Using the latest scholarly discussion about the nature of Jewish monotheism as his starting point, Richard Bauckham builds a convincing argument that the early Christian view of Jesus' divinity is fully consistent with the Jewish understanding of God.Bauckham first shows that early Judaism had clear ways of distinguishing God absolutely from all other reality. When New Testament Christology is read with this Jewish context in mind, it becomes clear that early Christians did not break with Jewish monotheism; rather, they simply included Jesus within the unique identity of Israel's God. In the final part of the book Bauckham shows that God's own identity, in turn, is also revealed in the life, death, and exaltation of Jesus.Originating as the prestigious 1996 Didsbury Lectures, this volume makes a contribution to biblical studies that will be of interest to Jews and Christians alike.

    What caused the universe, our planet, and our life on it? And how does this relate to our finding a satisfying meaning in this life? How do recent discoveries help us address these vital issues?

    Distributor: Spring Arbor/Ingram Author: Tim Gray Format: 150 pages, paperback ISBN: 978-0966322316

    Since its first publication, the beloved devotional Streams in the Desert has sold millions of copies--now it's available in Barbour's classic journal format.

    Ages 4-7.Book Details: Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 4/1/1998 Pages: 360 Reading Level: Age 4 and Up

    Wiersbe offers discouraged readers a positive treatment of suffering that reveals the Bible's authoritative and comforting answers to big questions. His faith-bolstering insight will show readers that, with God as their source of comfort, strength, and hope, they can weather the storms of life--and come out on top.

    Consequently, the contemporary quest of the historical Jesus discounted or excluded evidence from the Fourth Gospel.The question of the historical reliability of John's Gospel is well overdue for a thorough reinvestigation and reassessment. In this foundational study, Craig L. Blomberg sheds new light on persistent questions. He presents his conclusions largely in commentary form, following the principal scenes of the Gospel. His introduction frames the pathway into the discussion, taking up critical issues such asauthorship, date and provenance of the Fourth Gospelsources and omissions of the Fourth Gospelpoints where John's Gospel interlocks with the Synopticsgeneral indications of historicityliterary genre and unique audience of this Gospelburden of proof and criteria of authenticityIn his commentary examining the text of the Fourth Gospel, Blomberg asks two essential questions. First, using the recently nuanced criteria of authenticity, "What positive evidence do we have that the actions or words of the characters in John's narratives are indeed historical?" Second, "Is there anything in the text . . . that is implausible within the historical context to which it is attributed, particularly if we assume the general historical trustworthiness of the Synoptics?"The result is a seminal work for the present day--one that affirms the historical reliability of John's Gospel with intelligence and sure-footed care.

    The patristic commentary tradition on Matthew begins with Origen's pioneering twenty-five-volume commentary on the First Gospel in the mid-third century. In the Latin-speaking West, where commentaries did not appear until about a century later, the first commentary on Matthew was written by Hilary of Poitiers in the mid-fourth century. From that point the First Gospel became one of the texts most frequently commented on in patristic exegesis. Outstanding examples are Jerome's four-volume commentary and the valuable but anonymous and incomplete Opus imperfectum in Matthaeum. Then there are the Greek catena fragments derived from commentaries by Theodore of Heraclea, Apollinaris of Laodicea, Theodore of Mopsuestia and Cyril of Alexandria. The ancient homilies also provide ample comment, including John Chrysostom's ninety homilies and Chromatius of Aquileia's fifty-nine homilies on the Gospel of Matthew. In addition, there are various Sunday and feast-day homilies from towering figures such as Augustine and Gregory the Great, as well as other fathers. This rich abundance of patristic comment, much of it presented here in English translation for the first time by editor Manlio Simonetti, provides a bountiful and varied feast of ancient interpretation of the First Gospel.

    Brueggemann discusses both the distinctiveness of the texts and their canonical relatedness.Books in the Westminster Bible Companion series assist laity in their study of the Bible as a guide to Christian faith and practice. Each volume explains the biblical book in its original historical context and explores its significance for faithful living today. These books are ideal for individual study and for Bible study classes and groups.

    - perfect gift for searching friends - use it with your small group - give to your kids and their friends - use with your outreach ministry. Is there credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God? Retracing his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith, Lee Strobel, former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, cross-examines a dozen experts with doctorates from schools like Cambridge, Princeton, and Brandeis who are recognized authorities in their own fields. Strobel challenges them with questions like How reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence exist for Jesus outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual event? Strobel's tough, point-blank questions make this remarkable book read like a captivating, fast-paced novel. But it's not fiction. It's a riveting quest for the truth about history's most compelling figure. What will your verdict be in The Case for Christ?

    Some questions are trivial. Some are important. And some are downright vital, freighted with eternal significance. Many Seventh-day Adventists are presently asking a question that clearly fits into the vital category. "Is the organized Seventh-day Adventist Church still God's recognized movement on earth, destined to triumph?" If you haven't asked this question yet, it's bound to arise in your heart sooner or later. Ellen White warned that "a condition of anarchy and wild uncertainty . . . will seek to pervade all our ranks of Seventh-day Adventists." Anarchy from within the church, against the church. Wild uncertainly concerning the standing of the church with God. This book addresses the present standing and future destiny of the church from the unique persepective of an independent ministry leader who has desperately struggled with the temptation to "abandon ship." Through that struggle, Ty Gibson has emerged with a rich understanding of God's purpose for His church, solidly grounded in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. You, too, will gain a better grasp of the divine agenda for Adventism as Ty shares his experience and insights with you through these pages. Book Specs Paper BackPublisher: PPPAPrinted: 1997Pages: 128 Table of Contents Foreword An Opening Word A Rude Awakening Theater of Grace God's Church Identified Reformation or Anarchy A Corporate Affair The Great Advent Pendulum Ellen White's "Mistake" The Liberal Conservative The Spirit's Whisper

    . . should immerse themselves in the Scriptures by constant spiritual reading and diligent study. . . ." The Church is still far from adequately carrying out those words, but recent years have seen a revival of interest in the Bible. During that revival, both the knowledge and the practice of lectio divina have become more widespread. In Praying the Bible Mariano Magrassi reintroduces us to this practice of prayerful reading of the word of God which is our heritage.With his vast knowledge of the Fathers and medieval monastic writers, Archbishop Magrassi synthesizes the unique and extraordinary experience of lectio divina. What is it? What are its key ideas? What are the necessary personal dispositions? What are the steps by which prayed reading is transformed into genuine contemplation? In Praying the Bible Magrassi answers these questions, providing a discussion that contains a healthy challenge and an invitation to grow.Chapters are "Liturgical Proclamation and Lectio Sacra," "Lectio Divina: Meaning of the Term," "Lectio Divina: Key Ideas," "Lectio Divina: Concrete Dispositions," "Lectio Divina: Four Acts," and "The Ancient 'Conference' and the Modern Review of Life.""

    This original work of theological anthropology looks at original sin in the light of the Resurrection, and shows how forgiveness has become the way of transformation.

    But many Christians have difficulty comprehending God's pain, especially God's pain in the death of Christ. Is it atonement or child abuse? To speak of God in pain, says Barbara Brown Taylor, is not only to address the biblical stories of Christ's suffering and death, but also to proclaim the God who is present in our pain. This volume of teaching sermons on suffering presents different approaches to the problem of God in pain. In each sermon, Taylor speaks with sensitivity and profound insight as she addresses pain and both its human and divine impact.TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I: Pain of Life: The Gift of Disillusionment; A Cure for Despair; Learning to Hate Your Family; Divine Anger; Feeding the Enemy; The Betrayer in Our Midst; Buried by Baptism; The Suffering Cup; Pick Up Your Cross; Unless a Grain Falls; The Dress Rehearsal; Surviving Crucifixion; Portents and Signs; and The Delivery Room. Part II: Pain of Death: Believing What We Cannot Understand; Someone to Blame; The Triumphant Victim; The Myth of Redemptive Violence; The Silence of God; The Will of God; The Suffering of God; May He Not Rest in Peace.BARBARA BROWN TAYLOR, an Episcopal priest in the diocese of Atlanta, holds the Butman Chair in Religion and Philosophy at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia. She is widely sought after as a preacher and guest lecturer, and is the author of five books, including Preaching Life and Bread of Angels.She was named by Baylor University as one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English language.

    People appear in sequence and are also grouped thematically, such as Moses and the Israelites, the Kings of Judah, and the Twelve Disciples. Detailed illustrations bring major biblical figures to life, and color photographs show key events, places, and objects. References to relevant texts enable the reader to look up people in the Bible, and the meanings of biblical names are explained. Easy to use and packed with authoritative information, this is an indispensable Bible companion for the whole family.