Form of God, Form of a Servant examines the Greek noun morphe and seeks to discover Paul's meaning when he portrayed Christ as existing in the "form of God" as well as taking on the "form of a servant" in Philippians 2:6-7. This book adopts a synchronic approach to lexical semantics, and examines a cross section of Greek writers who use morphe from the classical period up through the first century A.D. The book also looks at how morphe has been interpreted throughout the church age, before exegetically examining the passage and interpreting the term in its context.

This unique commentary on Paul's early letters by an outstanding New Testament specialist, provides a broad range of original perspectives of how people have interpreted, and been influenced by, Paul's first two letters. Addresses questions concerning the content, setting, and authenticity of the two Thessalonian letters, drawing on responses from leading scholars, poets, hymn writers, preachers, theologians, and biblical scholars throughout the ages Offers new insights into issues they raise concerning feminist biblical interpretation. Provides a history of two-way influences, as exemplified by Ulrich Luz, Hans Robert Jauss, and Hans-Georg Gadamer Written by Anthony Thiselton, a leading commentator on the Greek New Testament

A quick and focused guide to the New Testament of the Bible. This rich and practical handbook-an abridged edition of the major textbook An Introduction to the New Testament-brings the best of New Testament scholarship to the church and makes it accessible to the everyday reader. Introducing the New Testament focuses on historical questions dealing with authorship, date, sources, purpose, and destination of the New Testament books. By honing in on the essentials, renowned Bible scholars D. A. Carson and Douglas Moo ensure that each book is accurately understood within its historical and cultural settings. For each New Testament document, the authors also provide: A summary of that book's content. Discussion of the book's theological contribution to the overall canon. End-of-chapter questions for group discussion or personal reflection. A bibliography of further resources. Introducing the New Testament makes the words, history, and culture of biblical times come alive for readers. Laypersons as well as church leaders will gain a solid understanding of the historical background and theological message of the New Testament and be inspired to apply biblical truths to their lives.

Philippians lends itself to a political-ideological reading. To take into account that the document is a writing from prison, and to read it from a political-religious and feminist perspective using new language, helps to re-create the letter as if it were a new document. In this analysis Elsa Tamez endeavors to utilize non-patriarchal, inclusive language, which helps us to see the contents of the letter with different eyes. Cynthia Briggs Kittredge and Claire Miller Colombo argue that Colossians's contradictions and complications provide opportunities for entering imaginatively into the world of first-century Christian women and men. Rather than try to resolve the controversial portions-including the household code-they read the letter's tensions as evidence of lively conversation around key theological, spiritual, and social issues of the time. Taking into account historical, structural, and rhetorical dimensions of Philemon, Alicia J. Batten argues against the "runaway slave" hypothesis that has so dominated the interpretation of this letter. Paul asks that Onesimus be treated well, but the commentary takes seriously the fact that we never hear what Onesimus's wishes may have been. Slaves throughout history have had similar experiences, as have many women. Like Onesimus, their lives and futures remain in the hands of others, whether those others seek good or ill. From the Wisdom Commentary series Feminist biblical interpretation has reached a level of maturity that now makes possible a commentary series on every book of the Bible. It is our hope that Wisdom Commentary, by making the best of current feminist biblical scholarship available in an accessible format to ministers, preachers, teachers, scholars, and students, will aid all readers in their advancement toward God's vision of dignity, equality, and justice for all. The aim of this commentary is to provide feminist interpretation of Scripture in serious, scholarly engagement with the whole text, not only those texts that explicitly mention women. A central concern is the world in front of the text, that is, how the text is heard and appropriated by women. At the same time, this commentary aims to be faithful to the ancient text, to explicate the world behind the text, where appropriate, and not impose contemporary questions onto the ancient texts. The commentary addresses not only issues of gender (which are primary in this project) but also those of power, authority, ethnicity, racism, and classism, which all intersect. Each volume incorporates diverse voices and differing interpretations from different parts of the world, showing the importance of social location in the process of interpretation and that there is no single definitive feminist interpretation of a text.

"My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" How should a Christian interpret this passage? What implications does the cross have for the trinitarian theology? Did the Father kill the Son? Theologian Thomas McCall presents a trinitarian reading of Christ's darkest moment--the moment of his prayer to his heavenly Father from the cross. McCall revisits the biblical texts and surveys the various interpretations of Jesus? cry, ranging from early church theologians to the Reformation to contemporary theologians. Along the way, he explains the terms of the scholarly debate and clearly marks out what he believes to be the historically orthodox point of view. By approaching the Son's cry to the Father as an event in the life of the Triune God, Forsaken seeks to recover the true poignancy of the orthodox perspective on the cross.

The Gospel of Mark, more than any other Gospel, gives us precious glimpses into Christ's humanity. Pastor John MacArthur will take you through the book of Mark, passage by passage, so that you can better understand Mark's unique perspective and the astounding humanity of Christ. Jesus amazes His followers-those in the past as well as His disciples today-as He teaches, heals, performs miracles, casts out demons, and raises the dead. Mark's account shows Christ using every opportunity, despite resentment and persecution from His enemies, to show God's awesome power. Through Mark's writings, we follow Jesus' very human pain, joy, and fervent dedication as He walks the earth, touches lives, and ultimately conquers sin and death through His crucifixion and resurrection. -ABOUT THE SERIES- The MacArthur Bible Study series is designed to help you study the Word of God with guidance from widely respected pastor and author John MacArthur. Each guide provides intriguing examinations of the whole of Scripture by examining its parts and incorporates: Extensive, but straight-forward commentary on the text. Detailed observations on overriding themes, timelines, history, and context. Word and phrase studies to help you unlock the broader meaning and apply it to your life. Probing, interactive questions with plenty of space to write down your response and thoughts.

Taking a radical new approach to second-century theology, 'Ancient Apologetic Exegesis' examines the work of Saint Theophilus of Antioch, with a full understanding of the man and his times. The second century is often dismissed by theologians, despite a near-living memory of Jesus and his apostles from only a generation or two prior, but Stuart E. Parsons shows that a distinctive biblical exegesis was used by those second-century apologists who challenged Greco-Roman pagan religionists. Current literature misunderstands second-century exegetical approaches, but by looking behind anachronistic views of ancient genre, literacy, and rhetoric, we can rediscover a forgotten form of early Christian exegesis.

Matthew's Gospel tells the complete story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Facing every page of Scripture in this elegant presentation of Matthew's Gospel is a lined page for note-taking and journalling. Use it during sermons, Bible studies or as part of your own devotions to capture your response to God's word, be it artistic, academic or somewhere in between. This edition uses British spelling, punctuation and grammar to allow the Bible to be read more naturally. Royalties from all sales of the NIV Bible help Biblica in their work of translating and distributing Bibles around the world.

Luke's Gospel tells the complete story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Facing every page of Scripture in this elegant presentation of Luke's Gospel is a lined page for note-taking and journalling. Use it during sermons, Bible studies or as part of your own devotions to capture your response to God's word, be it artistic, academic or somewhere in between. The New International Version is renowned for its combination of accuracy and clarity of language. It is the world's most popular Bible translation in modern English. Royalties from all sales of the NIV Bible help Biblica in their work of translating and distributing Bibles around the world. This edition uses British spelling, punctuation and grammar to allow the Bible to be read more naturally.

In this addition to the well-received Paideia series, a respected New Testament scholar examines cultural context and theological meaning in First, Second, and Third John. Paideia commentaries explore how New Testament texts form Christian readers by attending to the ancient narrative and rhetorical strategies the text employs, showing how the text shapes theological convictions and moral habits, and making judicious use of maps, photos, and sidebars in a reader-friendly format.

The Infancy Gospel of Thomas (or Paidika) is one of the most unusual gospels in the Christian tradition. Instead of revealing the compassionate Jesus so familiar to us from the biblical Gospels, it confronts its readers with a very different Jesus - a child who sometimes acts like a holy terror, killing and harming others for trifling faults. So why is Jesus portrayed as acting in such an 'unchristian' fashion? To address this question, Cousland focuses on three interconnected representations of Jesus in the Paidika: Jesus as holy terror, as child, and as miracle-working saviour. Cousland endeavours to show that, despite the differing character of these three roles, they present a unified picture. Jesus' unusual behaviour arises from his 'growing pains' as a developing child, who is at the same time both human and divine. Cousland's volume is the first detailed examination of the Christology of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas and provides a fresh and engaging approach to a topic not often discussed in representations of Jesus.

The Gospel of Matthew opens with a patrilineal genealogy of Jesus that intriguingly includes five women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, 'she of Uriah', and Mary. In a gospel that has a strongly Jewish and male-orientated outlook, why are women incorporated? Particularly, why include these four Old Testament women alongside Mary? Rejecting traditional as well as feminist views, E. Anne Clements undertakes a close literary reading of the narratives to discern how each woman is characterised and presented. All are significant scriptural figures on the margins of Israelite society. From this intertextual world established by Matthew, Clements explores why Matthew may have named these women in the opening genealogy and what implications their inclusion may have for the ongoing gospel narrative. Mothers on the Margin? argues that Matthew's Gospel contains a counter narrative focused on women. The presence of the five women in the genealogy indicates that the birth of the Messiah will bring about a crisis in Israel's identity in terms of ethnicity, marginality, and gender. The women signal that Matthew's Gospel is concerned with the construal of a new identity for the people of God.

First published in 1940, this book provides a literary dictionary to the New Testament. The treatment of selected words and phrases is not theological, but lexicographical and etymological. Each entry is introduced by illustrative quotations from the New Testament, and the book provides an insightful exploration of these phrases.

This volume on Luke-Acts as with all titles in the Texts@Contexts series highlights readings that make explicit the diverse contemporary contexts of biblical interpreters. The global spread of contributors includes scholarly voices from South Africa, South America and Hong Kong, as well as from the United States. The chapters are organized around four themes. The first examines interpretations of Jesus, looking at his childhood, contemporary context, and his teaching - including whether Jesus' sympathetic response to disease and pain might be used to advocate euthanasia. The second examines social categories: gender, race, and class, including a political and racialized reading of the history of diasporic Black America as a model for reading Acts as a diasporic history. The third examines issues of empire and resistance. The final part looks at society and spirituality, with a focus on modern contemporary contexts.

Connect to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark through coloring and art as this book extends a beautiful invitation to slow down and soak in God’s Word while expressing your creativity or journaling on the pages.

It is printed on high quality art paper that works well with all art supplies, including markers. Readers will enjoy coloring and creative art-journaling through the complete books of Matthew and Mark, with each book displayed beautifully in a single-column, wide-margin, spacious layout. There are 56 full and partial-page Scripture line-art illustrations, plus 167 designed verses with words to color right within the Bible text to inspire Scripture meditation and response. Color, cut and share the 12 cards and bookmarks included in the back of the book.

The essays in this collection edited by Christopher M. Tuckett are taken from two conferences held at Ampleforth Abbey in 1982 and 1983. The discussion at these conferences centred on the issue of the Synoptic Problem, and special consideration was given to a critique of the 'two-document hypothesis' or the idea that the chronological ordering of Luke and Matthew after Mark enabled the two former to draw on the latter and, in addition, a document entitled 'Q'. This established idea has since been challenged, with new arguments suggesting that in fact Matthew originated first, and Mark was reliant on Matthew for its source material. This discussion has since been continued and while no definitive answer can be offered, this collection of essays promises a fascinating view of the issues that have arisen, and the attempts to reconcile and understand the Synoptic Problem.

Inventing Hebrews examines a perennial topic in the study of the Letter to the Hebrews, its structure and purpose. Michael Wade Martin and Jason A. Whitlark undertake at thorough synthesis of the ancient theory of invention and arrangement, providing a new account of Hebrews' design. The key to the speech's outline, the authors argue, is in its use of 'disjointed' arrangement, a template ubiquitous in antiquity but little discussed in modern biblical studies. This method of arrangement accounts for the long-observed pattern of alternating epideictic and deliberative units in Hebrews as blocks of narratio and argumentatiorespectively. Thus the 'letter' may be seen as a conventional speech arranged according to the expectations of ancient rhetoric (exordium, narratio, argumentatio, peroratio), with epideictic comparisons of old and new covenant representatives (narratio) repeatedly enlisted in amplification of what may be viewed as the central argument of the speech (argumentatio), the recurring deliberative summons for perseverance. Resolving a long-standing conundrum, this volume offers a hermeneutical tool necessary for interpreting Hebrews, as well as countless other speeches from Greco-Roman antiquity.

Using the words of Jesus in Luke 24:46-47 as a springboard, After Emmaus explains how the story of redemption foretold in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Christ, is reflected in the apostles' ministry, and continues today through the mission of the church.

As planners and designers have turned their attentions to the blighted, vacant areas of the city, the concept of "terrain vague," has become increasingly important. Terrain Vague seeks to explore the ambiguous spaces of the city -- the places that exist outside the cultural, social, and economic circuits of urban life. From vacant lots and railroad tracks, to more diverse interstitial spaces, this collection of original essays and cases presents innovative ways of looking at marginal urban space, with studies from the United States, Europe and the Middle East, from a diverse group of planners, geographers, and urban designers. Terrain Vague is a cooperative effort to redefine these marginal spaces as a central concept for urban planning and design. Presenting innovative ways of looking at marginal urban space, and focusing on its positive uses and aspects, the book will be of interest to all those wishing to understand our increasingly complex everyday surroundings, from planners, cultural theorists, and academics, to designers and architects.

As planners and designers have turned their attentions to the blighted, vacant areas of the city, the concept of "terrain vague," has become increasingly important. Terrain Vague seeks to explore the ambiguous spaces of the city -- the places that exist outside the cultural, social, and economic circuits of urban life. From vacant lots and railroad tracks, to more diverse interstitial spaces, this collection of original essays and cases presents innovative ways of looking at marginal urban space, with studies from the United States, Europe and the Middle East, from a diverse group of planners, geographers, and urban designers. Terrain Vague is a cooperative effort to redefine these marginal spaces as a central concept for urban planning and design. Presenting innovative ways of looking at marginal urban space, and focusing on its positive uses and aspects, the book will be of interest to all those wishing to understand our increasingly complex everyday surroundings, from planners, cultural theorists, and academics, to designers and architects.

New Testament scholars typically assume that the men who pervade the pages of Luke's two volumes are models of an implied "manliness." Scholars rarely question how Lukan men measure up to ancient masculine mores, even though masculinity is increasingly becoming a topic of inquiry in the field of New Testament and its related disciplines. Drawing especially from gender-critical work in classics, Brittany Wilson addresses this lacuna by examining key male characters in Luke-Acts in relation to constructions of masculinity in the Greco-Roman world. Of all Luke's male characters, Wilson maintains that four in particular problematize elite masculine norms: namely, Zechariah (the father of John the Baptist), the Ethiopian eunuch, Paul, and, above all, Jesus. She further explains that these men do not protect their bodily boundaries nor do they embody corporeal control, two interrelated male gender norms. Indeed, Zechariah loses his ability to speak, the Ethiopian eunuch is castrated, Paul loses his ability to see, and Jesus is put to death on the cross. With these bodily "violations," Wilson argues, Luke points to the all-powerful nature of God and in the process reconfigures-or refigures-men's own claims to power. Luke, however, not only refigures the so-called prerogative of male power, but he refigures the parameters of power itself. According to Luke, God provides an alternative construal of power in the figure of Jesus and thus redefines what it means to be masculine. Thus, for Luke, "real" men look manifestly unmanly. Wilson's findings in Unmanly Men will shatter long-held assumptions in scholarly circles and beyond about gendered interpretations of the New Testament, and how they can be used to understand the roles of the Bible's key characters.

Current reception histories emphasize the world of Biblical readers, their socio-historical contexts, and the myriad effects of Biblical exegesis. This reception history studies interpretations of Jesus' encounter with a Canaanite woman (Matt 15:21-28) as normative "scripts" that exhort specific types of compliance in a broad range of historical and cultural settings, revealing remarkably diverse understandings of Christian identity and community.

Ian E. Rock demonstrates that the Letter to the Romans may be seen as an attempt by a subordinate group to redress actual and potential issues of confrontation with the Empire and to offer hope, even in the face of death. Paul demonstrates that it is God's peace and not Rome's peace that is important; that loyalty to the exalted Jesus as Lord and to the kingdom of God - not Jupiter and Rome - leads to salvation; that grace flows from Jesus as Christ and Lord and not from the benefactions of the Emperor. If the resurrection of Jesus - the crucified criminal of the Roman Empire - demonstrates God's power over the universe and death, the very instrument of Roman control, then the Christ-believer is encouraged to face suffering and death in the hope of salvation through this power. Paul's theology emerges from, and is inextricably bound to, the politics of his day, the Scriptures of his people, and to the critical fact that the God who is One and Lord of all is still in charge of the world.

The Passion Translation is a modern, easy-to-read Bible translation that unlocks the passion of God's heart and expresses his fiery love-merging emotion and life-changing truth. This translation will evoke an overwhelming response in every reader, unfolding the deep mysteries of the Scriptures. If you are hungry for God, The Passion Translation will help you encounter his heart and know him more intimately. Fall in love with God all over again.