only a few minutes on the first Good Friday. Seven chapters in this unique book consider the event, and the meaning, of the Crucifixion to our lives today, including the various ways in which silence plays a role in our daily lives. So many of us are overwhelmed with words coming at us from all our electronic devices that the thought of more language has less appeal than it once did. On one of the holiest days of the year, these brief meditations are designed to call us into the silence that still speaks more loudly than words.

This book provides an inviting and accessible introduction to the 12 apostles of Jesus and their gifts for us today.In His ministry, one of the first things Jesus did was to reach out to 12 individuals and draw them into a circle of close companionship with Him. This book is about these 12, their relationships with Jesus and each other, and what we can learn from them.By studying them we can learn much about ourselves and how we can experience the Holy. Don't forget, Jesus didn't call perfect people, but ordinary people - just like us. When we understand that, we go a long way to understanding how Jesus would like to work with us.John Claypool was a outstanding minister in the Baptist Church prior to his ordination into the Episcopal Church. He has authored many books including the moving "Tracks of a Fellow Struggler", written following the death of his young daughter. He was also a featured speaker on The Protestant Hour.

Rhetoric ad Social Justice in Isaiah applies a literary methodology to the book of Isaiah in order critically to explore the nature and sources of the social justice encoded in the world created by the text. After a close reading of Isaiah 1: 16, 17, Gray establishes grounds for a trajectory to Isaiah 58, preparatory to examining if it offers a deepening of the concept of social justice in the Isaianic corpus. Gray raises the issue of divine reliability to assess the impact on the theme of social justice of the rhetoric of universal punishment by the divine/prophetic voice. He evaluates the ways the stark Isaianic dichotomy between reliance on God and anything of human origin is affected by trust in God being destabilized: if trust in God is demonstrated to be difficult on account of legitimate doubts about divine justice, then the way is opened for retaining an active human role in the search for justice. Gray demonstrates the ways that social justice attains primacy in Isaiah, the ways that humanity if given a role in pursuing social justice, and the ways that Isaiah 58 impinges upon the idea of social justice within the book as a whole.

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. >

This closely argued and thoughtful book offers a fresh and nuanced understanding of the function of the suffering theme in Philippians. A comprehensive survey of previous readings of Philippians is followed by a clear outline of the principles and practice of rhetorical criticism with particular reference to the study of letter-structure. The book concludes by considering in detail the shape and function of the theme of suffering in each of the rhetorical sections of the letter as identified by the author.

This commentary explains 1 and 2 Corinthians passage by passage, following Paul's argument. It uses a variety of ancient sources to show how Paul's argument would have made sense to first-century readers, drawing from ancient letter-writing, speaking, and social conventions. The commentary will be of interest to pastors, teachers, and others who read Paul's letters because of its readability, firm grasp of the background and scholarship on the Corinthian correspondence, and its sensitivity to the sorts of questions asked by those wishing to apply Paul's letters today. It will also be of interest to scholars because of its exploration of ancient sources, often providing sources not previously cited in commentaries.

The various versions of the Infancy Gospels illustrate how stories about the Virgin and Child lend themselves to be told and retold - much like the stories in the canonical Gospels. This first translation of the full text of the Armenian Gospel of the Infancy, itself derived from a sixth-century Syriac text that no longer exists, provides two variants of the famous narrative and several recensions or ancient editions. Stories about Jesus, many of them unique to this gospel, are included to show how he exercised his sovereign and divine will even as a child. This edition also contains three early Armenian versions of the Protevangelium of James, which with other ancient sources dependent on it (like the Infancy Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew) constitute the basic tradition in the formation of the later Infancy Gospels. These writings are our earliest sources about the parents of the Virgin Mary (Joachim and Anne) and her miraculous birth. They also form the basis for the dogma of her Immaculate Conception and perpetual virginity after the birth of Jesus, and lay the ground for certain of the Marian feasts celebrated since the fourth century. Terian's engaging introduction and annotation of the texts place this rare document clearly in its cultural and historical context and provide extensive references to the surrounding textual tradition. These extraordinary stories will appeal to all with an interest in the early church.

Margaret Bullitt-Jonas not only takes us to the foot of the cross of Jesus, she invites us to consider the breadth of Christ s healing, saving love for us, for those we love, and for the whole creation. Each reflection is followed by a series of prayer-provoking questions designed to draw us deeper into the mystery of extravagant generosity.

The collective belief in the End of the World, as described in the Biblical Book of Revelation, can be seen in public reaction to terrorist outrages such as those of Sept. 11, in the preoccupation with disasters, in the obsession with UFO's and the possibility of encountering extra-terrestrial life, and in the breakdown of social structures. Edinger argues that this very real psychological force is vitally important for our times, and he offers an alternative to catastrophe through understanding the meaning of these radiant scriptures.

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.