This Guide reads the Gospel of Mark as a 1st-century CE story about Jesus, for his followers, and against tyranny or the abusive use of power.First, the book shows students how the Gospel uses the form of a traditional laudatory biography (a 'Life') to reshape the memory of the shame-ridden trials and suffering of Jesus. Such a biography portrayed Jesus' descent (as a son of God), his deeds, and his heroic death, dispelling any notion that the teacher Jes...

In the quaint coastal town of Tilbury Town, Captain Craig, a man of enigmatic past and troubled present, emerges as a captivating figure. Haunted by a secret that weighs heavily on his soul, he seeks solace in the bottle, his life spiraling into a downward spiral. As the townsfolk whisper and speculate, a young woman named Mary enters Captain Craig's life, offering a glimmer of hope amidst his despair. But their budding connection is threatened by the shadows of his past, which threaten to...

The early Christian Church was a chaos of contending beliefs. Some groups of Christians claimed that there was not one God but two or twelve or thirty. Some believed that the world had not been created by God but by a lesser, ignorant deity. Certain sects maintained that Jesus was human but not divine, while others said he was divine but not human. In Lost Christianities, Bart D. Ehrman offers a fascinating look at these early forms of Christianity and shows how they came to be suppressed,...

Many people don't think of the Bible as a romantic book, but it is. The Bible is full of stories that young girls would love. There is murder, mystery and plenty of romance to be read. A book that brings the stories into readable language and shares the excitement of love in the olden days would be enjoyed by many.

This guide considers the historical contexts, the literary forms, the social and rhetorical backgrounds, the politics, the theologies, and the reception of 2 Corinthians. Each chapter surveys recent scholarly approaches to the text, focussing especially on critical perspectives that mesh with our contemporary concerns about gender, identity, race and class. 2 Corinthians becomes, in the process, less the work of a single 1st-century writer than a set of fraught, even fractured negotiations...

Relatively brief and seemingly unassuming, Philippians is frequently underestimated by its readers and users. This guide shows that what lies within this letter is much more complicated and dynamic than many expect.After surveying the major historical problems and the methods scholars use to arrive at competing solutions, Marchal focuses on the letter's famous hymn of Christ-a rare glimpse into a tradition created by the community in Philippi, even earlier than Paul's letter. Given...

In this guide Margaret Aymer introduces the letter of James, countering arguments that it is of limited theological value and significance for early Christianity. Aymer focuses on James' theology of God's divine singularity and immutability, and of God's relationship to the community as father and benefactor. These are theological foundations for its emphasis on community actions of belief, humility and mutual care.Aymer introduces and examines the letter's stand against empire, no...

Men in today's society would love a book with bible stories for men because it would remind them to love and appreciate a woman, as it would also teach them the way a woman should love and appreciate them. It would also aid a man in teaching his son how to live his life in God's eyes as a man.

1 Thessalonians provides a fascinating glimpse into the origins and social life of the Christ group in the ancient Roman city of Thessalonike, while 2 Thessalonians reveals how the community developed at a somewhat later time. This guide narrates the story of the founding of the group by considering the social and cultural contexts, the literary form, the rhetorical strategies, the theologies, and the reception of the two canonical letters.While centering on the texts of 1 and 2 Th...

An easy to read introduction to the book of Revelation by a respected biblical scholar.; Do you find Revelation hard to understand? Help is at hand! Dr Pieter J. Lalleman, Tutor of Biblical Studies at Spurgeon's College, London, takes the reader step by step through the challenges of the Bible's last and most difficult to understand book.Details: The book of Revelation is first and foremost a letter addressed to seven churches in Asia Minor (modern day Tur...

The New Testament writing known as First Peter was probably written at the end of the 1st century CE; it is addressed to 'resident aliens' who live as colonial subjects in the Roman Province of Asia Minor. They are portrayed as a marginalized group who experience harassment and suffering. This letter is ascribed to the apostle Peter but was probably not written by him. It is a rhetorical communication sent from Christians in the imperial centre in Rome (camouflaged as Babylon), an authorit...

Recent decades have seen significant shifts in biblical scholarship opening up a range of ways of engaging the biblical narrative - both methodologically (the tools and techniques for engaging the text) and hermeneutically (the perspectives that inform an interpreter's approach to the text and to the interpretative task). It is these shifts that give shape to this introduction and study guide, so that students encounter not only the text of Matthew itself but also its rich lode of recent i...