In their groundbreaking new book, In the Beginning . . . We Misunderstood, authors Johnny V. Miller and John M. Soden say that all these arguments have missed the point. Rather, what Christians really need to know is how to interpret the Bible in its original context. Exposing the fallacies of trying to make the biblical text fit a specific scientific presupposition, Miller and Soden offer a new approach to interpreting Genesis 1 that explores the creation account based on how the original audience would have understood its teaching. First, the authors present a clear explanation of the past and present issues in interpreting the first chapter of the Bible. Second, Miller and Soden break down the creation account according to its historical and cultural context by comparing and distinguishing both the Egyptian and Mesopotamian settings. Finally, they explore common objections to help readers understand the significance that the creation account has for theology today.Christians need not look any further than Genesis 1 to find clues to its meaning. Both irenic and bathed in Scripture, In the Beginning . . . We Misunderstood will equip every believer to navigate the creation wars, armed with biblically sound explanations.

    This introduction focuses on how issues involving race, class, and gender influence our understanding of the Bible.Describing how "standard" readings of the Bible are not always acceptable to people or groups on the "margins," this book afters valuable new insights into biblical texts today.

    It is through these covenant relationships, which collectively serve as the foundation for God’s promise to bring redemption to his people, that we can understand the advancement of his kingdom. This book walks through six covenants from Genesis to Revelation, helping us grasp the overarching narrative of Scripture and see the salvation God has planned for us since the beginning of time—bolstering our faith in God and giving us hope for the future.

    Now, using this simple method you'll learn the best way to put this important discipline to use for maximum spiritual benefit.

    With an intelligent, engaging style, Russell puts the tools in your hands that enable you to study different styles of biblical writing in depth. And this fuller understanding of God's Word unleashes a heart-transforming power that burns away your defenses like fire, bringing radical change to your life.

    Are these seemingly vindictive prayers acceptable in the mouths of Christians? How is a pastor supposed to preach these texts?James E. Adams wants us to embrace God's Word in its entirety, and that means examining the parts that make us uncomfortable. In short, helpful chapters, Adams answers a number of questions: Are these psalms from God? Who is the speaker in the psalms? May we pray these psalms today? It turns out that the Prince of Peace has much to teach us about war, and even the imprecatory psalms may be prayed with the merciful goal of conversion.Twenty-fifth anniversary edition—includes a new epilogue and additional chapter.

    As the midnight of the Christian year, the season of Advent is rife with dark, gritty realities. In this book, with her trademark wit and wisdom, Rutledge explores Advent as a time of rich paradoxes, a season celebrating at once Christ’s incarnation and his second coming, and she masterfully unfolds the ethical and future-oriented significance of Advent for the church.

    Would the God of love revealed by Jesus really consign the vast majority of humankind to a destiny of eternal, conscious torment? Is divine mercy bound by the demands of justice? How can anyone presume to know who is saved from the flames and who is not? Reacting to presumptions in like manner, others write off the fiery images of final judgment altogether. If there is a God who loves us, then surely all are welcome into the heavenly kingdom, regardless of their beliefs or behaviors in this life. Yet, given the sheer volume of threat rhetoric in the Scriptures and the wickedness manifest in human history, the pop-universalism of our day sounds more like denial than hope. Mercy triumphs over judgment; it does not skirt it. Her Gates Will Never Be Shut endeavors to reconsider what the Bible and the Church have actually said about hell and hope, noting a breadth of real possibilities that undermines every presumption. The polyphony of perspectives on hell and hope offered by the prophets, apostles, and Jesus humble our obsessive need to harmonize every text into a neat theological system. But they open the door to the eternal hope found in Revelation 21-22: the City whose gates will never be shut; where the Spirit and Bride perpetually invite the thirsty who are outside the city to "Come, drink of the waters of life." Endorsements: "Who are the damned? Who are the saved? The questions have a way of provoking controversy, often quite heated. Brad Jersak, self-identified as an evangelical who accepts the Biblical witness as authoritative, turns the controversy into a conversation, a quiet conversation. He listens. He listens to opposing voices. He listens to Scripture as God's last word on the subject. He listens to the scholars and theologians. Out of the listening something like a 'humility of hope' (Jersak's phrase) begins to replace dogmatisms and we find ourselves part of a conversation with Christian brothers and sisters who are seriously praying for the world's salvation." --Eugene H. Peterson author of Tell It Slant: A Conversation on the Language of Jesus in His Stories and Prayers "Deeply grounded in evangelical faith and committed to evangelical categories of theological interpretation, Jersak probes the meaning of 'Final Judgment' in Christian faith and tradition. The phrase, for Jersak, must be kept in quote marks, because he sees that what is 'final' is not 'judgment' but the openness of God. The book traces the way in which Christians, and the author, 'exchange certainty for hope.' In the end the residue of evil will not have the last word; what prevails is the goodness of God's love. Readers will be greatly instructed by this thoughtful book." --Walter Brueggemann author of Divine Presence Amid Violence (Cascade, 2009) "Combining theological rigor and pastoral sensitivity Her Gates Will Never Be Shut is sure to push the boundaries of the contemporary theological landscape and expand the theological horizons of scholars, pastors, and lay Christians alike. Grounded, timely, and open--this is evangelical theology at its best." --Jon Stanley co-editor of "God is Dead" and I Don't Feel so Good Myself: Theological Engagements with the New Atheism (Cascade, 2009) About the Contributor(s): Bradley Jersak is an author and seminar speaker based in Abbotsford, British Columbia. He is the author of Can You Hear Me? (2003), Kissing the Leper (2006), and co-editor of Stricken by God? (2007).

    Ehrman, the New York Times bestselling author of Jesus, Interrupted and God’s Problem reveals which books in the Bible’s New Testament were not passed down by Jesus’s disciples, but were instead forged by other hands—and why this centuries-hidden scandal is far more significant than many scholars are willing to admit. A controversial work of historical reporting in the tradition of Elaine Pagels, Marcus Borg, and John Dominic Crossan, Ehrman’s Forged delivers a stunning explication of one of the most substantial—yet least discussed—problems confronting the world of biblical scholarship.

    especially when it comes to the Prophets.In The Message of the Prophets, author J. Daniel Hays offers a scholarly, yet readable and student-friendly survey of the Old Testament prophetic literature that presents the message of each prophet in its historical and its biblical context and then tracks that message through the New Testament to challenge readers with what it means for them today. Hays focuses on synthesizing the message of the prophets, which enables students to grasp the major contours of the prophetic books clearly and concisely. Hundreds of colorful pictures help to illustrate the historical and cultural background of the prophets. After identifying what the message meant for ancient Israel, Hays helps the readers to move toward theological application today, helping readers to gain a better understanding of God and the relationship between God and his people. The Message of the Prophets is essential for professors, students, and others seeking to understand the role that the OT prophets play in the Christian faith.

    In this introduction to biblical interpretation, Craig Carter evaluates the problems of post-Enlightenment hermeneutics and offers an alternative approach: exegesis in harmony with the Great Tradition. Carter argues for the validity of patristic christological exegesis, showing that we must recover the Nicene theological tradition as the context for contemporary exegesis, and seeks to root both the nature and interpretation of Scripture firmly in trinitarian orthodoxy.

    In The Bible Jesus Read, Yancey combined scholarship and insight to bring new light to old material and stimulate new thought and further study. This eight-session ZondervanGroupware uses video and group discussion to explore the sometimes shocking and cryptic writings of the Old Testament to help readers know God better. Yancey serves as guide and interpretive leader of each session and, in a series of in-depth interviews and explanations, he covers five crucial segments of the Old Testament: * Job: Seeing in the Dark* Deuteronomy: A Taste of Bittersweet* Psalms: Spirituality in Every Key* Ecclesiastes: The End of Wisdom* The Prophets: God Talks Back". Yancey approaches each of these major segments from a different point of view and adds additional interpretive material, extending the reach of his best-selling book. He teams with the Emmy Award-winning production team responsible for video production of the What's So Amazing About Grace? The complete kit includes: * 96-minute video in 8 12-minute sessions* Leader's Guide* Participant's Guide* Hardcover copy of The Bible Jesus Read.

    Thus most Christians benefit from supplemental resources to help learn and apply what Scripture teaches.Renowned theologian, Gerald Bray has produced just such a resource in his new systematic theology. Though packed with robust content, he writes about this volume: "the aim . . . is to reach those who would not normally find systematic theology appealing or even comprehensible."This volume is unique from others in that Bray traces the common theme of God's love through the Bible categorically--from God's love for himself and his creation to the cross as the ultimate expression of God's love, among other categories. The centrality of God's love in Bray's theology reflects a deep conviction that the Bible shows us God for who he really is. This volume will be of interest to Christians seeking to grow in their faith.

    And a discussion of the Millennium branches out into many other theological questions about the end times (eschatology): Are these the last days? What must happen before Jesus returns? What part does the church play?This Counterpoints volume compares three views of the Millennium:Premillennial: Christ will come again before this kingdom is established.Postmillennial: our present age represents that kingdom and that the church is and must move toward the fulfillment of this kingdom.Amillennial: a future Millennium is not a literal kingdom, and when Christ returns, he will usher in an immediate new heaven and new earth.Robert B. Strimple, Kenneth L. Gentry Jr., and Craig A. Blaising offer their perspectives, giving their exegetical reasoning. Each of them then responds to the views held by their peers in a respectful and informative setting, making it easy for you to compare their beliefs and gain a better understanding of how this aspect of Christianity's great hope--the return of Jesus--is understood by the church.The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.

    But Grenz and Kjesbo make no secret of their bold conclusion: 'Historical, biblical and theological considerations converge not only in allowing, but also in insisting, that women serve as full partners with men.' Thorough and irenic, Women in the Church bids to take an intense discussion to a new plane.