Outline: God doesn't demand hectic church programs and frenetic schedules; he only wants his people to know him more intimately, says D. A. Carson. The apostle Paul found that spiritual closeness in his own fellowship with the Father. A Call to Spiritual Reformation investigates the Epistles to see what lessons Paul taught in his "school of prayer." Christians today can still achieve the confid…
Outline; Ministry training often emphasizes expanding on the work of existing ministries to the neglect of addressing the difficulties of planting new churches in North America and across the world. This volume provides a practical, thorough, biblical, and inspirational corrective. Incorporating relevant sociological, anthropological, and historical insights, Hesselgrave extrapolates ten phases…
Outline: Understanding the doctrines of grace provides a clearer picture of God's sovereignty, mercy, and majesty. From the lawgiver Moses to the Apostle John, and from the early church fathers to modern defenders of the faith, there are marched onto the stage of human history a long line of godly men, a triumphant parade of spiritual stalwarts who have upheld the doctrines of grace. In this bo…
Outline: The Human Predicament and its solution. Deep within the human psyche lies a sense that we were made for something more than this broken world. We all share an experience of exile - of longing for our true home. In Rebels and Exiles, Matthew S. Harmon explores how the theme of sin and exile is developed throughout Scripture. He traces a common pattern of human rebellion, God's judgment,…
Outline: What are the origin and meaning of the words "greed is idolatry" found in Ephesians 5: 5 and Colossians 3: 5? In what sense are the greedy guilty of idolatry? Many different answers have been given to this question throughout the history of interpretation. In fact, a consensus exists on only one score - that the expression serves to vilify greed. Brian Rosner ably takes on the challeng…
Outline : "Messiah" is one of the most contested terms in Christian reflection, with many people reading the concept back into early Old Testament texts. In The One Who Is to Come Joseph Fitzmyer contradicts that misreading, carefully tracing the emergence of messianism in Judaism to a much later date -- the second century B.C.
Outline: This original work of scholarship clarifies how, in light of Matthew's Gospel, the first Christians understood and claimed Israel's messianic mission to people of every ethnic group immediately after Jesus' death and resurrection. In Part 1 James LaGrand examines the Hebrew Bible and other ancient documents to uncover the meaning in Matthew's time of the terms 'Israel' and 'the nations…
Outline: Paul and the Gift transformed the landscape of Pauline studies upon its publication in 2015. In it, John Barclay led readers through a recontextualized analysis of grace and interrogated Paul's original meaning in declaring it a "free gift" from God, revealing grace as a multifaceted concept that is socially radical and unconditioned-even if not unconditional. Paul and the Power of Gra…
Outline : In this classic sermon, Charles Spurgeon gently urges those struggling with depression to cast their burdens upon the Lord, who will not forsake his people.. Having battled depression and discouragement himself for most of his years in ministry, Spurgeon encourages the downtrodden to hold fast to the promises of God, for he is steadfast and will comfort his children as they walk fait…
Outline: WORRY. ANXIETY. PANIC. Does any problem hamper our lives more? It plagues us daily, draining our joy and exhausting our energy. It springs up suddenly, clouding our thinking and wrecking our relationships. Most of us have come to accept it, and even expect it... but do we have to? Biblical counselor Robert Jones brings hope for this common problem by demonstrating that it's also a solv…
Outline: The biblical story begins and ends with God as king. Human beings rebel, however, rather than fulfill their royal calling to rule creation on behalf of their Sovereign - and the world became enslaved to the rule of a serpentine lord. In this volume of IVP Academic's Essential Studies in Biblical Theology, Stephen Dempster traces the themes of kingship and kingdom throughout Scripture, …
On the whole, the disappearance of Hell was a great relief, though it brought new problems.
A controversy of major proportions has spread through the church. It began over 20 years ago in society at large. Since then an avalanche of feminist literature has argued that there need be no difference between men's and women's roles indeed, that to support gender-based role differences is unjust discrimination. Within evangelical Christianity, the counterpart to this movement has been the i…
Demonstrates how God calls all individuals to express meaning and purpose through a career, sharing spiritual insights into finding relevance in cutthroat professional environments and staying true to Christian values in spite of competition.
Around the corner from where I live, a house is for sale. In bold green letters the lawn sign reads: “I’m Gorgeous Inside!” The message is surprising. From the street, the house is thoroughly ordinary, even run-down........
When I was a boy growing up in Greenville, South Carolina, my father was away from home about two-thirds of every year. And while he preached across the country, we prayed--my mother and my older sister and I. What I learned in those days was that my mother was omni-competent.
Of all the demons, monsters, fiends, and ogres to preoccupy the western imagination in literature, art, and film, no figure has been more feared―or misunderstood--than Satan. But how accurate are the popular images of Satan? How--and why--did this rather minor biblical character morph into the very embodiment of evil? T.J. Wray and Gregory Mobley guide readers on a journey to retrace Satan's …
Since the publication of Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem; Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1991), the ongoing debate over the biblical understanding of men and women has brought new challenges to the perspective we presented there, as well as new insights from ongoing scholarly investigation of Scripture and of trends in the culture.
The basic premise of the interpretative m ethod followed in this book is that Gods revelation of himself and of his will is progressive. His original purpose for hum ankind is reflected in the institutions of creation as they are described in Genesis 1 and 2. However, the introduction of sin through the fall of Adam and Eve disrupted Gods creation order (Gen. 3-11). Then God established a coven…
Christianity has often understood the death of Jesus on the cross as the sole means for forgiveness of sin. Despite this tradition, David Downs traces the early and sustained presence of yet another means by which Christians imagined atonement for merciful care for the poor.
From the opening lines of the Hebrew Bible to the last book of the canon of the Christian church, the Sabbath features prominently as a time of rest, fellowship for believers, and particularly worship of God, reminding humanity of His work of creation and redemption and touching on other important themes of Scripture. During the last two decades, Jewish and Christian scholars, theologians, h…
Of all the demons, monsters, fiends, and ogres to preoccupy the western imagination in literature, art, and film, no figure has been more feared―or misunderstood--than Satan. But how accurate are the popular images of Satan? How--and why--did this rather minor biblical character morph into the very embodiment of evil? T.J. Wray and Gregory Mobley guide readers on a journey to retrace Satan's …
The issue of idolatry has been with the human race for thousands of years; the subtle temptation is always to take what is good and turn it into the ultimate good, elevating it above all other things in the search for security and meaning. In this timely and challenging book, New York pastor Timothy Keller looks at the issue of idolatry throughout the Bible -- from the worship of actual idols i…
For years I have noted with growing disquiet the pollution of many Christians’ minds by the doctrine of feminism. I believe it is a far more dangerous pollution than most have realized, and I (with what seemed to me pitifully few others) have tried to sound the alarm in every way I could. It is a relief to me that John Piper has done what was badly neede—clarified the fundamental distinctio…
Outline: Marriage reveals something of eternal significance. From the beginning, God designed marriage to convey a greater reality - the passionate, unfailing, redeeming love of God for sinners, the eternal romance between Christ and his bride. In this volume, Ray Ortlund traces marriage throughout Scripture - from the first marriage in the garden of Eden to the ultimate marriage in the book of…
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: The relation between divine sovereignty and the human will is a topic of perennial theological dispute and one that is gaining increased attention among contemporary evangelicals. In Still Sovereign, thirteen scholars write to defend the classical view of God's sovereignty. According to the editors, "Ours is a culture in which the tendency is to exalt what is human and diminish what is…
Outline : The first of two volumes, this study explores the two common grace covenants: the Adamic and Noahic. The second volume will examine the special grace covenants: the Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New covenants. The volumes present the covenant as an expression of the nature of God, and show a paradigm of activity by which God works in covenantal relations, first to create the world a…
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: Death is one of the certainties of life. But what happens beyond death? What inexpressible wonders - or unspeakable horrors - will we encounter beyond the pale of this life? The topic of life and judgment beyond death is one that has occupied the minds of Christians in former eras but today seems to be in partial eclipse. As Bruce Milne argues, we are poorer for it - without even recog…
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: Heaven : Better By Far is a rare digest of biblical insights into the timeless ropic of heaven, and the finale of one who prepared himself for nearly a century for that day when he would experience how heaven is better by far. If your idea of heaven is having a "mansion just over the hilltop," J. Oswald Sanders has important news for you. While heaven will provide a final home for thos…
Outline: The Explorations in Biblical Theology series addresses the need for quality literature that attacts believing readers to good theology - and builds them up in their faith. Each title in the series combines satisfying content with the accessibility and readibility of a popular book. The result is a valuable addition to the library of any college senior, seminarian, pastor - indeed anyon…
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: Formal and contemplative services in vast cathedrals are as much a part of Christian worship today as casual and boisterous services in refurbished warehouses. Yet this very diversity raises the question, Are all forms of worship equally pleasing of God? Worship wars have erupted over so many issues - musical styles and liturgical formats, as well as more serious concerns like whether …
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: You're trapped. You don't know how you ended up in such a mess - locked in habits you can't seem to break or caught in sin. You're a Christian and this sort of thing doesn't happen to Christians ... or so you've been told. You are not alone. The Bible warns repeatedly that all Christians will struggle against Satan and his spiritual forces of darkness. While the spiritual conflict th…
Overview: Beginning in the late 1960s, a biblical counseling movement sought to reclaim counseling for the church and provide a Christian alternative to mainstream psychiatry and psychotheraphy. This book is an informative and thought-provoking account of that moment. The author's historical account combines careful scholarship with a unique, eyewitness insight. This book is an invaluable r…
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…