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The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship. Overview of Commentary Organization Introduction—covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology. Each section of the commentary includes: Pericope Bibliography—a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope. Translation—the author’s own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and...

"This compact theological primer from a widely respected scholar offers a well-integrated and illuminating approach to a variety of basic issues in the study of the New Testament"--Provided by publisher.

Beginning from Jerusalem covers the early formation of the Christian faith from 30 to 70 C.E. After outlining the quest for the historical church (parallel to the quest for the historical Jesus) and reviewing the sources, James Dunn follows the course of the movement stemming from Jesus beginning from Jerusalem. / He opens with a close analysis of what can be said of the earliest Jerusalem community, the Hellenists, the mission of Peter, and the emergence of Paul. Then Dunn focuses solely on Paul the chronology of his life and mission, his understanding of his call as apostle, and the character of the churches that he founded. The third part traces the final days and literary legacies of the three principal figures of first-generation Christianity: Paul, Peter, and James the brother of Jesus. Each section includes detailed interaction with the vast wealth of secondary literature on the many subjects covered.

The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship. Overview of Commentary Organization Introduction—covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology. Each section of the commentary includes: Pericope Bibliography—a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope. Translation—the author’s own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and...

The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship. Overview of Commentary Organization Introduction—covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology. Each section of the commentary includes: Pericope Bibliography—a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope. Translation—the author's own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and tenses, ...

Kai-Hsuan Chang engages with the longstanding scholarly debate concerning the development of Paul's resurrection theology, by investigating the correlation between his bodily experiences and his diverse articulations about resurrection. Drawing on insights from cognitive linguistics, Chang considers Paul's ideas about resurrection as fundamentally grounded in recurrent patterns of bodily experience, arguing that such experience of some religious activities in Paul's time-death rites, spirit possession, and baptism-contributed to the formation and development of his resurrection theology. Chang demonstrates that developments in Paul's ideas about “bodily transformation at resurrection” - reflected in 1 Corinthians 15 - resulted from a change in the experiential patterns on which his new idea is constructed, rather than “transformation during heavenly ascent” as seen in Jewish traditions of resurrection. He thus applies cognitive linguistic tools to two considerations; first, whether Paul had contextual reasons to generate his innovation in 1 Corinthians 15, and second, whether Paul's innovation recurred or had continual effects in Christian groups. In so doing, Chang shows...

A landmark study of the apostle's writings by one of the world's leading Pauline scholars This highly anticipated volume gives pastors, scholars, and all serious students of the New Testament exactly what they need for in-depth study and engagement with one of Christian history's most formative thinkers and writers. A Theology of Paul and His Letters is a landmark study of the apostle's writings by one of the world's leading Pauline scholars Douglas J. Moo. Fifteen years in the making, this groundbreaking work is organized into three major sections: Part 1 provides an overview of the issues involved in doing biblical theology in general and a Pauline theology in particular. Here Moo also sets out the methodological issues, formative influences, and conceptual categories of Paul's thought. Part 2 moves on to Paul's New Testament writings, where Moo describes each Pauline letter with particular relevance to its theology. Part 3 offers a masterful synthesis of Paul’s theology under the overarching theme of the gift of the new realm in Christ. Engaging, insightful, and wise, this substantive, evangelical treatment of Paul's theology offers extensive engagement with the latest...

Black's New Testament Commentary has been hailed by both scholars and pastors for its insightful interpretations and reliable commentary. Each book in the series includes an insightful introduction to the important historical, literary, and theological issues; key terms and phrases from the translation highlighted in the commentary where they are discussed; explanations of special Greek or foreign terms; references to important primary and secondary literature; and a Scripture index. Paul's letter to the Galatians may be the boldest exposition of the gospel and one of the best examples that Paul's theology first and foremost emerged within the framework of a living community. Dunn's sensitivity to the letter's larger flow of thought and his adept hand at guiding us through the sometimes murky waters of Paul's thought combine to make this commentary refreshingly accessible and eminently serviceable. With a penetrating but never pedantic analysis, Dunn opens Paul's letter to the troubled believers in Galatia with a skill that comes only with knowing the subject exceedingly well.

Fulfilling what he has called a “grave responsibility,” Pope Francis has often addressed the issue of economic inequality and the use of personal, corporate, and national wealth. Francis’s teaching is rooted in the teaching of Jesus, preserved in the pages of the New Testament. The Bible has more to say about the use of wealth than it does about other moral issues of our day, yet this teaching seldom enters into the conscience of believers. In Wealth, Wages, and the Wealthy: New Testament Insight for Preachers and Teachers Fr. Raymond F. Collins redresses this issue and provides the reader with a careful examination not only of what Jesus said about wealth but also of what each of the New Testament authors wrote about the topic.

Continuing a Gold Medallion Award-winning legacy, this completely revised edition of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary series puts world-class biblical scholarship in your hands. Based on the original twelve-volume set that has become a staple in college and seminary libraries and pastors’ studies worldwide, this new thirteen-volume edition marshals the most current evangelical scholarship and resources. The thoroughly revised features consist of: • Comprehensive introductions • Short and precise bibliographies • Detailed outlines • Insightful expositions of passages and verses • Overviews of sections of Scripture to illuminate the big picture • Occasional reflections to give more detail on important issues • Notes on textual questions and special problems, placed close to the texts in question • Transliterations and translations of Hebrew and Greek words, enabling readers to understand even the more technical notes • A balanced and respectful approach toward marked differences of opinion

In his letters to the early Christian communities, the apostle Paul left for Christians of all time an array of powerful images: from the pain of a thorn in the flesh to the tenderness of a nursing mother for her children, from the competition on an athletic field to the growth of an agricultural field. In The Power of Images in Paul, Raymond Collins explores how Paul uses the ordinary to describe what is extraordinary, how Paul skillfully uses a wide range of metaphors as a means of both persuasion and clarification. But this book is more than an analysis of Paul’s images themselves. Collins also examines how Paul deliberately draws from secular as well as religious and biblical themes in order to draw a culturally diverse audience into relationship with Christ. Entering Paul’s world with Collins, readers will better appreciate Paul’s use of metaphor and, more important, be persuaded as was Paul’s original audience of God’s unfailing love in Christ.

Contents Announcement of the 2016 Symposium Abbreviations Introduction Klyne Snodgrass North Park Theological Seminary Faculty Statement on Racism "Racial Realism" in Biblical Interpretation and Theological Anthropology: A Systematic-Theological Evaluation of Recent Accounts Elizabeth Y. Sung Response to Sung Valerie Landfair Reimagining Koinonia: Confronting the Legacy and Logic of Racism by Reinterpreting Paul's Letter to Philemon Lewis Brogdon Response to Brogdon Al Tizon The Bible's Outrage at Blumenbach's Babel: An Antiracist Hermeneutic for White Followers of Jesus Kyle J. A. Small Enemies, Romans, Pigs, and Dogs: Loving the Other in the Gospel of Matthew Love L. Sechrest Response to Sechrest Rebecca Gonzalez The Lynching of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah: Death at the Hands of Persons Unknown Bo H. Lim Response to Lim Evelmyn Ivens What's Missing? Theological Musings on a Hermeneutics of Absence Nestor Medina Response to Medina Bruce L. Fields "Lost in Translation: Ethnic Conflict in English Bibles"--The Gospels, "Race," and the Common English Bible: An Introductory and Exploratory Conversation Emerson B. Powery Response to Powery Michael O. Emerson An Indigenous...

Paul’s epistle to the Colossians was written to a group of Christians who still held on to their past Jewish and pagan traditions alongside their faith in Christ. To help these believers, Paul provided guidance on how to deal with their past, showing them how faith in Christ brings new meaning to their situation. Similarly, in his epistle to Philemon, Paul addresses a culture where slavery was a common practice. He demonstrates the potential when slaves responded to the gospel and turned to Christ. Both of these epistles are extremely relevant to the church in Asia today, especially as it is confronted with syncretism, false teachings and the mistreatment of the less fortunate and marginalized in society. The Asia Bible Commentary series empowers Christian believers in Asia to read the Bible from within their respective contexts. Holistic in its approach to the text, each exposition of the biblical books combines exegesis and application. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the Body of Christ in Asia by providing pastoral and contextual exposition of every book of the Bible.

Essays presented are adapted papers read at the 7th Nordic New Testament Conference in Stavanger, Norway, June 14-18, 2003.

Understanding the Bible isn’t for the few, the gifted, the scholarly. The Bible is accessible. It’s meant to be read and comprehended by everyone from armchair readers to seminary students. A few essential insights into the Bible can clear up a lot of misconceptions and help you grasp the meaning of Scripture and its application to your twenty-first-century life. More than three quarters of a million people have turned to How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth to inform their reading of the Bible. This fourth edition features revisions that keep pace with current scholarship, resources, and culture. Changes include: Updated language for better readability Scripture references now appear only in brackets at the end of a sentence or paragraph, helping you read the Bible as you would read any book—without the numbers A new authors’ preface Redesigned and updated diagrams Updated list of recommended commentaries and resources Covering everything from translational concerns to different genres of biblical writing, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth is used all around the world. In clear, simple language, it helps you accurately understand the different parts of the...

A new, sociorhetorical interpretation of the Letter to Philemon Exploring Philemon shows how this letter entered the world of the ancient Mediterranean and the early church with a dramatic and powerful rhetorical force by analyzing the range of textures interwoven with each other to produce a profound effect on an early Christian (Philemon) and on the church that met in his home. It demonstrates that many striking and subtle features work together to present a rhetorical argument that the new Christian society must be one of freedom, brotherhood, and partnership not just for the powerful, but for all. Features: An analysis of the visual imagery of the letter Application of up-to-date rhetorical, sensory-aesthetic, and intertextual interpretive methods Use of Social and cultural, ideological, and theological strategies

Monotheism, the idea that there is only one true God, is a powerful religious concept that was shaped by competing ideas and the problems they raised. Surveying New Testament writings and Jewish sources from before and after the rise of Christianity, James F. McGrath argues that even the most developed Christologies in the New Testament fit within the context of first century Jewish "monotheism." In doing so, he pinpoints more precisely when the parting of ways took place over the issue of God's oneness, and he explores philosophical ideas such as "creation out of nothing," which caused Jews and Christians to develop differing concepts and definitions about God.

Who was Paul; what did he do, what did he write? Walter F. Taylor sets out to bring together a wealth of contemporary perspectives in a clear and accessible synthesis, bringing to bear on his subject the best of recent social-scientific and cultural-anthropological thinking on Paul. An appendix presents a clear summary of issues related to Pauls thought on gender and sexuality.

Matthew V. Johnson is senior pastor at The Good Shepherd Church (Baptist) in Atlanta. --

The apostle Paul has been justifiably described as the first and greatest Christian theologian. His letters were among the earliest documents to be included in the New Testament and, as such, they shaped Christian thinking from the beginning. As a missionary, theologian and pastor Paul's own wrestling with theological and ethical questions of his day is paradigmatic for Christian theology, not least for Christianity's own identity and continuing relationship with Judaism. The Cambridge Companion to St Paul provides an important assessment of this apostle and a fresh appreciation of his continuing significance today. With eighteen chapters written by a team of leading international specialists on Paul, the Companion provides a sympathetic and critical overview of the apostle, covering his life and work, his letters and his theology. The volume will provide an invaluable starting point and helpful cross check for subsequent studies.

One of the most frequently asked questions related to the Bible is, “Which Bible translation should I use?” People often wonder what is the all-around best English Bible translation available. In this book, Douglas Moo, Wayne Grudem, Ray Clendenen, and Philip Comfort make a case for the Bible translation he represents: the NIV 2011 (New International Version), the ESV (English Standard Version), the HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible), and the NLT (New Living Translation) respectively. In each case, the contributors explain the translation philosophy under- lying these major recent versions. They also compare and contrast how specific passages are translated in their version and other translations. Which Bible Translation Should I Use? is ideal for anyone who is interested in the Bible and wants to know how the major recent English translations compare. After you’ve read this book, you will be able to answer the title question with confidence. You will also learn many other interesting details about specific passages in the Bible from these top experts.

This book explores Mark's possible involvement in composing 1 Peter from five angles by means of a historical and comparative approach. These are (a) the dominant practice of using an amanuensis in first-century letter writing, (b) the noteworthy employment of an amanuensis by Paul as a contemporary of Peter, (c) possible historical connections, (d) possible linguistic connections, and (e) possible literary connections. The investigation leads to the conclusion that Mark might have been the contributive amanuensis for 1 Peter, with Peter allowing more than a free hand in the composition.

In this volume, Nicholas A. Meyer offers a rethinking of the theological frameworks informing the use of traditions of the creation of humankind in the Hodayot and the letters of Paul.

Offers a theological discussion of ten important Bible passages connected with the doctrine of incarnation, bringing historical and literary questions about the text into dialogue with Christian tradition, drawing out the implications of the passage for preaching. --from publisher description.

The reputation of the NIGTC series is so outstanding that the appearance of each new volume is noteworthy. This book on 2 Corinthians is no exception. Master New Testament exegete Murray J. Harris has produced a superb commentary that analyzes the Greek text verse by verse against the backdrop of Paul's tumultuous relations with his converts at Corinth. Believing that Scripture cannot be understood theologically unless it has first been understood grammatically, Harris provides a careful, thoroughgoing reading of the text of 2 Corinthians. He gives special attention to matters of translation, making regular references not only to the standard modern English translations but also to influential older versions such as "The Twentieth Century New Testament" and those by Weymouth, Moffatt, and Goodspeed. His close attention to matters of textual criticism and grammar leads to discussions of the theology of 2 Corinthians that show the relevance of Paul's teaching to Christian living and church ministry. Other notable features of the book include a comprehensive introduction in which all the relevant literary and historical issues are discussed, an expanded paraphrase of the letter that...

The letter to the Colossians was written to a church dominated by powerful forces and alternative spiritualities. It is thus remarkably relevant to our day. Paul´s theme is no less relevant - Christ will have first place in everything. David Day´s book encourages us to consider how to give Christ pre-eminence in every area of our lives, both personal and corporate. The Emmaus Bible Resources series offers readers the opportunity to dig deeper into the Bible and grow in Christian life, faith and service. Finding a middle ground between daily Bible notes and weighty commentaries, the series contains versatile material designed for use by individuals, small groups or as part of a sermon series.

All Things to All Cultures sets Paul in his first-century context and illuminates his interactions with Jews, Greeks, and Romans as he spread the gospel in the Mediterranean world. In addition to exploring Paul's context and analyzing his letters, the book has chapters on the chronology of Paul's life, the text of the Pauline letters, the scholarly contributions to our understanding of Paul over the last 150 years, and the theology of the Pauline corpus. There is no comparable introduction to Paul that integrates the Jewish, Greek, and Roman influences on him and the letters that make up a substantial portion of the New Testament. Contributors: Mike Bird Cavan Concannon David Eastman Chris Forbes Mark Harding Tim Harris Jim Harrison Paul McKechnie Brent Nongbri Ian Smith Murray Smith Larry Welborn

Grasp the message of the New Testament by focusing on the essentials. An Introduction to the New Testament focuses on historical questions dealing with authorship, date, sources, purpose, destination, and so forth, ensuring that the New Testament books will be accurately understood within historical settings. For each New Testament document, the authors also provide a substantial summary of the book's content, discuss the book's theological contribution to the overall canon, and give an account of current studies on the book, including recent literary and social-science approaches to interpretation. This second edition reflects significant revision and expansion from the original, making this highly acclaimed text even more valuable. A new chapter provides a historical survey examining Bible study method through the ages. The chapter on Paul has been expanded to include an analysis of debates on the "new perspective." The discussion of New Testament epistles has been expanded to form a new chapter. This new edition is an ideal textbook for seminary students and will help a new generation better grasp the message of the New Testament.

Voted one of Christianity Today's 1995 Books of the Year! Preaching's Preacher's Guide to the Best Bible Reference for 2014 (New Testament General) To understand and apply the Bible well, you need two crucial sources of information. One is the Bible itself. The other is an understanding of the cultural background of the passage you're reading. Only with the background can you grasp the author's original concerns and purposes. This unique commentary provides, in verse-by-verse format, the crucial cultural background you need for responsible--and richer--Bible study. It includes a glossary of cultural terms and important historical figures, maps and charts, up-to-date bibliographies, and introductory essays about cultural background information for each book of the New Testament. Based on ten years of in-depth study, this accessible and bestselling commentary is valuable for pastors in sermon preparation, for Sunday-school and other church teachers as they build lessons, for missionaries concerned not to import their own cultural biases into the Bible, for college and seminary students in classroom assignments, and for everyday Bible readers seeking to deepen and enhance their study ...

An interdisciplinary discussion engaging classics, archaeology, religious studies, and the social sciences The Struggle over Class brings together scholars from the fields of New Testament and early Christianity to examine Christian texts in light of the category of class. Historically rigorous and theoretically sophisticated, this collection presents a range of approaches to, and applications of, class in the study of the epistles, the gospels, Acts, apocalyptic texts, and patristic literature. Contributors Alicia J. Batten, Alan H. Cadwallader, Cavan W. Concannon, Zeba Crook, James Crossley, Lorenzo DiTommaso, Philip F. Esler, Michael Flexsenhar III, Steven J. Friesen, Caroline Johnson Hodge, G. Anthony Keddie, Jaclyn Maxwell, Christina Petterson, Jennifer Quigley, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Daniëlle Slootjes, and Emma Wasserman challenge both scholars and students to articulate their own positions in the ongoing scholarly struggle over class as an analytical category.

The book of Psalms occupies a unique place in Scripture, being both the Word from God and words to God from His people. Unfortunately, psalm singing no longer plays an integral part of worship in most evangelical churches. In this book, thirteen well-respected scholars urge the church to rediscover the treasure of the Psalms as they examine the history of psalm singing in the church, present biblical reasons for the liturgical practice, and articulate the practical value it provides us today. Table of Contents: Foreword —W. Robert Godfrey Part 1: Psalm Singing in History 1. From Cassian to Cranmer: Singing the Psalms from Ancient Times until the Dawning of the Reformation — Hughes Oliphant Old and Robert Cathcart 2. Psalm Singing in Calvin and the Puritans — Joel R. Beeke 3. The History of Psalm Singing in the Christian Church — Terry Johnson 4. Psalters, Hymnals, Worship Wars, and American Presbyterian Piety — D. G. Hart Part 2: Psalm Singing in Scripture 5. Psalm Singing and Scripture — Rowland S. Ward 6. The Hymns of Christ: The Old Testament Formation of the New Testament Hymnal — Michael LeFebvre 7. Christian Cursing? — David P. Murray 8. The Case for...

Modeling Biblical Language collects the best linguistic scholarship of present and former members of the McMaster Divinity College Linguistics Circle, addressing a variety of interpretive and theoretical issues facing Old/New Testament studies from the perspective of modern linguistic theory.

Philippians lends itself to a political-ideological reading. To take into account that the document is a writing from prison, and to read it from a political-religious and feminist perspective using new language, helps to re-create the letter as if it were a new document. In this analysis Elsa Tamez endeavors to utilize non-patriarchal, inclusive language, which helps us to see the contents of the letter with different eyes. Cynthia Briggs Kittredge and Claire Miller Colombo argue that Colossians’s contradictions and complications provide opportunities for entering imaginatively into the world of first-century Christian women and men. Rather than try to resolve the controversial portions—including the household code—they read the letter’s tensions as evidence of lively conversation around key theological, spiritual, and social issues of the time. Taking into account historical, structural, and rhetorical dimensions of Philemon, Alicia J. Batten argues against the “runaway slave” hypothesis that has so dominated the interpretation of this letter. Paul asks that Onesimus be treated well, but the commentary takes seriously the fact that we never hear what Onesimus’s...

More and more seminaries, Christian universities, and Bible colleges are opting to train future ministers and missionaries online. What happens when the movement toward online education is shaped by pragmatic or financial concerns instead of Scripture and theology? Ministry training can be reduced to a mere transfer of information as institutions lose sight of their calling to shape the souls of God-called men and women in preparation for effective ministry. How might online ministry training look different if biblical and theological foundations were placed first? Teaching the World brings together educators from a wide range of backgrounds and from some of the largest providers of online theological education in the world. Together, they present a revolutionary new approach to online theological education, highly practical and yet thoroughly shaped by Scripture and theology.

Through a discussion of Biblical texts, this book presents four perspectives on the role of works at the final judgment including: Robert N. Wilkin: Works will determine rewards but not salvation: At the Judgment Seat of Christ each believer will be judged by Christ to determine his eternal rewards, but he remains eternally secure even if the judgment reveals he failed to persevere in good works (or in faith). Thomas R. Schreiner: Works will provide evidence that one actually has been saved: At the final judgment works provide the necessary condition, though not the ground for final salvation, in that they provide evidence as to whether one has actually trusted in Jesus Christ. James D. G. Dunn: Works will provide the criterion by which Christ will determine eternal destiny of his people: Since Paul, Jesus, and the New Testament writers hold together "justification by faith and not by works" with "judgment according to works", we should not fall into the trap of playing one off against the other or blend them in a way that diminishes the force of each. Michael P. Barber: Works will merit eternal life: At the final judgment, good works will be rewarded with eternal salvation....

This monograph examines Hebrews’ understanding of the relationship between old covenant sacrifices and Christ’s new covenant sacrifice, especially as it relates to the question of efficacy. Most scholars think the author of Hebrews strips the levitical sacrifices of most, if not all, efficacy, but this work affirms a more positive depiction of the levitical sacrifices. A mystical apocalyptic tradition stands behind Hebrews’ description of the heavenly cult , which establishes the framework for relating the levitical sacrifice to Christ’s sacrifice. The earthly, levitical cult was efficacious when it corresponded to or synchronized with the heavenly sacrifice of Christ. Still, the author of Hebrews develops the notion of the heavenly cult in unique ways, as Christ’s sacrifice both validates the earthly practice but also, due to his new covenant theology, calls for its end. Ribbens’ bold proposal joins a growing number of scholars that place Hebrews in the mystical apocalyptic tradition, highlights positive statements in Hebrews related to the efficacy of levitical sacrifices that are often overlooked, and relies on the heavenly cult to reconcile the positive and...

This substantially revised and updated edition provides the most thorough evangelical treatment available on a theology of creation care.

In The Language and Literature of the New Testament, a team of international scholars assemble to honour the academic career of New Testament scholar, Stanley E. Porter.