Why I Take the Bible Seriously But Not Literally
Why I Take the Bible Seriously But Not Literally

Author: Eugene C. Rollins

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 181

ISBN-13: 1467043028

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As a pastor I have a dual role: that of a prophet and a priest. The prophet confronts the people, and the priest comforts the people. I am to comfort the troubled and trouble the comfortable. In relationship to the Bible, the dual struggle is clear. As the priest, I take the Bible seriously because it changes lives (first sermon). I have never heard anyone give testimony that reading Plato's The Republic, Virgil's Aeneid, Homer's Odyssey, Cicero's Moral Ethics, or John Stewart Mill's Liberty changed their lives. But thousands of people have given testimony of how reading the Bible has changed their lives forever. As the prophet, I propose to you that no book has been more abused than the Bible or more misunderstood. The Bible has been a playground for lunatics, profit for the charlatans, a profession for the clergy, a problem for theologians, a puzzle for the general public, and placid for the masses. I believe if a person will read the Bible interpretatively and intelligently it will be read seriously, respectfully and reverently thereby becoming the living word of God. Gene Rollins, Author

Adventures in Faith & Family
Adventures in Faith & Family

Author: Susan Lukey

Publisher: The United Church of Canada

Published: 2021-09-01

Total Pages: 512

ISBN-13: 155134260X

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Adventures in Faith & Family offers practical, intelligent, loving, spirit-filled wisdom for those looking for a friend who will guide them with faith as they pursue their own adventure of being a family. Delving into the multiple scenarios of a child’s life, Susan Lukey has drawn on years of research and her own experiences as teacher, minister, youth leader, and parent to reveal how families can sensitively and faithfully support and nurture a child’s growth “to become all that God has created them to be.”

The Year of Living Biblically
The Year of Living Biblically

Author: A. J. Jacobs

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2008-09-09

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 0743291484

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The bestselling author of The Know-It-All takes on history's most influential book.

A Stone for a Pillow
A Stone for a Pillow

Author: Madeleine L'Engle

Publisher: Convergent Books

Published: 2017-05-23

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0451497090

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Book #2 of The Genesis Trilogy. This special reissue of a classic work of spirituality from the author of A Wrinkle in Time offers life-transforming insights on the rich heritage of the Bible and shows how the characters of this ancient text are relevant for living the good life now. Includes a new reader's guide. In this book for the curious, spiritual seeker, Madeleine L'Engle offers relevant lessons drawn from the life of Jacob from the Old Testament. Here, the son of Isaac becomes a spiritual companion to L'Engle, equipping her to deal with earthly and psychological struggles. Throughout her journey, L'Engle offers contemporary answers to questions that burden modern day readers and believers. With her customary fearlessness and candor, she broaches such topics as the significance of angels, redemption, sexual identity, forgiveness, and the seemingly constant conflict between good and evil. Madeleine L'Engle possesses the same ambidextrous skill of storytelling as other literary giants, including C. S. Lewis and George MacDonald. Her fictional stories appeal to generations of readers, and are equally embraced in both the secular and religious markets. But, it is her ability in her nonfiction to engage with the historical text of the Bible through a dynamic unpacking of protagonists, antagonists, and matters of faith that establishes the Genesis Trilogy as a highly treasured collection of spiritual writings. A Stone for a Pillow acts as a compass for those traveling through the tumultuous landscape of faith in our cynical and divisive modern culture.

The Lost World of Genesis One
The Lost World of Genesis One

Author: John H. Walton

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2010-07-21

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 0830861491

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In this astute mix of cultural critique and biblical studies, John H. Walton presents and defends twenty propositions supporting a literary and theological understanding of Genesis 1 within the context of the ancient Near Eastern world and unpacks its implications for our modern scientific understanding of origins.

From Eternity to Here
From Eternity to Here

Author: Frank Viola

Publisher: David C Cook

Published: 2011-04-01

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 1434703991

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Discover the sweeping story of God's eternal plan. Deep within God's Word lies a wondrous story like no other. A drama that unfolded before time began. An epic saga that resonates with the heartbeat of God. A story that reveals nothing less than the meaning of life and God's great mission in the earth. From Here to Eternity presents three remarkable stories spanning from Genesis to Revelation. Each story traces a divine theme that is woven throughout scripture. Seen together, they offer an extraordinary glimpse into God's highest passion and grand mission. What you discover will forever change your view of life, the church, and our magnificent God.

Gospel Discipleship Congregation Guide
Gospel Discipleship Congregation Guide

Author: Michelle J. Morris

Publisher: Abingdon Press

Published: 2020-03-31

Total Pages: 142

ISBN-13: 1501899082

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Each congregation has a unique mission field. Several tools for developing disciples and for engaging in discipleship are available to churches; however, the resources assume that the churches using them are similar to the church that created them. With Gospel Discipleship, individuals and churches learn how to engage in self-reflection, which then defines a path that fits their context. The discipleship path for each individual disciple is assessed and determined through the Gospel Discipleship Participant Guide while this Gospel Discipleship Congregation Guide guides the implemntation of the program and assesses the discipleship path for the congregation as a whole. Therefore, the program leader(s) needs the congregation guide while individual particpants need their own participant guide. With Gospel Discipleship, churches can identify a pathway for discipleship applied from one of the four Gospel storytellers: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each had a distinct approach to discipleship which can be applied to a given church's identity, vision, and mission. As disciples are encouraged by the church to step beyond the door and engage the needs of people, they can be sent forth confidently with an awareness of personal, unique gifts, and insights into the actual mission field where they participate with God in changing the world.

Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It?
Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It?

Author: Lester L. Grabbe

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017-02-23

Total Pages: 394

ISBN-13: 0567670449

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In Ancient Israel Lester L. Grabbe sets out to summarize what we know through a survey of sources and how we know it by a discussion of methodology and by evaluating the evidence. The most basic question about the history of ancient Israel, how do we know what we know, leads to the fundamental questions of Grabbe's work: what are the sources for the history of Israel and how do we evaluate them? How do we make them 'speak' to us through the fog of centuries? Grabbe focuses on original sources, including inscriptions, papyri, and archaeology. He examines the problems involved in historical methodology and deals with the major issues surrounding the use of the biblical text when writing a history of this period. Ancient Israel provides an enlightening overview and critique of current scholarly debate. It can therefore serve as a 'handbook' or reference-point for those wanting a catalogue of original sources, scholarship, and secondary studies. Grabbe's clarity of style makes this book eminently accessible not only to students of biblical studies and ancient history but also to the interested lay reader. For this new edition the entire text has been reworked to take account of new archaeological discoveries and theories. There is a major expansion to include a comprehensive coverage of David and Solomon and more detailed information on specific kings of Israel throughout. Grabbe has also added material on the historicity of the Exodus, and provided a thorough update of the material on the later bronze age.

How the Bible Actually Works
How the Bible Actually Works

Author: Peter Enns

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2019-02-19

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 0062686771

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Controversial evangelical Bible scholar, popular blogger and podcast host of The Bible for Normal People, and author of The Bible Tells Me So and The Sin of Certainty explains that the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth by refusing to provide us with easy answers but instead forces us to acquire wisdom. For many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with literal truths about belief that must be strictly followed. But the Bible is not static, Peter Enns argues. It does not hold easy answers to the perplexing questions and issues that confront us in our daily lives. Rather, the Bible is a dynamic instrument for study that not only offers an abundance of insights but provokes us to find our own answers to spiritual questions, cultivating God’s wisdom within us. “The Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible’s true subject matter,” writes Enns. This distinction, he points out, is important because when we come to the Bible expecting it to be a textbook intended by God to give us unwavering certainty about our faith, we are actually creating problems for ourselves. The Bible, in other words, really isn’t the problem; having the wrong expectation is what interferes with our reading. Rather than considering the Bible as an ancient book weighed down with problems, flaws, and contradictions that must be defended by modern readers, Enns offers a vision of the holy scriptures as an inspired and empowering resource to help us better understand how to live as a person of faith today. How the Bible Actually Works makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that “being right” is the most important measure of faith, Enns’s freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God—which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.

The Murderous History of Bible Translations
The Murderous History of Bible Translations

Author: Harry Freedman

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2016-05-05

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1472921690

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Harry Freedman recounts the fascinating and bloody history of the Bible. In 1535, William Tyndale, the first man to produce an English version of the Bible in print, was captured and imprisoned in Belgium. A year later he was strangled and then burned at the stake. His co-translator was also burned. In that same year the translator of the first Dutch Bible was arrested and beheaded. These were not the first, nor were they the last instances of extreme violence against Bible translators. The Murderous History of Bible Translations tells the remarkable, and bloody, story of those who dared translate the word of God. The Bible has been translated far more than any other book. To our minds it is self-evident that believers can read their sacred literature in a language they understand. But the history of Bible translations is far more contentious than reason would suggest. Bible translations underlie an astonishing number of religious conflicts that have plagued the world. Harry Freedman, author of The Talmud: A Biography describes brilliantly the passions and strong emotions that arise when deeply held religious convictions are threatened or undermined. He tells of the struggle for authority and orthodoxy in a world where temporal power was always subjugated to the divine. A world in which the idea of a Bible for all was so important that many were willing to give up their time, their security and often their lives.