Naturally, these interpretations all contradict each other which leads many believers to decide that efforts to understand it are a waste of time.In fact, however, Revelation is not all that difficult to interpret. It completes the history begun in the book of Acts, and is closely tied to everything else that is going on in the apostolic age. It deals with the end of the Old Creation and the full arrival of the New, and then looks forward to the final return of Jesus and the bodily resurrection at the end of history.

    Many of the Hebrew scriptures were still evolving when they were translated into Greek, and these Greek translations, alongwith several new Greek writings, became Holy Scripture in the early Church.Yet, gradually the Septuagint lost its place at the heart of Western Christianity. At the end of the fourth century, one of antiquity's brightest minds rejected the Septuagint in favor of the Bible of the rabbis. After Jerome, the Septuagint never regained the position it once had. Timothy MichaelLaw recounts the story of the Septuagint's origins, its relationship to the Hebrew Bible, and the adoption and abandonment of the first Christian Old Testament.

    Now revised and updated to include all the book of the Old Testament.

    The reader will gain a better understanding of Old Testament prophets and prophetic literature.

    He was the world's wisest and wealthiest king. And yet, tragically, he threw it all away for the love of money, the pleasures of sex, and the powers of an earthly kingdom.In studying the life of Solomon, we see both the true greatness and the tragic failure of our own humanity--from godly devotion to self-serving excess. Even in the midst of our best intentions, we are all prone to succumb to the same temptations of money, sex, and power. And if Solomon's incredible wisdom could not prevent him from such tragic mistakes, then how are we to triumph over the same temptations?Philip Graham Ryken shows us how, by the grace of God, to prevent those downfalls and to seek God's glory amid earthly temptations through this rich, Christ-centered study of the life of Solomon.

    In this work Fr Schmemann defines liturgical theology, noting especially its progress beyond "liturgics."

    Where its teachings are believed, understood, and embodied in the life, ritualism and legalism (the two chief enemies of Christianity) receive their death blow. In no other book of Scripture are the sophistries and deceptions of Romanism so clearly and systematically exposed. So fully and pointedly are the errors of Popery refuted, it might well have been written since that satanic system became established. Well did one of the Puritans say, "God foreseeing what poisonous heresies would be hatched by the Papacy, prepared this antidote against them."▶ CONTENTS1. Introduction2. The Superiority of Christ over the Prophet3. Christ Superior to Angels4. Christ Superior to Moses5. Christ Superior to Joshua6. Christ Superior to Aaron7. Infancy and Maturity8. Apostasy9. The Twofold Working of the Spirit10. The Two Classes of Professors11. Two Christians Described12. Christian Perseverance13. The Anchor of the Soul14. Melchizedek15. The Priesthood Changed16. Judaism Set Aside17. The Perfect Priest18. The Two Covenants19. The Typical Tabernacle20. The Contrasted Priests21. Eternal Redemption22. The Mediator23. The New Testament24. The Great Sacrifice25. The Typical Sacrifice26. The Divine Incarnation27. Christ's Dedication28. The Perfecting of the Church29. Sanctification30. Access to God31. Christian Perseverance32. Apostasy33. The Apostates' Doom34. The Path of Tribulation35. The Saving of the Soul36. The Excellency of Faith37. The Faith of Abel38. The Faith of Enoch39. The Faith of Noah40. The Call of Abraham41. The Life of Abraham42. The Faith of Sarah43. The Perseverance of Faith44. The Reward of Faith45. The Faith of Abraham46. The Faith of Isaac47. The Faith of Jacob48. The Faith of Joseph49. The Faith of Moses’ Parents50. The Faith of Moses51. The Faith of Israel52. The Faith of Rahab53. The Faith of the Judges54. The Achievements of Faith55. The Pinnacle of Faith56. The Family of Faith57. The Demands of Faith58. The Object of Faith59. A Call to Steadfastness60. Divine Chastisement61. A Call to Steadfastness62. A Call to Diligence63. A Call to Examination64. A Warning against Apostasy65. The Inferiority of Judaism66. The Superiority of Christianity67. The Call to Hear68. The Passing of Judaism69. The Establishing of Christianity70. The Kingdom of Christ71. The Final Warning72. Brotherly Love73. Marriage74. Covetousness75. Contentment76. Motives to Fidelity77. The Heart Established78. The Christian's Altar79. Christ Our Sin Offering80. Outside the Camp81. The Christian's Sacrifices82. Christian Rulers83. A Good Conscience84. Praying for Ministers85. The Apostle's Prayer86. Divine Exhortations87. Spiritual Freedom88. Conclusion89. Other Books▶ AUTHORArthur W. Pink was born in Nottingham England in 1886, and born again of the Spirit of God in 1908 at the age of 22.

    A veteran professor illuminates each Old Testament historical book by examining its content, structure, and theological message.

    Although the disciples had denied and abandoned the Crucified One, they came to realize, through the reading of Scriptures and the breaking of bread, that Jesus had given himself up for the life of the world, so transforming death into life, darkness into light, and flesh into word.Beginning with the Passion narratives, Fr Behr examines how we search the scriptures to encounter Christ and thereby realize that we were created for this encounter, thus opening a profound perspective on creation, the fall, sin, and salvation history. He further explains how Christ is born in those who are born again in the Church, their "Virgin Mother," so that they become truly human, after the stature of Christ, and continue the incarnation of the Word by glorifying God in their bodies.By returning to the approach of the early Church, this fresh study by a renowned patristic scholar offers a way out of the problems that have beset theology and scriptural study in recent centuries.

    History is replete with examples of how not to interpret it, and books featuring end-of-world prophecy claims based on Revelation consistently top the bestseller lists. But how can the message of such an enigmatic book be applied to our lives today?In Discipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. Johnson drives home the challenging and practical message of Revelation in thirty carefully crafted sermons. Paying careful attention to the original context of Revelation and the circumstances surrounding its composition, Johnson shows that the book is not a "crystal ball" but rather a "discipleship manual." Thoroughly researched and yet accessible, this collection of sermons is a helpful resource for pastors and small group leaders who are looking for models to help them preach and teach the message of Revelation in a time when there is much confusion about the end times. Darrell W. Johnson serves as Scholar-in-Residence at The Way Church and Canadian Church Leaders Network in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A popular conference and retreat speaker, he has also served as the preaching pastor for a number of congregations in North America and the Philippines, as well as serving as Adjunct Professor of Preaching for the Doctor of Ministry program at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. His other books include Experiencing the Trinity and Fifty-Seven Words That Change The World.

    This book is a continuation of the narrative begun in 1 Samuel, and continued through 2 Samuel and 1 Kings. Ralph finishes it off with a captivating and rewarding journey through 2 Kings.Written between 561 BC and 538 BC, 2nd Kings gives us a warning about the consequences of sin, especially the catastrophic repercussions of Israel's love affair with idolatry. Despite struggling with other problems, we see that the Jewish people learned from their experience. They never made a mistake of this enormity again.Through prophets such as Elisha and Elijah we see God's compassion for his people and the opportunity for repentance. An opportunity spoilt by Judah, climaxing with the subjugation of the kingdom by the Babylonians.Illuminating, accessible and laced with his unique sense of humour, Davis' practical devotional expository applies events to the contemporary reader providing parallels to alert us in the 21st century.

    In a new Foreword to the 1996 edition, Sarna takes up the debate over whether the exodus from Egypt really happened, clarifying the arguments on both sides and drawing us back to the uniqueness and enduring significance of biblical text.

    Each of the fifteen sermons, three of them appearing here for the first time in print, is based on a reading from Matthew, including Exceeding Righteousness (Matthew 5:17-20), The Problem with Miracles (14:13-21), Family Fights (18:15-20), Once More from the Heart (18:21-35), Beginning at the End (20:1-16), and On the Clouds of Heaven (24:29-44).

    --Mark 1:17-18 The Gospel of Mark is a book of action and passion. Events happen one after another, with a vivid sense of immediacy and urgency. Jesus? emotions come through strongly--at times he is angry and distressed, other times filled with compassion. In this volume, Michael Card provides a lively tour of the Gospel of Mark. As a friend and interpreter of Simon Peter, Mark gives firsthand glimpses of the life and ministry of Jesus in vibrant and energetic narration. The first Gospel to be written, Mark is a pamphlet for hard times, encouraging Christians that all their sufferings were already endured by Jesus. Accompany Mark on his journey with Jesus. The more clearly you see Jesus here, the greater your passion will be for him.

    To read Romans front to back was what Paul certainly intended. But to read Romans forward may have kept the full message of Romans from being perceived. Reading forward has led readers to classify Romans as abstract and systematic theology, as a letter unstained by real pastoral concerns.But what if a different strategy were adopted? Could it be that the secret to understanding the relationship between theology and life, the key to unlocking Romans, is to begin at the letter's end? Scot McKnight does exactly this in Reading Romans Backwards.McKnight begins with Romans 12-16, foregrounding the problems that beleaguered the house churches in Rome. Beginning with the end places readers right in the middle of a community deeply divided between the strong and the weak, each side dug in on their position. The strong assert social power and privilege, while the weak claim an elected advantage in Israel's history. Continuing to work in reverse, McKnight unpacks the big themes of Romans 9-11--God's unfailing, but always surprising, purposes and the future of Israel--to reveal Paul's specific and pastoral message for both the weak and the strong in Rome. Finally, McKnight shows how the widely regarded universal sinfulness of Romans 1-4, which is so often read as simply an abstract soteriological scheme, applies to a particular rhetorical character's sinfulness and has a polemical challenge. Romans 5-8 equally levels the ground with the assertion that both groups, once trapped in a world controlled by sin, flesh, and systemic evil, can now live a life in the Spirit. In Paul's letter, no one gets off the hook but everyone is offered God's grace.Reading Romans Backwards places lived theology in the front room of every Roman house church. It focuses all of Romans--Paul's apostleship, God's faithfulness, and Christ's transformation of humanity--on achieving grace and peace among all people, both strong and weak. McKnight shows that Paul's letter to the Romans offers a sustained lesson on peace, teaching applicable to all divided churches, ancient or modern.