Now available in English for the first time, Augustine's Commentary on Galatians is his only complete, formal commentary on any book of the Bible and offers unique insights into his understanding of Paul and of his own task as a biblical interpreter. In addition to an English translation with facing Latin text, Eric Plumer provides a comprehensive introduction and copious notes.

Gregory J. Riley surveys the variety of conceptions of life after death in the Greco-Roman world. Demonstrating how the oldest Christian perspective on the resurrection of Jesus was consistent with concepts of Jews and Greeks in antiquity, he shows how it is possible to see the Gospel of John as a corrective not of some lost Gnosis but of ideas preserved in the Gospel of Thomas.

The narratives of Solomon and Jeroboam, of Elijah and Ahab, have fascinated readers for millennia. They are the principal foundation of our knowledge of the history of Israel during the early years of the divided monarchy, and their reliability and verifiability as historical sources have long been the subject of intense scholarly analysis and debate. But even apart from questions of historical authenticity, they are gripping stories of richly drawn characters caught up in the complex tale of Yahweh's dealings with Israel: Solomon the wise is the builder of Yahweh's Temple, yet he becomes an idolater; Jeroboam is chosen by Yahweh as king, yet he worships the golden calves; Elijah is a prophet second only to Moses, yet he tries to renounce his calling; and Ahab is the worst of Israel's kings, yet shows traces of greatness. This study explores the narrative world created by the ancient Israelite author - the people who inhabit it, the lives they live and the deeds they do, and the face of God who is revealed in their stories.

This careful and thoughtful book unlocks the door to the theological and ethical treasures contained in the Epistles of John. It is an invitation to a journey of discovery, from the well-known and familiar to the less familiar but rewarding.

"Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching" is a distinctive resource for those who interpret the Bible in the church. Planned and written specifically for teaching and preaching needs, this critically acclaimed biblical commentary is a major contribution to scholarship and ministry.

Established author provides devotional resources for the forgotten post- Easter season. Short daily readings offer more seasonally-appropriate material for those accustomed to a Lenten practice. American Christians have forgotten the Easter season. We celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus on one day and then return to ordinary time. But Christ appeared over and over again for forty days in resurrected form. We cannot sustain this resurrection season because that kind of sustained joy overwhelms us. This book is designed to help us sustain Easter.

Daily Light on The Daily Path is a classic by Samuel Bagster. Composed in the 18th century, then organized and published in 1875, this book offers readers a morning and evening reading for every day of the year. A classic daily devotional work with well over 700 distinct readings, Daily Light on The Daily Path offers Christian believers an immense compendium of reflection. Designed to be read upon awakening and during evenings prior to bed, the book's reflections range from the deeds and words of Jesus Christ, to meditations upon the virtues and characteristics of the good Christian. With the chapters and verses appended at the conclusion, the reader may familiarize themselves with the relevant parts of the Bible. In contrast to many, more modern daily devotionals which contain assertions and ideas of their author, Bagster's text strictly adheres only the passages and stories of the Biblical scripture.

In Part one, Billings examines the longstanding difficulty represented by the textual tradition preserved in "Codex Bezae" (D, 05) at the point of the Last Supper narrative in "St. Luke's Gospel". In Part two, an extensive survey of previous and current explanations of the textual difficulty is undertaken. The disputed words of Luke 22:19b-20 are examined at length in regards to their style, grammar and theology, so as to ascertain their source and allegedly non-Lukan features. The possibility that the textual conundrum presented by Codex Bezae may result from either an intentional or unintentional scribal error is then investigated, with an examination of the literary and historical context in which the narrative has been transmitted. Finally, the thesis of J. Jeremias, that the text of "Codex Bezae" and its ancestors was altered in accord with the disciplina arcani that developed in early Christianity, is examined at length. When these theories and explanations are found to be inadequate, in Part three of the work a new way forward is proposed by understanding the text of "Codex Bezae" to be a 'window' into the social and cultural world of the community by whom and for whom it was produced. The study concludes with the assertion that the text was altered amidst the historical and cultural background of the localised persecutions experienced by the early Christians, so as to preserve and shield the community from outbreaks of violence such as that experienced in Lyons (ca. 177 CE).

Bolin analyses biblical and extra-biblical traditions and motifs in the book of Jonah, and argues that the book's portrayal of the relationship between God and humanity, much like those of Job and Ecclesiastes, emphasizes an absolute divine sovereignty beyond human notions of mercy, justice, or forgiveness. God is understood as free to forgive, yet he still punishes, and is unfettered by the constraints imposed by attributes of benevolence. The only proper human response to God is fear at his power and acknowledgment of him as the source of welfare and woe.

This critically acclaimed series provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The authors are scholars of international standing.

Nelson addresses the textual problems critical to a full understanding of Joshua and offers historical, literary, and theological insights in this balanced commentary.

Moloney's literary-historical commentary offers a close reading of the final section of the Gospel of John, taking the reader on a journey through Jesus' final night and his ministry's climax in passion, death, and resurrection. Concluding his unique trilogy, Moloney shows how the reader is led on a journey of faith by the Gospel writer, culminating in belief in Jesus the Christ and having life in his name, despite his absence.

The Gospel of Thomas a book of sayings and wisdom of Jesus compiled as early or earlier than the New Testament gospels can transform your spiritual life.

There are many academic commentaries on the Gospel of Thomas, but this book has a different aim. It is meant to be a guidebook, that is, a translation of the sayings into daily practice. The goal of such practice is to become Jesus s twin. This does not, of course, mean becoming an olive-skinned, bearded Mediterranean peasant wearing sandals. It is more about manifesting in our lives the same Christ consciousness revealed in the person we know as Jesus of Nazareth. from the Introduction

In the decades since its discovery, the Gospel of Thomas has intrigued people of all faiths around the world. Shedding new light on the origins of Christianity, the Gospel of Thomas raises questions about whether the New Testament s version of Jesus s teachings is entirely accurate and complete. In the Gospel of Thomas we see Jesus as a wisdom-loving sage, sharing aphorisms about the value of the present and each person s role in the creation of the Kingdom of God here on earth. But these inspiring sayings can leave you wondering, "What next?"

Now you can learn how to start applying Jesus s wisdom to your own life and, in turn, to the world around you. This unique guidebook leads you through Thomas, offering practices that help you translate Jesus s wisdom into a more fulfilling, enriching daily life, including: Becoming a Spiritual Adult Sorting Out the Old and the New Being a Healing Presence Daring to Be a City on a Hill God s Reign Calls for Ready Hands Spirituality Is Not Skygazing And much more

"Scribes and Translators is a critical reflection on the textual pluralism as reflected in the book of Kings.
The first part of the book examines the diverse texts transmitted by the manuscripts. Special attention is paid to the Antiochene text of the Septuagint that is being edited in Madrid. The second part is devoted to the analysis of Old Latin readings, transmitted by a Spanish family of Vulgate Bibles, with no support in any of the known manuscripts. Finally, the whole evidence is discussed in the frame of the plurality of texts confirmed by the Qumran documents for those books.
Based on Old Latin material recently published it sheds light on the text transmission of Kings and on the translation techniques and the history of the Biblical texts in general.

These essays are written in honour of John D.W. Watts, formerly Professor of Old Testament at Southern Baptist Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky and Old Testament editor of the Word Biblical Commentary, well known for his contributions, especially to scholarship on the prophetic books. Accordingly, the essays here address the literary, redactional and canonical questions posed by the Hebrew Bible's prophetic literature. The prophetic books have defied easy classification according to genre or facile explanation of their historical development. With a special focus on the books of Isaiah and of the Twelve Prophets, the nature and formation of prophecy as literature is probed from a variety of methodological standpoints, including textual criticism, synchronic literary analysis, tradition history and redaction criticism.>

What is the purpose of Paul's letter to the Romans? Esler provides an illuminating analysis of this epistle, employing social-scientific methods along with epigraphy and archaeology. His conclusion is that the apostle Paul was attempting to facilitate the resolution of intergroup conflict among the Christ-followers of Rome, especially between Judeans and non-Judeans, and to establish a new identity for them by developing a form of group categorization that subsumes the various groups into a new entity.

There are two major entities at the close of the book of Revelation that explain the author's understanding of forthcoming life with God: the Celestial City (the heavenly Jerusalem) and the cosmic Lamb. The marriage of these two marks the concluding highpoint of John the Seer's work. What are the entities in question? How do they marry and what is the significance of that event for those who believe in Jesus as cosmic Lord? In "The New Jerusalem in the Revelation of John," Bruce Malina offers insights into the concluding Vision of the book of Revelation to assist Bible readers to understand what the Visionary of Revelation said, and meant to say, to his first-century Mediterranean audience.

"The New Jerusalem and the Revelation of John" sets out comparative models of what sorts of cities existed during the time of the New Testament and what it meant to live in an ancient Mediterranean city. It further explains the significance of the celestial marriage of the City and the Lamb. The result is a set of reading scenarios that describe and explain Revelation's closing Visions, which mediate the theology of John the Seer. The definition and comparative model of the city in "The New Jerusalem and the Revelation of John" is also useful for persons interested in understanding those first urban" members of Jesus groups addressed by other New Testament documents.

Chapters are "Presuppositions about Language and Reading," "The Genre of the Book of Revelation," "The Holy City in the Sky," and "The Cosmic Lamb Marries." Includes relevant charts.

"Bruce J. Malina, STD, is professor of biblical studies at Creighton University. He is former president of the Catholic Biblical Association and author of articles on biblical interpretation.""

These fresh, modern looking journals come in four colourful, on-trend covers, at a great value price. The stylish modern look of these journals will appeal to on-trend teens and adults alike. The journal pages contain Bible quotes on themes such as love, faith and hope and have been especially chosen to inspire and encourage the journaler as they write. Each journal uses stylish, modern fonts that will appeal to young journal writers. With great covers and a colour co-ordinated elastic closure, these are gorgeous journals to inspire and encourage faith.

Recent years have seen a remarkable surge in interest in the book of Genesis - the first book of the Bible - and a foundational text of Western culture. In this new commentary, Thomas Brodie offers a complete and accessible overview of Genesis from literary, theological, and historical standpoints. Brodie's work is organized around three main ideas: the first is that the primary subject of Genesis is human existence - while full of historical echoes, it is primarily a sophisticated portrayal of the progress and pitfalls of human life. His second thesis is that Genesis' basic organizational unity is binary, or diptych: building on older insights that Genesis is somehow dialogical, he argues that the entire book is composed of diptychs - accounts which, like some paintings, consist of two parts or panels. Finally, Brodie contends that many of Genesis' sources still exist, and can be identified and verified.

(Per)mutations of Qohelet explores the question, Who is Qohelet? Rather than peering behind or through the text to answer this question in terms of authorship, Koosed analyzes the identity that is created through the words on the page. The text is not a transparent medium connecting reader with author; instead, it is an opaque body - it has weight, substance, skin. Koosed begins with an analysis of the ways in which words construct identities and the reasons why words can affect us so profoundly, relying primarily on the work of Judith Butler and Elaine Scarry. She then explores autobiography and how the genre of autobiography - as reconfigured by Roland Barthes and Jacques Derrida - relates to Qohelet. These two chapters then set the framework for what follows: an analysis of the various bodily organs and sensations contained within the book of Qohelet. The body is embedded in the text through the naming of body parts (eye, hand, heart). And this same body is encoded in form, structure, and syntax, so that the text becomes a body with organs, systems, and even a life of its own. The book is a body and the book speaks of bodies. It speaks of the body's organs and senses; it concerns itself with the pleasures and pains of the body, the gendered body, the dying body. Finally, the ritual body is highlighted in the final passage of this enigmatic book.