The Middle Ages spanned the period between two watersheds in the history of the biblical text: Jerome's Latin translation c.405 and Gutenberg's first printed version in 1455. The Bible was arguably the most influential book during this time, affecting spiritual and intellectual life, popular devotion, theology, political structures, art, and architecture. In an account that is sensitive to the religiously diverse world of the Middle Ages, Frans van Liere offers here an accessible introduction to the study of the Bible in this period. Discussion of the material evidence - the Bible as book - complements an in-depth examination of concepts such as lay literacy and book culture. This introduction includes a thorough treatment of the principles of medieval hermeneutics, and a discussion of the formation of the Latin bible text and its canon. It will be a useful starting point for all those engaged in medieval and biblical studies.

The story of the woman taken in adultery features a dramatic confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees over whether the adulteress should be stoned as the law commands. In response, Jesus famously states, "Let him who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." To Cast the First Stone traces the history of this provocative story from its first appearance to its enduring presence today. Likely added to the Gospel of John in the third century, the passage is often held up by modern critics as an example of textual corruption by early Christian scribes and editors, yet a judgment of corruption obscures the warm embrace the story actually received. Jennifer Knust and Tommy Wasserman trace the story's incorporation into Gospel books, liturgical practices, storytelling, and art, overturning the mistaken perception that it was either peripheral or suppressed, even in the Greek East. The authors also explore the story's many different meanings. Taken as an illustration of the expansiveness of Christ's mercy, the purported superiority of Christians over Jews, the necessity of penance, and more, this vivid episode has invited any number of creative receptions. This history reveals as much about the changing priorities of audiences, scribes, editors, and scholars as it does about an "original" text of John. To Cast the First Stone calls attention to significant shifts in Christian book cultures and the enduring impact of oral tradition on the preservation-and destabilization-of scripture.

This is the latest release in Enduring Word Media's commentary series by David Guzik.David Guzik's commentaries are noted for their clear, complete, and concise explanation of the Bible. Pastors, teachers, class leaders, homestudy groups, and everyday Christians all over the world have found this commentary series remarkably helpful.

In the book of Revelation, John appeals to the faithful to avoid the temptations of wealth, which he connects with evil and disobedience within secular society. New Testament scholars have traditionally viewed his somewhat radical stance as a reaction to the social injustices and idolatry of the imperial Roman cults of the day. Mark D. Mathews argues that John's rejection of affluence was instead shaped by ideas in the Jewish literature of the Second Temple period which associated the rich with the wicked and viewed the poor as the righteous. Mathews explores how traditions preserved in the Epistle of Enoch and later Enochic texts played a formative role in shaping John's theological perspective. This book will be of interest to those researching poverty and wealth in early Christian communities and the relationship between the traditions preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls and New Testament.

In Paul Among the People, Sarah Ruden explores the writings of the evangelist Paul in the context of his time and culture, to recover his original message of freedom and love while overturning the common—and fundamental—misconception that Paul represented a puritanical, hysterically homophobic, misogynist, or reactionary vision.

By setting famous and controversial words of Paul against ancient Greek and Roman literature, Ruden reveals a radical message of human freedom and dignity at the heart of Paul’s preaching. Her training in the Classics allows her to capture the stark contrast between Paul’s Christianity and the violence, exploitation, and dehumanization permeating the Roman Empire in his era. In contrast to later distortions, the vision of Christian life Ruden finds in Paul is centered on equality before God and the need for people to love one another.

A remarkable work of scholarship, synthesis, and understanding, Paul Among the People recaptures the moral urgency and revolutionary spirit that made Christianity such a shock to the ancient world and laid the foundation of the culture in which we live today.

In this addition to the award-winning BECNT series, leading New Testament scholar and bestselling author G. K. Beale offers a substantive evangelical commentary on Colossians and Philemon. With extensive research and thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, Beale leads readers through all aspects of Colossians and Philemon--sociological, historical, and theological--to help them better understand the meaning and relevance of these biblical books. As with all BECNT volumes, this commentary features the author's detailed interaction with the Greek text and an acclaimed, user-friendly design. It admirably achieves the dual aims of the series--academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility--making it a useful tool for pastors, church leaders, students, and teachers.

One of the best known and most important references on the life of Christ ever written, Alfred Edersheim's "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah" is a storehouse of information on the background of the New Testament. This classic work successfully portrays the streets, the marketplaces, the religious conflicts, the people, and the places of Jesus' earthly ministry.

Edersheim divides his work into five sections, or books:
- Book 1--"The Preparation for the Gospel"
Introductory historical, religious, political, and cultural material based on the author's extensive knowledge of Jewish lore and customs.
- Book 2--"From Bethlehem to Jordan"
The background of Herod and his reign, St. John the Baptist and his message, and the birth and baptism of Jesus.
- Book 3--"From Jordan to the Mount of Transfiguration"
Thirty-seven chapters explore the miracles and teachings of Jesus' early ministry.
- Book 4--"The Descent into the Valley of Humiliation"
A history of the latter part of Jesus' ministry from the Transfiguration to the journey to Jerusalem.
- Book 5--"The Cross and the Crown"
A chronicle of each day of Passion Week, from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection.
- Appendices
Valuable background material on Jewish history, tradition, and law

This monograph demonstrates that the Fourth Gospel is a result of highly creative, hypertextual reworking of the Acts of the Apostles. The detailed reworking consists of around 900 strictly sequentially organized thematic, and at times also linguistic correspondences between John and Acts. The strictly sequential, hypertextual dependence on Acts explains John's modifications of the synoptic material, relocations thereof, additions to it, and many other surprising features of the Fourth Gospel. Critical explanations of such features, which are offered in this study, ensure the reliability of the new solution to the problem of the relationship between John and the Synoptics.

This highly readable investigation of the early church explores the revolutionary nature, dynamics, and effects of the earliest Christian communities. It introduces readers to the cultural setting of the house churches of biblical times, examines the apostle Paul's vision of life in the Christian church, and explores how the New Testament model of community applies to Christian practice today. Updated and revised throughout, this 40th-anniversary edition incorporates recent research, updates the bibliography, and adds a new fictional narrative that depicts the life and times of the early church.

This is the second edition, co-published in Halle and London in 1796 and 1806, of Griesbach's two-volume Novum Testamentum Graece, which first appeared in 1774 1775. A professor of the New Testament at the University of Jena in Germany, Griesbach is regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern textual criticism of the Bible. Griesbach's pioneering theory was to group different versions of New Testament texts into three families - Western, Alexandrian, and Constantinopolitan - based on a set of fifteen criteria. He set out these rules in an important addition to the Latin Prolegomena of Volume 1 of the second edition. Volume 1 contains the complete gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

This is the second edition, co-published in Halle and London in 1796 and 1806, of Griesbach's two-volume Novum Testamentum Graece, which first appeared in 1774 1775. A professor of the New Testament at the University of Jena in Germany, Griesbach is regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern textual criticism of the Bible. Griesbach's pioneering theory was to group different versions of New Testament texts into three families - Western, Alexandrian, and Constantinopolitan - based on a set of fifteen criteria. He set out these rules in an important addition to the Latin Prolegomena of Volume 1 of the second edition. Volume 2 contains the Book of Acts, the Pauline epistles, the Catholic epistles, and the Book of Revelation.

Stresses the importance of the canonical context of the book of Revelation

Publishers Weekly starred review. Academy of Parish Clergy Reference Book of the Year IVP Readers' Choice Award A New Testament in English by Native North Americans for Native North Americans and All English-Speaking Peoples Many First Nations tribes communicate with the cultural and linguistic thought patterns found in their original tongues. The First Nations Version (FNV) recounts the Creator's Story-the Christian Scriptures-following the tradition of Native storytellers' oral cultures. This way of speaking, with its simple yet profound beauty and rich cultural idioms, still resonates in the hearts of First Nations people. The FNV is a dynamic equivalence translation of the New Testament that captures the simplicity, clarity, and beauty of Native storytellers in English, while remaining faithful to the original language of the Bible. The culmination of a rigorous five-year translation process, this new Bible translation is a collaboration between organizations like OneBook and Wycliffe Associates, Indigenous North Americans from over twenty-five different tribes, and a translation council that consisted of twelve Native North American elders, pastors, young adults, and men and women from different tribes and diverse geographic locations. Whether you are Native or not, you will experience the Scriptures in a fresh and new way. Read these sample passages to get a taste of what you'll find inside: "The Great Spirit loves this world of human beings so deeply he gave us his Son-the only Son who fully represents him. All who trust in him and his way will not come to a bad end, but will have the life of the world to come that never fades-full of beauty and harmony. Creator did not send his Son to decide against the people of this world, but to set them free from the worthless ways of the world." John 3:16-17 "Love is patient and kind. Love is never jealous. It does not brag or boast. It is not puffed up or big-headed. Love does not act in shameful ways, nor does it care only about itself. It is not hot-headed, nor does it keep track of wrongs done to it. Love is not happy with lies and injustice, but truth makes its heart glad. Love keeps walking even when carrying a heavy load. Love keeps trusting, never loses hope, and stands firm in hard times. The road of love has no end." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

How does Luke's portrait of the outsider help in exploring the theology and historiography of Acts? Previous studies of the author and his work have concentrated on the speeches given by insiders - members of the early Christian church - but until now the speeches of the outsiders have been marginalised by scholars in the field. Osvaldo Padilla takes a highly original approach by concentrating on the direct speech of such figures, arguing that the portrayal of outsiders to a religious movement should not be neglected when considering the author's viewpoint. By exploring the place of outsiders in Old Testament and Second Temple literature, then offering comparisons with the depictions found in Acts, Padilla provides a fresh, insightful take on the subject that will prove invaluable to scholars and students of biblical and early Christian studies.

In this thought-provoking study, Dan Lioy asserts that a Christocentric and Christotelic perspective is an unmistakable feature of Paul's discourse. The journey begins with an analysis of the old Adamic creation in Genesis 1-3 before digressing into representative passages from Paul's writings, touching on such themes as new creation theology, the apostle's apocalyptic interpretation of reality, and his theology of the cross. Then Lioy examines the influence of the Old Testament on Paul's Christological outlook, how the apostle viewed Satan operating as the counterfeit word, and the way in which the writings of Paul correlate with the letter from James, leading into a deliberation that Paul, rather than Christ, is to be seen as a new or second Moses. Contrast is then provided regarding the historical authenticity of the Adam character in Paul's discourse, along with the Genesis creation narratives. Facets of Pauline Discourse in Christocentric and Christotelic Perspective is the ideal volume for college and seminary classes dealing with the teaching and theology of Paul.

A New Testament Bible to help you grow in the Spirit and access biblical truth for life's questions--on the go Small enough to fit in a pocket or handbag yet filled with helpful outlines and study notes, "The Christian Life New Testament" is a great way to keep God's Word close at hand. Whether exploring on your own or sharing with others, the tools in this valuable resource will give you confidence and understanding in what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Included throughout the Bible text are easy-to-understand outlines of the New Testament's major teachings, written by Porter Barrington, who has been an evangelistic pastor all of his adult life.

Features include:

• Presentation page
• Master outlines of key teachings
• Study notes
• In-text subject headings
• Decision record
• Certificate of Baptism
• Prayer list

Type Size 7

The New King James Version--more than 60 million copies sold in 30 years.

Thomas Nelson Bibles is giving back through the God's Word in Action program. Donating a portion of profits to World Vision and the James Fund, we are helping to eradicate poverty and preventable deaths among children. Learn more and discover what you can do at www.seegodswordinaction.com.

Reviews of the best New Testament commentaries and reference books for every purpose and library. There are thousands of excellent resources in the field of New Testament studies. But which tools are best for sermon preparation, topical study, research, or classroom study? In Best Bible Books, the authors review and recommend hundreds of books, saving pastors, students, and scholars time, effort, and money. Glynn and Burer examine commentaries on every book of the New Testament, describing their approach, format, and usability; they then rank them on a scale of good, better, and best. Other chapters survey special studies for each New Testament book as well as books in related disciplines such as historical background, language resources, and hermeneutics. Also included are helpful chapters on building a must-have personal library, and identifying books that comprise the ultimate New Testament commentary collection. This is an indispensable resource for any serious student of the Bible.

Engages with the latest research on the NT book of Acts, especially on authorship and genre

Despite novel approaches to the study of Early Christianity - New Historicity, New Philology, Gender and Queer Studies; many turns - Material, Linguistic, Cultural; and developments in Reception History, Cultural Transfer, and Entangled History, much scholarship on this topic differs little from that written a century ago. In this study, Markus Vinzent challenges the interpretation of the sources that have been used in the study of the Early Christian era. He brings a new approach to the topic by reading history backwards. Applying this methodology to four case studies, and using a range of media, he poses radically new questions on the famous 'Abercius' inscription, on the first extant apologist Aristides of Athens, on the prolific Hippolytus of Rome, and on Ignatius and the first non-canonical collection of letters. Vinzent's novel methodology of a retrospective writing thus challenges many fundamental and anachronistic assumptions about Early Christian history.

Greg Carey's guide equips readers to develop their own informed assessments of Luke's Gospel. The book begins with an inductive exposition of Luke's singular approach to composing a story about Jesus, examining its use of Mark, clues to its social setting, and its distinctive literary strategies. Recognizing that many readers approach Luke for theological and religious reasons, while many others do not, a chapter on 'Spirit' addresses Luke's presentation of the God of Israel, how the Gospel ties salvation to the person of Jesus, and how the problems of sin and evil find their resolution in the kingdom of God and in community of those who follow Jesus. A chapter on 'Practice' examines the Gospel's vision for human community. While many readers find a revolutionary message in which women, the poor, Gentiles and sinners find themselves included and blessed in Luke's Gospel, this volume calls attention to inconsistencies and tensions within the narrative. Luke does speak toward inclusion, Carey argues, but not in a revolutionary way. Could it be that the Gospel promises more than it delivers? Carey suggests that Luke speaks to people of relative privilege, challenging them toward mercy and inclusion rather than toward fundamental social change. An Epilogue reflects upon contemporary readers of Luke, most of whom enjoy privilege in their own right, and how they may respond to Luke's story.

Herod: King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans examines the life, work, and influence of this controversial figure, who remains the most highly visible of the Roman client kings under Augustus. Herod's rule shaped the world in which Christianity arose and his influence can still be seen today. In this expanded second edition, additions to the original text include discussion of the archaeological evidence of Herod's activity, his building program, numismatic evidence, and consideration of the roles and activities of other client kings in relation to Herod. This volume includes new maps and numerous photographs, and these coupled with the new additions to the text make this a valuable tool for those interested in the wider Roman world of the late first century BCE at both under- and postgraduate levels. Herod remains the definitive study of the life and activities of the king known traditionally as Herod the Great.

Writing in an accessible and anecdotal style, Tom Wright opens up to us the wisdom of the letters of James, Peter, John and Judah (Jude). A vital resource for every church and every Christian, these letters are full of clear practical advice for Christians. Written for those new to the faith, they warn of the dangers and difficulties a young Christian community would face both within and without, while revelling in the delight of budding faith, hope and life. Today, these letters are just as relevant as they were two thousand years ago. They continue to help Christians to live with genuine faith in a complex modern age.