Bibles Bible Studies Books

This is an excellent study guide to help the reader understand symbols and imagery in the Bible.

This is a very good reference book. I have a couple of seminary graduates that recommended it to me.

a tremendous work of explaining the imagery found in the bible. The range of subjects are vast in scope. A must have reference resource for serious bible study. Goes a long way towards helping one to understand the various levels and ways that symbolic and picturesque meaning is used and construed in the bible. Deals with individual concepts, broad ranging themes, people, places, books of the bible, events and more. Top notch resource!!!

The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is an excellent reference for obtaining expanded meanings of the different words and images of the Bible. And even if it's a "dictionary", it is an enjoyable read straight through or even just when you want to hop from one entry to another. And for the price, it's a steal.

Highly recommended!

This book was one of the most unusual presents I have ever received. It was given to me by an individual who had enjoyed my teaching and thought I would find it helpful. It has proven to be an indispensible aid to Bible study and the understanding of deeper underlying themes of the symbolism which are so prevalent in the scriptures if you have the eyes to see them. The reader/researcher will find the material easy to use and well refrenced with historical and theological explanations. Although the Dictionary is written from a Protestant viewpoint, seekers of wisdom from a variety of different experiences will benefit from the insights and cultural revelations which can aid in unfolding deeper meaning through the symbolism, stories and pictures of the Bible.

My Old Testament prof assigned this book my first semester of seminary and I blew through it so I could check off the reading assignment on the final.

Recently, I began reading through the Pentateuch again and was bewildered as always. Then I remembered to begin looking stuff up in Sailhamer's book. It's amazing how much more I have learned when reading it for fun and not for an assignment.

The introduction is a bit tedious, but worthwhile. The real goldmine for us, though, is in his explanation of those pesky and ever-present laws which make no sense to the average 21st century reader. This book is worth the price of admission just for the explanation of the Levitical laws.

I have a friend who will be studying with Sailhamer at Southeastern Seminary and I envy him a little now because of this book. If you are serious about understanding the OT, this book is an absolute must.

This book is wonderful! Dr. Sailhamer really gets to the heart of what's important about the Torah - what the author is trying to tell us! His study focuses on how/why the author put the Torah (one continuous "book") together as he did and what the reader is supposed to get from it.

He shows how God's addition of laws over time follows instances of disobedience (kinda like the way we add rules for our kids when they act up and remove rules as they show they can handle more responsibility). He shows how the narrative (while simultaneously about events that really happened) foreshadow the future. He explains how the poetry is divine commentary on the narratives. Etc. Dr. Sailhamer brings the Torah to life!

FYI. A Messianic Jewish friend of mine moved from Israel to Raleigh, NC just so he could study under (renowned Christian Hebrew scholar) Dr. Sailhamer at Southeastern Seminary. He's been thrilled with what he's learned. Dr. Sailhamer is brilliant, but knows how to teach.

Sailhamer will change the way you look at the Bible. His study and insight about the Torah is tight and very well supported. He has unlocked the way one should look at the structure of the author's writing within a book of Scripture. With this type of thinking he argues that the Bible can stand on it's own, and we can find meaning within the text itself. This book should be required reading for any student of the Bible.

Text versus event opens the context and intention of Moshe into a whole new light and brings a fresh perspective to passages that may have seemed problematic in the past. Reading "The Pentateuch as Narrative" has completely challenged the way I approach the Torah and deepened it's application to my life. Must reading for anyone serious about grappling with the Torah's application and real life issues.

If you are looking for a book which links the ancient Hebrew writings of the Pentateuch to the surrounding Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures, this is not the book for you. If you are searching for a book which explains the Pentateuch from the standpoint of modern, critical Biblical OT Scholarship (JEDP et. al.), you will also not be satisfied. However, if you are looking for a work which explains how the various parts of the Pentateuch function as a part of a unifed, whole work, this book is incredibly helpful and insightful. Also, as a committed Christian, the work makes the strange world of the Pentatuech and the ancient Hebrews "come alive" for me as a believer. Each year, as I work my way through the books of the Pentateuch in my One Year Bible (January through March), I find this book the single most valuable one in helping me bring home insights from these Hebrew Scriptures into my spiritual life. I enjoyed Dr. Sailhamer as an instructor of the Genesis course 13 years ago during the Winter Quarter at Trinity Ev. Divinity School in Illinois. He continues to teach me each Winter at my house as I live out my life as a Christian minister, Family Practice physician, and HIV specialist.

This Bible version is utilized by ALL students in the Scripture Research Class that I teach. Dr. Bullinger was an emminent biblical scholar, the only Christian authorized to review the massoratic text. The side notes in the Companion Bible are an invaluable tool for me and my students.

Since there is no "copyright" on the name "Companion Bible" I am disappointed that other publishers are able to offer Companion-Bible-substitutes by other so-called-scholars that mislead the Christian student to believe that these pretenders are providing in-depth study tools. Scriptural teaching ... KNOW YOUR SCRIBE!

I highly recommend this book for any serious student of the KJV Bible. The scholarship in the notes and appendices are excellent, and well worth the cost of the book. Bullinger gives complete background documentation without any of the tainted unpleasantness of Westcott & Hort.

Upon opening box I found the book was loosely packed inside a large box which caused a lot of damage to the pages. Bent cover as well. Returned for refund.

It's perhaps a little late to add to the hundreds of good reviews. And I surely won't describe the Bible's content or Bullinger's extraordinary scholarship or the contents themselves. But I come from the A.A. tradition.The Good Book and the Big Book: A.A.'s Roots in the Bible (Bridge Builders Edition); The James Club and the Original A.A. Program's Absolute EssentialsThe Good Book-Big Book Guidebook; and Twelve Steps for You: Take the Twelve Steps with the Big Book, A.A. History, and the Good Book at Your Side. In a time when Biblical emphasis in A.A. has all but disappeared, I had to dig away at the Word of God with all the tools I could find. Bullinger's Companion Bible was a top resource. Reviewers have described its annotations, footnotes, and appendices. And I still use them all. My first copy is weather-worn and has been replaced by a shiny new one. But the need and value remain. To be able to tie together the New and Old Testaments,find the detailed explanations, and soak up Bullinger's research has been a joy to me as I have marched toward the abundant life and the eternal life that's sure to follow.

This bible along with biblical insightful commentary and 198 appendixes is a sure compliment to your library of study materials. While you may not always agree with the findings of some of the appendixes, most are historically documented and or have their roots in the manuscripts used for the text. Most other reference bibles I have viewed are considerably more opinionated than Bullinger's . Because he is a dispensationlist and I am not, I have to work around some of his theology, however there is so much good information compiled into one source that I have to use this as my primary study bible. Words taken from the Greek or Hebrew have a wealth of meaning that we, accustomed to English, can not even fathom. Fortunately Bullinger takes you through various meanings of words that are applied to particular verses and have many appendixes relating to specific words that have varying meanings. Also, figures of speech are marked throughout the Word and then defined in the appendixes. Quite an amazing reference book relating to the best book ever penned. All old testament scriptures duplicated in the new testament are in bold making easy referencing possible. The Bullinger Companion Bible is KJV and has never been adapted to other translations. The large print version is a load to carry around while the leather bound is most normal in size and weight The hardback and large print are bulky and unattractive, but a lot less expensive. I have all three for the three of us in our home. My husband loves the large print, I love the leather bound while our daughter prefers the regular print hardback.

This book is excellent. It gives the reader an overview of the Bible and timelines for Biblical events and what was happening in the secular culture in the same period. This is a great book for people at any stage of their spiritual walk.

Really helped me to understand about the Bible. Very easy reading. Perfect for teenagers as well as adults.

As the title implies, the "101" would mean "beginner level". Indeed, in this book, Bickel and Jantz wrote a really good introduction to the Bible. They start with the authorship and brief history of the Bible, why Bible is so interesting, and then moving to explain the Bible part by part -- in a Christian perspective.

This book is aimed especially for new converts or for those who are not well acquainted with the Bible but desire to learn more. Even seasoned Christians, in a way, can learn on how they should teach the Bible to beginners from this book.

The explanation in the book isn't terribly deep for scholarly / apologetic purposes, but not too shallow either. I personally feel that they wrote much more than just the basics. They did some cross reference and give a bit of historical background when appropriate, like the year of Israel / Jehuda kings reign. Even, they outline some different interpretation on certain books / passages, like how current Bible scholars differ on the book of Revelation and why.

There are ample diagrams, pictures, maps, tables, and other visual aids to enhance the learning experience. The language is so simple that reader with little or no exposure to Christianity can follow it. The book even includes yearly Bible reads and popular passages for devotional purposes. Also, they mention how Christian stands on several sensitive topics like abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, and so forth by citing appropriate verses in the Bible. Although some interpretation on some issue varies greatly from church to church, I believe that the authors tried to represent the view of the Christian "majority". I believe that the authors are not deeply apologetics in this book, many "advanced reader" would feel that the authors are glossing over too much on certain issues.

All in all, this book is intended for beginner Bible studies, but there is far more than just "basics". I agree that this book is not enough for apologetics, but if you're just curious about the Bible and never take much studies but desire to learn more, this book is for you. Note that if you are not Christian, but desire to learn more about the Bible, this book isn't for you because the authors' inherent bias on the interpretation of Biblical verses may throw you off. However, if you think you can handle that, then this book is a good investment.

Any teacher who likes to supplement a bible lesson, Sunday school lesson, etc., needs to have this book. It is a great addition to any library of Christian study tools.

This book is excellent for the beginner. It's basic, easy to understand style is a definite plus! If you're looking for a good book to teach you the basics, and take you on a fun trip to understand and knowing the bible, this is it!

This will be used in auditing first year Bible studies and the perusal of the first few chapters have me very interested to begin the formal study with my group.

My teenage girl's youth group at church are reading this book and studying the Book of Esther. As their teacher, this book has been a wonderful learning tool and really opened the girls up to share their personal stories of what it's like to be a teenage girl in America today. They really enjoy Lisa's writing and have already asked to do another of her books in class. Thanks, Lisa for your book.

This book is written for the middle school ag.. hence the reason that the slang is so far off... (as noted in the previous reveiw) It is a great book about becoming a modern day Esther.

This was a great book!!! Even thought I am still reading it, It's already making me think about who I am and what I should be working on I love this book! It tottally makes Gods word fun!

This book covers a wide variety of topics, makes them relevant and understandable, and forces the reader to apply them to daily life. Great to use as a chapter-a-day devotional and encompasses everything a young girl should know!

Esther's story is my favorite story in the Bible. She was a very strong woman who was fearless (she was not afriad to be herself). Lisa Ryan has done a great job applying this fabulous story to life as a young woman today. I found that the writing was somewhat silly (Mrs. Ryan sometimes used slang never spoken by anyone outside of middle school), but the message was awesome. Every girl should read this book!

The Letters of Paul was written by a retired professor of Religious Studies at Macalester College. His former teaching career is evident when reading this book, although he admits in the preface it is written for the "nonspecialist." (ix) I got the sense that this book, first published in 1975 (ix), was a textbook for students. Roetzel himself describes it as a book for "those who are systematically reading Paul's letters for the first time as well as those returning to Paul for a fresh look." (xi) He says that the book is meant to be read before looking at Paul's actual letters, a point I disagree on; at least a perfunctory reading of the letters would be helpful before reading this book. Roetzel's aim is to have readers see the letters "less as repositories of static truth than as lively and sometimes turbulent exchanges over the nature of the gospel," (xi) and to "help the novice reader read the letters in light of their social and cultural background." (5) He is also trying to guide students in how they approach the study of Paul, and to help them understand basic structural and functional aspects of letters in Paul's time (xi).

Roetzel opens the introduction skillfully, drawing the reader in with a discussion of Paul's views on women. He then touches on some other controversial contemporary issues. Roetzel presents other dichotomous views of Paul. These "contrary impressions" (1) effectively tease the reader, and hint at the issues to be dealt with in the book.

The book concludes well by picking up where the introduction left off. It discusses controversial issues in a little more detail, but they make more sense now because of the background of the book. I especially enjoyed the last few pages as they provided an excellent, concise summary of Paul, and put him into perspective. Particularly the conclusion notes, that "...he raised hard questions that the church had to face. And he dealt with real issues most of which still lie near the heart of humankind." (190)

Roetzel was excellent at fulfilling his aims. He made me understand that Paul's letters are not static, but real conversations between Paul and the churches. The book also helped me to understand the world through Paul's eyes, which were focused on "the cross, the resurrection, and Jesus' imminent return." (72)

There are few negative things to say about this book. A couple of minor contentions I had were the use of theological words, and the black and white presentation of the material. First, Roetzel tossed theological words into the book several times, often without proper explanation (e.g. "eucharistic" 63, "exegesis" 39, and "doxology," 70) This would not be a problem if Roetzel was writing for the specialist, but if as he claims, his audience is composed of non-specialists, the use of theological words can lead to confusion.

One other minor criticism: Roetzel made many assumptions that he treated as undisputed truth. For example he writes, "we know, of course, that Paul is unfaithful here to the original intent of the Genesis material." (101) Do we know this for certain? How? These are the unanswered questions I had while reading comments like that. (In this case he is erring on the side of the non-specialist, who would be confused by an introduction of all the ambiguities.)

Overall though, I really enjoyed this book. Besides a few glitches it was at a level for the beginner reader to understand clearly. Whenever possible Roetzel referred to Paul's letters to make a point. He also summarized scholarly opinion about an issue, and provided further references for reading in the helpful selected bibliography at the back of the book. Even though the book has too much detail for the general public, it would be great for a serious student who is analyzing the letters of Paul. Overall it was well written and interesting. I think the only problem was that the author stated that this book was for the non-specialist, but I think it would be difficult to understand for someone with no background at all in Paul's writings. I would suggest a reader to be familiar with Paul's letters before he/she decides to read the book.

This is a terrific introduction to the Apostle Paul and the letters attributed to him in the New Testament. Roetzl is a superbly clear and concise writer who knows how to write introductory material without distorting and oversimplifying. This is a well tested textbook, and the new fourth edition brings it into line with the most current Pauline scholarship. Roetzl fully incorporates the continuing influences of the "Sanders revolution" into his own understanding of Paul and his writings. The book provides a thorough treatment of each of the epistles in terms of posible dating, situation, and literary structure before explicating the primary themes. Roetzl does divide the Paul's letters into the categories of undisputed and disputed and treats them roughly according to his own chronology. Some will quibble with the ordering and the categorization, but Roetzl is far from dogmatic on these positions. Most importantly, as the subtitle indicates, Roetzl takes seriously the role Paul's letters play in an ongoing relationship with the churches to which he writes. In line with the the contemporary trend, he extends this principle to Romans, moving further away from the older, non-situaltional way of reading. I have used this as a textbook with undergraduate students and they have complimented it highly.

This book was the text for class I took on Paul's letters. Very readable with very insightful essays on each of the letters. Excellent background on the life and times of Paul. A must for anyone who wants to study or teach on Paul's letters.

The Letters of Paul: Conversations in Context, by Calvin J. Roetzel, is a book on the letters of Paul written from a historical perspective. As the subtitle implies, Roetzel attempts to interrupt the letters in the historical context in which they were written, as the writer Paul converses with his readers. Roetzel analyzes Paul's letters within first-century Judaism and the world of mystery religions, stoicism, Neo-Pythagoreanism and Gnosticism. Roetzel examines the structure and function of the letter in the ancient world. He attempts to show how Paul used this medium to express the authoritative understanding of Christian life to communities that where experiencing specific problems. As for presenting a historical background on Paul and his letters, Roetzel does an admirable job. The book is outlined and organized well. He does emphasis the role of the historical setting for proper interpretation of scripture, but I feel the canonical context is significant, also. Paul's letters were clearly written for particular situations during his lifetime, but they exist in canon today because the early church found value in them for themselves in different times and contexts.

Featuring beautiful color illustrations, 101 Favorite Stories from the Bible is an anthology of classic biblical tales. Written and presented to be shared between parents and children, 101 Favorite Stories from the Bible features a complete, plain-terms version of each biblical story on the left page of each two-page spread, and an illustration along with comments and questions directed to parents and children on the right page. Tales from both the Old and New Testaments abound in 101 Favorite Stories from the Bible, the ultimate read-aloud storybook for Christian households.

Very good visual Bible -- better for 6 and up than for younger years. There are follow up questions. We use it for family devotions. The pictures are very clear, a little too busy if your children are under 3, but remember, children GROW. This is a great book to have on hand -- we toss it in the church bag and can look up the scripture readings each week. It's nice for the kids to have a visual reference.

With 101 stories, we can do the whole thing, one page per day, for summer vacation (that's the plan).

This is not a baby Bible -- it's much more rich than most.

Good book.

*** edited in August 2008 -- Try David R. Helm's Big Picture Story Bible, too -- it's a wonderful book. ***

Parents normally introduce their kids at a much earlier age to fairy tales books than to the Bible. Why? Because the text is just too complicated to explain to the young minds.

Thanks to this 101 Favorite Stories, it is now a lot easier to introduce our kids to the wonderful bible stories. Each page contains one summarized story of an important bible event (including corresponding verse) & opposite its page is a colorful illustration that will captivate a young mind & hold its short-spanned attention. What's even greater is that, this book holds stories both from the Old & New Testament.

Just be careful when you let your toddlers read/view this book as the pages are not cardboard material & can be torn by small excited fingers.

`An Introduction to the New Testament' by leading NT scholar and writer, Raymond E. Brown may be the best possible introduction to its subject for the lay reader and for pastoral readers. I am relatively sure the book is also used as a text in college level courses on the New Testament, if only for the wealth of bibliography on each aspect of its subject.
I give this glowing praise with some reservations, since I have been bitten before by praising a book on a subject on which I have not read many different works; however, by now I have read numerous books on both New and Old Testament subjects, on both introductory and `scholarly' levels, and this experience assures me that this is a superior book for its audience.
As you read this volume, you may be surprised to discover that the author is a Catholic, since there is not one wit of `bias' which would diminish the work for our Protestant kin. Rather, the author brings in notions from Catholic practice for which the Protestant, even the deeply scripture - imbued Lutheran tradition, has no easy concept. My favorite is the notion expressed by the Latin (of course) phrase sensus plenior, or `fuller sense' of a reading of scripture. This is totally consistent with Herr Luther's dictum that a scriptural reading has but one meaning. It just means that one wants to find the broadest sense of the text, taking all things into account.
Another of the author's positions which warm's my heart (and assures me the author is intellectually sound) is his opinion that the politically correct terms for what we all commonly call the `Old Testament' are no more accurate than this ancient term which some feel is disrespectful to our Jewish cousins. All common alternatives such as `Hebrew' scriptures are actually less accurate than the adjective which says these came before the Christian scriptures.
The greatest service I can do for you, kind reader, is to point out that the proper audience for this book may be much wider than the title may suggest. I would offer it as a NT complement to James Kugel's `How to Read the Bible', which deals only with the Old Testament (as Professor Kugel is a Hebrew scholar). It is also an excellent replacement for such heavy tomes as `The Oxford Bible Commentary', which I have never found exceptionally helpful in getting into an unfamiliar book of the Bible.
A dramatic illustration of how good this book is compared to some other works is to compare it to the recent Lutheran introduction, `Opening the Book of Faith' on four ways to read the Bible. Brown gives ten (10) different ways the Bible has been studied, and that doesn't even include the Lutheran text's `lectio divina' and `theological' readings. The former is a classic devotional reading and the latter is the approach promoted by Lutheran theologians.
If I have any reservations at all about the book for serious students, it is the fact that it was published twelve years ago, and probably written up to two years before that, which means the bibliography may already be slightly dated. However, I still found the bibliography exceptionally good, even with its limiting itself to works in English, proper for a book written for the lay reader or beginning student.
I was tickled to find, at the very end, a bit of a polemic against the works of the Jesus Seminar in an overview of works on the historical Jesus. He shares the dim opinion of this enterprise held by Catholic colleague Luke Timothy Johnson. This is the only place in the book where Brown strays one iota from an even handed approach to Biblical scholarship.
If you are first starting out in serious Bible reading, this book is a Godsend!

Raymond Brown sure knows how to write an introduction. Though I am not exactly sure how long the New Testament is, surely it is dwarfed by the 800+ pages of Brown's commentary. He does an excellent job covering the books as well as discussing various approached to studying the New Testament. I used this for background while studying Mark. Thus, this work is approporate for specific research or a general understanding of the New Testament. Though it is not quick reading, if you have your bible handy it the learning process is better. Unlike many theologians, he does a good job of sticking to mostly understandable vocabulary. I would say this could be of use for all beginning and intermediate-level bible students as well as those extremely familiar with the doctrines surrounding the New Testament. High praise for Brown in attempting such a collasal task!

This is a great book. Ray Brown is a scholar who has the ability to write so clearly that he is able to pull together years of study and scholarship and bring beginners, students and Scripture readers up to speed on the latest in Biblical understand. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about the Bible and how to read it and understand it.

As others have stated, this if you only buy one book for a study on the nuts and bolts of the New Testament, this is it. It is extraordinary in its scope, magnificently researched, and best of all, it's written so well that it does not become tiring or try to impress you with huge complicated words or phrases. This is an outstanding volume for the common man and the advanced student as well. Thank you Raymond Brown for leaving us with this marvelous tool to understanding the times and structure of the New Testament - this book will serve as a legacy and the benchmark by which all others will be compared for ages to come.

I am a somewhat new Christian and have really felt a connection with God since becoming faithful. However, I became wary of Church dogma and completely literal, simplified views of info in the Bible. I knew it had to be deeper than that. I had a hunger to learn more about the history of the New Testament and it's books, letters, etc. to help me better understand it. This book was extremely helpful and easy to understand; but I can see how it would be good for people who already know about Biblical critisism. It has deepened my faith more reading this book which actually has a centrist point of view for the most part. Highly recommend to all. I had read Raymond E. Brown was the way to go for this information and I'd have to agree.

This is a good first time Bible. I like the helpfinder pages as it is easy to locate scriptures for specific topics. Yet, there are printed errors I found that apparently someone was slacking on their job of detail. It states Abraham was born in 2006. The helpfinder pages are stated on a certain page and then not listed correct, etc. So, the designer, editor or who ever has the responsibility in checking that everything is correct failed to do so and it causes some concern in what else may be a typo throughout this Bible.

I first bought this Bible at Barnes and Noble book stores. I loved it and quickly showed it to my husband. He liked it so much that he started reading the Bible again, and it's been years!! The New Living Translation is easy to read-it's in plain english so that you can understand. I can't put it down! And..I don't spend hours trying to figure out a single statement-every scripture makes sense! Plus-the front of it has the Bible books both by Old and New Testement and by Alphabetical order. There are notes within that will focus on a scripture within that page and give you more depth. There is a section of Bible promises in the back but as each promise comes up in scripture, it is also separated out and wrote verly largely and identified as God's promise! The back has a HUGE section on feelings. Just look up how you are feeling and it shows you scriptures and where to go to to know what God says about it! I also haven't read the Bible in years and as I said, I can't put it down. I love the way it reads-great for new beginners and the experienced!!

THE NLT is easily understood and clarifies passages for me from the KJV. It is a great translation.

Re: The Hard cover edition...
I purchased one from Guideposts and was surprised and pleased, to find it on Amazon.com! I want to give a copy, to each of my families, for Christmas. It's written in a way which is understandable for all ages and I believe it will be the version, most likely to be read on a regular basis, by all of them.
It is riveting and hard to put down!
Each of the books of this Bible, is prefaced by an interesting introduction, putting it into perspective, telling something about the author, etc.; establishing the timeline and historical backdrop, for the characters portrayed. Each book of the Bible is a little novella in itself, which can be picked up and read alone; or, as a running narrative, in context with the other books. I would recommend this Bible, to anyone. Either as a lst read, or quick reference, or a stand-alone Bible, it can fill the need for all these purposes and more.
I am just so favorably impressed, it's difficult to express. It may be one of those things, which has to be experienced, to be believed...and even better, yet, than that. If you've never, before, been able to understand the Bible; when you read this one, you will finally, definately, "Get It".
I'm getting another one for myself, as a spare...I don't ever want to be without it, again.
It's THAT Good.

I have been in church all my life and have wanted to read the bible but couldn't understand a word of it. I am 21 years old and was givin this bible and for the first time in my life I am reading it. I have read the first two books of the Bible and want to read it all! I'm so scaried that I'm going to get fired from work because everytime my boss comes to my desk I'm reading the bible.