From the author of the best-selling book THE GLASGOW GOSPEL, comes the Good News in Scots this time. The well known story of Jesus of Nazareth is re-enacted in the 'gutsy vernacular' of the Scots tongue-delightful and dramatic, it 'demands to be aired publicly, or read aloud around the family fire .... ' The Herald

In this magisterial volume, which is destined to become the standard test for studying the tradition and history of the early Christian Gospel literature, the author treats more than a dozen Gospel writings from the first two centuries. These Gospels include more than the standard canonical Gospels, covering also such writings as the Gospel of Thomas, the Apocryphon of James, and the Gospel of Mary and others. The book is divided into six major sections. The first examines the origins and meanings of the term Gospel. Then follows a section on early collections of saying including, of course, a study of Q. A third section traces the movement from the dialogue Gospels through narratives about Jesus to the Gospel of John. Mark, Matthew and Like receive thorough consideration in the fourth section, followed by an exploration of the early extant harmonization s of the canonical Gospels (Justin martyr, Tatian, Epistula Apostolorum, etc.) The concluding section deals with various Gospel fragments known from papyri and from casual mentions in the church fathers. Throughout Ancient Christian Gospels, the author provides all technical information (attestation, manuscripts, etc.) needed by the scholar, but also translations of all data, general introductions and explanations in an effort to make the book accessible and useful for the general reader. Helmut Koester is John H. Morison Professor of New Testament and Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History of Harvard University and author of the widely used two-volume Introduction to the New Testament.

"The Study of the Old Testament Psalter has undergone great changes during the twentieth century in an effort to recover a fuller awareness of their original setting and purpose . . . Bellinger's book admirably fulfils the task of exploring the many insights of modern scholarship on the psalms in order to clarify the faith to which they bear witness. It does this by showing the real-life situations which occasioned the formulation of prayers of complaint and praise, opening up a warm sense of the humanity and faith which they nurtured. Readers will find a great richness of scholarship here set out in vigorous and exciting language to make plain that the psalter retains a powerful challenge for the present day. These psalms explore the whole range of human experience and provide a vehicle by which faith can become articulate and sharply focused, even when faced with pain and doubt. The sheer honesty of these prayers challenges contemporary complacency."--Ronald E. Clements, professor of Old Testament studies, King's College, University of London
"Bellinger has created an excellent primer for the Psalms. . . . I like his use of examples in each section and his references in each chapter to what has gone before."--Victor Matthews, professor of religious studies, Southwest Missouri State University

The English translation of the three-volume Exegetisches W rterbuch zum Neuen Testament, this monumental work by an ecumenical group of scholars is first of all a complete English dictionary of New Testament Greek. Going beyond that, however EDNT also serves as a guide to the usage of every New Testament word in its various contexts, and it makes a significant contribution to New Testament exegesis and theology. EDNT's thorough, lengthy discussions of more significant words and its grouping of words related by root and meaning (with alphabetical cross-references) distinguish it from simpler Greek-English lexicons. Advancing the discussion of the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, EDNT summarizes more recent treatments of numerous questions in New Testament study and takes into consideration newer viewpoints of linguistics.

"The New Testament" is an accesible review of the literary and historical problems of the books of the New Testament, and a brief study of their theological content. Part One deals with the history of the New Testament text and discusses basic documents, families of texts, and the history of the printed text. Part Two furnishes brief introductions to the twenty-seven New Testament books, covering authorship, literary structure, and religious content. Part three deals with the formation of the New Testament canon.

The first part of a three-part introduction to the Old Testament offers an account of the history of Jews and their emerging consciousness as the People of God. Topics covered include: the Patriarchs and the beginnings of history; the Exodus; the 12 tribes; the first Kings; the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah; and chapters on the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman empires. It also includes maps, time charts, illustrations and suggestions for further discussion and study.

The English translation of the three-volume Exegetisches W rterbuch zum Neuen Testament, this monumental work by an ecumenical group of scholars is first of all a complete English dictionary of New Testament Greek. Going beyond that, however EDNT also serves as a guide to the usage of every New Testament word in its various contexts, and it makes a significant contribution to New Testament exegesis and theology. EDNT's thorough, lengthy discussions of more significant words and its grouping of words related by root and meaning (with alphabetical cross-references) distinguish it from simpler Greek-English lexicons. Advancing the discussion of the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, EDNT summarizes more recent treatments of numerous questions in New Testament study and takes into consideration newer viewpoints of linguistics.

This sequel to "The Greatest Story Ever Told" follows the turbulent adventures of the apostles Paul, Peter, and James after the crucifixion of Christ in their struggle to spread the Good News to the world. Faithfully based on the scriptures of the "Acts" and the "Epistles," this saga of kings and jailers, of far voyages and shipwreck, of strange miracles and escapes and ultimate martyrdom, has inspired and touched generations of readers. It is a story that is timeless.
"A magnificent book and the most inspiring reading that has come my way for a long time."
--A.J. Cronin
"A lucid, deeply moving account of the first century of the Christian era. Fulton Oursler has re-created the life of the early Church with noble simplicity and profound understanding."
--Laurence J. McGinley, S.J., Past President of Fordham University
"Multitudes of people will rejoice in this book... the] story is told with wonderful and convincing simplicity."
--"Chicago Tribune"

"Conventionally the book of Micah has been seen as a collection of otherwise unconnected pericopes. This study is a challenge to that conventional wisdom. Utilizing the methods of literary criticism, it demonstrates the coherence of Micah and provides a precise description of the specific literary features by which that coherence is expressed. Because the book of Micah is demonstrably a unified work, a proper interpretation requires discerning the meaning both of each pericope and the relationship extant between those units."

Bede's commentary on the Book of Acts is one of his earliest exegetical works (usually dated between 709 and 710) and one of his most popular and influential. None of the Latin Fathers of the Church had written a commentary on this book, and those which existed in Greek were unlikely to have been known in the West. Bede became the authority on Acts for countless subsequent students of Scripture. The breadth of Bede's mind, the diversity of his interests, and the thoroughness of his research are all mirrored in this work. Allegory is freely interspersed with practical commentary, textual analysis with mystical interpretation. Far from being a quaint relic of outdated exegesis, the commentary can be of practical use to modern Christians who read it in the spirit in which it was written: meditation on the workings of God.

These eighty-six sermons are among the most famous and most beautiful examples of medieval scriptural exegesis. In them the modern reader can catch a glimpse of the genius an entire generation found irresistible.

Volumes available singly or as a set.

James Efird has put together a simple and direct introduction to the Old Testament. "The Old Testament Writings" emphasizes the faith dimension of the Old Testament. The literary, critical, and historical problems of the Olde Testament are discussed but only to provide help in understanding the faith of the Bible. This very enjoyable and readable book offers a step-by-step approach to comprehending the Old Testament. Highly informative. Designed for the lay reader, the Bible student, seminary introductory, courses, and church schools.

This is a complementary text to Efird's "The New Testament Writings." Both volumes offer a comprehensive understanding of the Bible. A valuable set of resources for education, growth, and faith.

2009 Christianity Today Merit Award winner 2009 Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) Christian Book Award winner The Old Testament books of wisdom and poetry carry themselves differently from those of the Pentateuch, the histories or the prophets. The divine voice does not peal from Sinai, there are no narratives carried along by prophetic interpretation nor are oracles declaimed by a prophet. Here Scripture often speaks in the words of human response to God and God's world. The hymns, laments and thanksgivings of Israel, the dirge of Lamentations, the questionings of Qohelet, the love poetry of the Song of Songs, the bold drama of Job and the proverbial wisdom of Israel all offer their textures to this great body of biblical literature. Then too there are the finely crafted stories of Ruth and Esther that narrate the silent providence of God in the course of Israelite and Jewish lives. This third Old Testament volume in InterVarsity Press's celebrated "Black Dictionary" series offers nearly 150 articles covering all the important aspects of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ruth and Esther. Over ninety contributors, many of them experts in this literature, have contributed to the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings. This volume maintains the quality of scholarship that students, scholars and pastors have come to expect from this series. Coverage of each biblical book includes an introduction to the book itself as well as separate articles on its ancient Near Eastern background and its history of interpretation. Additional articles amply explore the literary dimensions of Hebrew poetry and prose, including acrostic, ellipsis, inclusio, intertextuality, parallelism and rhyme. And there are well-rounded treatments of Israelite wisdom and wisdom literature, including wisdom poems, sources and theology. In addition, a wide range of interpretive approaches is canvassed in articles on hermeneutics, feminist interpretation, form criticism, historical criticism, rhetorical criticism and social-scientific approaches. The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings is sure to command shelf space within arm's reach of any student, teacher or preacher working in this portion of biblical literature. Tremper Longman III and Peter E. Enns edit this collection of 148 articles by 90 contributors on Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ruth and Esther.

"The Layman's Guide to the New Testament" is an honest, objective approach to all the books of the New Testament. Written in a style that is at once scholarly and readable, this book is a valuable resource for study and reference.

This is revised and updated edition of a classic introduction to John's Gospel. New material includes new chapters on the current state of the question of the relationship between the Johannine and synoptic traditions; and the literary approach to John's Gospel. Footnotes and the bibliography have been extensively revised.