Understand the Prophets Like Never Before with Amazing Insights from One of Today's Foremost Old Testament Scholars For many Christians reading the Old Testament, trying to understand Israel's prophets is like listening to just one side of a phone conversation--you only get half the idea of it. You hear the answer, but how do you know what question the prophet is answering? In The Lost Letters to the Twelve Prophets, John Goldingay uncovers the questions behind the prophets' answers that make their meaning and relevance intelligible to us. Written as a series of imaginary letters to the twelve Minor Prophets, The Lost Letters to the Twelve Prophets asks the kinds of questions that Hosea, Micah, Zechariah, and others were answering. The letters make clear the issues these prophets of Israel were dealing with or deliver the news they were responding to in their Old Testament writings. For example, To Hosea: Why did you marry someone you knew might be unfaithful? To Joel: It looks as if a locust epidemic is on the way: what should we do? To Amos: What should we do about the war crimes of peoples around us? To Obadiah: The Edomites have occupied our land and pushed us out: what's up with that? To Jonah: When is God going to fulfill his undertaking to destroy Nineveh? To Micah: Will God always be angry with us as a people? To Nahum: When is God going to fulfill his undertaking to destroy Nineveh? To Habakkuk: When is God going to do something about injustice in Judah? To Zephaniah: What do you mean by "the day of the Lord"? To Haggai: When is God going to fulfill his promises about rebuilding the temple? To Zechariah: Should Jeshua be High Priest when he has been in an unclean land? To Malachi: Why does serving God seem pointless? These and other questions help readers peer behind the veil of Minor Prophets' utterances and unlock their significance for today's Christians. Each chapter: begins with a brief paragraph of background about the prophet recounts questions or reports that have been addressed to the prophet in the form of a letter sums up message of the prophet responding to that question offers a brief comment or explanation after each passage The Lost Letters to the Twelve Prophets offers an imaginative, fun, and engaging way for students, pastors, and all serious Bible readers get a better grip on what is happening in these often misunderstood biblical books and get more out of their Bible reading and study.

What is at the heart of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs? A desire for life lived fully and well: life lived wisely; life lived purposefully; life lived in loving, joyful partnership with God and others. At the centre of this abundant life must be for God, for he desires all good things for us. He wants us to know his shalom - harmony, wholeness, health and peace. The wise sayings of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, and the rich, sensual poetry of the Song of Songs remind us how to conduct ourselves with wisdom, and without folly and futility, in the knowledge that we are deeply loved. Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story of the Old Testament. And, as he guides us in our understanding of these time-honoured words and the ancient world they describe, he helps us to apply what we read to our lives.

* Builds on a successful and respected series * Well-known and respected name in theological circles * 'For everyone' approach: scholarly author with a highly readable style * Ideal for individual or group study

The second release in a major new series of guides to the books of the Old Testament written in an accessible and anecdotal style. The series is suitable for personal or group use and the format is also appropriate for daily study.

Builds on a successful and respected series

The authors of the New Testament regularly quote and allude to Old Testament passages that point to the presence, person, and work of Jesus. Jesus himself claimed that Moses wrote about him (John 5:46). And on the road to Emmaus, Jesus instructed the disciples from "Moses and all the prophets" regarding himself (Luke 24:27). Though Christians affirm that the Old Testament bears witness to Christ, how the Old Testament writers did this is a matter of extensive debate. Furthermore, Christian biblical scholars also debate the degree to which contemporary interpreters of the Bible can follow the hermeneutics of the New Testament authors in using the Old Testament to point to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Five Views on Christ in the Old Testament is the first book to bring together in conversation the major views on how the Old Testament points to Christ. Contributors and views include: The First Testament Priority View (John Goldingay) The Christotelic View (Tremper Longman III) The Redemptive-Historical Christocentric View (Jason DeRouchie) The Reception-Centered Intertextual View (Havilah Dharamraj) The Premodern View (Craig Carter) Each contributor presents their preferred methodology, showing readers how their interpretive approach best explains the biblical data. Additionally, authors provide case studies of various Old Testament passages that equip readers to better compare the strengths and weaknesses of each of author's approaches. This essential resource will help readers learn practical steps to help them read the Old Testament more faithfully as it testifies to Jesus the Messiah.

Situated in the years leading up to the overthrow of Judah by the Babylonians, Jeremiah's prophesies are set against a tense atmosphere of threat and invasion. Strongly warning of God's judgment and the nation's imminent catastrophe, Jeremiah lost credibility amongst his contemporaries as the years progressed, but the length of his book and the duration of his ministry establishes him as a major figure in the Old Testament. The fulfilment of his prophecies in later events of the Bible reassert the truth of his words and his speeches and prayers depict a God whose anger is a passionate response to the depths of love he feels for his people. Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story of the Old Testament.

Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story of the Old Testament. Companion to Psalms for Everyone, volume 1

Enter the classroom of John Goldingay, one of today's premier biblical interpreters, and begin the adventure of exploring the Bible's First Testament. Some Old Testament introductions tell you what you could have seen for yourself. They might recount in detail what other scholars have said, and then tell you what you should think about it. But with refreshing directness, John Goldingay outfits you with basic knowledge, points out the main approaches, outlines the primary issues and then sets you loose to explore the terrain for yourself. Traverse the grand tapestry of the Torah. Discern the art and grain of biblical narrative. Listen to the cries, confessions and cadences of the Psalms. Probe the varied textures of wisdom literature. And ponder the prophets in the darkening nightmare of exile and the distant light of hope. More workbook than handbook, this introduction to the Old Testament is rooted in decades of tried and proven teaching. Goldingay displays a robust confidence in the truthfulness of Scripture combined with a refreshing trust in the reader's ability to grapple responsibly with the Old Testament. Even when the text hits you sideways, Goldingay encourages you not to squirm or run, but to grab hold and go deeper. Under his expert guidance the cordon between faith and criticism swings open into theological and spiritual insight.

The dramatic accounts in the books of Joshua, Judges and Ruth take us from the cusp of Israel's entering the Promised Land to the eve of the founding of its monarchy. The high adventure (Joshua), horror (Judges) and love (Ruth) in these three books illustrate the spectrum of Israel's relationship with God: faithfulness and victory; sin and redemption; and loyalty and blessing. Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story of the Old Testament. And, as he guides us in our understanding of these time-honoured words and the ancient world they describe, he helps us to apply what we read to our lives.

Good kings and bad kings, good faith and bad faith - these are the themes of 1 and 2 Kings, from the wise King Solomon to the consequences of his successors' folly. Using personal anecdote, a lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story of the Old Testament.

Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story of the Old Testament.

The books of 1 and 2 Samuel vividly describe the passing of the age of the judges and the founding of the Israelite monarchy. We read of the rise and rule of Samuel, the last and greatest of the judges, and his role in establishing Saul and, later, David as kings over Israel. The wars, deceptions, victories, friendship, intrigue, rivalry, jealousy, and (for David) adultery and family discord that marked the reigns of these two men ensure that 1 and 2 Samuel are among the most readable - and relevant - books of the Old Testament. Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story of the Old Testament.

The first in a major new series of guides to the books of the Old Testament written in an accessible and anecdotal style. The series is suitable for personal or group use and the format is also appropriate for daily study. 'In the beginning God created . . .' This gripping opening line draws attention to the irresistible creative nature of God - the One who is able to bring something out of nothing. There is no more fitting way to introduce us to the first and most obvious indication of God s goodness and greatness. The book of Genesis goes on to tell stories (both exciting and commonplace), offer profound mysteries, and engage us in the biggest issues of all: who we are, where we come from, and where we're going. Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story. He explores the character and nature of the God we meet so powerfully in that opening line, the God we can encounter daily on the journey through this revelatory book. And, as Professor Goldingay guides us in our understanding of these time-honoured words and the ancient world they describe, he helps us to apply what we read to our lives. This series offers a natural progression from the successful 'For Everyone' series of New Testament translations and commentaries.

Who are the people of God? Cowardly, contemptuous, distrustful, whining ingrates? Are those the words that spring to mind when you think of a people set apart and named holy by God? Hardly. And yet that is what the book of Numbers shows the people of God to be. Even so, God continues to be faithful to the unfaithful. He chastens them, protects them and continues to invest in them, allowing them to mature, over a period of forty years, into a hardy, trusting, courageous community of warriors ready to take the land he's promised them. The sermons of Deuteronomy are preached on the eve of a confident and holy Israel's entry into the Promised Land. Moses reminds God's people of what they have been through, what's expected of them, what they can expect of God and what will happen in the future, depending on the choices they make. Most of all, he exhorts Israel to love and serve the Lord their God with all their heart, soul and strength, so that they will not only survive but thrive in their land. Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story of the Old Testament. And, as he guides us in our understanding of these time-honoured words and the ancient world they describe, he helps us to apply what we read to our lives.

Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story of the Old Testament.

Builds on a successful and respected series

John Goldingay is widely respected as a brilliant scholar and gifted communicator by Christians of all major denominations

John Goldingay is one of the most prolific and creative Old Testament scholars working today. In this book he draws on the best of biblical scholarship as well as the Christian tradition to offer a substantive and useful commentary on Joshua. The commentary is both critically engaged and sensitive to the theological contributions of the text. Goldingay treats Joshua as an ancient Israelite document that speaks to twenty-first-century Christians. He examines the text section by section--offering a fresh translation, textual notes, paragraph-level commentary, and theological reflection--and addresses important issues and problems that flow from the text and its discussion. This volume, the first in a new series on the Historical Books, complements other Baker Commentary on the Old Testament series: Pentateuch, Wisdom and Psalms, and Prophets. Each series volume is grounded in rigorous scholarship but is useful for those who preach and teach. The series editors are David G. Firth (Trinity College, Bristol) and Lissa M. Wray Beal (Wycliffe College, University of Toronto).

The first in a major new series of guides to the books of the Old Testament written in an accessible and anecdotal style. The series is suitable for personal or group use and the format is also appropriate for daily study. In this second of his studies of Genesis, John Goldingay continues to accompany us as we read of the trials and victories of a people learning about God and his relationship with them, both in the grand sweep of history and in the everyday events of their lives. Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story. He explores the character and nature of the God we meet so powerfully in that opening line, the God we can encounter daily on the journey through this revelatory book. And, as Professor Goldingay guides us in our understanding of these time-honoured words and the ancient world they describe, he helps us to apply what we read to our lives. This series offers a natural progression from the successful 'For Everyone' series of New Testament translations and commentaries.

Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story of the Old Testament.

How do we think about the theology of the book of Jeremiah? Do we consider themes section by section, or do we step back and look at the whole? John Goldingay says "both." In The Theology of Jeremiah, Goldingay considers the prophet Jeremiah himself, his individual circumstances and those of Judah, and his message. Though Jeremiah's message varies throughout the book, we gain insights into Jeremiah's theology by viewing the book in its entirety. In doing so, we learn about God, Israel as the people of God, the nature of wrongdoing and prophecy, and what we know about the future.

Builds on a successful and respected series Well known and respected name in theological circles 'For everyone' approach: scholarly author with a highly readable style Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story of the Old Testament.