Discover: -How the springs at Hierapolis help us understand why Jesus described the church at Laodicea as 'lukewarm' -The background and circumstances of certificates of divorce in Judaism-How Jewish dietary laws provided a powerful metaphor for God's acceptance of the GentilesBrimming with lavish, full-color photos and graphics, the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary walks you verse by verse through all the books of the New Testament. It's like slipping on a set of glasses that lets you read the Bible through the eyes of a first-century reader! Discoveries await you that will snap the world of the New Testament into gripping immediacy. Things that seem mystifying, puzzling, or obscure will take on tremendous meaning when you view them in their ancient context. You'll deepen your understanding of the teachings of Jesus. You'll discover the close, sometimes startling interplay between God's kingdom and the practical affairs of the church. Best of all, you'll gain a deepened awareness of the Bible's relevance for your life.Written in a clear, engaging style, this beautiful set provides a new and accessible approach that more technical expository and exegetical commentaries don't offer. It features: -Commentary based on relevant papyri, inscriptions, archaeological discoveries, and studies of Judaism, Roman culture, Hellenism, and other features of the world of the New Testament-Hundreds of full-color photographs, color illustrations, and line drawings-Copious maps, charts, and timelines-Sidebar articles and insights-'Reflections' on the Bible's relevance for 21st-century livingWritten by leading evangelical contributors: Clinton E. Arnold (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen), General EditorS. M. Baugh (Ph.D., University of California, Irvine)Peter H. Davids (Ph.D., University of Manchester)David E. Garland (Ph.D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)David W. J. Gill (D.Phil., University of Oxford)George H. Guthrie (Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary)Moyer V. Hubbard (D.Phil., University of Oxford)Andreas J. K stenberger (Ph.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School)Ralph P. Martin (Ph.D., University of London, King's College)Douglas J. Moo (Ph.D., University of St. Andrews)Mark L. Strauss (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen)Frank Thielman (Ph.D., Duke University)Jeffrey A. D. Weima (Ph.D., University of Toronto)Michael J. Wilkins (Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary)Mark W. Wilson (D.Litt. et Phil., University of South Africa)Julie L. Wu (Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary)Robert W. Yarbrough (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen)

Created in conjunction with an exhaustive critical commentary, this is an English translation of '1 Enoch' taking into consideration all of the textual data now available the Ethiopic version, the Greek texts and the Dead Sea Aramaic fragments.

Illuminating 10 key aspects from the Old Testament, renowned Bible teacher Philip Greenslade offers engaging insights into the Bible that are worth knowing.

10 Things Worth Knowing About The Old Testament answers the "how?" and "why?" questions people may have about the Bible to help them appreciate how and why it is God's Word for them today.

A great companion to Greenslade's book 10 Things Worth Knowing About The New Testament.

This book introduces the New Testament in two senses: it not only provides basic literary and historical information on each of the twenty-seven writings but also orients readers to the religious, theological, and ethical issues related to the message and meaning of Jesus Christ. The overall goal is to help interested readers of the New Testament become informed, responsible interpreters of these writings and thereby enrich their personal faith and understanding. By giving special emphasis to how the New Testament has helped shape the church's identity and theological outlook throughout the centuries, as well as the role it has played within the broader cultures of both East and West, this introduction also seeks to assist readers in exercising creative, informed leadership within their own communities of faith and in bringing a deeper understanding of early Christianity to their conversations with the wider public. Along with separate chapters devoted to each New Testament writing, there are chapters explaining how this collection of texts emerged as uniquely authoritative witnesses to the church's faith; why they were recognized as canonical whereas other early Christian writings were not; how the four canonical Gospels are related to one another, including a discussion of the Synoptic Problem; how the Jesus tradition--his teachings, stories from his ministry, and the accounts of his suffering, death and resurrection--originated and developed into Gospels written in narrative form; and how the Gospels relate to Jesus Christ as he was and is. Also included is a chapter on the writings of Paul and how they emerged as a collection of authoritative texts for the church. This chapter includes a discussion of ancient letter-writing, special considerations for interpreting the Pauline writings, and Paul's decisive influence within the history of the church and western culture. A distinctive feature of this introduction is its simultaneous publication in two versions. There is a standard, printed version with comprehensive yet detailed coverage of each writing and supplementary chapters on related introductory questions. There is also an expanded CD-ROM version, which gives fuller treatment (and supporting endnotes) to numerous issues introduced in the printed version; provides extensive, annotated bibliographies on each chapter; and includes additional maps, diagrams, charts, and other resources for classroom use and personal study.

This classic work includes extensive essays on the Roman political system and its leaders, the political and religious parties of Judaism, messianic movements, and pertinent Greek and Jewish literature--including the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha--from the centuries before and after Christ. This five-volume set is the original edition of Schurer's landmark work, including the original index. This set consists of two divisions: Division One, volumes 1 and 2; and Division Two, volumes 1, 2, and 3.