Study Commentaries

Ruth: Audio Lectures features scholar and professor K. Lawson Younger teaching through the book of Ruth in 5 engaging and challenging lessons. A companion to Younger's Judges, Ruth commentary in the NIV Application Commentary series, these lessons help us discover how to apply Scripture to our...

How does eschatological view affect your life? If it has no effect, you might reconsider what you really believe. Paul's epistles to the believers in Thessalonica are the two most important New Testament eschatological epistles. These epistles are discussed in this audiobook.

Refugia (reh-FU-jee-ah) is a term describing places of shelter where life endures in times of crisis, such as a volcanic eruption, fire, or stressed climate. Ideally, these refugia endure, expand, and connect so that new life emerges. Debra Rienstra applies this concept to human culture and faith, asking: In this era of ecological devastation, how can Christians become people of refugia? How can we find and nurture these refugia in our human cultural systems and in our spiritual lives? Refugia Faith speaks to people securely within the faith as well as to those on the edge.

In many corners of the world these days the climate of hostility hangs over any overt Christian faith commitment. Any kind of Christian commitment is now assumed to imply intolerance and often prompts reactions that range from a low-grade hostility and exclusion in the West to the vicious and...

“Is the experience of God’s grace in your life a thrilling thing? Just thinking about the fact that God, by His own sovereign plan, decided to be gracious to me is overwhelming. There is nothing greater than receiving grace upon grace.” --John MacArthur Simple definitions can make grace...

The book of Mark―the first and shortest Gospel written―serves as both a historical and theological account, connecting Jesus to the whole storyline of the Bible. Mark writes against the backdrop of the Old Testament and draws from other New Testament writers, specifically Peter and Paul, to articulate many themes that are found in the rest of the New Testament.

Christian Wiman explores the relationships between art and faith, death and fame, heaven and oblivion. Above all, He Held Radical Light is a love letter to poetry, filled with moving, surprising, and sometimes funny encounters with the poets Wiman has known.

How should Christians conduct themselves in an increasingly secular society? Jesus answered this troubling question on the eve of His death with some of the most poignant, powerful teachings in His entire ministry. During those hours, Jesus taught His apostles and, consequently, all believers...

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.

Find transformation not in more religious activity but by deeper spiritual awakening through daily immersion in Scripture While much of the New Testament concerns itself with the general spread of the gospel, James offers us something of an advanced course in discipleship. You will move beyond...

"Hope is not a sedative; it is a shot of adrenaline, a blood transfusion." Through clever word pictures like this, best-selling author and former pastor Warren Wiersbe preaches the same message Peter preached so long ago. Turning each enlightening page, believers gain increasing confidence in true Hope, a God in whom they don't just wish for eternal life. In Scripture, hope means the promise of salvation for those who have accepted Him and His Son's death and resurrection.

You can tell a lot about a person by the way he dies. In the last week of his life, Jesus deliberately sets his face toward Jerusalem—and certain death. This is no ordinary week. Even the angels are silent as they ponder the final days of Jesus Christ. This is no ordinary walk. Jesus doesn't...

With definitions and insights like this, the "pastor of pastors" and phenomenal author Warren Wiersbe continues to enliven the Scriptures as he weaves the words of Isaiah with historical explanations and thought-provoking questions for every chapter, creating a study guide that can be used in personal Bible study or with a group.

I have always felt compelled not to allow women’s research to be further behind, as we live in a patriarchal society. For the Christian female, we are even further behind with well-articulated research on Christian women’s sexual health, because we are just emerging from decades of purity culture in the Western, White, patriarchal church systems. We need all women’s voices to bring their stories to the table, so here is mine. As a Christian, psychotherapist, and PhD in women's sexual and spiritual health, these are the stories I have listened to for the past 15 years.

I was led to The Gospel of Thomas following a spiritual experience that altered my life. I know now that what happened was not unique and there are many of you who have had a profound spiritual experience that has left you searching for answers. Line by line this book reveals the original meanings and applications of the sayings and presents the manuscript as the timeless spiritual guide it was first created to be by its true authors two millennia ago. This Gospel of Thomas book is like no other and for those who are ready the message in the sayings is revolutionary and evolutionary.

For centuries, The Book of Enoch has intrigued scholars, theologians, and seekers of truth. This ancient manuscript, once considered lost, reveals a universe of angelic beings, divine secrets, and cosmic battles. It challenges conventional religious thought, offering a glimpse into the pre-flood world and the cosmic order as envisioned by its author.

The Holy Spirit is a studious and soul-thrilling look at the Person of the Holy Spirit. It was originally published in Arthur W. Pink’s monthly Studies in the Scriptures. In these thirty-one chapters, Pink examines things such as: the Personality, Deity, Titles, and Covenant-Offices of the Holy Spirit; The Holy Spirit during the Old Testament Ages, the Holy Spirit and Christ, the Advent and the Work of the Spirit; the Spirit Regenerating, Quickening, Enlightening, Convicting, Comforting, Drawing, Working Faith, Uniting to Christ, Indwelling, Teaching, Cleansing, etc.

Do you want to play the game of life? Ecclesiastes is going to show us how to do this in a fallen world where things often don’t make sense and are messed up. For many, if not most, the book of Ecclesiastes is an enigma, packaged as a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, and then placed in some Russian dolls before it is locked up in Pandora's Box. “The Preacher” takes us on a journey from birth to death, running the whole gauntlet of life. Mysterious and challenging, this book is meant to be wrestled through as we discover that God is the answer to every longing of the soul.

When Jesus spoke, people listened. When Jesus traveled, people followed. When Jesus arrived, hearts and lives were transformed. No other Gospel gives such extensive explanation to Jesus' ministry as the Gospel of John. The first three Gospels describe events, but the fourth Gospel describes the significance behind those events. Through miracles, parables, and relationships, Jesus shows how He is the fulfillment of God's promises of old.

September 11, 2001 saw the deadliest attack ever launched on American soil, leaving us asking questions such as: Why did God permit such a thing to happen? Was the attack a divine judgment or was it merely an atrocity perpetrated by the forces of evil? How can human beings be capable of such...