Biblical Studies

God’s Goodness for the Chosen: An Interactive Bible Study (Season 4)

God’s Goodness for the Chosen is an eight-lesson Bible study for individuals or groups that follows each episode of Season 4 of The Chosen. This study teaches readers how to reframe their hardships and see them as fertile soil for God’s goodness to grow in their lives. We see it over and over again in the Bible: God brings good things out of bad things for the sake of His people and for His glory. But truth be told, when we personally experience suffering, we have a difficult time actually believing it. Yet, life is challenging even for the followers of Jesus, and hardship in the twenty-first century is no exception. God’s Goodness for the Chosen takes readers through eight lessons which reveal how God uses suffering to bring about good things in the lives of those He loves.

Hebrews in Contexts (Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity) – Hardcover

Scholars of Hebrews have repeatedly echoed the almost proverbial saying that the book appears to its reader as a “Melchizedekian being without genealogy”. For such scholars the aphorism identified prominent traits of Hebrews, its enigma, its otherness, its marginality. Hebrews in Contexts, edited by Gabriella Gelardini and Harold W. Attridge, is an expression of this interest. It gathers authors who explore extensively on Hebrews’ relations to other early traditions and texts (Jewish, Hellenistic, and Roman) in order to map Hebrews’ historical, cultural, and religious identity in greater, and perhaps surprising detail.

How Biblical Languages Work: A Student’s Guide to Learning Hebrew and Greek

A practical and easy to understand guide to learning both Hebrew and Greek. Ideal for Biblical language scholars. This book provides the first practical beginner’s guide to the main components of biblical Hebrew and Greek. It will bring the reader through various organizational structures in Hebrew and Greek using insights gained from years of linguistic and biblical experience. The authors intend this book to be used as a tool to supplement traditional courses in Hebrew and Greek, and to show that these languages are organized in much the same way as other languages. The last chapter includes tips to help each reader learn in his own way. Written by two extremely well-qualified linguists. Uses helpful learning methods by moving from known (English) to unknown (biblical languages). Ideal companion to first-year grammars. Provides a key for getting the most out of both Hebrew and Greek

Illustrated Job in Hebrew

Illustrated Job in Hebrew belongs to the series GlossaHouse Illustrated Biblical Texts (GIBT) that presents the books of the Bible in their original languages, embedded scene by scene in the context of Keith Neely’s evocative, full-color illustrations. These innovative resources will accelerate your comprehension by helping you distinguish narrative from dialogue at a glance. The illustrations provide visual cues for action, tension, and emotion, inviting an immersive reading experience in the ancient languages. While the books are supported by an original English translation on each page, the graphic approach of the GIBT series pushes against a tendency in biblical language learning to make translation the end goal.

In Quest of the Historical Adam: A Biblical and Scientific Exploration

Was Adam a real historical person? And if so, who was he, and when did he live? William Lane Craig sets out to answer these questions through a biblical and scientific investigation. He begins with an inquiry into the genre of Genesis 1–11, determining that it can most plausibly be classified as mytho-history—a narrative with both literary and historical value. He then moves into the New Testament, where he examines references to Adam in the words of Jesus and the writings of Paul, ultimately concluding that the entire Bible considers Adam the historical progenitor of the human race—a position that must therefore be accepted as a premise for Christians who take seriously the inspired truth of Scripture.

James: Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

Designed for the pastor and Bible teacher, the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament examines the biblical text in its original environment. Notable evangelical scholars carefully attend to grammatical detail, literary context, rhetorical flow, theological nuance, and historical setting in their interpretation. Critical scholarship informs each step, but does not dominate the commentary, allowing readers to concentrate on the biblical author’s message as it unfolds. While primarily designed for those with a basic knowledge of biblical Greek, all who strive to understand and teach the New Testament will find this series beneficial. The general editor for this enterprising series is Clinton E. Arnold.

Joel, Amos, Obadiah: An Exegetical Commentary

An excellent exegetical commentary.  The prophet Joel speaks of a day of unparalleled blessing and judgment. Two events occupy center stage in the book of Joel: a great plague of locusts and the Day of the Lord. Joel calls the people of Judah to repent in light of the disastrous devastation brought by locusts. The Lord’s promise to restore and bless anew His people when they repent serves as the backdrop for a sweeping message about the future Day of the Lord. The prophet Amos speaks to people who were religious but who were not righteous. He focuses on the unjust practices of the rich and powerful against the poor and helpless in Israelite society. He strives especially to show how day-to-day living cannot be separated from true worship of the Lord. Words of judgment and condemnation dominate the prophet’s message, but Amos concludes with a vision of Israel rejoined with the people of Judah in justice and unprecedented prosperity. Obadiah tells a story of double betrayal. The nation of Edom, which should have been an ally, betrayed Judah when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C. As punishment the Lord promises that Edom will likewise fall prey to a trap by its allies. Obadiah then takes this theme of “judgment through betrayal because of betrayal” and expands it to encompass all nations when the Day of the Lord comes and “the kingdom will be the Lord’s.”

Joel, Obadiah and Micah – Bible Commentary (Everymans Bible Commentaries)

‘If the success of a man is measured by the impact he has on later generations, then all of the prophets were highly successful . . . They still speak as God’s mouthpieces to all people everywhere.’ Joel, Obadiah, and Micah preached to plugged ears and hearts of stone. Their message, however, was clear: God’s judgment is real. Studied extensively throughout the New Testament period until the present day, these books remain relevant to readers. Thomas J. Finley examines the short but important texts of these prophets in this thorough, verse-by-verse exploration. This volume contains each book’s historical setting, literary characteristics, a profile of the prophet, and the message for today.

Judges and Ruth (Teach the Text Commentary Series)

The Teach the Text Commentary Series utilizes the best of biblical scholarship to provide the information a pastor needs to communicate the text effectively. The carefully selected preaching units and focused commentary allow pastors to quickly grasp the big idea and key themes of each passage of Scripture. Each unit of the commentary includes the big idea and key themes of the passage and sections dedicated to understanding, teaching, and illustrating the text. The newest Old Testament release in this innovative commentary series is Kenneth C. Way’s treatment of Judges and Ruth.

Kings and Priests

This study offers a theological and ethical account of Christian readers of Scripture-one that brings together these two apparently divergent poles-through the deployment of a biblical theological motif: royal priesthood. The designation of the people of God as a royal priesthood, conditioned and informed by the offices of king and priest, carries with it themes that frame the hermeneutical situation in such a way that accounts well for the integral relation of divine agency and ecclesial response, theology and ethics.

Letters for the Church: Reading James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude as Canon

The Catholic Epistles often get short shrift. Tucked into a few pages near the back of our Bibles, these books are sometimes referred to as the “non-Pauline epistles” or “concluding letters,” maybe getting lumped together with Hebrews and Revelation. Yet these letters, Darian Lockett argues, are treasures hidden in plain sight, and it’s time to give them the attention they deserve. In Letters for the Church, Lockett reveals how the Catholic Epistles provide a unique window into early Christian theology and practice. Based on evidence from the early church, he contends that the seven letters of James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, and Jude were accepted into the canon as a collection and should be read together. Here Lockett introduces the context and content of the Catholic Epistles while emphasizing how all seven letters are connected. Each chapter outlines the author, audience, and genre of one of the epistles, traces its flow of thought, and explores shared themes with the other Catholic Epistles.

Letters from the Pillar Apostles: The Formation of the Catholic Epistles as a Canonical Collection

Rather than reading the Catholic Epistles in isolation from each other–understanding their individual historical situations as the single, determinative context for their interpretation–this study argues that a proper understanding of these seven letters must equally attend to their collection and placement within the New Testament canon. Resisting the judgment of much of historical-critical analysis of the New Testament, namely, that the concept of canon actually obscures the meaning of these texts, it is the canonical process by which the texts were composed, redacted, collected, arranged, and fixed in a final canonical form that constitutes a necessary interpretive context for these seven letters. This study argues that through reception history and paratextual and compositional evidence one can discern a collection consciousness within the Catholic Epistles such that they should be read and interpreted as an intentional, discrete canonical sub-collection set within the New Testament. Furthermore, the work argues that such collection consciousness, though not necessarily in the preview of the original authors (being perhaps unforeseen, yet not unintended), is neither anachronistic to the meaning of the letters nor antagonistic to their composition.

New Creation in Paul’s Letters and Thought

M.V. Hubbard offers a full investigation of St. Paul’s understanding of “new life” and “new creation”, working closely with the language of his letters to unpack, in socio-anthropological context, the images and metaphors he uses. Professor Hubbard examines other approaches and literature on the topic, providing an important new perspective on the Pauline oeuvre and its meaning.

Overcoming: Encountering Jesus in the Gospel of John and Today

How can we overcome our pain, wounds and struggles in order to find hope, joy, peace and purpose? This book contains engaging, relevant, authentic stories about people who have overcome anger, eating disorders, unforgiveness, shame, bitterness, sexual sin, low self-esteem, divorce, alcohol and drug addiction, abuse, physical disabilities, and consuming guilt through healing prayer. These powerful, engaging prayer encounters will serve as a guide to show us how we can also overcome our hurts, habits and hang-ups.

Paul, the Stoics, and the Body of Christ

At first glance, Paul’s words to the Corinthians about being the body of Christ seem simple and straightforward. He compares them with a human body so that they may be encouraged to work together, each member contributing to the good of the whole according to his or her special gift. However, the passage raises several critical questions which point to its deeper implications. Does Paul mean that the community is ‘like’ a body or is he saying that they are in some sense a real body? What is the significance of being specifically the body of Christ? Is the primary purpose of the passage to instruct on the correct use of spiritual gifts or is Paul making a statement about the identity of the Christian community? Michelle Lee examines Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 12-14 against the backdrop of Hellenistic moral philosophy, and especially Stoicism.

Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem

Paul’s enigmatic “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians has baffled interpreters for centuries. Many offer suggestions as to the identity of Satan’s messenger; others despair that the puzzle is unsolvable. In Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem, Kenneth Berding reopens the case. He follows a trail of clues that includes ancient beliefs about curses, hints in Paul’s letters, similarities with Jesus’s suffering, and the attempts of the earliest Christian interpreters. Berding offers twenty criteria—some familiar, others neglected—that any proposals must explain.

Polycarp and Paul

Polycarp and Paul: An Analysis of Their Literary and Theological Relationship in Light of Polycarp’s Use of Biblical and Extra-Biblical Literature (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae, No. 62). This volume carefully analyses Polycarp of Smyrna’s literary dependencies, paying special attention to Polycarp’s verbal and conceptual relationships to the Apostle Paul and his writings.

Power and Magic: The Concept of Power in Ephesians

Power and Magic is one of the few books which literally cannot be ignored by any serious Bible student. In fact, it makes the classical commentaries on Ephesians that I am familiar with virtually obsolete. Clinton Arnold has done us all a great favor by throwing vital new light on our understanding of what really motivated the Apostle Paul to write one of his most important epistles.

Proverbs: Pathways to Wisdom

The book of Proverbs is a book written for people like us—parents, children, friends, and coworkers. It’s a collection of biblical sayings and wisdom that are intended to help us with practical matters in our lives. Inside we encounter the wise and the foolish, and instructions for the journey to find the wisdom that comes from God alone. Proverbs: Pathways to Wisdom explores the context, language, and interpretation of the book of Proverbs. Each chapter covers well known verses and examines prevalent themes throughout the book. From the fear of the Lord to the Woman of Valor in Proverbs 31, Hernández explores an array of verses and reveals literary and historical details that supply profound insight into familiar passages. Additional components for a four-week study include a DVD featuring Dominick S. Hernández and a comprehensive Leader Guide.

Proverbs: Pathways to Wisdom – DVD

The book of Proverbs is a book written for people like us—parents, children, friends, and coworkers. It’s a collection of biblical sayings and wisdom that are intended to help us with practical matters in our lives. Inside we encounter the wise and the foolish, and instructions for the journey to find the wisdom that comes from God alone. Proverbs: Pathways to Wisdom explores the context, language, and interpretation of the book of Proverbs. Each chapter covers well known verses and examines prevalent themes throughout the book. From the fear of the Lord to the Woman of Valor in Proverbs 31, Hernández explores an array of verses and reveals literary and historical details that supply profound insight into familiar passages. Additional components for a four-week study include a DVD featuring Dominick S. Hernández and a comprehensive Leader Guide.