Showing titles in Commentaries

John Shelby Spong, best-selling author and popular proponent of a modern, scholarly, and authentic Christianity, argues that this last gospel to be written was misinterpreted by the framers of the fourth-century creeds to be a literal account of the life of Jesus when in fact it is a literary, interpretive retelling of the events in Jesus' life through the medium of fictional characters, from Nicodemus and Lazarus to the "Beloved Disciple." 

This book takes a look into the life of Mary - first, as a woman of great faith, then as mother to the world's Savior. We follow her journey, including her incredible devotion, as well as her struggles and blessings, as she becomes a shining example for young women everywhere. This book will change the way you feel about how God can use anyone to accomplish great things, if you only have faith like Mary. 

Unique among books that examine the bible as literature, this brilliantly compact introduction offers an intriguing double-edged look at this universal text - a religiously informed literary analysis. The book first explores the major sections of the New Testament - the gospels, Paul's letters, and Revelation - as individual literary documents. Keefer shows how, in such familiar stories as the parable of the Good Samaritan, a literary analysis can uncover an unexpected complexity to what seems a simple, straightforward tale.

The Gospel according to John has always been recognized as different from the "synoptic" accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But what explains the difference? In this new translation and verse-by-verse commentary, Michael Pakaluk suggests an answer and unlocks a 2,000-year-old mystery. Mary's Voice in the Gospel According to John reveals the subtle but powerful influence of the mother of Jesus on the fourth Gospel.

This Very Short Introduction looks at the importance accorded to the bible by different communities and cultures and attempts to explain why it has generated such a rich variety of uses and interpretations. It explores how the Bible was written, the development of the canon, the role of biblical criticism, the appropriation of the bible in high and popular culture, and its use for political ends. 

In this concise, engaging book, noted New Testament scholar Luke Timothy Johnson takes listeners on a journey back to the time of the early Roman Empire, when the New Testament was written in ordinary Greek (koine) by the first Christians. The author explains how the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, and Revelation evolved into the canon of sacred writings for the Christian religion, and how they reflect a reinterpretation of the symbolic world and societal forces of first-century Greco-Roman and Jewish life.

This book has become a standard text in seminary and university classrooms. The purpose of this second edition is to help listeners come to a critically informed understanding of the Old Testament as the church's scripture. This book introduces the Old Testament both as a witness of ancient Israel and as a witness to the church and synagogue through the generations of those who have passed these texts on as scripture.

As James Montgomery Boice points out, no book in the Bible is so filled with joy as Philippians. Even though Paul faced possible execution for his faith, he managed to remain joyful in the midst of terrible circumstances. Beyond providing encouragement, Philippians also contains a wealth of great themes. As Boice explains, it covers most of the major doctrines of the Christian faith and is at the same time extremely practical.

James Montgomery Boice challenges believers to follow the first-century church, encouraging them to glean the vital principles that enabled the early church to expand, and then to apply them to our modern-day church. 

Through Daniel’s visions and experiences as an exile in Babylon, the Book of Daniel gives us a clearer understanding of history than any other part of the Bible. Daniel also makes it clear that God is in control of all human events that have unfolded or will occur in later times. At the same time, he shows us how to live for God in ungodly times - like our own. In this new addition to James Montgomery Boice’s popular commentary series, pastors, Bible students, and laypersons will find analysis of Daniel’s illuminating insights into history.

Commentaries by James Montgomery Boice explain the meaning of the biblical text verse by verse and section by section, while also relating the text to the realities of Christian life. This latest addition to Boice’s popular expositional commentary series discusses the themes of obedience and love in the context of the life of Joshua, a chosen military commander. Boice’s easy-to-understand writing makes Joshua a helpful commentary for pastors, students, and laypeople alike. 

In this commentary on Genesis 12-36, Boice traces the “new beginning” of God’s plan of redemption, which arose out of God’s relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. By delving into the patriarchs’ lives, Boice demonstrates how much they are like us and how easily we relate to them, both in triumphs and failures. The second of three volumes on the Book of Genesis, A New Beginning shows how God changed the course of history beginning with one less-than-perfect man. 

What can we gain from studying the book of Genesis? According to James Montgomery Boice, starting at the beginning of everything causes us to think about God and to understand ourselves as fallen yet redeemable. This knowledge not only deepens our understanding of the Christian faith but also enhances our ability to impart the gospel’s truth to a world desperately in need of it. This first volume on the book of Genesis, exploring chapters 1-11, shows how the story of redemption—essentially all of Scripture—has no significance apart from the story of creation and fall.

The short book of Philippians is one of the most quoted in the Bible, yet Paul wrote it not for the popular sound bites, but to paint a picture of a mature Christian faith. While many give their lives to Jesus, few then go on to live a life of truly vibrant faith. In this disruptively inspiring book, Chandler offers tangible ways to develop a faith of pursuing, chasing, knowing, and loving Jesus. Because if we clean up our lives but don't get Jesus, we've lost! So let the goal be him.

The nature and relationship of faith and works in the doctrine of justification.

Elimina las distracciones, reduce tu lista de tareas y libérate de las interrupciones. Todo el mundo tiene ciento sesenta y ocho horas a la semana, pero nunca parecen ser suficientes, ¿no es así? El trabajo consume más tiempo del que deseamos; muchos profesionales trabajan hasta setenta horas a la semana, dejando cada vez menos espacio para el descanso, el ejercicio, la familia y los amigos. Si no tenemos cuidado, podemos cambiar lo más importante por una lista de tareas triviales que crece día a día. ¿Cuál es la solución?

Sea un portador de la gloria de Dios Jesús dice, "La gloria que me diste, yo les he dado, para que sean uno, así como nosotros somos uno" (Juan 17:22). Dios lo creó a usted para morar en su presencia, entender su corazón, y experimentar su poder divino, transformando su vida y capacitándolo para hacer milagros y maravillas que revelen su majestad en la tierra. 

Christ as seen in the Offerings is a classic work by RF Kingcote which takes up in a simple way some of the offerings mentioned in Leviticus - a book which is commonly passed over as if it were not relevant to us today, but which is full of rich typical teaching.

Walton and Walton offer in The Lost World of the Torah a restorative vision of the ancient genre of instruction for wisdom that makes up a significant portion of the Old Testament. In the ancient Near East, order was achieved through the wisdom of those who governed society. The objective of torah was to teach the Israelites to be wise about the kind of order needed to receive the blessings of God's favor and presence within the context of the covenant. Here listeners will find fresh insight on this fundamental genre of the Old Testament canon. 

Many Christians view the Bible as an instruction manual. While the Bible does provide instruction, it can also captivate, comfort, delight, shock, and inspire. In short, it elicits emotion - just like poetry. By learning to read and love poetry, says literature Professor Matthew Mullins, listeners can increase their understanding of the biblical text and learn to love God's word more. Each chapter includes exercises and questions designed to help listeners put the book's principles and practices into action.