Showing titles in Commentaries

Spurred by personal tragedy, Elaine Pagels turns to a consideration of the Gnostic Gospels, in particular, the Gospel of Thomas. As opposed to the Gospel of John, which asserted that Jesus was an eternally existing aspect of God who came to earth to save humankind, the "secret" Gospel of Thomas agrees that Jesus was in some sense divine, but says that a streak of divinity can be found in all of us.

Genesis 6:4 – “There were giants on the earth in those days,” Most English Bibles use the word “giants”. However, the ancient Hebrew text is “Nephilim”. Nephilim in Hebrew actually means “those that came down, from the sky.” They are sometimes referred to as the "Fallen Ones" The Christian teachings in the Church, are trying to remain silent about the fun facts of the Bible. But you can not escape it. The evidence is clear that there were "beings" that came down from the heavens, and created offspring with the daughters of men. There are skulls and carcasses being ...

Bible translators all over the world are making Bibles that they think are only for Protestant and Baptist believers. But they've been sold a lie! Actually, they have been tricked into also making false bibles for someone else. Most don't know that Christian translators are being trapped into helping create a One-World Bible! And all the translation work is paid for by contributions from Bible believers like you.

Why study Bible interpretation? Dr. Roy Zuck points out that it is vital for understanding and teaching the Bible properly, critical as a step beyond observation, and essential for applying the Bible correctly.

Paul and the Gift changed the landscape of Pauline studies forever upon its publication in 2015. Paul and the Power of Grace offers all of the most significant contributions from Paul and the Gift in a package several hundred pages lighter and more accessible. Additionally, John Barclay adds further analysis of the theme of gift and grace in Paul’s other letters and explores contemporary implications for this new view of grace.

God's identity is beyond what we could ever fully express in human words. But Scripture uses one particular word to describe the distinctiveness of God's character: the Hebrew word hesed. Hesed is a concept so rich in meaning that it doesn't translate well into any single English word or phrase. Michael Card unpacks the many dimensions of hesed, often expressed as lovingkindness, covenant faithfulness, or steadfast love. He explores how hesed is used in the Old Testament to reveal God's character and how he relates to his people.

Best-selling author and national radio host Dr. Andrew Farley is known to challenge legalistic and lifeless interpretations with his discerning take on controversial scriptures. In Twisted Scripture, Andrew skewers sacred cows and shatters destructive lies, bringing the undiluted truth about God's love and grace in a colorful and conversational look at the most controversial passages in the New Testament.

The Soul's Longing: An Orthodox Christian Perspective on Biblical Interpretation has as its main purpose to show the deep connection between spiritual life and biblical interpretation which is both inspiring and accurate. It also makes clear the powerful effect of the interpreter's theology – especially the understanding of who Jesus Christ is – upon his or her method of biblical interpretation.

Too often when we come to the Bible, we settle for easy answers.

Billy Graham once wrote "I used to read five psalms every day — that teaches me how to get along with God. Then I read a chapter of Proverbs every day and that teaches me how to get along with my fellow man." This daily reading enabled him to read all of the Psalms and all of the Proverbs in one month. The purpose of this book is to summarize five psalms and one proverb each day for 31 days. I have placed Psalm 119 on the 31st day because of its length. For Proverbs, I selected a few verses since each chapter is so long. Each chapter is written in common language that anyone should be ...

Know Why You Believe is a thinking person's audiobook designed to help you carefully examine the claims of the Christian faith.

Romans 8-16: Audio Lectures features top New Testament scholar Douglas J. Moo teaching through Romans 8-16 in these engaging and challenging lessons. These lectures help bring the meaning of Paul's great letter into the 21st century. As he works his way through Romans 8-16 passage-by-passage, Moo comments on the text itself and then explores issues in Paul's culture and in ours that help us understand the meaning of each passage.

In this addition to the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, two well-respected New Testament scholars interpret the Gospel of John in its historical and literary setting as well as in light of the Church's doctrinal, liturgical, and spiritual tradition. They unpack the wisdom of the Fourth Gospel for the intellectual and spiritual transformation of its followers and connect the Gospel with a range of witnesses throughout the whole history of Catholicism.

In The Story of Jesus Continues: Audio Lectures, professor and scholar Douglas Huffman takes learners through different introductory and interpretive issues in the study of Acts, including the genre, purpose, history, culture, and geographical setting of the story. Equipped with these fascinating details, in broad strokes, each lesson traces Luke's well-told recounting of the ongoing story of Jesus.

Outside the church, the myth of an age-old conflict between science and Christianity is nearly ubiquitous in popular culture and can poison the well before a fruitful dialogue can begin. Within the church, opposing viewpoints on the relation between Christianity and science often lead to division and rancor. Three Views on Christianity and Science addresses both types of conflict. Featuring leading evangelical representatives, it presents three primary options for the compatibility of Christianity and science.

Typical translations of the New Testament make the biblical text as accessible as possible by using the language of our own day. At times this masks the distance between the New Testament text and modern audiences. Scripture continues to speak to us but it speaks as an ancient text to the modern world. New Testament scholar Scot McKnight offers a translation of the New Testament with a daring approach to the ancient text. Clever in its expression and at times stunning in its boldness, The Second Testament will challenge listeners to experience God's Word anew.

One reason the Bible has endured for millennia is its ability to reach our common humanness and give uplifting insights about struggle, resilience, and hope. Intertwining academic knowledge and candid, personal, and sometimes humorous stories, Julie Faith Parker helps listeners engage biblical texts with both mind and heart—to learn the Bible's stories, explore theological ideas, question common assumptions, develop interpretive skills, and grow in their own faith.

Can the Bible be approached both as sacred scripture and as a historical and literary text? For many people, it must be one or the other. How can we read the Bible both ways? The Bible and the Believer brings together three distinguished biblical scholars--one Jewish, one Catholic, and one Protestant--to illustrate how to read the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament critically and religiously.

The Old Testament is a most valuable book of scripture. It teaches the mercy and willingness of Jehovah, the premortal Jesus Christ, to forgive. It teaches and illustrates time and again what kinds of thinking and actions we need to avoid if we desire to remain firmly on the covenant path. And it teaches how to repent and return to Christ, whose arms of mercy are extended all the day long (Isaiah 65:2), inviting us to repent. In this third edition, noted teacher and gospel scholar David J. Ridges brings the Old Testament to life with his well-known teaching skills.

Can you answer this question: Who is the Antichrist and what is the Apocalypse? The earliest Christians following the Twelve Apostles often spoke and wrote about the arrival of the Antichrist before the return of Jesus Christ at the end of time. Best-selling author and professor Dr. Taylor Marshall provides an easy-to-understand collection of Church fathers, saints, and mystics as he pulls back the curtain on the end times prophecies of the Book of Revelation—the book originally called the Apocalypse.