The chief aims of this book are: to consider methodologically how to compare two (or more) related but different religions; to destroy the view of Rabbinic Judaism which is still prevalent in much, perhaps most, New Testament scholarship; to establish a different view of Rabbinic Judaism; to argue a case concerning Palestinian Judaism (that is, Judaism as reflected in material of Palestinian pr…
Drawing on the latest in Genesis scholarship, this volume offers twenty-nine essays on a wide range of topics related to Genesis, written by leading experts in the field. Topics include its formation, reception, textual history and translation, themes, theologies, and place within Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
In this accessible introduction to Jesus Christ, Robert Stein draws together the results of a career of research and writing on Jesus and the Gospels. This classic textbook is clearly written, ably argued, and geared to the needs of students, giving probing minds a sure grounding in the life and ministry of Jesus.
It can no longer be assumed that most people--or even most Christians--have a basic understanding of the Bible. Many don't know the difference between the Old and New Testament, and even the more well-known biblical figures are often misunderstood. It is getting harder to talk about Jesus accurately and compellingly because listeners have no proper context with which to understand God's story o…
This groundbreaking work by Darrell Bock thoroughly explores the theology of Luke's gospel and the book of Acts. In his writings, Luke records the story of God working through Jesus to usher in a new era of promise and Spirit-enablement so that the people of God can be God's people even in the midst of a hostile world. It is a message the church still needs today. Bock both covers major Lukan t…
This Tragic Gospel suggests that the "Gospel" of John intended to supplant the first three gospels and succeeded in gaining undue influence on the early churches. This study focuses on the tragic moment when Jesus prays for deliverance from his impending death in the garden of Gethsemane. Ruprecht contends that John rewrote this scene in order to convey a very different dramatic meaning from th…
James Kugel's The Bible As It Was (1997) has been welcomed with universal praise. Here now is the full scholarly edition of this wonderfully rich and illuminating work, expanding the author's findings into an incomparable reference work. Focusing on two dozen core stories in the Pentateuch--from the Creation and Tree of Knowledge through the Exodus from Egypt and journey to the Promised Land…
This thoroughly revised edition of Bruce M. Metzger's classic work is the most up-to-date manual available for the textual criticism of the New Testament. The Text of the New Testament, Fourth Edition, has been invigorated by the addition of Bart D. Ehrman--author of numerous best-selling books on the New Testament--as a coauthor. This revision brings the discussion of such important matters as…
Reading the books of the Law, the Pentateuch, in their original context is the crucial prerequisite for reading their citation and use in later interpretation, including the New Testament writings, argues Ben Witherington III. Here, he offers pastors, teachers, and students an accessible commentary on the Pentateuch, as well as a reasoned consideration of how these books were heard and read in …
In this volume Robert Kysar chronicles the history of interpretation of the Fourth Gospel in the twentieth century. His study reveals four distinct critical approaches to understanding the Fourth Gospel―historical, theological, literary, and postmodernist readings. The use of these methods mirrors the history of biblical studies and influences the present state of scholarship.
Beginning with Jesus' birth, Ken Bailey leads readers on a kaleidoscopic study of Jesus throughout the four Gospels. Bailey examines the life and ministry of Jesus with attention to the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, Jesus' relationship to women and especially Jesus' parables. Through it all, Bailey employs his trademark expertise as a master of Middle Eastern culture to lead us into a deeper u…
All too often, argues Ben Witherington, the theology of the New Testament has been divorced from its ethics, leaving as isolated abstractions what are fully integrated, dynamic elements within the New Testament itself. As Witherington stresses, "behavior affects and reinforces or undoes belief." Having completed commentaries on all of the New Testament books, a remarkable feat in itself, Wither…
All too often, argues Ben Witherington, the theology of the New Testament has been divorced from its ethics, leaving as isolated abstractions what are fully integrated, dynamic elements within the New Testament itself. As Witherington stresses, "behavior affects and reinforces or undoes belief." Having completed commentaries on all of the New Testament books, a remarkable feat in itself, Wither…
Outline : Westminster John Knox Press is proud to offer an exciting new phase in the renowned Interpretation commentary series. Instead of focusing on individual books of the Bible, these additions focus on the Bible's most enduring passages and most vital themes, bringing to these topics the insight and faithful wisdom that are longtime hallmarks of the Interpretation commentary series. This e…
Outline: Westminster John Knox Press is proud to introduce an existing new phase in the renowned Interpretation commentary series. Instead of focusing on individual books of the Bible, these additions will focus on the Bible's most enduring passages and most vital themes, bringing to these topics the insighand faithful wisdom that are longtime hallmarks of the Interpretation commentary series. …
Outline: All too often Christians, and even Christian leaders, do not know how to deal with skeptical challenges to the Bible and the Christian faith. In today's culture of doubt, Bible skeptic Bart Ehrman - professor at UNC-Chapel Hll and the author of four New York Times best sellers - has found a captive audience. Ehrman's popularity is due in large part to the fact that he is talking about …
Outline: How can we make sense of Violence in the Bible? Joshua commands the people of Israel to wipe out everyone in the promised land of Canaan, while Jesus commands of God's people to love their enemies. How are we to interpret biblical passages on violence when it is sanctioned at one point and condemned at another? The Violence of the Biblical God by L. Daniel Hawk presents a new framework…
Outline: The Prophets have spoken. History is strewn with wars and scrapping over religion. With the advent of the global village, people of different beliefs are being pressed up against each other, and the potential for major conflict is enormous. What did they say? It behooves us to know what our neighbors believe and why they believe it. Though we may never agree with them, when we know w…
Outline : This groundbreaking work by Darrell Bock thoroughly explores the theology of Luke’s gospel and the book of Acts. In his writing, Luke records the story of God working through Jesus to usher in a new era of promise and Spirit-enablement so that the people of God can be God’s people even in the midst of a hostile world. It is a message the church still needs today. Bock both cove…
Outline : What is evangelical theology today? In response to increasing evangelical fragmentation, Kevin Vanhoozer and Daniel Treier offer a clarion call to reconceive to reconceive evangelical theology theologically by reflecting on the God of the gospel as mirrored in Scripture. Such "mere" evangelical theology will be an exercise in Christian wisdom for the purpose of building up the fellows…
Outline: The debate over the role of women in the church is not diminishing, Complementarian argue that men and women are equal but have distinctive roles, while egalitarians argue against role distinctions. The egalitarians' redemptive-movement hermeneutic has gained support. Advocates concede many of the exegetical conclusions made by complementarians about relevant Bible passages, but then a…
Outline: Understanding the sociological setting for the New Testament in Asia Minor and Europe - the Greco-Roman world - is essential for correctly interpreting the letters of Paul. Hubbard addresses the realms of religion and superstition, of education and philosophy, of the urban society, and of the family. Each major section begins with a brief fictional tale, followed by descriptions of the…
Outline: In this illuminating festschrift, sixteen well-known evangelical scholars celebrate the work of a man who greatly contributed to Evangelical biblical scholarship as we know it today. G. K. Beale is renowned for his studies that explore how the writers of the New Testament used the Old Testament Scriptures in their letters, Gospels, narrative, and apocalypse. These collected essays, wri…
Outline: Covenant Theology. From Noah to David, successive covenants are seen in the Old Testament as expressions of divine purpose. The argument for and against the close relation of these "terms of agreement" between humankind and God have, for the past fifty years, been at the heart of biblical studies. Old Testament scholar W. J. Dumbrell reaffirms one facet of this study - the theory of co…
Outline : The Lord's commitment to make himself known throughout the nations is the overarching missionary theme of the Bible and the central theological concern of Exodus. Countering scholarly tendencies to fragment the text over theological difficulties, Ross Blackburn contends that Exodus should be read as a unified whole, and that an appreciation of its missionary theme in its canonical con…
Outline: When the book of Acts is mentioned, a cluster of issues inevitably springs to mind including speaking in tongues and baptism with the Holy Spirit, church government and practice, and missionary methods and strategies. At the popular level at least, Acts is still often used more for answers to debates that were not necessarily Luke's concern than listened to for his own emphases. Alan T…
Outline: The Psalms are undeniably beautiful. They are also difficult, and readers often come away convinced that tremendous riches remain just beyond their grasp. In this book, W. Robert Godfrey invites us to accompany him on a journey into a greater understanding and love for these sacred poems. The timeless beauty of the Psalms, their depth of expression, and testimony to the greatness of Go…
Outline: Readers will understand a book's final chapter only if they have understood all that came before it. Likewise, " in order to undersand biblical eschatology," writes Ketih Mathison, "we must understand the entire Bible." From Age to Age looks not only at the fulfillment of God's purposes at the end of history, but also at the stages along the way. The millennium and second coming of Chr…
Outline: Christians instinctvely desire to be like Jesus. Yet evangelical and Reformed thinkers have done little to wed this desire to sound theology and responsible biblical interpretation. With careful attention to Luke's gospel, Jimmy Agan demonstrates that we can - and must - follow Christ's example precisely because we embrace him as Savior.
Outline: "This is interpretation at its most daring and at its best" Widely respected scholar J. Richard Middleton suggests we have misread and misapplied the story of the binding of Isaac and explains that God desires more than silent obedience in difficult times.
Outline: Widely used in personal and public worship, the psalms present multiple interpretive challenges - their poetic form has few, if any, points of contact with English poetry and the images in the psalms can seem just as distant. Furthermore, Mark Futato writes, "Their ethics at times seem to go against the grain of the teachings of the New Testament." Interpreting the Psalms, the second r…
Apakah pasal pertama Alkitab Kejadian memberikan gambaran yang akurat tentang bagaimana dunia tercipta, dan apakah itu benar? Jawaban yang lazim diberikan adalah dari sudut kewenangan Allah, yakni bahwa Allah memberitahu penulis Kejadian 1 bagaimana penciptaan terjadi, percaya atau tidak percaya! Apabila pertanyaan itu dijawab dari sudut apa makna kisah penciptaan, maka masalahnya menjadi berbe…
Outline; Was Adam really a historical person, and can we trust the biblical story of human origins? Or is the story of Eden simply a metaphor, leaving scientists the job to correctly reconstruct the truth of how humanity began? Although the church currently faces these pressing questions - exacerbated as they are by scientific and philosophical developments of our age - we must not think that t…
Outline: There is little doubt that in recent years the nature of the Genesis narrative has sparked much debate among Christians, Genesis : History, Fiction, or Neither? introduces three prominent interpretive genres and their implications for biblical understanding. Each contributor identifies his position on the genre of Genesis 1-11, addressing why it is appropriate to the text, and contribu…
Outline: Serious Bible readers all recognize that there are differences between accounts of the same events in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and no responsible reader can simply sweep these differences under the rug. But can each unique account still be reconciled with a belief in biblical inerrancy? Responding to the questions surrounding the Gospel narratives, New Testament scholar Vern Poyt…
Outline: The Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament (EGGNT) closes the gap between the Greek text and the available lexical and grammatical tools, providing all the necessary information for greater understanding of the text. The series makes interpreting any given New Testament book easier, especially for those who are hard pressed for time but want to preach or teach with accuracy and au…
Outline: One exciting area of study is Paul's use of the Old Testament. The apostle routinely appeals to Scripture to support his arguments and to persuade his readers. One gets the impression that Paul has a high respect for Scripture and that his knowledge of it is broad and comprehensive. And yet, there is something enigmatic about his use of the Old Testament at the same time - something el…
Identifying the group or position that the author of Colossians attacks in ch 2 of that letter has long occupied scholars, but no interpretative consensus has resulted. This study details the inadequacy of existing reconstructions and offers in their stead the portrait of philosophically inclined Gentiles drawn to the Jewish community and then to the Christian congregation by ideas and practice…