Study Commentaries

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.

We are called to live a life obedient to God. But what does this look like? And how can we live in a way that's pleasing to Him? The answer is found in faith. Long considered the father of faith, Abraham sets the standard for what it means to be obedient. The book of Genesis holds the remarkable story of Abraham, a man who would give birth to a nation, and make the way for our Savior. Part of Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe's best-selling "BE" commentary series, Be Obedient has now been updated with study questions and a new introduction by Ken Baugh.

True to Our Native Land is a pioneering commentary on the New Testament that sets biblical interpretation firmly in the context of African American experience and concern. In this second edition, the scholarship is cutting-edge, updated, and expanded to be in tune with African American culture, education, and churches.

Millions of us use restrictive diets, intermittent fasting, IV therapies, and Ozempic abuse to shrink until we are sample-size acceptable. But for the 30 million Americans who live with eating disorders, it isn’t just about less. More, Please is a chronicle of a lifelong fixation with food—its power to soothe, to comfort, to offer a fleeting escape from the outside world—as well as an examination of the ways in which compulsory thinness, diet culture, and the seductive promise of “wellness” have resulted in warping countless Americans’ relationship with healthy eating.

A respected pastor and a man whose study series has sold over 4 million copies, Wiersbe affectionately calls the apostle Luke "Dr. Luke" as he shows how Dr. Luke recorded Paul's missionary journeys. Listeners travel through dungeon prisons, see the ancient world as if it were today, and witness the marvelous work God can do through a few souls fully surrendered to His purposes. They witness Paul's conversion and spot his imperfections, yet still they enter his successes as the Lord uses Him to preach Good News to the lost and dying.

How to Really Study the Bible Looking for an enjoyable way to study the Bible by yourself or with friends and family? Tired of reading a passage of the Bible and finding that you’ve forgotten what you just read? Looking for a way to increase your attention and understanding during Bible study? You’re just seconds away from deeper engagement with the New Testament scriptures... Study the Bible by Taking Bible Quizzes After Every Chapter If you're like most people, you pay better attention and get more out of what you study when you know that you're going to take a quiz on it. This is why...

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.

The Pharisees and scribes have captured Jesus, who has been a nuisance to them for the past three years. Upon what crime, we don't know. First, the soldiers lead him to Annas for a pre-trial. Will they condemn him to death or not? You already know how the story ends, but you might not know the details. In this book, we explore the actual events of what happened.

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.

Reaching out to listeners of all religious backgrounds, Desmond Tutu shows us how to transform suffering into joy both in our lives and in our world. He tells us that God dreams of a world where laughter, love, and peace reign, and where we realize that we are all members of one family, God's family. In this extremely personal and liberating message, Father Tutu helps us "see with the eyes of the heart" and cultivate the qualities of forgiveness, humility, generosity, and courage.

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.

A multitude of Biblical stories have been censored, mistranslated, ignored, and even banned by religious authorities due to their erotic, violent, or mysterious content. Here, Jonathan Kirsch recounts some of the most startling and explicit writings from the Old Testament.

Also: The Old Testament: An Introduction, Part 1 and Part 2

Based on more than 20 years of research and spiritual practice, written by a man who is both a spiritual practitioner and award-winning scientist, Essential Spirituality shows how you can apply the seven practices central to all the world's major religions in your daily life. Filled with stories, myths, case histories, prayers, and practical advice, this extraordinary work has the power to change your life.

The fourth edition of this book has been written to clean up some of the poorly worded text in the first three editions and to show important Bible verses rather than just refer to them. An effort has also been made to convert previously used first person speech with more formal third person speech. In looking at the second chapter of the epistle of James, this standalone book considers authorship, the date that the whole epistle was written, and the basis for its acceptance into the biblical canon. With a strong focus on the Greek language, the goal has also been to perform good exegesis ...

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 ...

The Book of Romans stands as one of the most profound and influential works in the New Testament. Penned by the Apostle Paul, this letter is a masterpiece of Christian theology, articulating foundational truths about humanity, sin, salvation, and the righteousness of God. Romans is not only a letter to the early church in Rome but also a timeless guide, calling believers across ages to understand the essence of the gospel, its implications for personal transformation, and its role in the unfolding story of God’s redemptive work. The book opens with a deep dive into the human condition and...

«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.

Andrew Sullivan, “one of the most influential journalists of the last three decades” (The New York Times) and founding editor of The Daily Dish presents a collection of 60 his most iconic and powerful essays of social and political commentary from The New Republic, The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, New York magazine, and more.

Traveling along the Yukon as the salmon migrate, a four-month journey through untrammeled landscape, Adam Weymouth traces the fundamental interconnectedness of people and fish through searing and unforgettable portraits of the individuals he encounters. He offers a powerful, nuanced glimpse into indigenous cultures and into our ever-complicated relationship with the natural world.

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.