Time To Prepare The Way In The Wilderness

Contemporary reconstructions of Luke's theology of the Way should include in a more conscientious manner the contribution of Luke's post-Easter on the road encounters (the Emmaus, Gaza, and Damascus road narratives). This book argues that Luke follows here the rules of Hellenistic mimesis (imitation), many of which are illustrated in the novels, dramas, and history treatises of his time. Filtering these rules through his own theology and literary taste, he represents, in the end, the history and the proclamation of the early church, in an attractive and challenging manner, inviting his readers to good literature and to captivating spiritual experiences.

Inspired by the work of Richard France and his highly influential Matthew: Evangelist and Teacher, Charles L. Quarles and Charles Nathan Ridlehoover have gathered together a collection of works that argue for a re-examination of the defining features of Jesus's role as a teacher in the Gospel of Matthew. This volume suggests that, while each of the Gospel writers display Jesus leading disciples along, speaking to crowds, and confronting Jewish authorities with effective and timely teachings, Matthew's portrayal of Jesus as a teacher contains distinctives that deserve further exploration. After examining Jesus's Old Testament and Second Temple influences and comparing his methods to the contemporary Greco-Roman tradition, the contributors explore Jesus's position as a teacher of faith and forgiveness and a trainer of scribes, and analyse his relationship with several different apostles. Including responsive essays, and concluding with a summary of Jesus and Matthew himself as evangelists and teachers, this journey through the aspects of Jesus's teaching ministry gives readers a more complete look at Jesus's vocation.

Peter stands at the beginning of Christian theology. Christianity’s central confessions regarding the person of Jesus, the cross, salvation, the inclusive nature of the people of God, and the end of all things come to us through the apostle who was not only the church’s leader but also its first theologian. Peter is the apostle for the whole church and the whole church resonates with his theology. We sing his song, though we may not have glanced at the bottom of the page in the hymnbook to see who wrote the words and composed the tune. Peter is the “lost boy” of Christian theology, a person overlooked as a theological innovator and pillar, but his rightful place is at the head of the table. If we look closely, however, we may recognize that he has been seated there all along.

The study deals with the theological message and composition of the Book of Isaiah and promotes a thesis that an early Jewish reception history helps us to find perspectives to understand them. This study treats the following themes among others: 1 Hezekiah as Immanuel was an important theme in the reception as can be seen in Chronicles and Ben Sira as well as in rabbinical writings. The central event which makes Hezekiah such an important figure, was the annihilation of the Assyrian army as recounted in Isaiah 36-37. 2 The Book of Isaiah was interpreted in apocalyptic milieu as the Animal Apocalypse and Daniel show. Even though the Qumran writings do not provide any coherent way to interpret Isaianic passages its textual evidence shows how the community has found from the Book of Isaiah different concepts to characterize the division of the Jewish community to the righteous and sinful ones (cf. Isa 65-66). 3 Ezra and Nehemiah received inspiration from the theological themes of Isaianic texts of Levitical singers which were later edited in the Book of Isaiah by scribes. The formation of the Book of Isaiah then went in its own way and its theology became different from that in the Book of Ezra–Nehemiah.

This collection of essays by a group of well-known international scholars deals with the complex and fluid ways in which biblical traditions are transmitted in a variety of contexts focusing especially on the versions, the pseudepigrapha and Qumran, and early Christian literature.

An examination of the evidence that the Festival of Weeks was the occasion for the celebration of the renewal of the covenant in the Second Temple period, encompassing chapters on the Hebrew Bible, book of Jubilees, Qumran Scrolls, and the New Testament (Luke-Acts and Ephesians).

This volume presents the long-awaited edition of the Cave 4 manuscripts of Serekh Ha-Yahad or The Rule of the Community, in which the Essenes detailed the guidelines for membership in their community. Also known as the Manual of Discipline, a complete scroll was found in Cave 1 at Qumran and this edition illuminates the textual and redactional history of Dead Sea literature. The document is extremely important for understanding the nature, practice, and ideology of the Qumran covenanters.

Discover the key to enjoying God in every moment of every day We believe in God, we serve God, we trust God, but would we say that we experience God on a day to day basis? Do we really know him personally? What exactly does a relationship with God look like, and how is it even possible? In this seminal work by Tim Chester, we’ll see how the three persons of the Trinity relate to us in our day-to-day lives and how to respond. We’ll discover that as we interact more with God, and understand how awesome he is, we will experience the joy of being known by the creator of the universe. Every Christian will benefit from discovering the key to enjoying God in every moment of everyday.