Don’t let your confusion about a Bible verse or passage keep you from spiritual growth! Going from book to book, the McDowells boil down the tough topics, explain them in everyday language, and include a summary of key principles of interpretation. Their resource will help laypeople and pastors alike gain confidence and competence in all of Scripture.
This powerful reference tool is a book-by-book, chapter-by-chapter, detailed look at the historical, cultural, and economic background of the Gospel of John, and Hebrews—Revelation. Much more than simply theology or a Word study, The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary opens a window to transport the reader back into the setting of the New Testament to see, touch, and hear as much of the world of that time as possible. The better acquainted you become with the background of the New Testament, the better you’ll be able to avoid misunderstanding the allusions and references that run throughout the writings of the New Testament. Historical events, social customs, religious beliefs, figures of speech, turns of phrase, and institutions all contribute to how the Bible’s first readers would have understood it.
Authors Richard Langer and Joanne J. Jung teach that “followership” is essential to both organizational and spiritual flourishing, reexamining the nature of leadership and followership in light of the life-transforming power of following Jesus Christ.
Debate abounds on the future of Israel and Israel’s relation to the church, not only between dispensationalists and non-dispensationalists, but among dispensationalists themselves. In the past that debate has sometimes been acrimonious, and proponents of the differing viewpoints have found little common ground. In recent years, however, views have been modified and developed so that the dialogue is increasingly by cooperation and a mutual exploration of diverse ideas. The Case for Progressive Dispensationalism is intended to enlighten the debate in that same irenic spirit. The book is solidly dispensational in perspective in affirming that the Old Testament prophecies are completely fulfilled in the future, that the nation of Israel has a prophetic future, and that Israel is not the church.
This reference volume aims to be a kind of comprehensive status quaestionis for the Catholic Epistles. Here Darian Lockett has collected some of the highest quality scholarship concentred upon the Letters of James, Peter, John, and Jude, creating an introduction and orientation to the wide ranging avenues of scholarly investigation into these New Testament texts all in a single-volume. Divided into four distinct sections, the volume begins with an analysis of the Catholic Epistles as a collection, before moving to discuss historical-critical and theological studies, methodological approaches, and, finally, reception history. Taking care to situate foundational essays in the history of scholarship that may be hard to find or contextualize, Lockett offers a brief introduction to each section and draws each section to a close by providing a list of annotated readings which prompt further study and engagement with some of the last literature to be settled upon in the New Testament canon.
Cremer’s short, energetic treatise on the divine attributes was admired by both Karl Barth and Wolfhart Pannenberg. Cremer chastises the speculative flights of traditional doctrines of the divine attributes and issues a resounding summons to a more exegetically, economically, and christologically grounded account. Known primarily as a biblical scholar for his Biblico-Theological Lexicon of New Testament Greek, precursor to the monumental TDNT, Cremer shows himself here also an able systematician, with a pastor’s eye for the role played by doctrine in the life of congregational and individual faith.
The Church in God’s Program is a biblical study covering the entire scope of the church – its beginning, government, ministries, and the new covenant.
Drawing upon little-known angel inscriptions, magical texts, and archaeological evidence from Asia Minor, the author argues that the Colossians tried to combine Paul’s teachings about Christ with local pagan and Jewish folk beliefs. The result was a syncretism that kept them captive to the fear of evil spirits, dependent on the power of magic and amulets, and blind to the liberating power of the indwelling Christ, the supreme Creator and Lord of all spiritual principalities and powers.
For a century the reigning scientific view has been that God is not necessary to account for the existence of the world and of life. Evolutionary theory is said to be all that is needed to explain how we got here. In addition, many theistic evolutionists contend that God likely used many of the mechanisms of evolution to achieve his will. In this book J.P. Moreland and a panel of scholars assert that there is actually substantial evidence pointing in a different direction.
In The Crucified King, Jeremy Treat demonstrates that Scripture presents a mutually enriching relationship between the kingdom and atonement that draws significantly from the story of Israel and culminates in the crucifixion of Christ the king. As Israel’s messiah, he holds together the kingdom and the cross by bringing God’s reign on earth through his atoning death. The kingdom is the ultimate goal of the cross, and the cross is the means by which the kingdom comes. Jesus’ death is not the failure of his messianic ministry, nor simply the prelude to his royal glory, but is the apex of his kingdom mission. The cross is the throne from which he rules and establishes his kingdom.
In The Crucified King, Jeremy Treat demonstrates that Scripture presents a mutually enriching relationship between the kingdom and atonement that draws significantly from the story of Israel and culminates in the crucifixion of Christ the king. As Israel’s messiah, he holds together the kingdom and the cross by bringing God’s reign on earth through his atoning death. The kingdom is the ultimate goal of the cross, and the cross is the means by which the kingdom comes. Jesus’ death is not the failure of his messianic ministry, nor simply the prelude to his royal glory, but is the apex of his kingdom mission. The cross is the throne from which he rules and establishes his kingdom.
How do Christian higher education institutions orient new faculty members to their role on a Christian campus? How do they lead faculty members toward a deeper understanding of the Christian dimension of their place in higher education? Bible Colleges, Christian Universities, and Seminaries need a resource that can be provided to faculty members or be used in faculty development discussions. This book is designed to serve as just such a resource. It provides a clear and concise portrait of the general role of faculty from a distinctively evangelical Christian perspective. We use the metanarrative of being formed by the cross to describe the “cruciform” role of professors as teachers in the classroom, mentors to the students, scholars within the academy, and servants of the church and community. Each chapter will have personal and group reflection questions and exercises to aid in application.
Though widely taught and believed by evangelicals, the doctrine of the Trinity is rarely fully understood or celebrated. In The Deep Things of God, systematic theologian Fred Sanders offers an accesible guide to this fundamental doctrine, demonstrating why it ought to be embraced—wholeheartedly and without reserve—as a central concern of evangelical theology. This revised second edition of The Deep Things of God includes a study guide and examines the centrality of the Trinity in our salvation and the Trinity’s presence in the reading of the Bible and prayer.
When Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land, he was told to destroy the Canaanites as well as their culture. Yet, how can a good God command genocide, and how are we to make sense of one of the Bible’s most difficult ethical problems? In The Destruction of the Canaanites, Charlie Trimm evaluates this topic from every conceivable angle: Who were the Canaanites, and what do we know about them? How should one understand the nature of warfare in the ancient world? When is an event considered genocide? He then provides four possible approaches to reconciling biblical violence.
Jonathan Edwards is considered by many to be America’s greatest theologian. Many have lauded him as one of the great theologians in church history. This book brings together major Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant theologians to assess Edwards’s theological acumen. Each chapter places Edwards in conversation with a thinker or a tradition over a specific theological issue.
Developing a “culture of service” empowers the people in any church to minister to the church’s two key “customer groups”–the people already there, and guests. The message of Exodus Principle is that serving both groups well is critical to health. Church growth expert Gary McIntosh explores the critical need of churches to serve both members and visitors as valued, respected guests in God’s house. It is only by extending the hand of sincere Christian hospitality, both inside and outside the church, that congregations can continue to grow.
The Book of Martyrs by John Foxe written in the sixteenth century has long been the go-to source for studying the lives and martyrdom of the apostles. In The Fate of the Apostles, Sean McDowell offers a comprehensive, reasoned, historical analysis of the fate of the Twelve disciples of Jesus along with the apostles Paul and James, the brother of Jesus. McDowell assesses the evidence for each apostle’s martyrdom as well as determining its significance to the reliability of their testimony. The question of the fate of the apostles also gets to the heart of the reliability of the kerygma: Did the apostles really believe Jesus appeared to them after his death, or did they fabricate the entire story? How reliable are the resurrection accounts? In this thoroughly updated new edition, McDowell offers insightful scholarly analysis of this argument to break new ground within the spheres of New Testament studies, Church History, and apologetics.
Against the backdrop of feminist critique, Karin Spiecker Stetina gives us a thorough study of John Calvin’s ideas on the fatherhood of God. After looking briefly at Calvin’s own experience of fatherhood, the author looks in depth at his epistemology and then his imagery for God as Father against the background of the biblical and historical doctrine. This intriguing study allows us, through the lens of the reformer’s theology, to look again at what we mean by God as Father and believers as sons and daughters of the living God.
Dive deeper with your small group and church into 6 key Bible stories and parables of forgiveness, healing, and restoration with The Forgiveness of Jesus DVD Bible Study. Instead of simply describing the background of these stories, this DVD study takes it a step further by beginning each teaching session in Israel—showing key places, such as the Sea of Galilee where Jesus (where Jesus told the story of the prodigal son)! Featuring solid overviews, incredible cultural insights, and practical applications from top Bible scholars, this all-inclusive DVD Bible study will deepen your understanding of forgiveness and compassion in the Bible.
This is the Participant Guide that accompanies the Parables of Jesus 6-Session DVD. This is the Participant Guide that accompanies the Forgiveness of Jesus 6-Session DVD. Easily follow along and dig even deeper into the Forgiveness of Jesus DVD study with this Forgiveness of Jesus Participant Guide. Packed with maps, pictures, outlines, key scripture verses, discussion questions, plenty of room for note taking, and a personal five-day Bible study for each session, this participant guide will help you get the most out of The Forgiveness of Jesus DVD study, both in your group and in applying what you learn to your life. Solidify learning experiences, draw out practical applications, and help cultivate a heart of compassion and forgiveness today!
