This book examines the concept of 'zeal' in three Pauline texts (Rom 10:2; Gal 1:14; Phil 3:6) as a way-in to discussion of the 'New Perspective' on Paul. The concept of zeal has been discussed in a sustained way by James D. G. Dunn, who argues that Paul was drawing on a long and venerable tradition of Jewish zeal for the nation of Israel, that is, a concern to maintain Israel's distinction from the surrounding nations by defending and reinforcing its boundaries. Ortlund interacts with Dunn, agreeing that this concern for distinctiveness was a crucial, and neglected, concern of Paul's before his conversion. Nevertheless, Ortlund contends that Dunn has presented an overly narrow understanding of Pauline zeal that does not sufficiently locate zeal in the broader picture of general obedience to Torah in Jewish tradition. As such, Ortlund shows in this work that zeal refers most immediately to general obedience to Torah - including, but not to be centrally circumscribed as, ethnic distinction.

Elaine Jordan has written her first book with personal reflections on a wide variety of biblical and spiritual subjects ranging from the providence of God, to faith, children have free will, situation ethics, management, etc. A delightful group of short essays by a Christian author.

As the sacred text of Christianity, the Holy Bible has long been the world's bestselling book. Its incredible stories and profound teachings have shaped our culture and its values underpin our way of life. Love it or loathe it, this classic literary work has a fundamental place in history, and as such is a 'must read' for anyone seeking to understand the development of modern society. With over 400 million Bibles in print, the New International Version is the world's most popular modern English Bible translation. It is renowned for its combination of reliability and readability. Fully revised and updated in 2011, the NIV is ideal for personal reading, public teaching and group study. This Bible also features: Clear, readable 7.25pt text easy-to-read layout shortcuts to key stories, events and people of the Bible reading plan quick links to find inspiration and help from the Bible in different life situations. 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, formerly the International Bible Society, in their work of translating and distributing Bibles around the world.

As Mark's Gospel moves toward its climax, four stories of women challenge Jesus in his mission to establish the empire of God against the backdrop of the Roman Empire: those of the poor widow (12.41-44), the anointing woman (14.1-11), the women at the cross and the burial (15.40-41, 47), and the women at the empty tomb (16.1-8). They are stories that would seem to demand both a feminist and a postcolonial perspective on the part of their readers-yet Kim's is the first reading of the Gospel that has taken an explicitly postcolonial feminist stance. In addition to the feminist and the postcolonial themes, the third strand in Seong Hee Kim's approach arises from her Korean context, which provides her with the concept of Salim interpretation, that is, 'making things alive'. Starting from the reader's context, she develops a Salim hermeneutics for each of the four stories by engaging in a dialogue between the biblical story and the reader's use of her or his own imagination. The goal of her interpretation is such a making things alive, a mending of broken things, and an opening up of meaning-in contrast to the tendency of historical criticism, which has striven to identify a single, correct meaning in the biblical text.

By a poetic analysis of Isaiah 34-35 as a single poem, the reading explores in depth its imagery, themes and structure. Attention to detail is combined with wide-ranging discussions of reading and interpretation, which revolve around the contrasting, and strangely interrelated, scenes of destruction (nightmare) and restoration (dream) found in the two parts of the poem. The poem emerges as an integral part of Isaiah, which is treated as a single work. The consistency is revealed in parallel terms, images and structure. Implications of the analysis and mode of reading for the whole of Isaiah are commented on throughout.

It has long been noted that the "Book of Lamentations" shares, at least in part, a theological outlook with the prophetic literature that the destruction of Jerusalem was the result of Yahweh's decisive action against the sins of the nation. Too often, however, this relationship has simply been presupposed, or assumed to be a relationship of shared perspective. To date, there has been no systematic exploration of how it is that Lamentations accepts and/or modifies the theological outlook of the prophetic literature. In addition, when the theology of the prophets has been discussed in relation to "Lamentations", there has been a tendency to group all the prophetic books together as if they existed as a homogeneous whole, and shared amongst themselves a singular outlook. This tendency to simplify the theological complexity of the prophetic literature coincides with a similar tendency to reduce the theology of "Lamentations" to simple, monotheistic assertions. Drawing on the literary insights of Mikhail Bakhtin, this study explores in detail the nature of the relationship between "Lamentations" and the pre-exilic/exilic prophetic literature. Drawing on the notions of dialogism, polyphony and double-voicing, the study argues that "Lamentations" enters into a dialogic relationship with prophetic literature, a relationship that both affirms and subverts that literature. Central to the acknowledgement of the dialogic interaction between Lamentations and the prophetic literature is the recognition of "Lamentations" as a multivalent, polyphonic text in which unmerged viewpoints exist in a tension-filled relationship.

This book maps the relationship between Matthew's Gospel and the Didache. No consensus regarding the nature of this relationship has yet been achieved, neither has serious consideration been given to the possibility that Matthew depended directly on the Didache. If it may be shown that such was the case, then this infamously enigmatic text may finally be used to answer a series of tantalizing questions: what is the pattern of the Synoptic relationships? How did the earliest Jewish Christians incorporate Gentiles? What was the shape of Eucharistic worship in the first century?

Few parts of the Bible have captured the imagination of individuals in the way that the book of Jonah has. James Limburg examines this well-known book, keeping several questions in mind: How did the story originate? What is its place in the Bible? How did the New Testament understand the story? How has the story been understood in Judaism and in Islam? What might it mean for people today? And what does it have to say about God, about the human condition, and even about God and nature? In reviewing the book, Limburg gives special attention to the many contributions of artists, musicians, painters, and sculptors who, he says, may have been the best interpreters of Jonah. He also keeps in mind the literary dimension of the texts and takes great care to follow the divisions of the book as they were defined by Jewish scribal tradition. Limburg begins his commentary with a fresh translation of the biblical book of Jonah and continues with a careful examination of the text, pointing out the significance of this old story for our own time. An extensive appendix provides highlights from the interpretation of Jonah in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The ESV Value Large Print Compact Bible combines portability, readability, and affordability in a thoughtfully designed edition. With 8-point type and a double-column layout, this Bible is easy to read during sermons, small-group discussions, or personal study. It features a quality TruTone cover, but is made more affordable by not including gilded paper edges or a ribbon marker. The ESV Value Large Print Compact Bible is a practical choice for anyone who wants to take God’s Word with them wherever they go.

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Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Proverbs 22:6

When families worship together and spend time getting to know the Lord through His Word, they build a solid foundation for future generations. The Family Heritage Bible aims to encourage family devotional time by making Bible reading more interactive.

The Family Heritage Bible answers more than 900 questions about topics relating to God, Bible characters, biblical traditions, salvation, and everyday life. It encourages interaction and discussion, whether during family devotional time or Bible study sessions with friends or fellow Christians. Close to 700 concise and thought-provoking reflections offer insights into specific passages–ideal for growing in faith.

This Bible features the complete New Living Translation that faithfully renders the message of the original Scriptural texts in contemporary language. Beautiful, artistically designed verses in the margins and at the start of each Bible book invite readers to memorize and keep these verses close to their hearts.

The family record section at the front of the Bible makes it an instant family heirloom to pass on from one generation to the next.

Scan the QR codes on the first page of each Bible book to find a wealth of extra content on Bibles.net. Each book’s content includes an introduction, historical context, a video overview, a dictionary of unfamiliar words, inspirational messages to listen to, questions and answers, insights from theologians and scholars, and a playlist of songs inspired by the book’s message and content.

The unique QR code included on the contents page of this Bible allows access to a wealth of content that will encourage purposeful family devotional time; thought-provoking questions, reading plans, prayers, music and videos. This feature will inspire profound family worship in an interactive, exciting way!

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The theme of this volume in honour of Eep Talstra is 'Tradition and Innovation in Biblical Interpretation', with an emphasis on the innovative role of computer-assisted textual analysis. It focusses on the role of tradition in biblical interpretation and of the innovations brought about by ICT in reconsidering existing interpretations of texts, grammatical concepts, and lexicographic practices. Questions addressed include: How does the role of exegesis as the 'clarification of one's own tradition, in order to understand choices and preferences' (Talstra) relate to the critical role which Scripture has towards this tradition? How does the indebtedness to tradition of computer-driven philology relate to its innovative character? And how does computer-assisted analysis of the biblical texts lead to new research methods and results?

The book of Revelation is the most developed example of a scriptural writer wrestling with the ideological implications of the gospel, and engaging with an opposing system in the light of what God has done in Jesus. It is an apocalypse, a letter and a prophecy. Ian Paul gives disciplined attention to the text, examines how John draws on the Old Testament, indicates how his message would have communicated and been understood in its first-century context, and makes connections with our contemporary world.

The activity of early Christian proclaimers is seen as the backdrop for the Epistle's challenge to its readers to identify with God's order or with the earthly patronage of the rich. The significance of the Epistle of James within early Christianity, when not neglected, has been disputed. In recent years the letter, and its author, have received renewed attention, and this contribution to the revival examines the way in which the author and his addressees are depicted within the social world of emerging Christianity. Edgar finds strong points of contact with the sayings of Jesus and with early Christian itinerant proclaimers, who are often seen as having been active in preserving and transmitting these sayings. The Epistle challenges the shaky commitment of its readers to their new allegiance, and, in the light of the coming of God's eschatological ruoe, employs the model of patronage to lay out the choice between loyalty to God and identification with the earthly value system dominated by the rich.

Working from the conviction that Genesis can be read as a coherent whole, this commentary foregrounds the sophistication of Hebrew narrative art, in particular its depiction of plot and character, and the interpretative possibilities raised by its intertextuality. Apparently simple and independent episodes emerge as complex and interconnected, constantly challenging readers to readjust their assessments of characters and expectations of plot development. Approaching the text predominantly from a 'first-time' reader's perspective, the narrative's surprises, ironies and innovations are underscored.

This investigation builds upon recent developments in the study of Paul's use of Scripture that center around the concept of ""intertextuality."" Abasciano uses an exegetical method that incorporates into a thorough traditional exegesis a comprehensive analysis of Paul's use of Scripture against the background of interpretive traditions surrounding the texts alluded to, with great emphasis placed on analyzing the original contexts of Paul's citations and allusions. Such an intertextual exegesis is conducted in Romans 9:1-9 with an awareness of the broader unit of chapters 9-11 especially, and also the epistle as a whole. The study finds that many of the themes Paul deals with in Romans 9-11 are also present in ancient Jewish and Christian interpretive traditions surrounding the passages he invokes, and more importantly, that Paul's scriptural quotations and allusions function as pointers to their broad original contexts, from which he developed much of the form, content, and direction of his argument, holding significance for a number of exegetical details as well as broader themes and rhetorical movements. The final chapter seeks to draw conclusions concerning the significance of Paul's use of the Old Testament in Romans 9:1-9 for the exegesis and theology of Romans and for Pauline intertextuality. The identity of the true people of God is central to Romans 9-11 and the epistle. And Paul's use of Scripture is contextual and referential, calling for attention to Pauline intertextuality in standard exegetical procedure. JSNTS 301

New Testament commentaries and exegetes have not paid sufficient attention to the context in which Paul's Epistel to the Romans was crafted. This book written from an African perspective offers a fresh interpretation on a contextualizing reading of Romans and its theology. The argument of the book is that Paul's construcntion of Abraham as a Spiritual ancestor of "all" faith people was based on his encounter with the Roman Ideology based on Aeneas as the founder of Rome. A juxtaposition of these two canonical ancestors needs to be considered in our 21st multi - ethnic Christian world. Paul's epitsle is not about how God saves the individual human being; rather the debate between Paul and the Jewish - Christian interlocutor is about how families of people and nations establish a kinship with God and one another. The concern with ancestors is apaque to Western Biblical readers and Christians. This is book helps both Westerners and Africans to value ethnic diversity.

"What is the lesson of that other, newly sprung tree (the cross) in whose bark Mark has carved his Gospel (for this is a book that bleeds)? Is it that Jesus's body, grafted onto the cross, became one with it, and thus became tree, branch, book, and leaf, inscribed with letters of blood, can now at last be read, no longer an indecipherable code but an open codex? And that in its (now) re(a)d(able) ink, lately invisible, the message that was scratched into the fig tree is transcribed: outside the gates, but only just, the summer Son is shining in full strength?"--Stephen D. Moore In this book Stephen D. Moore offers a dazzling new reading of the Gospels of Mark and Luke, applying the poststructuralist techniques of Derrida, Lacan, and Foucault to illuminate these texts in a way that no one has done before. Written with wit and a sensitivity to words--and wordplay--that is reminiscent of Moore's fellow countryman James Joyce, the book is also deeply learned, impressive in its detailed knowledge of previous scholarship as well as in the challenges it presents to that scholarship. Moore argues that whereas the language of the Gospels is concrete, pictorial, and often startling, the language of modern gospel scholarship tends to be propositional and abstract. Calling himself a New Test-what-is-meant scholar, he approaches the Gospels of Mark and Luke as though they were pictograms or dreamwork to decipher and interpret, writing a response that is no less visceral and immediate than the biblical texts themselves.