The MacArthur Bible Studies provide intriguing examinations of the whole of Scripture and continues to be one of the bestselling study guide series on the market today. In this study, Dr. MacArthur examines the words of the prophet Isaiah, showing how God proved to be faithful to his people (and us) by promising to send Messiah who would save them from sin. These latest all-new studies join the ranks of the previously released study guides, now offering readers a comprehensive selection of Old Testament Bible studies by bestselling author and theologian John MacArthur.

Each lesson includes:

• Drawing Near: An opening question based on the key theme or topic of the lesson
• The Context: Background information on the passage of Scripture being studied
• Keys to the Text: Detailed commentary on the passage being studied
• Unleashing the Text: Application questions on the passage highlighted in the lesson
• Exploring the Meaning: Three key takeaways from the passage
• Reflecting on the Text: Reflection questions on the passage highlighted in the lesson
• Personal Response: A journaling section to help readers apply the principles

Contains study questions, journal meditations and group activities that encourage spiritual growth and a deeper understanding of God's word. This book focuses on the Gospel of Mark.

Bible Basics provides a quick reference to the people, places, events, and content of the books of the Bible. Assuming no previous biblical knowledge, this book is an ideal starting point for study. It can serve as a quick "refresher" for seminarians, study groups, and laity. Five multiple-choice quizzes (100 questions each) help test knowledge of biblical content. For students studying for their ordination exams, this book will be invaluable.

Provocative dramatic monologues allow Biblical women to tell their own stories as the author puts herself in the shoes of the Virgin Mary, Miriam, Mary Magdalene, Elizabeth, the Syrophoenician or Canaanite woman, Lydia, Ruth, Gomer, Michal, Tamar, and Peter's wife.

A genuine renaissance is presently underway in the study of biblical interpretation and biblical culture in the early Christian age. The profundity and complexity of the early Christians engagement with Holy Scripture, in theology, in ecclesial and liturgical life, in ethics, and in ascetic and devotional life, are providing a rich resource for contemporary discussions of the Bible's ongoing "afterlife" within ecumenical Christian communities and contexts.

The Bible in Greek Christian Antiquity is a collection of wide-ranging essays on the influence of the Bible in numerous and varied aspects of the life of the Greek-speaking churches during the first four centuries. Essays appear under the general themes of (I) The Bible as a Foundation of Christianity; (II) The Bible in Use among the Greek Church Fathers; (III) The Bible in Early Christian Doctrinal Controversy; (IV) The Bible and Religious Devotion in the Early Greek Church. Individual essays probe topics as diverse as the use of the Bible in early Christian preaching and catechesis, appeals to Scripture in the conflicts between Jews and Christians, pagan use of Scripture against the Church, and the Bible's influence in early Christian art, martyrology, liturgical reading, pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and ascetical life.

Much of the volume constitutes a translation, revision, and adaptation of essays originally presented in the French volume Le monde grec ancien et la Bible (1984), Volume 1 of the series Bible de Tousles Temps. Four new studies appear, however, including an introductory essay on Origen of Alexandria as a guide to the biblical reader, and two essays on the biblical culture of early Eastern Christianmonasticism.

The Bible in Greek Christian Antiquity comes as an international project, the work of French, Swiss, Australian, and now Canadian and American scholars. It will be useful to students of early Christianity and the history of biblical interpretation, and will also serve as a useful introduction to the many dimensions of the reception of the Bible in the early Church.

The ESV Study Bible, Large Print includes nearly all the features of the award-winning ESV Study Bible in highly readable, large-print type. A new typesetting allows for increased readability while maintaining the same trim size of the original. All of the original's extensive articles, 20,000 study notes, 240 maps and illustrations, charts, timelines, and book introductions are included in a two-color interior. Those looking for the ESV Study Bible in a readable and reasonably sized format will enjoy this large print edition. Size: 6.5" x 9.25" 11-point type 3,008 pages Black letter text Double-column, paragraph format Cross-references Concordance Book introductions 20,000 study notes 240 two-color maps and illustrations Charts and timelines Free access to the ESV Online Study Bible

World-renowned Bible translator and commentator George M. Lamsa explains nearly one thousand crucial idioms that will enrich reading of the Old and New Testaments for students and general reader alike.

Lamsa, who was raised speaking Aramaic in a community that followed customs largely unchanged since the times of Christ, offers fresh, accurate translations of important idioms, metaphors, and figures of speech found in the Scripture--and provides clear explanations of their meaning of biblical context.

Just as Shakespeare, Milton, and Browning wrote in the vernacular for English-speaking people, Moses the prophets, and the apostles wrote for their own people in the plain language of their times, so that even the unlearned might understand God's Word. Over the centuries, inaccurate translations and misunderstandings of customs and concepts have led to difficulties in bringing the biblical message to contemporary English-speaking readers.

For example, when a man says to Jesus, "let me bury my father," Lamsa points out that this expression means, "Let me first take care of my father until he dies." Traditionally, scholars assumed that this man's father was dead and that Jesus was not interested in his burial. Lamsa's scholarship offers a more accurate understanding of the intent and spirit of this passage.

Idioms in the Bible Explained and a Key to the Original Gospels goes far in correcting such errors that have crept into Biblical scholarship. Obscure and difficult passages from both Old and New Testaments are listed and compared with the King James version (though it will be helpful when used with any English version). These make clear the original meaning of such ancient idioms and assure that our grasp of the biblical message is more sound and rewarding.

To further uncover the original teachings of Scripture, Idioms in the Bible Explained and a Key to the Original Gospels, Lamsa discusses at greater length such topics as "The Language of Jesus," "Aramaic Phraseology," "The Sayings of Jesus," "Early Translations," and more..

We're updating and revising our bestselling LifeGuides to make them even more effective for small group Bible study!

New features of the revised LifeGuides include special options for group activities, additional questions for personal reflection, a "Now or Later" section with practical follow-up activities for use after the study or between sessions, expanded and improved leaders' notes and an attractive, redesigned format for easier reading.

Beginning with the new guides Miracles and Pleasing God (released in February 1999), all new LifeGuides will be presented in the new format. In addition, more existing volumes will be revised every year to ensure that all our LifeGuides continue to be effective Bible study resources for the twenty-first century.

We despise our weaknesses; the apostle Paul delighted in his. We beg God to remove obstacles from our lives; Paul thanked God for such opportunities to experience his power. Throughout 2 Corinthians Paul turns many of our values upside down. He teaches us that in all circumstances we can rely on God's promise: "My grace is sufficient for you".

The Gospel of Thomas sheds new light on the origins of Christianity and portrays Jesus as a wisdom-loving sage. This collection of aphoristic sayings portrays the kingdom of God as a present fact about the world, rather than a future promise or future threat.

Through facing-page commentary this edition focuses on the meaning of the sayings as those teachings were preserved by an ancient source outside of the canonical New Testament, and brings to life the challenging and intriguing figure of Jesus in a new light. Now readers can approach this important spiritual text with no previous background knowledge in Christian history or thought.

These essays deal with the interaction between culture and politics during the period of the Austrian Corporate State, the five years preceding the Anschluss in 1938. The contributions show that no aspect of literary and cultural life remained unchanged by the National Socialist infiltration that took place in the 1930s. All Austrian writers, publishers, theater directors, and film makers had to decide whether to face economic penalty by opposing National Socialism and being blacklisted in Germany or to seek financial advantage by joining the Nazi movement. Jewish writers and political activists had no choice but were forced to flee into exile or face imprisonment in concentration camps after the Anschluss.

How to Know What the Bible Teaches is a reliable guide for achieving a clear understanding of the Bible and beginning the discipline of systematic Bible study. Designed as a concise overview of what the Bible teaches, it is a simple introduction to the adventure of learning God's Word. Here is what the Bible says about: - The Word of God - The Trinity - God's relationship with the world - Sin and its remedies - The person and work of the Holy Spirit - The blessings of life in Christ - God - Creation and the Fall - The person and work of Christ - Faith and repentance - The Christian life The topics highlight a method for studying the Bible and growing as a Christian. Bible verses to commit to memory are included. Already a bestseller for many years, How to Know What the Bible Teaches was originally written by James Gray, a former president of the Moody Bible Institute. It has been updated by the staff of the Moody Bible Institute.

Newly rebound edition of a famous Bible History used in Catholic schools for years.

Covers the most important events events narrated in the Bible. With 80 beautiful drawings of biblical events and suitable for sixth through eighth grades.

New full color cover!

In this six-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), bestselling author Dr. David Jeremiah reminds us that the Christian life is to be lived looking forward and with our eyes fixed on the race in front of us—not looking back over at our shoulder at the other runners or the past. In the Bible, the apostle said as much when he wrote, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14 (NKJV).

Dr. Jeremiah draws on this key verse to show that while it is good at times to look back, we need to make sure that we don't go back and allow the past to dictate our future. We need to celebrate our good memories but also celebrate our bad memories with finality—thanking God for the lessons that He has taught us through the experience and committing to use those lesson to make positive changes in our lives. We then need to allow our past memories to cultivate our dreams—boldly stepping into the mission God has for us and allowing Him to continually transform us to be more like Christ.

Now is the time to step past our comfort and our failure. Now is the time to move forward in following God.

The author presents exegetical and language-philosophical studies of a section of the Johannine history of theology. The fluctuation of language and experience in John 15 and 16 is carefully analyzed, theological thought movements and processes of reflection in the late phase of the origin of the Gospel of John are revealed.

The texts Joshua 1, 23 and 24, 1 Samuel 12, and 1 Kings 8 as speeches interpret the central epochs of the presentation of history from Deuteronomy 1 ? 2 Kings 25. The author analyzes these texts and their contextual relationships in regard to redaction, literary and genre criticism. On the basis of these studies, in regard to the presentation of history found in Deuteronomy 1 ? 2 Kings 25 a differentiation can be made between an exilic (DtrH) and an extensive post-exilic layer (DtrS). DtrH and DtrS show characteristic differences above all in their theological profile."

In the Gospels of the Bible there are a few comments about Mary Magdalene here and there. But in the Gnostic scriptures that have been discovered, there are tantalizing hints that both her relationship to Jesus and her role among Jesus' disciples may have been profoundly important. Among several schools of Gnostic Christianity, Mary plays an essential role in the revelation of the gospel.
Here, for the first time in print, is a Sophian Gospel of St. Mary Magdalene. No secret oral tradition as extensive as this has ever been recorded, and none has ever presented a Gnostic view of Mary Magdalene as she is portrayed in this groundbreaking work-as a powerful holy woman, the innermost disciple and beloved wife of Jesus, and a Christed woman who is coequal with Jesus in the Christ revelation.

There have been many studies of the women in the Gospels, but this is a new kind of book on the subject. Rather than offering a general overview of the Gospel women or focusing on a single theme, Richard Bauckham studies in great depth both the individual women who appear in the Gospels and the specific passages in which they appear.

This unique approach reveals that there is much more to be known about such women than previous studies have assumed. Employing historical and literary readings of the biblical texts, Bauckham successfully captures the particularity of each woman he studies.

An opening look at the Old Testament book of Ruth introduces the possibilities of reading Scripture from a womans perspective. Other studies examine the women found in Matthews and Lukes genealogies, the prophet Anna, Mary of Clopas, Joanna, Salome, and the women featured in the Gospel resurrection narrative. A number of these women have never been the subject of deep theological enquiry.

Unlike most recent books, Bauckhams work is not dominated by a feminist agenda. It does not presume in advance that the Gospel texts support patriarchal oppression, but it does venture some of the new and surprising possibilities that arise when the texts are read from the perspective of their female characters.

Astute, sensitive to issues of gender, and written by one of todays leading theologians, "Gospel Women will be of interest to a wide range of readers.

Four thousand years ago, amid tragic suffering and death, Job asked the question of the ages: "If a man dies, will he live again?" Since the dawn of history, the subject of death and the afterlife has been the great question of human existence. It's a subject that everyone wonders about. What lies behind the veil of death? Is there really life after death? Is there a place called hell? This small yet power-packed book answers, in a very straightforward, reader-friendly format, all the most-asked questions ordinary people have about death, near-death experiences, cremation, purgatory, hell, heaven, and our future bodies. You'll be amazed at what awaits us beyond the grave.
Is There Sex in Heaven?
It's a fair question And so are the rest. Go ahead...flip to the table of contents. Discover another one, two, or fifty-four others that are guaranteed to intrigue you. Questions like: "Do those in heaven know what's happening on earth? "and "Will I see my pets in heaven?"
Because even if you'd rather avoid the topic, death will not avoid you. So fire away Ask the tough questions, and get the dead-on answers you need. Straightforward and easy to read, "55 Answers to Questions About Life After Death" satisfies that nagging, curious voice whispering from the corner of your mind.
Story Behind the Book
"Three key experiences in my life have come together to make this book a reality. First, as the pastor of a local church for thirteen years, I have had the privilege of visiting people who are facing imminent death, conducting funerals, and ministering to grieving families. During these times people often have probing questions about life after death. Second, due to my interest and writing in the area of Bible prophecy, I am frequently asked questions about the afterlife at conferences and via e-mail. Third, all kinds of books, TV shows, and groups out there today are fostering unbiblical views of life after death. Knowing that this is a subject of universal interest and great confusion, I have a passionate desire to create a user-friendly, clear, straightforward resource to answer all the key questions that people everywhere are asking about life's greatest mystery."

What's the Big Deal About Sex?
Birds do it. Bees do it. And when you turn on the television, log on to the Internet, or watch a movie, you can't help but notice that everyone else seems to be doing it too. Our culture has embraced the message that sex is just a basic bodily function, as irresistible and harmless as satisfying your hunger and thirst. But is it? Or have we bought into a lie that is rapidly corroding our souls and our society?
When it comes to sexuality, you can't ignore the Manufacturer's directions and escape unharmed. That's why everyone-teen or adult, single or married-needs to know "The Truth About Sex."
This compelling, interactive study provides an antidote to the world's subtle yet insidiously dangerous lies. You'll learn...
-why God created sex in the first place
-what happens when you don't follow His design
-why virginity matters
-what consequences follow sex outside of marriage
-how to find healing if you've been harmed because you or someone else violated God's instructions
With this knowledge comes the power to stand firm, resisting the pull of temptation. Whatever your past-whether you've remained sexually pure or endured the pain of misusing God's precious gift-you'll find your eyes opened and your life transformed as you discover for yourself "The Truth About Sex,"
"
Includes a companion study guide for personal use or group discussion."

How to be God's man in relationship with a woman.
Few men would ever embark on an important project, a significant career change, or a major athletic challenge without gathering all the tactical knowledge possible to insure a good outcome. Yet, when it comes to relationships with women, most men fail to apply the simple principles that make them successful in other areas of life.
It may be easy to get into a relationship with a woman, but it's not so easy to make the relationship work well. It takes energy. It demands effort. It requires education and understanding.
God is available to help. But there's a catch: God's man must connect with God's purposes before he can truly connect with his wife (or wife-to-be). God uses the marriage relationship to promote growth in men's lives, because it shows us our character gaps and drives us to Him for solutions.
If you want true intimacy and connection with a woman, you'll need to grow up and graduate from God's school of character. This book, "Being God's Man by Understanding a Woman's Heart, " is the perfect start.
Special Features:
-Practical studies facilitate personal encounters with God and other men
-Questions encourage genuine reflection and help build godly convictions
-"Real Life" case studies show how the truths you discover have worked out in other men's lives
-"Standing Strong" section gives you the opportunity to form and express your action steps with God and your group

This French work presents an exegetic and theological interpretation of Qoheleth's speech on riches (Ecclesiastes 5:9-6:6). The detailed exegetic analysis distinguishes the existential meaning from the anthropological and theological meaning, and develops a rhetorical figure of wisdom which is characterised by two aspects - either the denial of God or the reference to God. Using a parallel to the Book of Job, the intertextuality of the discourse of wisdom becomes clear. To the extent that the critical literary and the hermeneutic approach foregrounds the text in its final form, it points directly to the internal tension of the text, which is marked by contrasts, and questions the conditions of the process of composition. This approach also provides a new access to Qoheleth's provocative thinking.

Good and evil, clean and unclean, rich and poor, self and other. The nature and function of such binary oppositions have long intrigued scholars in such fields as philosophy, linguistics, classics, and anthropology. From the opening chapters of Genesis, in which God separates day from night, and Adam and Eve partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, dyadic pairs proliferate throughout the Hebrew Bible. In this groundbreaking work melding critical exegesis and contemporary theory, Saul M. Olyan considers the prevalence of polarities in biblical discourse and expounds their significance for the social and religious institutions of ancient Israel. Extant biblical narrative and legal texts reveal a set of socially constructed and culturally privileged binary oppositions, Olyan argues, which instigate and perpetuate hierarchical social relations in ritual settings such as the sanctuary.

Focusing on four binary pairs--holy/common, Israelite/alien, clean/unclean, and whole/blemished--Olyan shows how these privileged oppositions were used to restrict access to cultic spaces, such as the temple or the Passover table. These ritual sites, therefore, became the primary contexts for creating and recreating unequal social relations. Olyan also uncovers a pattern of challenge to the established hierarchies by nonprivileged groups. Converging with contemporary issues of power, marginalization, and privileging, Olyan's painstaking yet lucid study abounds with implications for anthropology, classics, critical theory, and feminist studies.

The study examines the thesis widely held in religious studies and theology that in the ancient world there was a close link between the possession of citizenship and the chance - and also the obligation - to engage in cult. There is a critical discussion of different versions of this thesis. The study presents, translates and interprets epigraphic and literary sources on cultic practice and religious law from the Hellenistic Age from Greek poleis, Rome and Judaism.

Spirit-filled believers will find new resources for understanding the Bible and applying biblical themes to their day-to-day lives in these interactive study guides.

Written from a Pentecostal/Charismatic viewpoint, these interactive studies introduce believers to the books of the Bible and offer a thorough and balanced understanding of key themes of the Bible.

By studying the themes of the books, as well as the books themselves, these interactive studies offer groups and individuals a Spirit-filled perspective of the Bible's message for today.