This short study by Stephen Westerholm carefully examines proposals on the subject by Krister Stendahl, E. P. Sanders, Heikki R is nen, N. T. Wright, James D. G. Dunn, and Douglas A. Campbell. In doing so, Westerholm notes weaknesses in traditional understandings that have provoked the more recent proposals, but he also points out areas in which the latter fail to do justice to the apostle.Readers of this book will gain not only a better grasp of the ongoing theological debate about justification but also a more nuanced overall understanding of Paul.

    Can we trust the Bible completely? Is it sufficient for our complicated lives? Can we really know what it teaches? And isn't it more important to focus on Jesus instead of the Bible?With his characteristic wit and clarity, Kevin DeYoung has written an accessible introduction to the Bible that answers important questions raised by Christians and non-Christians alike. This book will help readers understand what the Bible says about itself and the key characteristics that contribute to its lasting significance. Avoiding technical jargon, this winsome volume will encourage men and women to read and believe the Bible--confident that it truly is God's word.Free Study Guide by Pat Quinn.

    But they differ on what sanctification is and how it is achieved. Five Views on Sanctification brings together in one easy-to-understand volume five major Protestant views on sanctification. Writing from a solid evangelical stance, each author describes and defends his own understanding of the doctrine, and responds as well to the views of the other authors. This book addresses such practical questions as: How does one achieve sanctification in this life? How much success in sanctification is possible? Is a crisis experience following one’s conversion normal—or necessary? If so, what kind of experience, and how is it verified? The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians. Counterpoints books address two categories: Church Life and Bible and Theology. Complete your library with other books in the Counterpoints series.

    Students and pastors will both benefit from this rich source that covers all the major doctrines of Christianity. With scholarly rigor and a pastor's heart, Boice carefully opens the topics of the nature of God, the character of his natural and special revelation, the fall, and the person and the work of Christ. He then goes on to consider the work of the Holy Spirit in justification and sanctification. The book closes with careful discussion of ecclesiology and eschatology. In this revised edition of a formerly four-volume work, Boice maintains a remarkable practicality and thoroughness that will make this a standard reference and text for years to come.

    Yet the passages that seem weird might be the most important. This collection of essays from Bible Study Magazine will shock you, intrigue you, and completely change the way you view the Bible. Dr. Michael S. Heiser visits some of the Bible's most obscure passages, unveiling their ancient context to help you interpret them today. Read this book, and you'll never be bored by the Bible again. Part One: Old Testament The Ancient's Guide to the Galaxy Walk Like an Israelite Even the Bible Needed Upgrading Spellchecking the Bible Why Circumcision? The Abandoned Child and the Basket Case A Tale of Courage We Never Teach Counting the Ten Commandments Is There Really a Sin Offering? There's a Devil in the Details Love Potion: Numbers 5 Is My Bible Right? The Most Horrific Bible Story Righting a Wrong When Giants Walked the Earth The Divine Arrow Promise Undelivered? Sanctified Dirt 1003 BC Census: Who Authorized It-God or Satan? Cookin' the Books Slaying the Sea Monster Does God Need a Co-Signer? The Witness in the Clouds Who Wrote the Book of Proverbs? Immanuel's Mother: Virgin or Not? Standing in the Council Jeremiah: Double Vision? Why the Ark of the Covenant Will Never Be Found He, Him, Me, Myself, and I Bizarre Visions for the Worst of Times Do the Dead Sea Scrolls Answer the Canon Question? Part Two: New Testament Burying Hell My Guardian Angel The New Testament Misquotes the Old Testament? "I Saw Satan Fall like Lightning": When? The Healing Serpent Who Took Verse 4 out of My Bible? What Walking on Water Really Means Born Again ... and Again and Again? Dumbledore Meets Philip & Peter Paul's Lost Letters Destiny & Destination A Female Apostle Signed, Sealed, and Delivered-to Satan? Treason & Translation Charlton Heston Had Company When Abraham Met Jesus How Many Times Is Jesus Coming Back? What's Jesus Waiting For? God's Right-Hand Woman? Wisdom in Hebrews Baptism as Spiritual Warfare Jesus Is God: Jude and Peter Tell Me So When Angels Do Time Tough Love Jesus, God, a.k.a., The Name 666: What Theories Add Up? Perspective Changes Everything Constantine, Conspiracy, and the Canon About the Author Michael S. Heiser is a scholar in the fields of biblical studies and the ancient Near East. He is the Academic Editor at Logos Bible Software.

    Wealth. Power. Prestige. Yet despite having everything he could ever want, Solomon was still unsatisfied. He soon came to a startling conclusion: Even if we have it all, it is never enough. This revelation inspired the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon’s profound thoughts on the meaning of life. BE Satisfied examines Solomon’s remarkable insights on what holds real value in this world. Part of Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe’s best-selling “BE” commentary series, BE Satisfied has now been updated with study questions and a new introduction by Ken Baugh. A respected pastor and Bible teacher, Dr. Wiersbe explores Ecclesiastes to find what matters most in life. You will be encouraged to live in the light of eternity, and discover the keys to having a satisfied life, no matter what life brings.

    A prominent scholar sets forth in plain, uncomplicated language the essence of two millennia of Christian thinking on the existence and nature of God, how Jesus reveals God, and what this means for the faithful today.

    What are angels like? How many kinds are there? Are mental disorders caused by their influence? Long favored by scholars, this classic has now been rewritten to give us accessible scriptural answers to our questions about the spirit world.

    One of the fiercest foes in this battle dwells within our own hearts: the enemy of indwelling sin. The Scriptures command us to put sin to death. This is what pastors and theologians of another generation called the mortificationof sin. But how do we mortify sin? And what role does the gospel play in this effort to apply lethal force against sin? How can we avoid falling into legalism while still maintaining a passion for holiness? And what kinds of strategies actually work in the daily battle? Brian Hedges answers these questions and more in this biblical and practical guide for waging war against sin in the power of the gospel and dependence on the Spirit.

    Since the first century, Christians have agreed that Christ will return. But since that time there have also been many disagreements. How will Christ return? When will he return? What sort of kingdom will he establish? What is the meaning of the millennium? These questions persist today. Four major views on the millennium have had both a long history and a host of Christian adherents. In this book Robert G. Clouse brings together proponents of each view: George Eldon Ladd on historic premillenniallism, Herman A. Hoyt on dispensational premillennialism, Loraine Boettner on post-millennialism and Anthony A. Hoekema on amillennialism. After each view is presented, proponents of the three competing views respond from their own perspectives. Here you'll encounter a lively and productive debate among respected Christian scholars that will help you gain clearer and deeper understanding of the different ways the church approaches the meaning of the millennium.

    But the Bible's story comes not from humanity, but from God. Author, T. Desmond Alexander, suggests that God has given us the reasons for creation and our existence in the Bible. "by resolving an intricate plot that sheds light on the entire story," Alexander writes. Using this theory to start from the denouement, or resolution, in Revelation's last verses and work backward, Alexander pieces together the Bible's overarching plot. The resulting picture reveals the reasons for creation and life that have eluded those who seek to answer life's biggest questions without first placing themselves in God's story.

    Because of the cultural distance between the biblical world and our contemporary setting, we often bring modern Western biases to the text. For example:When Western readers hear Paul exhorting women to "dress modestly," we automatically think in terms of sexual modesty. But most women in that culture would never wear racy clothing. The context suggests that Paul is likely more concerned about economic modesty--that Christian women not flaunt their wealth through expensive clothes, braided hair and gold jewelry.Some readers might assume that Moses married "below himself" because his wife was a dark-skinned Cushite. Actually, Hebrews were the slave race, not the Cushites, who were highly respected. Aaron and Miriam probably thought Moses was being presumptuous by marrying "above himselfWestern individualism leads us to assume that Mary and Joseph traveled alone to Bethlehem. What went without saying was that they were likely accompanied by a large entourage of extended family.Biblical scholars Brandon O'Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. They identify nine key areas where modern Westerners have significantly different assumptions about what might be going on in a text. Drawing on their own crosscultural experience in global mission, O'Brien and Richards show how better self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences in language, time and social mores allow us to see the Bible in fresh and unexpected ways. Getting beyond our own cultural assumptions is increasingly important for being Christians in our interconnected and globalized world. Learn to read Scripture as a member of the global body of Christ.

    Randy Alcorn has the answers.In the most comprehensive and definitive book on Heaven to date, Randy invites you to picture Heaven the way Scripture describes it-- a bright, vibrant, and physical New Earth, free from sin, suffering, and death, and brimming with Christ's presence, wondrous natural beauty, and the richness of human culture as God intended it. God has put eternity in our hearts. Now, Randy Alcorn brings eternity to light in a way that will surprise you, spark your imagination, and change how you live life today. If you've always thought of Heaven as a realm of disembodied spirits, clouds, and eternal harp strumming, you're in for a wonderful surprise. This is a book about real people with real bodies enjoying close relationships with God and each other, eating, drinking, working, playing, traveling, worshiping, and discovering on a New Earth. Earth as God created it. Earth as he intended it to be. And the next time you hear someone say, "We cant begin to imagine what Heaven will be like," you'll be able to tell them, "I can."

    Driscoll and Breshears team up again to teach thirteen key elements of the Christian faith that should be held by anyone claiming to be a follower of Jesus.

    The first concerns redemptive history and the kingdom of God. The New Testament writers adopt the Old Testament vision of God's reign and affirm that it has come in Jesus Christ, although final fulfillment is yet to come. Second, the ultimate goal of the kingdom is God's glory. Schreiner goes on to relate these themes to the life of the believer and the community of faith. Pastors and students will find this a comprehensive and illuminating survey of the unifying themes found throughout the New Testament.