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.

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.

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.

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

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.

The Bible and its preaching are for every generation urgent and indispensable, but they are especially urgent today. Within the preaching of Elijah and Elisha lie the possibilities and inspiration for the church to recover its voice in a way that is unfettered and unencumbered by old habits. It is the chance, and the responsibility, of this new voice to replicate in the present life of the church alternatives underway in the biblical text itself, to show that life "could be otherwise, " and to make it so. Considering these narratives canonically, Walter Brueggemann shows how the memories of Elijah and Elisha took on a quality and authority of lasting testimony. They exhibit a world profoundly open to the gifts, energies, and visions given by God. Brueggemann shows how such prophetic narratives summon listening Israel to a radical either/or decision, endlessly insisting that there are choices to be made that hold options for the world as otherwise.

The letters of the Apostle Paul changed the world like no others before or since, and they continue to strike us afresh with their panoramic vision of human history and destiny.

Preeminent New Testament scholar and churchman N. T. Wright here offers a fresh perspective on the Apostle Paul's content and convictions. Wright ranks Paul as "one of the most powerful and seminal minds of the first or any century," endlessly engaging and perennially elusive. Yet, with recent research, Wright argues, we can now sketch with confidence a new and more nuanced picture of the Apostle and the radical way in which his encounter with Jesus redefined his life, his whole thought-world, his mission, and his expectations for a world made new in Christ. The result: a masterful, engaging, and enlightening portrait that situates Paul in his time and for our own.

With fascinating insights into biblical customs and conditions--many of which exist today in the Middle East--Bowen clarifies over 100 scriptural texts and phrases that often puzzle Western readers unfamiliar with the culture of Bible times.

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.

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

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

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.

James W. Moore
Parables slip up on us. They flip our values. They turn our world upside down. They surprise us. This is the great thing about the parables of Jesus: They are always relevant and always personal. They speak eloquently to you and me, here and now. In this book, we will examine some of Jesus thought-provoking parables, parables about priorities, to see if we can find ourselves and God s truth for us in these magnificent truth-stories. They are, after all, truth-stories from the mind of Jesus that can change our lives as they proclaim God s truth for you and me.

" adapted from the introduction"

Each of the six chapters features a key passage of Scripture and is centered on a theme from one of Jesus parables, including The Priority of Love The Priority of Grace The Priority of Being Prepared The Priority of Courage The Priority of Forgiveness The Priority of Strong Foundations

JAMES W. MOORE, popular speaker and preacher, is the author of "Yes, Lord, I Have Sinned, but I Have Several Excellent Excuses; God Was Here and I Was Out to Lunch; When Grief Breaks Your Heart; There s a Hole in Your Soul That Only God Can Fill;" and many other books. He and his wife, June, live in Fairview, Texas."

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.

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.

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

Description: Writing with the pastor and student in mind, Walter Brueggemann provides guidance for interpreting Old Testament texts. He offers both advice for the interpreter as well as examples of working with different sorts of passages: from narratives, prophecies, and Psalms. He also demonstrates how to work thematically, drawing together threads from different traditions. His goal is to work through the rhetoric of these passages to reach toward theological interpretation. These investigations indicate Brueggemann's conviction that the process of moving from text to interpretive outcome is an artistic enterprise that can be learned and practiced. Endorsements: ""One of the best and most esteemed interpreters of Scripture shows here how he does it. A 'how-to' book with wonderful examples, it is vintage Brueggemann: incisive, penetrating, provocative, and always seeking to uncover the cutting edge of the text. He cares as much about pastoral responsibility as interpretive method. In fact, he doesn't think you can separate them-one of the many gifts of this compelling and practical book."" -Patrick D. Miller, author of The Religion of Ancient Israel ""We have become accustomed to the insightful reflections and the critical theological thinking of many contemporary biblical scholars. However, seldom has an author taken us step-by-step through the actual progression of that thought. This is precisely what Walter Brueggemann does in this book. Insisting that all believers, not merely scholars, should be able to critically read the Bible, he offers a modified, though still critical interpretive approach, that shows us how we might do it ourselves."" -Dianne Bergant, CSA author of Scripture: History and Interpretation ""This is the book that those of us who have studied with Walter Brueggemann have been waiting for. Here is the teacher we have known in class: telling us how he has come to read scripture as he does and showing us how he does it. I have been using this method of interpreting scripture with my congregation for the past decade. Together we have found that Brueggemann's three-step interpretive strategy opens us up to the biblical texts so that they speak to us in powerful new ways. What a wonderful gift this book is to the church."" -Edwin Searcy, University Hill Congregation, Vancouver, BC About the Contributor(s): Walter Brueggemann is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. He is the author of numerous works, including Praying the Psalms (2nd ed., Cascade Books, 2007), Theology of the Old Testament, and Prophetic Imagination.

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."

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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.

"The Social World of the New Testament: Insights and Models" surveys essential contributions made by leading scholars of the social-scientific approach to New Testament studies. Including important essays by Bruce J. Malina and John J. Pilch, among others, this book acts as a comprehensive collection of the most important essays and articles in the field. Included are topics vital to the social scientific interpretation of the New Testament, organized under three headings:
INSTITUTIONS
- Kinship: All in the Family: Kinship in Agrarian Roman Palestine--K. C. Hanson
- The Patron-Client Institution: God in the Letter of James: Patron or Benefactor?--Alicia Batten
- Economics: Jesus and Agrarian Palestine: The Factor of Debt--Douglas E. Oakman
CULTURE
- Honor and Shame: Loss of Wealth, Loss of Family, Loss of Honor: The Cultural Context of the Original Makarisms in Q--Jerome H. Neyrey, SJ
- Purity: The Epistle of James in Rhetorical and Social-Scientific Perspective: Holiness-Wholeness and Patterns of Replication-- John H. Elliott
- Social Location: Was Jesus a Peasant: Implications for Reading the Jesus Tradition (Luke 10:30-35)--Douglas E. Oakman
- Social Location: The Social Location of the Markan Audience--Richard L. Rohrbaugh
- Gender: Who Should Be Called "Father"? Paul of Tarsus between the Jesus Tradition and Patria Potestas--S. Scott Bartchy
- Space: "Teaching You in Public and from House to House" (Acts 20:20): Unpacking a Cultural Stereotype--Jerome H. Neyrey, SJ
- Healing: Healing in Luke-Acts--John J. Pilch
- Evil Eye: Paul, Galatians, and the Evil Eye-- John H. Elliott
- Limited Good: "He Must Increase, I Must Decrease"(John 3:30): A Cultural and Social Interpretation--Richard L. Rohrbaugh and Jerome H. Neyrey
MODAL PERSONALITY
- Modal Personality: Ancient Mediterranean Persons in Cultural Perspective: Portrait of Paul--Jerome H. Neyrey, SJ and Bruce J. Malina

Isaiah Part 1 - "Judgment But Hope" - Precepts for Life Study Companion for the radio / tv broadcast series by Kay Arthur. Study Isaiah, the crown jewel of the Old Testament prophets, and come face-to-face with "the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah witnessed Judah's spiritual and moral deterioration and preached the vision he received, warning God's people of approaching captivity and judgment. Learn timeless truths about sin and judgment that are relevant today for your life.

This work explores Paul's conception of maturity, paying special attention to the maturation process and the role of the local church in facilitating this process. Although central to Paul's theology, maturity is often overlooked in Pauline studies. An exegetical-theological study of the seven generally accepted epistles, this work makes heuristic use of three studies for the purpose of illuminating Paul's thoughts regarding maturity: a survey of modern psychology, and analyses of the communities of Qumran and of the Therapeutae.

Samra argues that Paul understood his apostolic commission to involve delivering mature believers on the day of Christ. Samra suggests that the central motif of Pauline maturity is conformity of believers to the image of Christ and that believers' attitudes and actions become aligned with those exhibited by Christ, who provides the defining standard of maturity for Paul.

For Paul there are five means used by the Spirit to conform believers to the image of Christ, which Samra presents and analyzes as components of the maturation process, namely: identifying with Christ, enduring suffering, experiencing the presence of God, receiving and living out wisdom from God, and imitating a godly example. Samra concludes by arguing that Paul expected the local church to facilitate maturation so that believers' participation in a local assembly would result in their being conformed to Christ. The church does this by facilitating the five components of the maturation process.