Offering contemporary readers the opportunity to study the key writings of early Christian thinkers, many of them never translated into English, this unique volume is included in the "Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture" series.
Featuring material hand-selected by expert scholars, each volume in the "Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture" provides twenty-first century scholars, librarians, teachers, and students of the Bible with unparalelled access to the early church fathers.

A powerful devotional commentary series designed to inform and inspire

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.

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

"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

A powerful devotional commentary series designed to inform and inspire

God is invisible. That's a problem. It was a problem in ancient Egypt and it's still a problem today. In a world where people tend to worship what they can see and feel and taste and touch, an invisible God is all too easy to ignore. That's why we need Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy to show us God's glorious master plan to be seen through his People.

Straight to the Heart of Moses is one of a series of devotional commentaries, which allow people to get to grips with each book of the Bible one bite at a time. Phil Moore does not cover the whole of each book, but rather focuses on key sections which together form a useful introduction. There will be 25 volumes in all, each containing 60 readings. The short chapters are punchy and relevant, yet crammed with fascinating scholarship.

"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

As leader of the Jerusalem church, what words of encouragement would James write to these persecuted Christians? Perhaps a little surprisingly, his key message was: faith works. Genuine belief inevitably transforms our speech, suffering, compassion for the poor, humility, prayers, priorities, and, frankly, every other aspect of life. In 5 chapters James introduces and briefly touches upon a whole variety of issues that concern the new believers. In a simple, forthright style he urges them to live out their faith, knowing that God's grace is sufficient for every trial and that there is a value and purpose to their suffering. James' own life illustrated this message. He had grown up with Jesus and was naturally sceptical about his brother's Messianic claims. But a post-resurrection encounter with Jesus revolutionised his life. He was transformed from a vocal critic into a key leader of the early church and prime mover in the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15).

Emil Bock interprets John's rich pictorial language, which is often found harsh and mysterious, helping the reader understand that John deals with the universal problems of spiritual development. This is not merely a detailed commentary on the Apocalypse but a profound and encouraging examination of human needs in today's world. Bock shows how we can read The Revelation to understand Christ's position as leader through danger, both in the present and in the future.

The presentation, the use, and the possible reception of the book of Genesis to lay audience largely unable to read the original texts. What was meant by the medieval popular Bible - what was presented as biblical narrative to an audience largely unable to read the original biblical texts? Presentations in the vernacular languages of Europe of supposedly biblicalepisodes were more often than not expanded and interpreted, sometimes very considerably. This book looks at the presentation, the use, and the possible lay reception of the book of Genesis, using as wide a range of medieval genresand vernaculars as possible on a comparative basis down to the Reformation. Literatures taken into consideration include Irish, Cornish, English, French, High and Low German, Spanish, Italian and others. Genesis was an importantbook, and the focus is on those narrative high points which lend themselves most particularly (it is never exclusive) to literal expansion, even though allegory can also work backwards into the literal narrative. Starting with thedevil in paradise (who is not biblical), the book examines what Adam and Eve did afterwards, who killed Cain, what happened in the flood or at the tower of Babel, and ends with a consideration of the careers of Jacob and Joseph.The book is based on the Speaker's Lectures, given in 2002 in the University of Oxford. BRIAN MURDOCH is Professor of German at the University of Stirling.

NT Wright offers reflections on the Sunday readings in the "Revised Common Lectionary for Year A." 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.

This monograph challenges the accepted notion that Galatians is either a sample of classical rhetoric or should be interpreted in light of Graeco-Roman rhetorical handbooks. It demonstrates that the handbooks of Aristotle, Cicero, et al. discuss a form of oratory which was limited with respect to subject, venue and style of communication, and that Galatians falls outside such boundaries. The inapplicability of ancient canons of rhetoric is reinforced by a detailed comparison of Galatians with the handbooks, a survey of patristic attitudes towards Paul's communicative technique, and interaction with twentieth-century discussions of the nature of New Testament Greek. Dr Kern concludes that rhetorical handbooks were never a tool of literary criticism and that they cannot assist the search for a distinctly Pauline rhetoric. Thus this study has implications not only for Galatians, but also for other New Testament epistles.

Every commentary on the "Book of Psalms" has had to face the issue that many of these prayers commemorate and celebrate wrath and vengeance. What is needed is not ingenious exegetical rationalization of ancient texts, but the kind of transformation into a work of piety and art that is provided here. Addressed are the needs of a world seeking to counter individual and societal injustices by a global peace born of personal peace through prayer and practice. In short, here is the "Book of Psalms" recast in the light of the continuing revelation and evolution of the authentic religious spirit of the scriptures.

Carol Newsom illuminates the relation between the aesthetic forms of Job and the claims made by its various characters. Her innovative approach makes possible a new understanding of the unity of the book that rejects its dismantling in historical criticism and the flattening of the text that characterises many final form readings. Additionally, she rehabilitates the moral perspectives represented by certain voices of the book that modern critics have treated with disdain.

The hostile regime that set out to annihilate the Jewish religion and culture forms the background of the Book of Daniel. Jin Hee Han's book, Daniel's Spiel: Apocalyptic Literacy in the Book of Daniel, identifies the main agenda behind the creation of the book of Daniel, explaining how Daniel promotes an alternative discourse in opposition to the Hellenistic regime in the second century B.C.E. The word "Spiel" in the title refers to Daniel's strategy of using apocalyptic language to give the people hope, as he offered them a discourse of resistance meant to keep alive their anticipation of God's inevitable triumph over the evil regime that tormented them. Author Jin Hee Han provides modern readers with useful insights into why the Book of Daniel was created and offers clues of how it might be interpreted today.

Striking in its appeal to the senses, the Song of Songs--the Bible's only book of love poems--is remarkable for its lack of sexual stereotyping and its expression of mutuality in relationships between men and women. Marcia Falk's rich and lyrical translation, praised by poets and scholars alike, is paired here with the original Hebrew text.

A Beautiful Place to Write Beautiful Thoughts Each notebook features a unique embossed cover hand painted by Ruth Chou Simons, the bestselling author and artist of GraceLaced and Beholding and Becoming In this pack of 3, each notebook is 6" x 8 1/2" and features a lay-flat sewn binding and 64 creamy pages lined with warm gray ink With covers featuring gold foil detail and buckram grain texture, these luxe notebooks are perfect for personal use or for gifting to loved ones

A collection of reflections and prayers that celebrate the "God moments" that populate every day. This small and beautiful book will allow even the busiest of people to find respite, to reflect, to be encouraged, and lead into the presence of God. Jennifer Rees Larcombe blends observation and insight in these delightful and uplifting reflections.

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.

This study tackles the problem of the Song of Song's structure by beginning at the bottom, the microstructure of the Song, rather than at the top. By employing a new type of rhetorical method, Professor Roberts defines each of the minimal structural units of the Song by identifying the formal poetic features that mark its opening and closing, coupled with the poetic features that create cohesion within it. Moving up the Song's structural ladder, larger units are identified with the same technique. While this study does not identify an overall structure, it does demonstrate how recognition of these formal structuring devices can help the interpreter define the structural units of the Song with far greater precision. The final chapter presents a catalog of these formal, poetic features that typically mark the opening and closure of structural units in the Song, as well as those that effect cohesion. Within is a catalog that can be refined and enlarged by application of the same method to other poetic texts. Other exegetical insights abound. Professor Roberts demonstrates a more highly structured pattern of the wasfs than has been recognized heretofore, and proposes a new interpretation of the adjuration refrain. He identifies a type of phonological anacrusis employed numerous times in the Song, and addresses almost every text-critical issue in the Song, many of which are resolved by attention to poetic structuring devices.

Introduction Part I The Problem of Obedience: Barth on Job Chapter 1 Barth's Job as Both Right and Wrong Chapter 2 Obedience as Self-Examination: Barth on the Story of the Rich Man Part II Does Job Fear God for Naught? A Rereading of Job Chapter 3 The Prose Narrative: Transforming Piety Chapter 4 The Poem 4.1. The Dialogue: Testing Integrity 4.2. The Whirlwind Speeches: Encountering Creation Part III God, Job and Justice Chapter 5 Calling God to Account Chapter 6 An Integrity Beyond the Law Part IV The Disruption and Transformation of the Self Chapter 7 The Problem of Obedience Revisited Chapter 8 Epilogue: Self, Society and World Bibliography