Transforming Boasting of Self into Boasting in the Lord
Transforming Boasting of Self into Boasting in the Lord

Author: Marcin Kowalski

Publisher: University Press of America

Published: 2013-07-12

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 0761861246

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This book uses rhetorical analysis to illuminate one of the most fascinating and complicated speeches by Saint Paul: 2 Cor 10–13. The main problem of the speech regards Paul’s claim to be a true servant of Christ and to have the right to boast about it. Paul proves he is strong enough to be the leader of Corinth and paradoxically demonstrates that weakness should belong to the identity of an apostle. Another issue regards the legitimacy of his boasting. The egocentric boast based on the comparison with his opponents is the one that Paul calls foolish, but he is forced, nevertheless, to undertake it. The tool that ultimately enables him to transform self-aggrandizing speech into speech that is focused on Christ is his paradoxical boasting of weakness. The careful crafting of his discourse based on Christological principles ultimately speaks for qualifying it as a self-praise speech (periautologia) with a pedagogical, not defensive, purpose.

Humility
Humility

Author: C.J. Mahaney

Publisher: Multnomah

Published: 2008-08-19

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 1601422113

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“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” —1 Peter 5:5 A battle rages within every one of us every day. It’s the clash between our sense of stubborn self-sufficiency and God’s call to recognize that we’re really nothing without Him. It’s pride versus humility. And it’s a fight we can’t win without looking repeatedly to Christ and the cross. C. J. Mahaney raises a battle cry to daily, diligently, and deliberately weaken our greatest enemy (pride) and cultivate our greatest friend (humility). His thorough examination clarifies misconceptions, revealing the truth about why God detests pride and turns His active attention to the humble. Because pride is never passive, defeating it demands an intentional attack. The blessing that follows is God’s abundant favor. “This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit.” —Isaiah 66:2, ESV God clearly states that He is drawn to the humble. He’s also clear that He opposes the proud. These two, humility and pride, cannot coexist. Where one is fostered, the other is defeated. Which will you pursue? When you acknowledge the deception of pride and intentionally humble yourself, you become free to savor abundant mercies and unlikely graces. You will find a new life is yours—a life God richly favors. A God-glorifying life you don’t want to miss.

The Glory Now Revealed
The Glory Now Revealed

Author: Andrew M. Davis

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2021-10-19

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 1493430270

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Believers know that when we die we enter heaven and will spend eternity there with God and the saints who have gone before us. But what actually happens in heaven? What are we going to be doing there? Won't it get boring at some point? According to Scripture, a large part of our experience of heaven will be a continual revealing of God's glory. Not just his glory in the moment, but during all of time. The mysteries of providence, the hidden movements of God throughout history, and the forgotten and unnoted works of even the most obscure of God's people will be unveiled so that we can see how wise, loving, gracious, and powerful our God is. And though we will experience perfection in heaven, we will never be omniscient, which means we will always be learning more about God's glory, inspiring us to return joyful praise and thanksgiving. If your vision of heaven has been limited to clouds and harps and angels, it's time to expand that view with the truth found in this biblically based look at the afterlife.

Understanding the Bible: Head and Heart
Understanding the Bible: Head and Heart

Author: Bob Dowell

Publisher: WestBow Press

Published: 2012-07-09

Total Pages: 452

ISBN-13: 1449742823

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Understanding the Bible: Head and Heart provides readers a forum for more fully comprehending the Bible. Each book of the Bible tells a story that relates to the larger story, and to understand each books story, it is important to understand the larger story, and vice versa. To do so, however, entails a careful reading of the entire Bible, grasping both the fact of the story and the spirit of the story. Understanding the Bible: Head and Heart provides prose summaries for helping the reader to understand and remember the fact of the story and poetic summaries for helping the reader to experience the story and thereby to more readily ingest its spirit. Since Understanding the Bible: Head and Heart would be lengthy under one cover, it is divided into three parts. Part One addresses the Old Testament, Part Two addresses Matthew through Acts, and Part Threethis publicationaddresses Romans through Revelation.