Study Commentaries

It's never too late for a new beginning. Look closely and you'll see that theme all through the Bible. Page after page, God delights in turning tragic endings into new beginnings. A childless woman conceives in her old age; a fearful, self-conscious shepherd becomes a leader of millions; and a prostitute becomes a wife and mother in the lineage of Christ. Every biblical fresh start reveals the amazing, awe-inspiring hope we have for our own new beginnings in God's plan for our lives.

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.

The second volume of Matthew Martin's verse-by-verse commentary on Isaiah looks at the promise of the Messiah to come and the preparation needed by Judah in advance of their Babylonian captivity. This study enlightens and explains the text making it easily understood by all.

Editors Denis Alexander and Alister McGrath gather other intelligent minds from around the world to share their startling commonality: Richard Dawkins and his fellow New Atheists were instrumental in their conversions to Christianity. Despite a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, all are united in the fact that they were first enthusiasts for the claims and writings of the New Atheists. But each became disillusioned by the arguments and conclusions of Dawkins, causing them to look deeper and with more objectivity at religious faith.

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 ...

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 ...

I want to make it clear right away that this commentary series is not necessarily for Bible scholars, pastors, or anyone else who is well versed in the Hebrew and Greek of the Bible. Although, I do think they can benefit from it as well. Instead, this commentary series is for everyone else who does not fit into that group of scholars. I wrote this commentary series for those of you who would like to study the Bible with the knowledge of what the significant Hebrew and Greek words mean and how they fit into the context of each verse, chapter, and book that you may be studying. As a pastor ...

Do you want to have a better understanding of the Bible? Do you want to see the big picture and how all the pieces tie together? Do you want to have a deeper appreciation for how the New and Old Testaments compliment one another? Beyond the Verse is a collection of Wes McAdams' observations as he embarked on - and completed - a transformational journey of reading whole books of the Bible in one sitting. His summaries of each book of the Bible will help you to notice important themes, ideas, and concepts as you transform the way you read Scripture.

If you have not read the Bible, consider this, that it is the best seller of all best sellers, the #1 most printed book every week of every month of every year. It is estimated that over five billion complete copies of the Bible have been printed in 349 languages and with partial copies additionally printed in another 2,123 languages (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-book-of-non-fiction). Consider carefully that something inside the Bible must be profound and compelling since hundreds of millions if not billions of people have read it. Over the centuries, the ...

Bring the bible home for deeper devotional use and understanding. Bible Smarts provides for each book an overview of its authorship and historical setting, plus its stories and themes.

Marilynne Robinson has plumbed the human spirit in her renowned novels, including Lila and Gilead, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. In this new essay collection she trains her incisive mind on our modern political climate and the mysteries of faith. Whether she is investigating how the work of great thinkers about America, like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Alexis de Tocqueville, inform our political consciousness or discussing how beauty informs and disciplines daily life, Robinson's peerless prose and boundless humanity are on full display.

A verse-by-verse in-depth consideration of one of the most important books of the Bible. The book of Hebrews is often under-studied because many Bible readers are unfamiliar with its purpose. This commentary expands on the narratives and arguments of its original inspired author, in order to walk the reader through the epistle, step-by-step. Thus the book will: (1) show the purpose, functions and limitations of the Old Law (2) explain the greatness of Christianity in contrast to the Israelite Covenant (3) offer encouragement to Christians who may be (as the original readers were) ...

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.

Nick Neely chronicles his 650-mile trek on foot from San Diego to San Francisco, following the route of the first overland Spanish expedition into what was soon called Alta California. Led by Gaspar de Portolá in 1769, the expedition sketched a route that would become, in part, the famous El Camino Real. It laid the foundation for the Golden State we know today, a place that remains as mythical and captivating as any in the world.

The Secrets of the Eternal Book decodes some of the Bible’s most enigmatic, yet oft-cited epochs. The author’s lively and easygoing style makes for a smooth entrance into the depths of perception, where one changes one’s world simply by contemplation and desire. While listening, you will gently rise beyond the level of physical events as they are described in the Bible, and you will find Pharaoh, Moses, Adam, and Eve that lie within you.

Trusting Jesus is hard. It requires following the unseen into an unknown and believing Jesus' words over and against the threats we see or the fears we feel. Through the imaginative retelling of 35 Bible stories, Not by Sight gives us glimpses of what it means to walk by faith, counsel for how to trust God's promises more than our perceptions, and the way to find rest in the faithfulness of God.

Meet Joshua. A brave leader who led the Israelites through battles, challenges, and victories on their journey to conquer Canaan. When you flip through these pages, you'll find an amazing historical account and lessons that will resonate with you. Victory Road goes beyond being a mere narrative; it's an invitation to rise, believe in yourself, and reach your goals. Keep in mind, your dreams are within your grasp. If you have faith and stay determined, you can totally achieve them. Whether your "Promised Land" is a personal goal, a lifelong dream, or a battle within, this book gives you what...

For more than a decade, New York University president John Sexton has used baseball to illustrate the elements of a spiritual life in a wildly popular course at NYU. Using great works of baseball literature as well as the actual game’s fantastic moments, its legendary characters, and its routine rituals - from the long-sought triumph of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers to the heroic achievements of players like the saintly Christy Mathewson and the sinful Ty Cobb to the loving intimacy of a game of catch between a father and son - Sexton teaches that through the game we can touch the spiritual dimensions of life.

In 15 New Testament Words of Life, New Testament expert Nijay Gupta explores the most important words found in the New Testament. He makes their meaning clear so that these words can become—once again—life giving words for modern Christians as they were for early Jesus-followers. For those first readers of the New Testament who chose to follow Jesus, these words were words of life and they can be again for Jesus-followers in the modern world.

This second volume in the Patristic Commentary on the Book of Isaiah continues the journey begun in Volume 1, delving deeply into the prophet’s earliest messages—warnings of judgment, calls to repentance, and glimpses of redemption. Drawing from the wisdom of the early Church Fathers and the Coptic Orthodox tradition, this work reveals the richness of Isaiah's voice as both fierce reformer and tender intercessor. Covering chapters 1–35, this volume illuminates: God’s righteous judgment against hypocrisy, injustice, and idolatry The spiritual decay of Judah and the prophetic call to ...