The apostle Paul has long had his admirers and revilers. And contemporary Christians often harbor private misgivings about this prominent apostle. Paul sounds harsh, intolerant, misogynistic, and his gospel surely misconstrues the message of Jesus. "How is it," they want to ask, "that some Christians can speak so fondly of Paul?" Anthony Thiselton is an unabashed admirer of Paul, a student of his letters and a devotee of his gospel. Over a range of issues, Thiselton cleans the lens and sharpens the focus to give us snapshots of Paul's life, mission and thought. Whatever your level of knowledge and experience of Paul, you will findThe Living Paul informative and interesting, nuanced and inspiring. A portrait of Paul rendered in the deft strokes of a master.

Ephesians - "The Mystery of God's Church - Our Identity, Our Walk, Our Warfare" - Precepts for Life Study Guide for the radio / tv broadcast series by Kay Arthur. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul prays God will "open the eyes of their hearts" to know "what is the hope of His calling" on their lives. Learn how to walk in a manner worthy of this holy calling.

In this follow-up to his popular book What Are We Hoping For? New Testament Images, Daniel J. Harrington extends his reflections on hope in the Scriptures. He draws us into the striking images of the psalms--the mountain, the sun, refuge, the kingdom, sheltering wings, the olive tree, and the shepherd--to lead us to the discovery that hope is the predominant image of the book of Psalms. Even in their darkest laments, the psalmists remind us that God hears us and will never abandon us. In these brief essays, Harrington opens up the language of forty psalms, explores their literary and historical context, and then ties the psalm to our reading as Christians whose ultimate hope is in Jesus Christ. As we read and reflect on the psalms with Harrington's guidance, we call to mind the ways we experience God and our hopes, both daily and for all time. Drawn into the world of the psalmist and discovering how our experiences often mirror theirs, we too will express our hope in God's love and mercy and in the coming of God's kingdom.

Ever since the first century, Christians have regarded Isaiah as a high point in the Old Testament prophetic literature. Its themes of messiah and suffering servant, deliverance from exile and new creation--to name a few--have been viewed as reaching particular fulfillment in the gospel. Then too, the impact of Isaiah on the church's language of worship and hymnology, and on the Western tradition of art and literature, is beyond measure. The book of Isaiah has also received more than its fair share of scholarly examination, with various theories of its origin and composition proposed. Originating in a 2008 Tyndale Fellowship conference on Isaiah, Interpreting Isaiah presents some of the most significant evangelical scholarship on Isaiah today. Essays on recent scholarship and the theology of Isaiah offer valuable overviews that bring readers abreast of current understanding. And more sharply focused studies in particular Isaianic themes and texts explore issues and exercise methodologies that will interest and reward diligent teachers and preachers of the Old Testament.

Have you noticed how sometimes you have a story in the back of your mind that keeps coming up, even when you're talking about something else? In Ephesians, throughout its worship, prayers and instructions for living, Paul can't contain his joy and amazement at the larger story of God's plan to save us in Jesus the Messiah. These eleven studies from Tom Wright will help us see the significance of our role in God's grand narrative, and encourage us to live more fully as people who are lavishly loved by God. This guide by Tom Wright can be used on its own or alongside his New Testament for Everyone commentary on Ephesians. It is designed to help you understand Scripture in fresh ways under the guidance of one of the world's leading New Testament scholars. Thoughtful questions, prayer suggestions, and useful background and cultural information all guide you or a group more deeply into God's Word. Discover how you can participate more fully in God's kingdom.

With a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart, Tom Wright walks you through Mark in this guide designed especially with everyday readers in mind. Perfect for group use or daily personal reflection, this study uses the popular inductive method combined with Wright's thoughtful insights to bring contemporary application of Scripture to life. This guide by Tom Wright can be used on its own or alongside his New Testament for Everyone commentary on Mark. It is designed to help you understand Scripture in fresh ways under the guidance of one of the world's leading New Testament scholars. Thoughtful questions, prayer suggestions, and useful background and cultural information all guide you or a group more deeply into God's Word. Discover how you can participate more fully in God's kingdom.

Learn the Answers to All Your Questions about God
What role do angels play in our lives?
Where and how will we live?
What will we be doing in heaven?
Will I know my family and friends?
What happens to departed children?
What will our new bodies be like?
Explore the Bible's heavenly promises where all your hopes and dreams will be fulfilled. If you have lost a loved one, you need this book to help you understand the truth about Heaven-the greatest promise ever made. Many who have read through these pages have forever lost their fear of death.

"Triumphant Return" is an upbeat, positive proclamation of the tremendous prophecies about the Second Coming and the awesome transformation of humanity that will unfold when Christ ushers in the Kingdom of God.
Key Features Include:
"- Christ's Triumphant Return- your role in the coming Kingdom of God.
- Why are the Rapture and the Second Coming under attack today?
- How should we understand the Bible's prophecies: Literal or symbolic? Past or future?
- The coming Millennial Kingdom of God- the key to understanding prophecy
- Historical evidence disproves the false theory that Revelation's prophecies were fulfilled in A.D. 70
- What did the Early Church believe about the Second Coming? The early Christians taught Christ's return will be literal, imminent, and premillennial.
- Fascinating new research about the remarkable prophecies pointing to the nearness of Christ's premillennial return
- Astonishing evidence the Muslim Koran acknowledges Israel's right to the Promised Land
- How should the promise of Christ's return transform your faith and daily walk with God?
"

No single approach to reading the Bible can do justice to its complex history and content. There are as many different ways of understanding Scripture as there were people involved in its composition. Advocating a pluralistic reading that acknowledges the many voices speaking in the Bible, Susan Gillingham offers theological, historical, and literary insights into the compilation of Scripture and the development of biblical studies. Providing one of the most accessible and helpful introductions to the Bible available, this volume clearly outlines the main issues in understanding Scripture and demonstrates, using Psalm 8 as an example, the best method for reading the Bible today. "Not just another ephemeral book on postmodern theory. It is both a survey and an argument: she contends that the Bible itself is a complex book that can best be understood by the plurality of methods that are actually being used to read it. In engaging and practical terms she discusses historical, literary, and theological approaches to the Bible.... This is one of the first and best introductions to biblical interpretation that treats the postmodern situation of biblical studies seriously and constructively. It will make an excellent textbook in courses on exegesis and interpretation and for use in ecclesiastical study groups." - Religious Studies Review

With a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart, Tom Wright walks you through Matthew in this guide designed especially with everyday readers in mind. Perfect for group use or daily personal reflection, this study uses the popular inductive method combined with Wright's thoughtful insights to bring contemporary application of Scripture to life. This guide by Tom Wright can be used on its own or alongside his New Testament for Everyone commentary on Matthew. It is designed to help you understand Scripture in fresh ways under the guidance of one of the world's leading New Testament scholars. Thoughtful questions, prayer suggestions, and useful background and cultural information all guide you or a group more deeply into God's Word. Discover how you can participate more fully in God's kingdom.

Paul must often have felt like a mother duck guiding her ducklings to safety. He had seen the enthusiasm of the Colossian Christians but knew they had no idea of the dangers they would face. Longing for them to continue growing in faith, Paul--now stuck in prison--wrote to his young flock, affirming them, warning them of hazards and pointing them to King Jesus, the supreme one who was with them and at work in them. These eight studies on Colossians and Philemon will similarly guide us toward maturity in King Jesus, who is still at work in his people today. This guide by Tom Wright can be used on its own or alongside his New Testament for Everyone commentary on Colossians and Philemon. It is designed to help you understand Scripture in fresh ways under the guidance of one of the world's leading New Testament scholars. Thoughtful questions, prayer suggestions, and useful background and cultural information all guide you or a group more deeply into God's Word. Discover how you can participate more fully in God's kingdom.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE? We dream of what we'd do if we won the lottery or happened onto some other financial windfall. Solomon, son of King David didn't need such luck -- the world was his for the taking. So what did he want more than anything? To "discern between good and evil." God blessed Solomon with the wisest of hearts and through the Smart Guide to the Bible Series: Solomon, you'll see how you, too, can be blessed with God's wisdom through his writings in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. Yes, "you" can make the choice for a wise heart from God.

Sanchez's subject is the power of imperial myths - and the subversive power unleashed when resistance movements take over those myths for their own purposes. Moving from John of Patmos's inversion of Roman imperial mythology in Revelation 12 to the indigenous appropriation of Spanish symbolism and mythology, in seventeenth-century Mexico, Sanchez then explores the continuing power of the Virgin of Guadalupe (La Guadalupena) to inspire movements for a better society in our own day. From Patmos to the Barrio reveals new insights into the biblical Apocalypse of John, and the enduring power of its legacy down to the present day, as well as translations of two important 17th century documents concerning La Guadalupena: Luis Laso de la Vega's Huei tlamahuicoltica and Miguel Sanchez's Imagen de la Virgen Maria. Also included are images of La Guadalupena in the murals of East Los Angeles.

Paper Edition was voted 2002 Publisher's Weekly Best Adult Religion Book of the Year "It was art and it was theater at the same time, but it was more. It was what he did not say that spoke most powerfully to the mob that morning. It was a cup of cold water for a thirsty adulteress and an ice-cold drenching in the face to a group of angry Pharisees. "To this day we have not the slightest idea what it was Jesus twice scribbled in the sand. By and large the commentaries have asked the wrong question through the ages. They labor over the content, over what he might have written. They ask what without ever realizing that the real question is why. It was not the content that mattered but why he did it. Unexpected. Irritating. Creative." (From chapter one) Singer, songwriter and diligent student of Scripture, Michael Card is well known for the depth of his lyrics and the artistry of his music. But far more significant than the songs he has penned is the source of his inspiration--the creativity embodied in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God. In this book Card explores the biblical foundations of true Christian creativity. Whether we think of ourselves as creative or not, all of us are created in the image of our Creator God, and thus creativity is a vital expression of our discipleship. With Jesus as his model, Card shows how understanding God's creative imagination leads to a lifestyle of humility, obedience and servanthood. And he invites us to follow God's creative call through worship and community. Through Jesus, God has spoken to us in a word we can understand. Likewise, Michael Card has articulated the story of Jesus to others through his own scribblings in the sand. This book shows us how we can do the same.

Life in the Spirit Precepts for Life Study Guide for the radio / tv broadcast series by Kay Arthur. Be conformed to the image of Christ, as man was designed to be, through this powerful study of the Holy Spirit - His leading, filling, wisdom, intercession, righteousness, peace, joy and comfort.

Let's face it. Just the word exegesis puts some of us on edge. We are excited about learning to interpret the Bible, but the thought of exegetical method evokes a chill. Some textbooks on exegesis do nothing to overcome these apprehensions. The language is dense. The concepts are hard. And the expectations are way too high. However, the skills that we need to learn are ones that a minister of the gospel will use every week. Exegesis provides the process for listening, for hearing the biblical text as if you were an ordinary intelligent person listening to a letter from Paul or a Gospel of Mark in first-century Corinth or Ephesus or Antioch. This book by Richard Erickson will help you learn this skill. Thoroughly accessible to students, it clearly introduces the essential methods of interpreting the New Testament, giving students a solid grasp of basic skills while encouraging practice and holding out manageable goals and expectations. Numerous helps and illustrations clarify, summarize and illuminate the principles. And a wealth of exercises tied to each chapter are available on the web. This is a book distinguished not so much bywhat it covers as by how: it removes the "fear factor" of exegesis. There are many guides to New Testament exegesis, but this one is the most accessible--and fun

Living for God's Glory - Precepts for Life Study Companion for the radio / tv broadcast series by Kay Arthur. God commanded us to glorify Him in our bodies, which He purchased through the blood of His Son. Know God and return to His glory through this life-changing study.

Life in the Spirit - Precepts for Life Study Companion for the radio / tv broadcast series by Kay Arthur. Be conformed to the image of Christ, as man was designed to be, through this powerful study of the Holy Spirit - His leading, filling, wisdom, intercession, righteousness, peace, joy and comfort.

Over the past twenty-five years research on Paul's life and thoughthas yielded a wealth of new, sometimes controversial theories concerningsuch crucial questions as Paul's Jewishness and his relationto the Jesus tradition. This volume provides an excellent overviewof recent trends in Pauline studies and introduces fresh work onthe Thessalonian correspondence and Christianity.

Written by a distinguished scholar of the New Testament, thebook ranges widely over themes related to Paul, his theology, andhis role in the formation of the church. Of special interest arechapters that challenge the so-called "New Perspective" on Paul setforth by people like E. P. Sanders and James D. G. Dunn, thatdiscuss the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls in reframing ourperspective on the Jewish backgrounds of Christianity, and thatrelate the Pauline understanding of justification to recent ecumenicalagreements.

Presenting cutting-edge New Testament scholarship in accessibleessays, this volume will benefit everyone interested in Paul, early Christianity, and the Jewish roots of both.

Easter from the Back Side
J. Ellsworth Kalas
Using an approach similar to the one he took in "Parables from the Back Side" and other books in the popular Back Side series," " author J. Ellsworth Kalas opens up new possibilities of insight into the biblical Easter story. The author looks beyond the traditional gospel scriptures to connect the story of Christ s resurrection with other stories and scriptures throughout the Bible, including both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Kalas s creative approach both clarifies basic teachings and introduces new possibilities of meaning, even for those who are most familiar with the Easter story. Enriched with contemporary illustrations and personal experiences, this volume will provide new perspectives on Easter. Chapter titles and Scriptures include: Why We Need Easter (Genesis 3:1-7, 22-24); Easter from an Ash Heap (Job 19:13-27); Easter for the Disillusioned (Ecclesiastes 2:14-26); Ezekiel Celebrates Easter (Ezekiel 37:1-10); Easter Is a Love Story (John 20:1-18); Late for Easter (1 Corinthians 15:1-11); and Forever Easter (Revelation 21:1-4). J. ELLSWORTH KALAS is president of Asbury Theological Seminary and has been part of the faculty there since 1993, after thirty-eight years as a United Methodist pastor and five years in evangelism with the World Methodist Council. He has been a presenter on Disciple videos, is the author of the "Christian Believer "study, and has written more than thirty books, including the popular Back Side series; "Longing to Pray: How the Psalms Teach Us to Talk with God; Strong Was Her Faith: Women of the New Testament; "and "What I Learned When I Was Ten."

"

While few Christian thinkers would question the trustworthiness of God, this topic is key for understanding the divine nature and Gods revelation to the world. "The Trustworthiness of God offers a comprehensive look at the theme of God's faithfulness, exploring the relationship between the doctrines of God and of Scripture from every possible perspective.

Produced by a group of distinguished international scholars, this book is broad in scope and irenic in approach. J. Gary Millar, Gordon McConville, Craig G. Bartholomew, and P. J. Williams each explore the theme of Gods faithfulness as depicted in different portions of the Old Testament. Donald Macleod, Drake Williams, David Peterson, and David Instone-Brewer consider Gods trustworthiness in the New Testament, looking in particular at the person of Jesus and the writings of Paul. Gerald Bray, Carl R. Trueman, Timothy Ward, Stephen Williams, Paul Helm, and Sebastian Rehnman each discuss Gods trustworthiness from significant theological and philosophical perspectives. Two concluding responses by Colin Gunton and Francis Watson round out the volume by showing the profound relevance of Gods faithfulness to the life of the church and personal faith today.

Addressed to a wide readership, this volume offers fresh, at times inspiring, insights into the nature of the God portrayed in the Bible.

Isaiah Part 2 - "Comfort For His People" - Precepts for Life Study Guide for the radio / tv broadcast series by Kay Arthur. Even as Isaiah warned about the awful consequences of sin, he also delivered God's message of consolation. Study how the Holy God will ultimately humiliate sin and exalt justice and righteousness. Explore the hope of the coming Messiah, His universal kingdom, justice and restoration

Isaiah Part 2 - "Comfort For His People" - Precepts for Life Study Companion for the radio / tv broadcast series by Kay Arthur. Even as Isaiah warned about the awful consequences of sin, he also delivered God's message of consolation. Study how the Holy God will ultimately humiliate sin and exalt justice and righteousness. Explore the hope of the coming Messiah, His universal kingdom, justice and restoration