The description of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 is a beloved biblical text with an unshakable place in the theology and self-understanding of the church. Since New Testament times, this text has fed the church's thinking about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Leading Old Testament theologian Gordon McConville offers a lively exposition of Isaiah 53 that is at once true to its Old Testament context, conversant with the history of interpretation, and deeply Christian. McConville illuminates the text's contribution to our apprehension of who Jesus is and explores the various ways the text can speak to us in faithfulness to its scriptural authority and character. The author explores the theological and spiritual issues that arise from the poetry's words and phrases and shows how this classic text can speak to the life of the church today. The Touchstone Texts series addresses key Bible passages, making high-quality biblical scholarship accessible to the church. The series editor is Stephen B. Chapman, Duke Divinity School.

The book of Isaiah has been regarded from the earliest Christian period as a key part of the Old Testament's witness to Jesus Christ. This commentary by highly regarded Old Testament scholar J. Gordon McConville draws on the best of biblical scholarship as well as the Christian tradition to offer a substantive and useful commentary on Isaiah. McConville treats Isaiah 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 shows how the prophetic words are framed to persuade audiences. Grounded in rigorous scholarship but useful for those who preach and teach, this volume is the second in a new series on the Prophets. Series volumes are both critically engaged and sensitive to the theological contributions of the text. Series editors are Mark J. Boda, McMaster Divinity College, and J. Gordon McConville, University of Gloucestershire.

ECPA Book Award finalist With the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets, IVP's Black Dictionary series completes its coverage of the Old Testament canonical books. A true compendium of recent scholarship, the volume includes 115 articles covering all aspects of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the twelve "minor prophets" and Daniel. Each book's historical, cultural, religious and literary background is thoroughly covered, alongside articles on interpretation history and critical method. Pastors, scholars and students will find this a deep resource for their Old Testament studies. Reference volumes in the IVP Bible Dictionary Series provide in-depth treatment of biblical and theological topics in an accessible, encyclopedia format, including cross-sectional themes, methods of interpretation, significant historical or cultural background, and each Old and New Testament book as a whole.

A Biblical Perspective on What It Means to Be Human This major work by a widely respected Old Testament scholar and theologian unpacks a biblical perspective on fundamental questions of what it means to be human. J. Gordon McConville explores how a biblical view of humanity provides a foundation for Christian reflection on ethics, economics, politics, and church life and practice. The book shows that the Old Testament's view of humanity as "earthed" and "embodied" plays an essential part in a well-rounded Christian theology and spirituality, and applies the theological concept of the "image of God" to all areas of human existence.

A number of distinguished biblical scholars and theologians come together in this volume to honour the work of Andrew T. Lincoln. Conception, Reception, and the Spirit reflects Andrew Lincoln's lifelong interest in Christian origins, the reception of biblical texts in believing and scholarly communities, and the embodiment of the Gospel in believing communities made possible by the Spirit. Here, scholars converse with Lincoln's work, engaging with his monographs, Born of a Virgin? and Truth on Trial. These essays examine a wide range of topics such as N.T. Wright's exploration of demonic politics in John and the significance of wine to the Holy Spirit in Ephesians by Lloyd K. Pietersen. These theological interpretations go so far as to question the foundations that make New Testament theology what it is today, with experts like Loveday Alexander and John Goldingay confronting sexuality, spirituality, ethics and memory in Lincoln's work with sensitivity and nuance.

The book of Joshua is often troubling -- what should we make of the fact that the violent occupation of land is not simply presented, but celebrated? How can we reconcile that with the key role the book plays in the biblical drama of salvation? What should we make of the God of Joshua? / In this volume Gordon McConville and Stephen Williams interpret Joshua in relation to Christian theology, addressing such questions and placing the book in its proper place in the canonical whole. McConville deals specifically with the commentary and exegesis of the text. Williams then moves in to focus on issues of interpretation. He addresses key theological themes, such as land, covenant, law, miracle, judgment (with the problem of genocide), and idolatry. / The authors posit that the theological topics engaged in Joshua are not limited to the horizons of the author and first readers of the book, but that Joshua is part of a much larger testimony which concerns readers yet today.

The historical books, from Joshua to Ezra and Nehemiah, form the narrative backbone of the Old Testament. Without them the Pentateuch would stop cold and the Prophets would hang in suspension. Even the Psalms and Wisdom literature would lose some of their luster for lack of a setting. Without these historical books the New Testament would be resolving an incomplete narrative, answering a question only half and hesitantly posed. For all these reasons and more, it is a tragic fact that many of us today cannot give a brief and coherent account of this story. We fear that books with names like Judges, Kings and Chronicles would bore us. But nothing could be further from the truth. For the story they tell is full of action and intrigue, tragedy and suspense, vivid characters and memorable events. They are the stuff of great art and literature, and they have inspired men and women to lives and deeds of uncommon faith and courage. Exploring these books is essential for a true education, whether religious or otherwise. In this guidebook, Philip E. Satterthwaite and J. Gordon McConville introduce us to the content and the context of these historical books. We view them within the setting of ancient history and history writing, and come to appreciate their literary artistry, their role within the Scriptures of Israel, and their lasting value as theological and ethical resources. Designed especially for students, Exploring the Old Testament, Volume 2: A Guide to the Historical Books overflows with interesting and helpful features that encourage avid exploration and the joy of learning.

Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Prophets considers the often misunderstood prophetic books of the Old Testament, including an exploration of their historical context, their artful use of language and their place within the chorus of Old Testament voices. This critically informed and theologically sensitive introduction to the Prophets introduces students to issues in critical interpretation the place of the prophetic books in the Old Testament canon the social location of biblical prophets contemporary applications of the prophetic books dates and destinations of the prophecies of each of the books theological contributions of the prophetic books an overview of literary criticism on the Prophets In this textbook you will find double-column formatting for ease of use, annotated bibliographies for further reading, sidebar explorations of select historical and textual topics in greater detail, a glossary of terms, and relevant charts and maps.

The Deuteronomic or, more properly, Deuteronomistic History is a modern theoretical construct which holds that the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings constitute a single work, unified by a basic homogeneity in language, style, and content. This construct owes much to the influence of Martin Noth's classic study of the Deuteronomistic History, contained in his larger Uberlieferungsgeschichtliche Studien. According to Noth, the Deuteronomist incorporated the deuteronomic law into the beginning of his work, framing it with speeches by Moses. The Deuteronomist then added other sources, such as tales of conquest and settlement, prophetic narratives and speeches, official annals and records. While this larger thesis has stood the test of time, there is much disagreement among contemporary scholars about a wide variety of issues. The present collection attempts to provide readers with an understanding of the important developments, methodologies, and points of view in the ongoing debate. Both current essays and some older, classic essays that have shaped the larger debate are included. Ten are newly translated into English. Each essay is prefaced by a detailed foreword by one of the editors that summarizes and places the essay in its appropriate context, making the volume ideal for use in seminars or courses, as well as for individuals wishing to become familiar with the state of discussion on the Deuteronomistic History.