Ever since it was written the Revelation to John has both baffled and fascinated its readers, chiefly because its language is so strange and the visions it describes so mysterious. Those unfamiliar with the language of apocalyptic can easily misinterpret its message, and it can puzzle those who forget that John was writing of what he believed would 'soon take place', in order to warn, guide and comfort particular people in a specific historical situation. Throughout the Guide the author has kept these two considerations in view. His introduction sets the scene, with a brief survey of the historical and literary background to the Revelation and John's purpose in writing it. His Postscript points to the remarkable similarity, as well as differences, between John's time and our own. Study of the Bible text follows the usual pattern for the series. Fuller notes on some general themes support the detailed interpretation; the customary question material includes subjects for discussion and research; and topical photographs underline the relevance of John's message for the Church in the world today.

This book explores Genesis-Kings, the first great story in the Bible, stretching from creation through the promise to Abraham, the formation of Israel, the giving of the Law, the taking of the promised land, and the nation's eventual exile. Given the gender divide that Genesis-Kings constructs, the authors read this great story of promise wondering what it might look like to the excluded people--the aliens, the children, and particularly the women who are deemed to stand on the 'other' side of the divide,

This is a comprehensive and astute interpretive study of the prophetic tradition of ancient Israel. Ward interprets the whole of the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Prophets, placing the religious/theological message of these prophets into its most probable historical context. But he also deals with the socioeconomic world of Israael's prophets, so that readers are able to confront the message, the ideas, of the prophets in relation to the larger realities through which the people and the prophets were living.

Preaching Old Testament meets the need for more direction in how to preach from the Hebrew Bible. You will learn particularly helpful techniques for preaching the narrative portions of the Bible and why preaching from the Old Testament is theologically important.

After exploring theological reasons for preaching in the narrative mode, Holbert introduces a narrative homiletics and discusses its definition, problems, and possibilities. He then introduces some of the methods and techniques of a literary analysis of the narrative portions of the Hebrew Bible, which includes such elements as plot, actions and speech, contrasting characters, and point of view.

Two sample narrative sermons with brief comments inside the bodies of the sermons and extensive comments at the ends of the sermons illustrate how the pastor can read and interpret the Old Testament story.

Gonzalez explores how a Hispanic perspective illuminates the biblical text in ways that will be valuable not only for Latino readers but also for the church at large. Introducing five "paradigms" for Latino biblical interpretation, Gonzalez discusses theory and provides concrete examples of biblical texts that gain new meaning when read from a different perspective.

* Revised and updated * Based on the NRSV and NIV translations * Covers every book verse by verse * Each volume also contains maps, charts, a pronunciation guide, and a glossary *

* Revised and updated * Based on the NRSV and NIV translations * Covers every book verse by verse * Each volume also contains maps, charts, a pronunciation guide, and a glossary * Available in sets or individually

* Revised and updated * Based on the NRSV and NIV translations * Covers every book verse by verse * Each volume also contains maps, charts, a pronunciation guide, and a glossary * Available in sets or individually

* Revised and updated * Based on the NRSV and NIV translations * Covers every book verse by verse * Each volume also contains maps, charts, a pronunciation guide, and a glossary * Available in sets or individually

A 2001 Christianity Today Book of the Year While patristic commentary on St. Paul's shorter letters--Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, the Pastorals and Philemon--was not so extensive as that on his longer letters, certain passages in these letters proved particularly important in doctrinal disputes and practical church matters. Pivotal in controversies with the Arians and the Gnostics, the most commented-upon christological text amid these letters was Colossians 1:15-20, where Jesus is declared "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." In other texts scattered throughout the Pastorals, the fathers found ample support for the divinity of the Son and the Spirit and for the full union of humanity and divinity in the one redeemer, the "one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). These early Christian commentators also looked to the Pastorals, where Pauline authorship was assumed, for important ethical and moral teaching, as well as explicit qualifications for choosing church leaders and guidelines for overseeing the work and behavior of widows. Chief among the Eastern commentators and widely excerpted throughout this volume is John Chrysostom, praised for his pastoral insight and shrewd, generous empathy with the apostle Paul. Other Greek commentators whose works are cited include Theodoret of Cyr, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Severian of Gabala, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Athanasius, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa. Among Western commentators Augustine dominates. His work is joined by that of Ambrosiaster, Pelagius, Jerome, Hippolytus, Tertullian, Novatian, Cyprian of Carthage, Hilary of Poitiers and Ambrose, among others. Of particular interest for their ascetical and devotional insight are works from Syrian and Egyptian churches, including Aphrahat, Ephrem the Syrian, Isaac of Nineveh and Philoxenus of Mabbug. This volume opens up a treasure house of ancient wisdom that allows these faithful witnesses, some appearing here in English translation for the first time, to speak with eloquence and intellectual acumen to the church today.

The Revelation to John--with its vivid images and portraits of conflict leading up to the marriage supper of the Lamb, the cosmic destruction of evil, and the formation of a new heaven and a new earth--was widely read, even as it was variously interpreted in the early church. Approaches to its interpretation ranged from the millenarian approach of Victorinus of Petovium to the more symbolic interpretation of Tyconius, who read Revelation in the sense of the universal and unitary time of the church. Tyconius's Book of Rules, deeply admired by Augustine with its seven principles of interpretation, strongly influenced not only ongoing interpretation of the Revelation but the whole of medieval exegesis. From early on the book of Revelation was more widely accepted in the West than in the East. Indeed the earliest extant commentaries on Revelation in Greek date from Oecumenius's commentary in the sixth century, which was soon accompanied by that of Andrew of Caesarea. Earlier Eastern fathers did, however, make reference to Revelation in noncommentary works. This ACCS volume edited by William C. Weinrich draws heavily on the two Greek commentaries from Oecumenius and Andrew of Caesarea to represent Eastern interpretation, while focusing on six other commentaries as primary witnesses to Western interpretation--those of Victorinus of Petovium, Tyconius, Primasius, Caesarius of Arles, Apringius of Beja and Bede the Venerable. Every effort has been made to give adequate context so that the creative use of Scripture, the theological interest and the pastoral intent can be discerned by readers today. Amid this treasure trove of early interpretation readers will find much that appears in English translation for the first time.

Even the most difficult Scriptures come alive as Warren Wiersbe leads you book-by-book through the Old Testament and helps you to see the "big picture" of God's revelation.

In this unique volume, you will find:

- Introductions and/or outlines for every Old Testament book
- Practical expositions of strategic chapters
- Special studies on key topics, relating the Old Testament to the New Testament
- Easy-to-understand expositions that are " practical, preachable, " and" teachable"

If you have used Dr. Wiersbe's popular "BE" series, you know how simple and practical his Bible studies are, with outlines that almost teach themselves. If not, you can now discover a wonderful new resource. This work is a unique commentary on every book of the Old Testament. It contains new material not to be found in the "BE" series.

In Luke's vivid narrative, Jesus comes into Galilee proclaiming "good news to the poor . . . freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind." More than any other Gospel, the Gospel of Luke shows Jesus' great concern for the downtrodden, the oppressed and the marginalized--including women and children and even those outside the house of Israel. Darrell Bock shows why Luke's Gospel is "tailor-made" for the world we live in--a world often divided along ethnic, religious, economic and political lines. After all, the Jesus portrayed by Luke is a source of unity for his disciples and for believers from every walk of life. Tax collectors, Roman soldiers, prostitutes, city officials, religious leaders, widows and fishermen were among the diverse group brought together in the early Christian church. Bock's dual focus on understanding what Luke wanted to communicate to his original readers and on how that message is relevant for today makes this an excellent resource.

The book of Job presents its readers with a profound drama concerning innocent suffering. Such honest, forthright wrestling with evil and the silence of God has intrigued a wide range of readers, both religious and nonreligious. Surprisingly, the earliest fathers showed little interest in the book of Job. Not until Origen in the early third century is there much evidence of any systematic treatment of the book, and most of Origen's treatment is known to us only from the catenae. More intense interest came at the end of the fourth century and the beginning of the fifth. The excerpts in this collection focus on systematic treatment. Among Greek texts are those from Origen, Didymus the Blind, Julian the Arian, John Chrysostom, Hesychius of Jerusalem and Olympiodorus. Among Latin sources we find Julian of Eclanum, Philip the Priest and Gregory the Great. Among Syriac sources we find Ephrem the Syrian and Isho?dad of Merv, some of whose work is made available here for the first time in English. In store for readers of this volume is once again a great feast of wisdom from the ancient resources of the church.

Con la Concordancia Tematica Holman podra obtener informacion sobre mas de 1,700 temas diferentes. Usted especifica el asunto y este libro se ocupa del resto. Lo guiara directamente hacia los pasajes biblicos pertinentes, de un extremo al otro de las Escrituras, y aportara un factor de equilibrio y profundidad al estudio y la ensenanza. A diferencia de las concordancias comunes, este volumen va mas alla de palabras biblicas especificas para senalar pasajes por temas e ideas, ordenadas alfabeticamente en cientos de alternativas. Es un recurso ideal para desarrollar lecciones de estudio biblico sobre temas en particular, independientemente de cuan contemporaneos sean. Incluso las personas que recien comienzan a estudiar la Biblia podran usar este sencillo producto de referencia para lograr una comprension integral sobre lo que dice la Palabra de Dios acerca de casi todo tema de interes. Este libro contiene 40,000 referencias biblicas y tambien incluye dibujos lineales de artefactos, edificios y lugares. Get the Word on more than 1,700 different subjects with Concordancia Tematica Holman, the Spanish edition of the Holman Concise Topical Concordance. You name the topic, and it does the rest, steering directly to relevant scriptures from one corner of the Bible to the other, adding balance and depth to study and teaching. Unlike regular concordances, this volume goes beyond specific Bible words to point out passasges by themes and ideas-arranged alphabetically in hundreds of choices, perfect for crafting Sunday School lessons on particular topics, no matter how contemporary. Even those new to serious Bible study can use this ready reference to gain a well-rounded grasp of what God's Word says about nearly any subject of interest. This book contains 40,000 Bible references and also includes line drawings of artifacts, buildings, and places.