Encounter the Heart of God.

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.

Content Benefits:

• Over 500 new footnotes
• Over 500 revised footnotes
• Updated text
• 16 pages of full-colour maps locating and identifying Jesus' birth, early years, ministry, and last days, major New Testament stories, every epic journey of the Apostle Paul, the missions of Philip and Peter, the early church and seven churches of Revelation, political background to New Testament event, the territory of the Roman Empire, the Holy Land today and in the time of Jesus
• In-depth footnotes with insightful study notes, commentary, word studies, cross references, alternate translations
• Introductions and outlines for each book
• Two-column format
• Contemporary font
• Easy to carry, compact size
• Premium Bible paper
• Exquisite faux leather
• Heat debossing
• Foil stamping
• Smyth-sewn binding
• Ribbon marker

Now available for the first time in English, Karl Ludwig Schmidt's The Framework of the Story of Jesus (Der Rahmen der Geschichte Jesu) has been a foundation of New Testament studies. Through meticulous analysis, Schmidt demonstrates that the Synoptic Gospels are collections of individual stories that circulated orally and independently in the earliest Christian communities. Schmidt shows persuasively how, in their oral forms, most of these traditions existed apart from any sequence or specific temporal or geographic location, and that the chronology and locations now evident in the Gospels were applied by the evangelists while collecting and recording the oral traditions. Across much of the twentieth century and even into the present day, Schmidt's thesis has undergirded Gospel interpretation. Yet as long as The Framework of the Story of Jesus remained untranslated, Schmidt's ideas have been open to neglect and misinterpretation among Anglophone scholars. Discussion of the Synoptic Gospels and broader New Testament study will be enriched by engagement with the evidence and argument as originally presented.

Aimed at both biblical scholars and those interested in linguistic theory, this book makes use of insights from a modern theory of communication, Relevance Theory in examining the function of the particle. Margaret Sim sheds a new light onto the interpretation of certain key texts in the Gospels. In so doing, she shows how the ideas of theoretical pragmatics can be brought to bear on the study of other fields to enable new and exciting perspectives to be opened up on difficult problems of translation and interpretation. Marking Thought and Talk in New Testament Greek claims that the particle does not have a lexical meaning of "in order that," contrary to accepted wisdom, but that it alerts the reader to expect an interpretation of the thought or attitude of the implied speaker or author. Evidence is adduced from pagan Greek and in particular the writings of Polybius, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, and Epictetus, as well as the New Testament. The implications of this claim give an opportunity for a fresh interpretation of many problematic texts.

The Gospel of John has long been recognized as being distinct from the Synoptic Gospels. John among the Apocalypses explains John's distinctive narrative of Jesus's life by comparing it to Jewish apocalypses and highlighting the central place of revelation in the Gospel. While some scholars have noted a connection between the Gospel of John and Jewish apocalypses, Reynolds makes the first extensive comparison of the Gospel with the standard definition of the apocalypse genre. Engaging with modern genre theory, this comparison indicates surprising similarities of form, content, and function between John's Gospel and Jewish apocalypses. Even though the Gospel of John reflects similarities with the genre of apocalypse, John is not an apocalypse, but in genre theory terms, John may be described as a gospel in kind and an apocalypse in mode. John's narrative of Jesus's life has been qualified and shaped by the genre of apocalypse, such that it may be called an 'apocalyptic' gospel. In the final two chapters, Reynolds explores the implications of this conclusion for Johannine Studies and New Testament scholarship more broadly. John among the Apocalypses considers how viewing the Fourth Gospel as apocalyptic Gospel aids in the interpretation of John's appeal to Israel's Scriptures and Mosaic authority, and examines the Gospel's relationship with the book of Revelation and the history of reception concerning their writing. An examination of Byzantine iconographic traditions highlights how reception history may offer a possible explanation for reading John as apocalyptic Gospel.

Can the different pictures of Jesus in the New Testament be reconciled? Or are they simply simulations, the products of a virtual Gospel? 'Simulating Jesus' argues that the gospels do not represent four versions of one Jesus story but rather four distinct narrative simulacra, each of which is named "Jesus". The book explores the theory and evidence justifying this claim and discusses its practical and theological consequences. The simulations of Jesus in each of the gospels are analysed and placed alongside Jesus simulacra elsewhere in the Bible and contemporary popular culture. 'Simulating Jesus' offers a radical understanding of Scripture that will be of interest to students and scholars of biblical studies.

Can the different pictures of Jesus in the New Testament be reconciled? Or are they simply simulations, the products of a virtual Gospel? Simulating Jesus argues that the gospels do not represent four versions of one Jesus story but rather four distinct narrative simulacra, each of which is named "Jesus". The book explores the theory and evidence justifying this claim and discusses its practical and theological consequences. The simulations of Jesus in each of the gospels are analysed and placed alongside Jesus simulacra elsewhere in the Bible and contemporary popular culture. Simulating Jesus offers a radical understanding of Scripture that will be of interest to students and scholars of biblical studies.

In "Discourse Grammar of the Greek New Testament," Steve Runge introduces a function-based approach to language, exploring New Testament Greek grammatical conventions based upon the discourse functions they accomplish. Runge's approach has less to do with the specifics of language and more to do with how humans are wired to process it. The approach is cross-linguistic. Runge looks at how all languages operate before he focuses on Greek. He examines linguistics in general to simplify the analytical process and explain how and why we communicate as we do, leading to a more accurate description of the Greek text. The approach is also function-based--meaning that Runge gives primary attention to describing the tasks accomplished by each discourse feature. This volume does not reinvent previous grammars or supplant previous work on the New Testament. Instead, Runge reviews, clarifies, and provides a unified description of each of the discourse features. That makes it useful for beginning Greek students, pastors, and teachers, as well as for advanced New Testament scholars looking for a volume which synthesizes the varied sub-disciplines of New Testament discourse analysis. With examples taken straight from the "Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament," this volume helps readers discover a great deal about what the text of the New Testament communicates, filling a large gap in New Testament scholarship. Each of the 18 chapters contains: - An introduction and overview for each discourse function - A conventional explanation of that function in easy-to-understand language - A complete discourse explanation - Numerous examples of how that particular discourse function is used in the Greek New Testament - A section of application - Dozens of examples, taken straight from the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament - Careful research, with citation to both Greek grammars and linguistic literature - Suggested reading list for continued learning and additional research

A Companion WORKBOOK to Help You Discover the Great Story of Scripture and Find Your Place in It Living God's Word is your pathway to read the Bible as it was meant to be read: as God's Great Story. This WORKBOOK is designed for use alongside the second edition of Living God's Word. While the textbook helps you see the big picture of what God is doing throughout the Bible, the WORKBOOK lets you reflect on and internalize what you are reading. Many Christians resolve to study the Bible more fervently, but often struggle to grasp the progression of Scripture as a whole. They encounter various passages each week through unrelated readings, studies, and sermons and it all feels disconnected. But once they see the Bible as God's Great Story, they begin to understand how it all fits together and they start see how their own lives fit into what God has done and is doing in the world. In Living God's Word, Second Edition, New Testament scholar J. Scott Duvall and Old Testament expert J. Daniel Hays help Christians consider how their lives can be integrated into the story of the Bible, thus enabling them to live faithfully in deep and important ways. Living God's Word explores the entire Bible through broad themes that trace the progression of God's redemptive plan. Each section deals with a certain portion of Scripture's story and includes: Reading/listening preparation Explanation Summary Observations about theological significance Connections to the Great Story Written assignments for further study These features--combined with the authors' engaging style--make Living God's Word an ideal book for those who want to understand the Bible better, for introductory college courses, Sunday school electives, or small group study. When used alongside the textbook, this workbook is the ideal resource for anyone looking to better understand how the entire Bible fits together as God's Great Story.

In his sixth satire, Juvenal deplores the pastimes of Roman women, foremost of which is superstition. Speculating about how wives busy themselves while their husbands are away, the poet introduces a revolving door of visitors who include a eunuch of the eastern goddess Bellona, an impersonator of Egyptian Anubis, a Judean priestess, and Chaldean astrologers. From these religious experts women solicit services ranging from dream interpretation and purification to the coercion of lovers or wealthy acquaintances. Juvenal's catalogue captures not only the popularity of these "freelance" experts at the turn of the second century, but also their familiarity among his Roman audiences, whom he could expect to get the joke. Heidi Wendt investigates the backdrop of this enthusiasm for exotic wisdom and practices by examining the rise of self-authorized experts in religion during the first century of the Roman Empire. Unlike members of civic priesthoods and temples, freelance experts had to generate their own legitimacy, often through demonstrations of skill and learning out on the streets, in marketplaces, and at the temple gates. While historically these professionals have been studied separately from the development of modern conceptions of religion, Wendt argues that they, too, participated in a highly competitive form of religious activity from which emerged the modern-day characters not just of religious experts but specialists of philosophy, medicine, and education as well. Wendt notes affinities across this wider class of activity, but focuses on those experts who directly enlisted gods and similar beings. Over the course of the first century freelance experts grew increasingly influential, more diverse with respect to the skills or methods in which they claimed expertise, and more assorted in the ethnic coding of their wisdom and practices. Wendt argues that this class of religious activity engendered many of the innovative forms of religion that flourished in the second century, including but not limited to phenomena linked with Persian Mithras, the Egyptian gods, and the Judean Christ. The evidence for self-authorized experts in religion is abundant, but scholars of ancient Mediterranean religion have only recently begun to appreciate their impact on the Empire's changing religious landscape. At the Temple Gates integrates studies of Judaism, Christianity, mystery cults, astrology, magic, and philosophy to paint a colorful portrait of religious expertise in early Rome.

Paul's letter to the people at Philippi serves as a reminder that if we search for joy in possessions, places, or people, we will always come up short. True, lasting joy comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, living in harmony with His followers, and serving others in the name of Christ. The life lived by the Philippians is still attainable today. In her comprehensive approach, Joyce Meyer takes a deep dive into well-known and beloved verses, identifying key truths and incorporating room for personal reflection.

Joyce's Philippians provides a key study tool that will help you develop a stronger relationship with God. If you take time to examine His word, you'll see how much He loves you and how much He desires that you live a joyful, content life on earth!

* Companion to N. T. Wright's critically acclaimed Paul and the Faithfulness of God (SPCK 2013) * Covers all the major studies to appear in the past fifty years, including landmark works by Krister Stendahl (1963), E. P. Sanders (1977), J. Christiaan Beker (1980), J. Louis Martyn (1997) and James D. G. Dunn (1998) * Essential reading for all with a serious interest in Paul and his continuing relevance for today.

The Book of Revelation and Early Jewish Textual Culture explores the relationship between the writing of Revelation and its early audience, especially its interaction with Jewish Scripture. It touches on several areas of scholarly inquiry in biblical studies, including modes of literary production, the use of allusions, practices of exegesis, and early engagements with the Book of Revelation. Garrick Allen brings the Book of Revelation into the broader context of early Jewish literature, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and other important works. Arguing that the author of the New Testament Apocalypse was a 'scribal expert, someone who was well-versed in the content of Jewish Scripture and its interpretation', he demonstrates that John was not only a seer and prophet, but also an erudite reader of scripture.

This giant-print edition brings the New Testament to many who might not otherwise be able to read it because of failing eyesight. An essential resource for a church, or a thoughtful gift for an individual. The print is extra-large and bold, with just 23 lines to a page, with generous spacing between the lines for ease of reading. It is bound in black hardback.

Jesus' ministry on this earth only lasted three and a half years, yet in that time His words turned heads, turned hearts, and ultimately turned the world upside down. The words of Jesus offer much to those who have ears to hear. They are His legacy. They are our heritage. In Experiencing the Words of Jesus, you will have the opportunity to hear His voice for yourself.
The words of Christ--discourses, parables, prayers, conversations. Eminently quotable. Undeniably powerful. Eternally true. Let the message that changed the world change your life forever.

The book of Revelation unveils Jesus Christ in his glory and victorious return. And yet no other New Testament book of the Bible poses more serious and difficult interpretative challenges. John MacArthur will take you through the book, passage by passage, so that you can better understand everything from the historical context to the coming of Christ's Kingdom. The apostle John wrote this letter to the churches in Asia Minor who were feeling the overwhelming effects of persecution from all sides. It was a reminder to them that God saw their hardships, cared about them, and would reward them for their faithfulness. Through the use of vivid imagery, John writes Revelation to reveal the end of human history, the return of Christ, and the establishment of a new heaven and a new earth. John's message of hope in Revelation assures Christians that God is in sovereign control of all past, present, and future events. He encourages believers to trust that Jesus Christ will judge the lost and will rule in ultimate victory over all human and demonic opposition. -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.

Although traditionally accepted by the church down through the centuries, the longer ending of Mark's Gospel (16:9-20) has been relegated by modern scholarship to the status of a later appendage. The arguments for such a view are chiefly based upon the witness of the two earliest complete manuscripts of Mark, and upon matters of language and style. This work shows that these primary grounds of argumentation are inadequate. It is demonstrated that the church fathers knew the Markan ending from the very earliest days, well over two centuries before the earliest extant manuscripts. The quantity of unique terms in the ending is also seen to fall within the parameters exhibited by undisputed Markan passages. Strong indications of Markan authorship are found in the presence of specific linguistic constructions, a range of literary devices, and the continuation of various themes prominent within the body of the Gospel. Furthermore, the writings of Luke show that the Gospel of Mark known to this author contained the ending.Rather than being a later addition, the evidence is interpreted in terms of a textual omission occurring at a later stage in transmission, probably in Egypt during the second century.

'Acknowledging the Divine Benefactor' is a socio-rhetorical interpretation of the Second Letter of Peter. Using multiple interpretive perspectives and emphasising the pictorial dimensions of 2 Peter, Terrance Callan shows that the letter makes the following argument: since Jesus Christ has given his followers benefits, including the promise of sharing in divine nature, they need to make a proper return for these benefits by living virtuously; and this in turn will enable them to receive the fulfilment of the promise. The occasion of the letter is that Peter's death is near. He writes so the addressees can remember his teaching after his death. The author expounds this teaching because some people do not await the future fulfilment of Christ's promises and so do not emphasise the need for virtuous living.

Interpreting a Chinese Pastors Intersujective Experience of Shi Engaging Yzhun and Pauline Texts. The aim of this thesis is to unfold the multilayered intersubjective experience of the author himself, a Chinese pastor. The author postulates himself as the subject in whom the said experience was evident, so that it can be analyzed and interpreted. The author argues for a cultural-linguistic experience of sh as the locus at which the intersubjective experience takes place. He then shows that such experience embodies a Chinese Christians two texts inheritance, and argues that it is through unfolding or revealing of such experience that

In Galatians, the apostle Paul makes his most passionate and direct appeal for a gospel free of ethnic or ritual exclusion. Paul's gospel is that of salvation through Christ alone - in him there is 'neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus'. By placing Paul's discussion firmly within its historical context, R. Alan Cole illuminates the potency and power of Paul's message to the Galatian church.This classic commentary has been completely retypeset and presented in a fresh, vibrant new large paperback format, with new global branding.

In the face of false teachings about Jesus, the apostle John took a direct approach. "I heard Jesus speak," he wrote. "I saw him . . . I even touched him." Just as we would write about someone we knew and loved, John told the early believers the truth about the Savior. But he didn't let them off the hook without an examination of their lives. Pastor John MacArthur will take you through these short but impactful letters, passage by passage, so that you can better understand their message of forgiveness, how to uphold a biblical faith, and the real dangers of spiritual warfare. John was not alone in his concern about the influence of false teachers in the early church. Jude, a half-brother of Christ, also wrote to the believers. In his letter, he firmly urged all believers to fight for truth, and encouraged all followers of Jesus to stand firm in the faith. -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.

Brings together N.T. Wright's most important and influential articles on Paul over the last 35 years. Includes previously unpublished exegetical essays on Paul's letters, specially written for this book.

This book looks at the Acts of the Apostles through two lenses that highlight the two topics of masculinity and politics. Acts is rich in relevant material, whether this be in the range of such characters as the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius, Peter and Paul, or in situations such as Timothy's circumcision and Paul's encounters with Roman rulers in different cities. Engaging Acts from these two distinct but related perspectives illuminates features of this book which are otherwise easily missed. These approaches provide fresh angles to see how men, masculinity, and imperial loyalty were understood, experienced, and constructed in the ancient world and in earliest Christianity. The essays present a range of topics: some engage with Acts as a whole as in Steve Walton's chapter on the way Luke-Acts perceives the Roman Empire, while others focus on particular sections, passages, and even certain figures, such as in an Christopher Stroup's analysis of the circumcision of Timothy. Together, the essays provide a tightly woven and deeply textured analysis of Acts. The dialogue form of essay and response will encourage readers to develop their own critiques of the points raised in the collection as a whole.