After the Civil War, Ingersoll embarked upon a career as a lecturer, touring the United States to make his thoughts on religion, women's rights, and humanism known to all. Some Mistakes of Moses, one of the most popular of these lectures, is a critical examination of the "Pentateuch" (the first five books of the Bible). Ingersoll passionately believed that the alleged divine origins of the Bible were not sufficient reason for a suspension of critical judgement. His diatribe against Old Testament religion is a call for rationality, a quality sorely missing in this time of political upheaval in the world in the name of religion.Ingersoll greatly feared that when the Bible was read as truth rather than as a collection of fables, mankind would destroy itself in its attempt to follow the teachings of Moses to the letter. Ingersoll fervently believed that the most important belief one can have is belief in man. "Theology is a superstition - Humanity is a religion" - this was the credo of Robert G. Ingersoll. Now, a new generation of readers can thrill to Ingersoll's brilliant and witty rhetoric, just as great thinkers Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, Eugene V Debs, and others did almost one hundred years ago.

Gerald Larue, an eminent biblical scholar, examines the many dimensions of marriage and sexual activity recorded in the Bible and other ancient religious texts and the effect of these documents on our present culture. Professor Larue brilliantly analyses Bible passages, utilising the methods and insights from literary, historical, and cultural studies. At times, these biblical passages are set in the larger framework of the ancient Near East and references are made to the belief systems of surrounding nations. At other times, the focus is on Hebrew, Jewish and Christian communities only. The primary emphasis is on the time period extending from about 1100 Before the Common Era (B.C.E.) to about 150 of the Common Era (C.E.), the years in which the biblical materials were recorded. There is also a lengthy discussion of the connection between biblical writings and our present understanding of human sexuality.

This commentary on Daniel is a serious painstaking work by one of the foremost of contemporary Old Testament scholars. It is ably designed to meet the needs of pastors, students, and all those seeking a better understanding of Scripture. The author presents a clear, positive exposition of prophecy coupled with an accurate explanation of historical fact based on research and the accumulated authority of other outstanding Biblical scholars. In addition, he endeavors to bring out the exact meaning of the Hebrew and Aramaic languages in the original translation accompanying the commentary. The reader will find adequate reference to the divergent interpretations of other scholars, with a thorough and erudite explanation of differences. Those unacquainted with the ancient languages can nevertheless read this volume with great profit. "A fresh and stimulating approach ...Thoroughly done ...A wholesome addition to the field of Old Testament study." - Review and Expositor "The author has made himself, in the space of a relatively few years, easily the foremost among conservative scholars of the Old Testament." - The Perkins School of Theology "Dr.Young makes it abundantly plain that the issue is not between good and bad, intelligent and obscurantist, scientific and unscientific scholarship. ..(but) between a believing scholarship and a skeptical and rationalistic scholarship." - Oswalt T. Allis Edward J. Young (1907-1968) was considered one of the ablest conservative scholars in the field of Old Testament, served for many years as Professor of Old Testament at Westminster Seminary, Philadelphia.

Paul's letters to the Galatians, Ephesians and Philippians have struck an indelible impression on Christian tradition and piety. The doctrines of Christ, of salvation and of the church all owe their profiles to these letters. And for patristic interpreters, who read Scripture as a single book and were charged with an insatiable curiosity regarding the mysteries of the Godhead, these letters offered profound visions seldom captured by modern eyes. Trinitarian truth was patterned in the apostle's praise of God who is "over all, through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:6). Without a doubt, the greatest text in this collection of letters is the "Christ hymn" of Philippians 2:6-11. This commentary offers an unparalleled close-up view of the fathers weighing the words and phrases of this panoramic charting of the Savior's journey from preexistence, to incarnation, to crucifixion, to triumphant exaltation as universal Lord. This volume opens a treasury of resources for biblical study today. The expository voices of Jerome, Origen, Augustine, Chrysostom, Ambrosiaster, Theodoret, Marius Victorinus and Theodore of Mopsuestia speak again with eloquence and intellectual acumen, some in English translation for the first time.

These study guides, part of a set from noted Bible scholar John MacArthur, take readers on a journey through biblical texts to discover what lies beneath the surface, focusing on meaning and context, and then reflecting on the explored passage or concept. With probing questions that guide the reader toward application, as well as ample space for journaling, The MacArthur Bible Studies are invaluable tools for Bible students of all ages. Much debate surrounds the book of Revelation on such volatile topics as: The Rapture, The Millennial Kingdom, The Anti-Christ. Respected preacher and Bible teacher John MacArthur pulls back the veil on the book of Revelation and reveals more of what God's Word has to say to us about the future of His Kingdom.

A Christianity Today 1999 Book of the Year St. Paul's Letter to the Romans has long been considered the theological high-water mark of the New Testament. It was no less regarded by the ancient church, and patristic interpreters have left us an abundance of valuable comment on Romans. This Ancient Christian Commentary on Romans collects the best and most representative of patristic commentary and homily on Romans, and it brings to the public some valuable material that has hitherto been unavailable in English translation. Outstanding among these commentators is "Ambrosiaster," the name given to the unknown Latin commentator of the late fourth century, whose enduring worth is evident to all who read him. And the extensive commentary by Origen, largely inaccessible to modern readers, is frequently and extensively presented here in English for the first time. These commentators are joined by great figures such as John Chrysostom of Constantinople, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Augustine of Hippo, Theodoret of Cyrus, and several lesser commentators such as Diodore of Tarsus and Didymus the Blind of Alexandria. This commentary on Romans (now in its second edition) provides a rare opportunity to encounter the familiar Pauline exposition of the righteousness of God as it echoes in the great Christian minds and communities of the early church.

* 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

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,

* 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 *

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.

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.

In four superb homilies and a concluding essay, Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, provides a clear and inspiring exploration of the Genesis creation narratives.While the stories of the world's creation and the fall of humankind have often been subjected to reductionism of one sort or another literalists treat the Bible as a science textbook whereas rationalists divorce God from creation Ratzinger presents a rich, balanced Catholic understanding of these early biblical writings and attests to their enduring vitality.Beginning each homily with a text selected from the first three chapters of Genesis, Ratzinger discusses, in turn, God the creator, the meaning of the biblical creation accounts, the creation of human beings, and sin and salvation; in the appendix he unpacks the beneficial consequences of faith in creation.Expertly translated from German, these reflections set out a reasonable and biblical approach to creation. In the Beginning . . .' also serves as an excellent homiletic resource for priests and pastors.

The 1999 Christianity Today Book Award Winner The early church valued the Gospel of Mark for its preservation of the apostolic voice and gospel narrative of Peter. Yet the early church fathers very rarely produced sustained commentary on Mark. This brisk-paced and robust little Gospel, so much enjoyed by modern readers, was overshadowed in the minds of the fathers by the magisterial Gospels of Matthew and John. But now with the assistance of computer searches, an abundance of comment has been discovered to be embedded and interleaved amidst the textual archives of patristic homilies, apologies, letters, commentaries, theological treatises and hymnic verses. In this Ancient Christian Commentary on Mark, the insights of Augustine of Hippo and Clement of Alexandria, Ephrem the Syrian and Cyril of Jerusalem join in a polyphony of interpretive voices of the Eastern and Western church from the second century to the seventh. St. Mark's Gospel displays the evocative power of its story, parables and passion as it ignites a brilliant exhibit of theological insight and pastoral wisdom. The Ancient Christian Commentary on Mark (now in its second edition) opens up a long-forgotten passage through the arid and precipitous slopes of post-Enlightenment critical interpretation and bears us along to a fertile valley basking in the sunshine of theological and spiritual interpretation. In these pages we enter the interpretive world that long nurtured the great premodern pastors, theologians and saints of the church.

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.

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.

The Gospel of John was beloved by the early church, much as it is today, for its spiritual insight and clear declaration of Jesus' divinity. Clement of Alexandria indeed declared it the "spiritual Gospel." Early disputers with heretics such as Cerinthus and the Ebionites drew upon the Gospel of John to refute their heretical notions and uphold the full deity of Christ. This Gospel more than any other was central to the trinitarian and christological debates of the fourth and fifth centuries. At the same time, the Gospel of John was also thought to be the most chronological, and even to this day is the source of our sense of Jesus' having a three-year ministry. And John Chrysostom's Homilies on John,, perhaps more than any other commentary, emphasizes Christ's humanity and condescension toward the human race. In addition to the serial homilies of John Chrysostom, readers of this volume of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (ACCS) will find selections from those of Origen, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Cyril of Alexandria and Augustine. These commentaries are supplemented with homiletic material from Gregory the Great, Peter Chrysologus, Caesarius, Amphilochius, Basil the Great and Basil of Seleucia among others. Liturgical selections derive from Ephraim the Syrian, Ambrose and Romanos the Melodist, which are further supplemented with doctrinal material from Athanasius, the Cappodocians, Hilary and Ambrose. This rich tradition, some of which is here translated for the first time, offers a vast treasure out of which today's scribes trained for the kingdom may bring forth that which is new and what is old. Edited by Joel C. Elowsky.