Study Commentaries

“What a delightful, enriching read!” —Rabbi Tzvi Goldstein Step into the world of Rabbi Jacob Kranz, known as the Maggid of Dubno—a beloved storyteller whose parables still echo with timeless wisdom and wit. In this delightful collection, you’ll find 97 stories that bring the teachings of the Torah to life with humor, heart, and unexpected insights. Whether exploring the weekly Torah portion or the lessons of the Jewish holidays, the Maggid's tales make profound truths accessible and relatable. Written in a light, humorous tone, these parables showcase his unique ability to turn ...

In January 2012, having covered a Somali pirate trial in Hamburg for Spiegel Online International, Michael Scott Moore traveled to the Horn of Africa to write about piracy and ways to end it. In a terrible twist of fate, Moore himself was kidnapped and subsequently held captive by Somali pirates for 977 days. Yet Moore’s own struggle is only part of the story: The Desert and the Sea falls at the intersection of reportage, memoir, and history.

In the early 19th century, Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, conceived the idea of extracting a gospel purified of what he saw as extraneous philosophical, mythological, and theological elements. To do so, he took verses from the four canonical gospels and arranged them into a single narrative, focusing on the actual words of Jesus.

Popular writer and teacher Jeannine Brown shows how a narrative approach illuminates each of the Gospels and highlights the overarching stories. This book offers a corrective to tendencies to read the Gospels piecemeal, one story at a time. It is filled with examples that show how narrative criticism brings the text to life, making it ideal for courses on the Gospels. Listeners will gain hands-on tools and perspectives to interpret the Gospels as whole stories.

The gospel of John comes alive in N. T. Wright's updated, listener-friendly translation and insightful commentary. He guides the listener through the world of the New Testament, explaining the ideas and events that shaped the gospel writer's account of the life of Jesus. Breaking down the gospel of John into brief, easy-to-study segments, Wright shows how the message of this ancient book speaks powerfully to the spiritual longings of contemporary listeners. New Christians and longtime followers of Jesus alike will find inspiration and practical wisdom for their journey within this book.

A few years ago, Mark Adams made a strange discovery: Everything we know about the lost city of Atlantis comes from the work of one man, the Greek philosopher Plato. Then he made a second, stranger discovery: Amateur explorers are still actively searching for this sunken city all around the world, based entirely on the clues Plato left behind.

It takes courage to walk out our faith. Courage to stand for what we believe. To set our standards on Biblical truth, not cultural trends. To pursue a life defined by integrity and character. And we find no greater profile in courage than in the life of Christ. This study follows our Savior as he faced opposition, challenged critics, and courageously chose to make the ultimate sacrifice.

“Do you want peace?” asks James Montgomery Boice. “Are you willing to receive it at the point where Jesus indicated it may truly be found?" This fourth volume on the Gospel of John calls us to the peace that can be found in Christ’s love. Nowhere in the entire Bible can we walk on more holy ground as we listen to Christ’s final discourses.

Mahatma Gandhi took on a challenge to read his Bible. When he reached the book of Leviticus, he gave up. Most people determined to read their Bible give up when they reach this book. In this book, H.K. Holland breaks down the main concepts Moses addressed in the book of Leviticus. He walks you through the sacrifices, the priests, and the meaning of some purity and impurity laws. He shows you how the sacrifices were all pointing to the Great Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The multi award-winning SmartPass study guide, with and without commentary options. This is a full-cast, unabridged performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis for any student to fully understand and appreciate the play. Soak up the atmosphere of ancient Rome. Decide for yourself whether Caesar's power and ambition was a threat to the Republic, and whether assassination can ever be justified.

A tool for grace pastors, teachers of Bible studies, and individual ambassadors in the organization of the local assembly, the teaching of sound doctrine, and edifying of the saints. God “will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Features: Verse-by-verse commentary of Paul’s Pastoral Epistles; The Two Ministries of Christ; Why Paul?; The Three Circles (What happens at salvation?); The Four Faithful Sayings; A portrait of Timothy; A portrait of Titus; Do the bread and cup pertain to the body of Christ?; Easter; The Tanakh explained; The ...

In one astonishing, short period–the ninth century BCE–the peoples of four distinct regions of the civilized world created the religious and philosophical traditions that have continued to nourish humanity into the present day: Confucianism and Daoism in China; Hinduism and Buddhism in India; monotheism in Israel; and philosophical rationalism in Greece. Historians call this the Axial Age because of its central importance to humanity’s spiritual development.

This book is designed to guide and help the reader to get the advanced sound doctrine in Paul’s letters into their inner man (spirit and soul). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Commentary is based on the only verse that tells us how to understand the Bible, 2 Timothy 2:15. The main emphasis is an easily understandable verse-by-verse explanation on the Bible letters themselves. Other features include: HOW TO PRAY IN THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE, how God solved the sin problem, the four major judgments of God, God gave His creatures free will, the five courses of punishment upon His people ...

Marilynne Robinson has built a sterling reputation as a writer of sharp, subtly moving prose, not only as a major American novelist, but also as a rigorous thinker and incisive essayist. In When I Was a Child I Read Books she returns to and expands upon the themes which have preoccupied her work with renewed vigor.

Ostensibly written by an English knight, The Book of Marvels and Travels claim to recount his experiences in Egypt, the Levant, India, and China. It describes a journey from Europe to Jerusalem and further into Asia, and the many weird and wonderful peoples and practices of the East. The author claims to have traveled in land populated by Amazons, dog-headed people, cannibals, one-footed tribes, and Pygmies.

For Apostolic believers, the gift of the Holy Spirit defines who we are. From the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation, the Holy Spirit is evident in shaping our lives. A typical Bible commentary offers verse-by-verse analysis, usually of a single book of the Bible. This book resembles Bible commentaries in its thorough and comprehensive scope and its canonical survey of the Holy Spirit in Scripture. But unlike commentaries, this book gives us knowledge to undergird our Pentecostal experience.

«Si solo leemos una obra de Chesterton —debería avergonzarnos si así fuera— ha de ser Ortodoxia. Seguramente, nadie ha defendido la fe cristiana con argumentos tan sorprendentes y ejemplos tan deslumbrantes, como Chesterton lo hizo en Ortodoxia. Una obra maestra de retórica que (...) realmente constituye uno de los libros mejor escritos del siglo XX» (Dale Ahlquist, presidente y cofundador de la American Society Ches- terton ). Ortodoxia es el libro más importante de una personalidad excepcional.

All of the Trees in the Bible is the complete scholar's handbook for Biblical research and study of trees found in Scripture.

Duffy engages with some of the central aspects of Western religion in the thousand years between the decline of pagan Rome and the rise of the Protestant Reformation. In the process, he opens windows on the vibrant and multifaceted beliefs and practices by which medieval people made sense of their world: the fear of death and the impact of devastating pandemic, holy war against Islam and the invention of the blood libel against the Jews, provision for the afterlife and the continuing power of the dead over the living, the meaning of pilgrimage and the evolution of Christian music.

Dive into the profound and multifaceted world of the book of Numbers with "Understanding the Book of Numbers," a comprehensive Bible study guide designed for clarity and ease of use. This guide is your gateway to exploring the rich history and spiritual lessons of the Israelites, all within less than a month.Structured and Insightful: With this guide, you can navigate the entire book of Numbers efficiently. Each chapter is carefully summarized, providing detailed insights into the lives of the children of Israel and their unique relationship with God. You'll gain a deeper understanding of ...