The publication of the King James version of the Bible, translated between 1603 and 1611, coincided with an extraordinary flowering of English literature and is universally acknowledged as the greatest influence on English-language literature in history. Now, world-class literary writers introduce the book of the King James Bible in a series of beautifully designed, small-format volumes. The introducers' passionate, provocative, and personal engagements with the spirituality and the language of the text make the Bible come alive as a stunning work of literature and remind us of its overwhelming contemporary relevance.
The earliest of the four Gospels, the book portrays Jesus as an enigmatic figure, struggling with enemies, his inner and external demons, and with his devoted but disconcerted disciples. Unlike other gospels, his parables are obscure, to be explained secretly to his followers. With an introduction by Nick Cave
This multidisciplinary treatment of the doctrine of Christ's deity combines evangelical scholarship with substantial and accessible theological content. Volume 3 in the noted Theology in Community series.
You've heard of Jesus as Messiah, Prince of Peace, Lamb of God - but you probably haven't spent much time digging into the truths these titles reveal about Jesus. This book is designed to help you focus on the various facets of Jesus' person, life, and mission so that your spirit will be transformed by an enriched prayer life, new momentum in your worship, and new confidence in Jesus, that is, increased faith. The study delves deep into the rich messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, and examines all the names, titles, descriptors, and metaphors in the Bible that refer to Jesus, grouping them by topic. A name would be Jesus, son of Joseph. Titles would include Rabbi, Messiah, Lord, King of kings, Son of Man, Son of God. Descriptors are functional, such as Savior and Redeemer. Metaphors are plentiful - Lion, Lamb, Shepherd, Cornerstone, Physician, Bread, Vine, the I Am. You'll examine dozens of core titles, with literally hundreds of variations. At the close of each lesson you'll find songs to sing and prayers to pray. You'll be encouraged to embark on weekly exercises to put into practice actions suggested by the names and titles. By the end the study, you'll not only know more about Jesus, but, hopefully, know Him better experientially. This book is intended for study as well as instruction, presented in 10 lessons. Helpful thought and discussion questions make it useful for personal enrichment and by small groups and classes. Extensive research contained in the footnotes makes it a goldmine for teachers and a boon to preachers involved in sermon preparation.
This is a unique classification of all scripture designations of the three persons of the Trinity. In this exhaustive study one becomes acutely aware that the riches of God's self-revelation are inexhaustible.
The doctrine of eternal Sonship declares that the second person of the triune godhead has eternally existed as the Son. There was never a time when he was not the Son of God. At the incarnation he became a man; he did not become the Son. Those who deny this foundational truth teach that Jesus became the Son of God at some point in history. Some say that he became the Son at his baptism; others at his resurrection. Most, however, say that he became the Son at the incarnation. In this timely book the authors present with clarity the scriptural basis for the doctrine of the eternal Sonship of Christ, deal thoroughly with alternate views that deny this essential doctrine, and conclude with an explanation of why this truth is so vital to evangelical Christianity.
Nothing is more important than what a person believes about Jesus Christ. To understand Christ correctly is to understand the very heart of God, Scripture, and the gospel. To get to the core of this belief, this latest volume in the Foundations of Evangelical Theology series lays out a systematic summary of Christology from philosophical, biblical, and historical perspectives—concluding that Jesus Christ is God the Son incarnate, both fully divine and fully human. Readers will learn to better know, love, trust, and obey Christ—unashamed to proclaim him as the only Lord and Savior. Part of the Foundations of Evangelical Theology series.
He then traces the rise and fall of "the messianic idea"' in Jewish studies and gives an alternative account of early Jewish messiah language: the convention worked because there existed both an accessible pool of linguistic resources and a community of competent language users. Whereas it is commonly objected that the normal rules for understanding "christos" do not apply in the case of Paul since he uses the word as a name rather than a title, Novenson shows that "christos" in Paul is neither a name nor a title but rather a Greek honorific, like Epiphanes or Augustus. Focusing on several set phrases that have been taken as evidence that Paul either did or did not use "christos" in its conventional sense, Novenson concludes that the question cannot be settled at the level of formal grammar. Examining nine passages in which Paul comments on how he means the word "christos", Novenson shows that they do all that we normally expect any text to do to count as a messiah text.
I accept the resurrection of Jesus not as an invention of the community of disciples, but as an historical event.Ó When a leading orthodox Jew makes such a declaration, its significance can hardly be overstated. Pinchas Lapide is a rabbi and theologian who has specialized in the study of the New Testament. In this book he convincingly shows that an irreducible minimum of experience underlies the New Testament account of the resurrection, however much of the details of the narrative may be open to objection. He maintains that life after death is part of the Jewish faith experience, and that it is Jesus' messiahship, not his resurrection, which marks the division between Christianity and Judaism. Dr. Lapide quotes Moses Maimonides, the greatest Jewish thinker, in his support: All these matters which refer to Jesus of Nazareth...only served to make the way free for the King Messiah and to prepare the whole world for the worship of God with a united heart.Ó