They see a deeper worship and devotion in the prayers and hymns of the early church. And they believe that the writings of the early church can shed new light on their understanding of Scripture. But where and how do we begin? Our first encounter with the writings of the church fathers may seem like visiting a far country where the language, assumptions, concerns and conclusions are completely unfamiliar to us. In Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers Christopher Hall helps us through this cultural confusion, introducing us to the early church, its unique world, and the sights and sounds of Scripture that are highlighted for them. As Hall points out, the ancient fathers hear music in Scripture where we remain tone-deaf. Despite their occasional eccentricities, theirs is a hearing refined through long listening in song, worship, teaching, meditation and oral reading. And like true masters they challenge and correct our modern assumptions as they invite us to tune our ears to hear the divine melodies of the Bible. Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers is an exceptional guide. Hall provides a warm, winsome, informative and indispensable introcution to who these leaders and scholars were, how they read and interpreted Scripture, and how we might read Scripture with them for all its worth.

    Offering readers hope, encouragement, and the practical advice they’re looking for, this concise book by professor Donald Whitney outlines a simple, time-tested method that can help transform our prayer lives: praying the words of the Bible. Praying the Bible shows readers how to pray through portions of Scripture one line at a time, helping us stay focused by allowing God’s Word itself to direct our thoughts and words. Simple yet profound, this resource will prove invaluable to all Christians as they seek to commune with their heavenly Father in prayer each and every day.

    Many say this book contains the clearest explanation of how to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit they've ever read!

    Special features designed to speak to a woman’s heart appear throughout the Bible text, revealing Scripture-based insights about how godly womanhood grows from a woman’s identity as a Christ-follower and a child of the Kingdom. Now with a beautiful full-color redesign, The Woman’s Study Bible reflects the contributions of over 80 women from a wide variety of ethnic, denominational, educational, and occupational backgrounds. Since the publication of the first edition of The Woman’s Study Bible under the editorial guidance of Dorothy Kelley Patterson and Rhonda Harrington Kelley, this landmark study Bible has sold over 1.5 million copies. Features Include: Beautiful full-color design throughout Detailed biographical portraits of over 100 biblical women Thousands of extensive verse-by-verse study notes Over 300 in-text topical articles on relevant issues Insightful essays by women who are recognized experts in the fields of theology, biblical studies, archaeology, and philosophy Book introductions and outlines Hundreds of full-color in-text maps, charts, timelines, and family trees Quotes from godly women throughout history Set of full-page maps of the biblical world Topical index Concordance 10.5-point print size

    King's Cross is Timothy Keller's revelatory look at the life of Christ as told in the Gospel of Mark. There have been many biographies of Jesus, but few will be as anticipated as one by Keller, the man Newsweek calls "a C.S. Lewis for the twenty-first century." In it, Keller shows how the story of Jesus is at once cosmic, historical, and personal, calling each of us to look anew at our relationship with God. Like Keller's other books it has tremendous crossover appeal, but it is also ideal for the faithful, those who are looking for a closer connection to Jesus and Christianity.

    Through a careful survey of work on Romans by both ancient Church Fathers and modern exegetical scholars, Ben Witherington III here argues that the interpretation of Romans since the Reformation has been far too indebted to — and at key points led astray by — Augustinian readings of the text as filtered through Luther, Calvin, and others. In this first full-scale socio-rhetorical commentary on Romans, Witherington gleans fresh insights from reading the text of Paul’s epistle in light of early Jewish theology, the historical situation of Rome in the middle of the first century A.D., and Paul’s own rhetorical concerns. Giving serious consideration to the social and rhetorical background of Romans allows readers to hear Paul on his own terms, not just through the various voices of his later interpreters. Witherington’s groundbreaking work also features a new, clear translation of the Greek text, and each section of the commentary ends with a brief discussion titled “Bridging the Horizons,” which suggests how the ancient text of Romans may speak to us today.

    An undesigned coincidence is an apparently casual, yet puzzle-like -fit- between two or more texts, and its best explanation is that the authors knew the truth about the events they describe or allude to. Connections of this kind among passages in the Gospels, as well as between Acts and the Pauline epistles, give us reason to believe that these documents came from honest eyewitness sources, people -in the know- about the events they relate. Supported by careful research yet accessibly written, Hidden in Plain View provides solid evidence that all Christians can use to defend the Scriptures and the truth of Christianity.

    Today's world is very different from the Greek, Roman and Jewish world of Jesus and the New Testament writers. Scholars devote their lives to the study of languages, archaeology and history in order to better understand the Bible and its cultures. But often the results of their studies are found only in academic libraries. For the first time, Craig Keener's Bible Background Commentary: New Testament provides the fruit of scholarly labors in a single volume arranged in convenient verse-by-verse format, covering the entire New Testament. Based on ten years of in-depth study, the Bible Background Commentary will be valuable for pastors in sermon preparation, for Sunday-school and other church teachers as they build lessons, for missionaries concerned not to import their own cultural biases into the Bible, for college and seminary students in classroom assignments, and for everyday Bible readers seeking to deepen and enhance their study of Scripture.

    The book is divided into into four parts: getting started, approaching the bible generally, approaching specific texts, and issues in recent discussion. This accessible format allows teachers to utilize this book as a textbook and the curious student to understand the issues which are most pertinent to their study. 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible will be essential reading for the student seeking to advance in biblical studies and for the pastor looking to teach the Bible with confidence.

    Drawing relevant parallels from ancient culture to present day, he helps us understand how the book of Proverbs is practical help for ordinary people going through everyday life.Most importantly, Ortlund shows how the Proverbs point to Jesus and his counsel for the perplexed, his strength for the defeated, his warning to the proud, his mercy for the broken. With careful treatment of the Scriptures and uncomplicated language, Proverbs: Wisdom that Works bridges the gap between real-life experience and the scholarly depth of many commentaries.Part of the Preaching the Word series.

    Baptist leaders offering an alternative to the doctrine s TULIP tenets include Paige Patterson (Total Depravity), Richard Land (Unconditional Election), David Allen (Limited Atonement), Steve Lemke (Irresistible Grace), and Kenneth Keathley (Perseverance of the Saints).The book also includes a series of articles on crucial theological and ministerial issues impacting Calvinism by Bruce Little ( Libertarian Free Will and the Problem of Evil ), Alan Streett ( A Defense of the Public Invitation ), Malcolm Yarnell ( Historical Baptist Ecclesiology and Calvinism ), and Kevin Kennedy ( Was Calvin a Calvinist? ).

    Way more.This booklet is author Godawa’s biblical proof for the narrative he follows in his two best-selling series Chronicles of the Nephilim and Chronicles of the Apocalypse. The Divine Council of the Gods First, Godawa examines the amazing Biblical truth that God has a myriad of divine beings that surround his throne, counsel with God, and carry out his decisions. The Judgment of the Watchers But then God gives the Gentile nations over to be ruled by some of these divine beings, who are also called Watchers.The Watchers rule unjustly and become false gods. As a result God promises to punish them by taking away their immortality. The Inheritance of the Nations And all of this will be accomplished through Messiah, who would take back the nations from the Watchers.But when did all this happen? And where?Get this booklet and you’ll find the answers that will open up a storyline in the Bible that will change your life.

    Life in first-century Palestine was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus’ stories ignore this disparity and have often allowed anti-Semitism and misogyny to color their perspectives.In this wise, entertaining, and educational book, Amy-Jill Levine offers a fresh, timely reinterpretation of Jesus’ narratives. In Short Stories by Jesus, she analyzes these “problems with parables,” taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them. Levine reveals the parables’ connections to first-century economic and agricultural life, social customs and morality, Jewish scriptures and Roman culture. With this revitalized understanding, she interprets these moving stories for the contemporary reader, showing how the parables are not just about Jesus, but are also about us—and when read rightly, still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later.

    It becomes a journey that not only describes the divine parable penned by Solomon, but also a journey that longing lovers of Jesus will find as their very own. Love will always find a language to express itself. The inspired Song of Songs is a work of art. It is a melody sung from the heart of Jesus Christ for His longing Bride. Its storyline is full of symbols and subtle art forms which, without interpretation, are often missed or overlooked. The Holy Spirit has hidden within the Song of Songs an amazing story a story of how Jesus makes His Bride beautiful and holy by casting out her fear with perfect love. This revelation sent from heaven is waiting to be received with all its intensity and power to unlock the deepest places of our hearts.

    That's what it means to be steadfast. But in a world where so much can undermine our faith or pull us off track, steadfastness is often a rare and elusive trait. James longs for his readers to be steadfast. His letter meets us in our suffering and sickness, our trials and temptations, our wealth and poverty, our ups and downs. He confronts our sin, our speech, and our pride. He encourages believers to have a more resilient and concrete faith: not just to hear the word, but to do it. He calls us to persevere in truth in a world of lies, to see that God's steadfast love is ultimately the source of our steadfast faith.This 8-week study of James provides:5 days of study each week-observing, interpreting, and applying the textDevotional commentary with space to journal your thoughtsMemory verse each weekSmall group discussion questionsKeynote Teaching Videos from the TGC's 2020 Women's Conference In a fickle and wayward age, we need biblical wisdom if we are to stay the course and be steadfast saints. The book of James provides this wisdom, and Steadfast will help you apply it.