*Uses both a narratological and historical-critical method to read these specific passages of Jeremiah *Demonstrates that the story of Jeremiah and Zedekiah is not the typical god prophet/bad king story found in much of prophetic literature and the Deuteronomic History *Provides an intertextual reading of the passages which connects Jeremiah to other figures in the Old Testament The book offers a narratological and intertextual reading of Jeremiah 37:1-40:6, a text that features the dynamic interaction between the prophet Jeremiah and King Zedekiah in the context of events surrounding the fall of Jerusalem. While there have been many literary studies of biblical texts, there has been little such work on the narratives in the book of Jeremiah. This fact is surprising since the Jeremianic stories are narrated in a lively and sophisticated manner and contain complex characters and vivid dialogue and action, reminiscent of texts in the Primary History which have received much more literary attention. Roncace's book begins to uncover the richness of the prophetic narratives in Jeremiah. The study focuses on issues of characterization and point of view as well as the text's connections with other passages in the book of Jeremiah and those beyond it, particularly the Deuteronomistic History. Roncace argues that the text develops complex images of both Zedekiah and Jeremiah. It is not a story of the good prophet and the bad king; times as chaotic and confusing as the final days of Jerusalem do not call for a black-and-white story. Rather the text invites both sympathy and criticism for Jeremiah and Zedekiah. Jeremiah is the embattled prophet of God; yet at times he appears deceptive and manipulative, more concerned about his own well-being than that of the people, and his message can be ambiguous and in the end is not fully correct. Zedekiah, for his part, appears receptive to Jeremiah's word and protects the prophet from others who would harm him; yet he is too irresolute to take any action to save the city. The ambiguity in the portrayals of both figures is further developed by intertextual connections. Jeremiah can be compared to Moses, the Rabshakeh, Daniel, Joseph, Samuel, Nathan, and Micaiah, while Zedekiah can be compared to the monarchs that correspond to these figures (Pharaoh, Hezekiah, Saul, David, and Ahab).

Suffering in Ancient Worldview investigates representative Christian, Roman Stoic and Jewish perspectives on the nature, problem and purpose of suffering. Tabb presents a close reading of Acts, Seneca's essays and letters and 4 Maccabees, highlighting how each author understands suffering vis-a-vis God, humanity, the world's problem and its solution, and the future. Tabb's study offers a pivotal definition for suffering in the 1st century and concludes by creatively situating these ancient authors in dialogue with each other. Tabb shows that, despite their different religious and cultural positions, these ancient authors each expect and accept suffering as a present reality that is governed by divine providence, however defined. Luke, Seneca and the author of 4 Maccabees each affirm that suffering is not humanity's fundamental problem. Rather, suffering functions as a cipher for other things to be displayed. For Seneca, suffering provides an opportunity for one to learn and show virtue. The author of 4 Maccabees presents the nation's suffering as retribution for sin, while the martyrs' virtuous suffering leads to Israel's salvation. For Luke, the Lord Jesus suffers to accomplish salvation and restoration for the world marred by sin and suffering, and the suffering of his followers is instrumental for Christian mission.

This work investigates the social dynamics within the Corinthian community and the function of Pauls argumentation in the light of those dynamics. The models of Victor Turner and Mary Douglas, cultural anthropologists, guide the inquiry. Gordon concludes that the conflict in 1 Corinthians 7 arose as the result of two antithetical views of the root metaphor, In Christ all are children of God, no male and female. One group supported a kinship system based on patrilineal marriage and hierarchical community structures. A second group demanded that an egalitarian sibling relationship should order the community. Paul attempts to persuade both factions that their commitment to each other and to him is primary. His arguments encourage each group to reconsider the absoluteness of its stance and to learn to live with ambiguity.

This book is an incisive look at how the Word originated in Africa, how this mass continent was the Cradle of Civilization and more succinctly the factual Birthplace of Christianity. What a magnificent and mind challenging work which will impact the seminary world and religious praxis from Alexandria to Oxford University and the libraries in Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Phillips reveals exclusively without doubt, that Jesus is the Savior of humanity nevertheless; he brusquely brushes the canvasses of our minds with facts such as how, the majority of European artists and Bible commentators painted and described the majority of biblical characters, including God, as Caucasian over centuries. This has the consequence historically, of excluding black people from being an ingredient of scripture, leaving various people of color to query the Bible's relevance to them. The title and contents of "Bringing the Word from Africa," promotes a surety of African ancestry confirming the many misnomers which took place, purposely excluding the thought of "dark skin color."

Nelson Estrada examines the apostles' transformation of status from followers to leaders in Acts 1-2. He challenges the common view that Acts 1:12-14 is the preparation for the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2, and that the sole purpose of Acts 1:15-26 is to set the number of the aposties at twelve-in line with Jesus' prophecy in Luke 22:30. Instead, Estrada reads Acts 1:12-14 and 1:15-26 as primarily propagandistic in nature. He argues that these pericopes promote the leadership integrity of the apostles by attempting to win the support of the women disciples and Jesus' family and then, through Judas' excommunication, extirpation, and replacement, to win that of the 120 disciples.

This study explores the reception history of the Lord's Prayer in the Ghanaian context. After presenting the current state of research in the Lord's Prayer from an exegetical perspective, this book discusses a wide field of hermeneutical approaches, such as inculturation biblical hermeneutics, mother-tongue biblical hermeneutics, African feminist biblical hermeneutics, liberation biblical hermeneutics and post-colonial biblical hermeneutics. Taking the discussions of these approaches together, it was realised that the general hermeneutical setting in Ghana (and Africa as whole) is reader-centred, i.e. the readers play an active role in the hermeneutical process and the results of the hermeneutical process are aimed at the readers' contexts and the transformation of those contexts.

This study explores the dynamics of violence within John's Gospel, focusing on the portrayal of the character of Jesus. It offers an understanding of the Johannine Jesus that counters the traditional model of a serene figure who maintains sovereign control over his environment. Establishing the prevalence of material indicating opposition to Jesus, it argues that his experience and perception of victimization are key to his identity. Furthermore, it is suggested that Jesus colludes with his victimizers, raising the issue of who is responsible for his betrayal and death. Drawing on the disciplines of victimology, literary criticism and liberation theology, the work comprises targeted exegesis of substantial portions of the Gospel, revealing the prominence of the theme of violence and raising a number of christological questions.

An easy-to-learn, easy-to-use tool for in-depth Bible study Beloved and acclaimed for more than five generations, the Thompson (R) Chain-Reference (R) Bible is unparalleled in its ability to enrich personal devotions, topical study, and sermon preparation. This unique reference Bible enables you to search the breadth of Scripture's teachings on thousands of topics and allows you to follow those topics throughout the entire Bible. With over 100,000 references, covering over 8,000 topics, the chain-reference system is an ideal tool for comprehensive topical study. The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible also offers a library of additional study resources that allows readers to interpret the Bible using related scripture passages rather than consulting a commentary. The KJV Thompson Chain-Reference Bible is printed in the KJV Comfort Print (R) typeface for easy reading. Expertly designed specifically to be used for the King James Version (KJV) text, Comfort Print offers an easier reading experience that complements the translation. This Bible also features a fresh, two-color design that preserves the original look of the chain-reference system, while making each page cleaner and easier to read. Features: Complete text of the King James Version (KJV) Easy-to-understand chain-reference system with over 100,000 references Alphabetical and numerical indexes highlight study materials for over 8,000 topics, each with its own topic number, for exhaustive topical study An extensive study resource section includes biographical sketches, illustrated studies of the Bible, a concordance, Bible harmonies, and many other helpful study tools Fresh, two-color page design 66 book introductions 16-page full-color map section with map index Line-matched text for enhanced readability Words of Jesus in red Presentation page for gift-giving Gilded page edges Two double-sided satin ribbon markers, each 3/8-inch wide Leathersoft (TM) cover lies flat when open Thumb indexed to make finding the books of the Bible easier Exclusive KJV Comfort Print typeface Print size: 9.5

This volume fills an important lacuna in the study of the Hebrew Bible by providing the first comprehensive treatment of intertextuality in Job, in which essays will address intertextual resonances between Job and texts in all three divisions of the Hebrew canon, along with non-canonical texts throughout history, from the ancient Near East to modern literature. Though comprehensive, this study will not be exhaustive, but will invite further study into connections between Job and these texts, few of which have previously been explored systematically. Thus, the volume's impact will reach beyond Job to each of the 'intertexts' the articles address. As a multi-authored volume that gathers together scholars with expertise on this diverse array of texts, the range of discussion is wide. The contributors have been encouraged to pursue the intertextual approach that best suits their topic, thereby offering readers a valuable collection of intertextual case studies addressing a single text. No study quite like this has yet been published, so it will also provide a framework for future intertextual studies of other biblical texts.

Using features of the narrative-critical method, this book offers an innovative approach to a notable phenomenon in the book of Acts: the conversion of entire households to the Christian faith. When viewed against the household mission of the seventy(-two) messengers in Luke, the stories of Cornelius, Lydia, the Roman jailer and Crispus comprise a pattern of evangelistic activity that provides a common framework for their interpretation. Repetition and variation of the pattern offer important clues for the way each story functions within the wider context of Acts, opening up new lines of interpretation as well as new levels of unity/disunity between the Lukan writings.

God has created and redeemed all of the Christian believers; we belong to him, and we have passed through troubles and afflictions. We will not be destroyed, for he is with us. We are precious and honored in his sight, believers are the object of his great love. God loved us before he put us in the womb and brought us into this world. God will never forsake his people. He would continue his love for they would still be a special people reserved for mercy. The expressions of God's goodwill to his people here speak abundance of comfort to all of the spiritual children of upright Jacob who are praying for Israel. Through God's cares and concern for his people, God created the people of Israel especially for himself. He made them into a people; God incorporated them by his covenant-purchased and redeemed them. It is the same way with those who are redeemed by the blood of his Son Jesus Christ. God showered his loving kindness upon them. God always cares and saves his people from any difficulties and dangers. God's presence for his people from the Old Testament never fails. God's people are created for his glory. God is with his church; with his care and loving kindness, all of the believing Christians must not fear or be discouraged.