Study Bible Commentary

The early church in Corinth was falling apart. Sin was rampant, divisions were growing, and the congregation was living no differently than the world around them. What had corrupted this once vibrant church? The apostle Paul immediately understood the symptoms: The people had traded God's perfect wisdom for faulty human knowledge. Be Wise guides us through Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, where he encourages his fellow believers to embrace a life of wisdom and truth.

The road of spiritual growth can get bumpy. From the new believer to the seasoned disciple, we all experience frustrations and setbacks in our pursuit of God. And perhaps no one understands spiritual struggles better than the apostle Paul. In the book of 2 Corinthians, Paul shares a revealing look at his own challenges, and offers a profound message of encouragement for every believer.

The writings of John have a very special focus on God the Father. Many people who know Jesus, or claim to know him, have a limited or nonexistent personal knowledge of God the Father. It is, of course, essential for us to know Jesus, but his fervent desire is that we may also know the Father so intimately that we can ask him for whatsoever we will in Jesus’ name and our prayers may be granted.

Christian men and women across the country experience leadership in many different ways. Some lead a congregation, youth group or ministry, some in their homes, businesses, or non-professional organizations. The lives of many followers of Christ are marked by a combination of these roles. In Leadership by the Book, Brent Garrison offers examples from each book of the Old and New Testaments of how God's servants have led his people

Imagine if someone who had never heard of Judaism or Christianity read the Old Testament. How could the relationship between God and humanity possibly be understood? In Joseph's Bones, Segal approaches the Bible from this fresh perspective—one framed by the story of the Israelites' fidelity to Joseph—and finds something an account of the human condition that reads like an existential novel about the struggle of mankind against the unpredictable and often unwarranted wrath of God. This is a rarity in Biblical interpretation—brilliant and rigorously argued, "a work of stunning originality."

Prostitution, incest, drunkenness at the Lord's table, sectarianism, and babble all were problems in Paul's rag-tag startup church in Corinth. Paul's letter was a course-correction for many in the church, bringing people back to the Gospel as the basis for right unity, sexual ethics, observation of the sacraments, and worship.

With subversive twists and turns, mesmeric highs, and gut-wrenching lows, Pete Atkinson's "ambitious and captivating" debut work skillfully weaves the threads which run from Genesis to Revelation, marrying brevity and listenability with scale, depth, and detail. "Impeccably researched", this "beautifully written" rendering features three narrative voices.

If you've ever wondered why the Bible is full of so many apparent contradictions, you're not alone. If you're afraid you might betray the God of the Bible if you question centuries-old traditions, you won't, as long as you let scripture speak for itself. To that end, Fish Tales (From the Belly of the Whale) plunges you headlong into an unrelenting search for biblical truth that will forever change how you think about the word of God.

The reason for this book: to bring to us a totally new beginning for the body of Christ. Gene Edwards challenges the long-held evangelical ideal of restoring a so-called "New Testament church" by reconstructing its biblical elements. Edwards argues that the early churches described in the New Testament were not institutional models to replicate but organic, living expressions of Christ—unique, Spirit-led communities that emerged naturally within their cultural contexts.

More than just a guide to understanding Galatians, best-selling author Warren Wiersbe's Be Free is also a guide to embracing freedom in Christ. As a man who is known as the "pastor of pastors" and has studied the Bible relentlessly, gleaning relevance for today for his readers and listeners, Wiersbe has so gripped the hearts of his wide audience that he has sold over 4 million copies of his "Be" series alone!

Dr. Stauffer and Dr. Ray methodically, systematically, and scripturally consider many of the end times details concerning the timing of the Rapture. This concise commentary on the prophetic events of First and Second Thessalonians provides definitive and undeniable proofs showing that the scripture holds the answer when freed from private interpretation.

We are all prone to debilitating physical and spiritual weakness. But knowing how to find spiritual strength in those seasons of weakness - especially in the face of persecution - is elusive for most. Timothy, the apostle Paul's son in the faith, struggled with this very thing. But God revealed to him some very practical ways to tap into the resources he already possessed, bringing him much needed comfort and encouragement, while at the same time giving him power to persevere and prevail in the face of overwhelming forces of opposition.

Rather than contain vague references to the words and actions of "the LORD" and "God" within the text, The First Seventy offers both seasoned readers/listeners of the Bible and those new to the text a spiritual explanation that can be discussed, debated, and incorporated into each individual's moment-to-moment life. Weaving direct quotations from the Bible into a fluid narrative, The First Seventy: A Retelling Commentary, Creation - The Ten Commandments retells and explains the interconnected story that spans the first seventy chapters of the Bible.

This thoroughly enjoyable new commentary, The Pillar of the Truth, gives background for the three letters, brings out parallels between the Apostolic age and Israel's time in the wilderness, and, in step-by-step fashion, shows how the Apostle Paul was preparing the nascent Church for institutionalization.

It's the first and greatest command - the most important thing. But even if we want to love God that way, most of us don't. Are we doomed? Absolutely not. Drawing from psychology, Shakespeare, loads of Scripture, and her personal experience falling in love at 13 (and staying in love for 26 years), Gerhardt makes a story-rich case for a surefire way to fall in love and stay in love with God. Inspiring, warm, genuine, and practical, Look to Love is both convincing and comforting. This isn’t a book to shame you into reading your Bible. It’s an invitation and a help.

David Evans offers a different and sensitive approach in this concise introduction for Christians seeking clarity about Israel, the Jews and the Church. David seeks to clear up some common misunderstandings about "Christian Zionists" and avoids a dogmatic position on the order of the End Times events.

How do you eliminate a half trillion annual expense in the US alone? How do you prevent capital offenses in the first place? God has the solution: we just don't like key parts of it. We shoot ourselves in the foot in order to think of ourselves as dignified and compassionate. Yet the responsibility of public stoning (with the rest of the Biblical model) is more dignified and compassionate than any alternative. Death is the most severe court judgment in the full range of Biblical justice tools, and so it deserves primary investigation.

The Book of Revelation holds many secrets, and can be interpreted in many ways from an unlimited amount of perspectives.

Questions about life, faith, God's purposes, and ours which are asked in the Bible.

This is the first volume in a series that looks at thinking missionally about the world around us and our part in the mission of God. Volume 1 looks at the role and importance of missions in the life and ministry of Jesus.