The subjects of rhetoric, history, and theology intersect in unique ways within New Testament and early Christian literature. The contributors of this volume represent a wide range of perspectives but share a common interest in the interpretation of these texts in light of their rhetorical, historical, and theological elements. What results is a fresh and perceptive reading of the New Testament and early Christianity literature.

This completely revised and updated second edition of The New Testament in Antiquity skillfully develops how Jewish, Hellenistic, and Roman cultures formed the essential environment in which the New Testament authors wrote their books and letters. Understanding of the land, history, and culture of the ancient world brings remarkable new insights into how we read the New Testament itself. Throughout the book, numerous features provide windows into the first-century world. Nearly 500 full color photos, charts, maps, and drawings have been carefully selected. Additional features include sidebars that integrate the book's material with issues of interpretation, discussion questions, and bibliographies.

It's a long way from the research carrel to the classroom. No matter your personality, your prior experience, or the specifics of your situation, the transition from graduate studies to teaching involves a set of challenges for which no one is ever fully prepared. In this practical guide Michael Kibbe, author of From Topic to Thesis, provides a helpful companion for the journey. With plenty of personal examples and tested advice, Kibbe covers preparation for teaching, best practices in the classroom, self-evaluation, and the discovery of your mission and method. He also reflects on the spiritual lives of professors, including social media practices, Sabbath, and relationships. From Research to Teaching is the concise, accessible resource every new and aspiring professor needs.

This tried and true classroom favorite by respected New Testament scholar Gary Burge has been praised for its usefulness. The expanded second edition has been revised throughout to take account of current scholarship and introduces software tools that have become available since the original edition was published. Combining original insight with how-to guidance, this textbook helps students interpret the Gospel of John and apply it in teaching and preaching.

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context. The Gospel of John tells us the story that is the foundation of the distinctive teaching of Christianity. It provides all the elements necessary to see the full picture of the person and work of Jesus: a human Christ to redeem us, a divine Christ to reveal God's nature, and a powerful, Spirit-filled Christ to help us lead holy lives. This commentary unveils, in today's terminology, the deeply satisfying portrait of Christ painted in the Gospel of John. To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's context, each passage is treated in three sections: Original Meaning. Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context. Bridging Contexts. A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible. Contemporary Significance. This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved. This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

One of Nijay Gupta's Best Academic New Testament Books You're finishing your first year of teaching. It's been exciting and gratifying, but there've been some wobbly episodes too. How will you carve out a space to flourish? You're feeling secure in mid-career, with some accomplishments to be proud of. But what should success really look like? You're nearing the end of your career, and sometimes apprehensive about the blank slate of retirement. What might it look like to finish well? In Mapping Your Academic Career Gary Burge speaks from decades of teaching, writing and mentoring. Along the way he has experienced and observed the challenges and tensions, the successes and failures of the academic pilgrimage. Now, with discerning wisdom and apt examples, he hosts the conversation he wishes he'd had when he started out as a college professor, identifying three cohorts or stages in the academic career and exploring the challenges, pitfalls and triumphs of each. Wherever you are in your teaching life, this is a book that will reward reading, reflection and discussion.

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context. John weaves together themes of light and darkness, falsehood and truth, and what it means to be children of God in community. He explores the theme of love as central to God's nature and thus as the defining characteristic of those who follow him. The Letters of John teach us about handling conflict, discerning orthodox belief, and measuring Christian conduct. Gary Burge shares perspectives on John's letters that reveal their enduring relevance for our twenty-first-century lives. To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's context, each passage is treated in three sections: Original Meaning. Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context. Bridging Contexts. A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible. Contemporary Significance. This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved. This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

Enter a world of warfare and treachery, of duty and honor, of love and loyalty, interwoven with the inner workings of a Roman centurion's household. And then trace it as the road curves toward little Capernaum. Follow the story of Appius, a proud centurion, and Tullus, his scribe and slave. From a battle with the Parthians, through a tragic personal crisis, to the gladiator arena at Caesarea Maritima, their tale finally leads to the backwater village of Capernaum on the shores of Galilee. There, in a culture not their own and during a week they will never forget, they encounter a Jewish prophet from Nazareth. A Week in the Life of a Roman Centurion gives us a first-century view of the world of the Gospels. In entertaining historical fiction, splashed with informative sidebars and images, we capture a view of Jesus' world from the outer framework looking in.

Everyone has questions about God and what matters most in life. When we ask those questions, we are asking about theology. Isn't talk about God really a guessing game? What good is the Old Testament? How can we have free will if God controls everything? The virgin birth. Really? What does an earthquake say about God? Is the Holy Spirit still at work in churches today? What did Jesus think about getting married? Does being a Christian mean having particular political views? While books about doctrine supply description and analysis of the classic questions of the faith, they often miss the contemporary questions on the minds of readers. This book fills that gap. Organized around the key topics of Jesus, the Bible, church, the Holy Spirit, evil, salvation and hope, the sometimes-provocative questions on these topics aim to ring true with the lived experience of real people. Even more, they look to inspire reflection, debate, disagreement, and above all, engagement in what the Christian faith is all about.

A series of Bible study guides following the format and content of the NIV Application Commentaries Series. Each study looks at the original meaning, bridging contexts, and contemporary significance of the text, and offers small group participants a better understanding and relevant application of the biblical material to their daily lives.

We often explore individual passages of Scripture without seeing the whole. A verse may be inspiring and easy to grasp, but the sweeping context is often difficult and requires persistence. To understand the breadth of the gospel's message, we need to perceive the full tapestry of Scripture with its theological themes woven together. Otherwise, we miss the scope of what Jesus is doing in the New Testament, gaining mere glimpses of his activity or teaching but missing their significance. Gary M. Burge aims to weave this larger tapestry so that each part of the story takes on richer meaning. Using seven key sentences drawn straight from the New Testament, Burge demonstrates how the themes of fulfillment, kingdom, cross, grace, covenant, spirit, and completion set a theological rhythm for our faith. The seven include "You are the Messiah, the son of the living God!" "By grace you have been saved, through faith ... not by works." "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession." "I saw a new heaven and a new earth." These sentences are not only individually inspiring, but they outline the broader pattern of Scripture that illustrates what God has done-and is bringing to fulfillment-in Christ. The accessible primers in the Introductions in Seven Sentences collection act as brief introductions to an academic field, with simple organization: seven key sentences that give readers a birds-eye view of an entire discipline.

This accessible volume describes first-century Jewish and Christian beliefs about the land of Israel and offers a full survey of New Testament passages that directly address the question of land and faith. Respected New Testament scholar Gary M. Burge examines present-day tensions surrounding "territorial religion" in the modern Middle East, helping contemporary Christians develop a Christian theology of the land and assess Bible-based claims in discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle.

Every student asks questions about life beyond the classroom: What does it mean to be in community? How can I discern my vocation? How should I understand marriage and sex? How should I relate to money and power? What happens if I doubt my faith? How should I approach interfaith dialogue? To help students navigate these questions about some of life's most pressing and difficult issues, Gary M. Burge and David Lauber, coeditors of Theology Questions Everyone Asks, have gathered insights from Christian faculty who draw on their own experiences in conversation with students during office hours and over coffee. Sometimes, the deepest learning takes place outside the classroom.

The NLT Study Series is based on the NLT Study Bible. Each of the 13-week studies provide an in-depth study of a particular Bible book. The entire text of that book from the NLT Study Bible is included. The study provides participants with five scripture readings per week and daily questions to prompt the participant to enter the world of the Bible and reflect on what God is saying. A unique small group format facilitates full participation. The NLT Study Series explores the textual, linguistic, literary, and cultural aspects of the scriptures and those to whom it was written. It is appropriate for serious Bible study, and it teaches individuals to work at understanding Scripture.

Do you sometimes feel like an untouchable ? Have you ever been ashamed to say, You don t know what I ve done, how unethical I ve been, how many bad decisions I ve made, how many times I ve shaken my fist at God ? If so, you re not alone. Thankfully, author Gary M. Burge has a message for you, and others like you: Jesus wants to encounter you, just as you are. When Burge re-examined Jesus biblical encounters with people being careful to view them in their unique historical context he emerged with fresh, powerful insights about how Jesus interacted with people then, and still does today One of the more surprising features of Jesus ministry was his willingness to have personal encounters with people, he writes. In fact, what is unique about the gospels are the unexpected stories that detailed Jesus regular interruptions. These interruptions came in the form of people from all walks of life young, old, rich, poor, sick, healthy, riddled with sin, or saddled by self-righteousness. No situation or condition will impede Jesus approach, Burge writes. All are welcome. Encounters With Jesus is a book that will be read, re-read, and recommended to friends and family alike because its message is sorely needed today: Jesus took time for people who thought they were invisible...this is a relief to those of us who are imperfect. "