The book explores the antisemitic potential of Matthew's Gospel in the Christian New Testament. It begins with a detailed discussion of the occasion of the text, before discussing key questions (Matthew's fulfilment theology, and the use of polemic in the text). Three crucial texts are examined in detail. The book discusses the reverberations of the "blood cry," arguing the deicide-focused interpretation of Matthew 27:25 is foundational to subsequent blood libels, which are also discussed. The final chapters explore how to preach from Matthew's Gospel with Jewish people in mind, including offering sample sermons to stimulate the reader's thinking about how they might teach from a controversial Matthean text in a way that denies the possibility of perpetuating Christian antisemitism. It will be of interest to students and scholars in religion and faith, Christianity, and interfaith studies.

The subject of the Bible's last book is often met with fear, awe, and fascination. In fact, the true meaning of Revelation is so often interpreted or speculated on by authors, ministers, or academics, that very few individuals actually study the book themselves. The literal meaning of Revelation, in Greek, is 'an unveiling.' Allow yourself to be engaged in God's vision of hope and promise for the faithful, obedient Christian and discover what truths Revelation will unveil in your own life. Part 1 contains the first 11 chapters of the book. Part 2 contains the last 11. Paper.

A new and better society has been the constant dream of men and women. Responding to this dream, John Stott has been attracted back again and again by Paul's letter to the young church at Ephesus. It portrays a new society of Christ's making that stands out in bright relief against our colourless world of oppression, heartache, separation and division. Paul's letter, with its exultant vision of a renewed human community, has, says John Stott, 'stirred me deeply'. John Stott expounds Paul's theme of uniting all things in Christ by uniting his church and breaking down all that separates us from God, one ethnic group from another, husband from wife, parent from child, master from slave. Paul's insights are for all who want to build the church into the new society God has planned it to be.

Margaret Froelich examines the Gospel of Mark using political and empire-critical methodologies, following postcolonial thinkers in perceiving a far more ambivalent message than previous pacifistic interpretations of the text. She argues that Mark does not represent an entirely new way of thinking about empire or cosmic structures, but rather exhibits concepts and structures with which the author and his audience are already familiar in order to promote the Kingdom of God as a better version of the encroaching Roman Empire. Froelich consequently understands Mark as a response to the physical, ideological, and cultural displacement of the first Roman/Judean War. By looking to Greek, Roman, and Jewish texts to determine how first-century authors thought of conquest and expansion, Froelich situates the Gospel directly in a historical and socio-political context, rather than treating that context as a mere backdrop; concluding that the Gospel portrays the Kingdom of God as a conquering empire with Jesus as its victorious general and client king.

To follow Jesus we have to learn to think inside out, in looking-glass fashion: what the world counts as great is foolishness, and what the world counts as folly is the true wisdom. Cling on to your life and you'll lose it; give everything you've got to following Jesus, including life itself, and you'll win it. In every generation there are, it seems, a few people who are prepared to take Jesus seriously, at his word. What would it be like if you were one of them?

This book provides a literary analysis of New Testament texts on marriage, sex, family, and celibate ideals. It seeks to explore if, how, and eventually to what extent the New Testament favors sexual abstinence. The core of this study consequently consists of fresh perspectives on the issue of sexual abstinence in the New Testament through close readings of 1 Cor 7, Gal 3:28, Matt 19:10-12, and Mark 12:18-27/Matt 22:23-33/Luke 20:27-40, with a keen eye to the many ambassadors of abstinence in the texts-characters exhibiting sexual abstinence given a favorable characterization and function. As a comprehensive literary analysis of these texts from this perspective lacks precedent in contemporary biblical scholarship, the study is a valuable contribution to the ongoing scholarly debate on the biblical views on sex and marriage.

The present study represents the first attempt to expand the methodological and practical framework of textual scholarship on the Greek New Testament from an Orthodox perspective. Its focus is on the Antoniades edition of 1904, commonly known as the Patriarchal Edition. The examination of the creation and reception of this edition shows that its textual principles are often misrepresented. In particular, it is shown to be more closely related to the Textus Receptus than to lectionary manuscripts. This is confirmed by an analysis of lectionary manuscripts using the Text und Textwert methodology and a detailed comparison of the Antoniades edition with the recent Editio Critica Maior of the Catholic Epistles. A textual commentary is provided on key verses in order to formulate guidelines for preparing an edition of the Greek New Testament that would satisfy the needs of Orthodox users in different contexts. This study offers a foundation for the further development of New Testament textual scholarship from an Orthodox perspective, informed both by modern critical scholarship and Orthodox tradition. It also provides a fresh translation of Antoniades' introduction in an Appendix.