Bibles Bible Studies Books

We are doing this Bible study for a group of 14 moms on Thursday mornings this summer. Everyone loves it! This series is very well written and organized. It has an opening icebreaker question for each chapter and a page at the end for notes or prayer requests. It is very biblical and leads to lots of discussion. I would recommend this highly for any group of women meeting weekely, as well as independent study at home.

The study of faith as presented by Kenneth Hagin was very informative and comprehensive. After completing the study, I came away with a much broader and clearer understanding of bible faith. However, I ordered two copies of the book and both of them fell apart. Obviously, there is a defect in the binding from the publishing company. Other students in my bible class bought the same book from a christian book store and theirs fell apart as well. I needed the book for the class so I had to go ahead and use it. Otherwise, if I had more time to work with, I would have returned it for a refund.

This is a great study of biblical faith. There is also a fair amount of experiences that prove the outcome of faith that Kenneth Hagin teaches within the book. I am half way through it (it's hard to put down) and when I have completed it, I will begin reading it...along with my bible, again.

Every Christian should read! This is an excellent resource for those who are at work building up their faith, learning to receive from God! I am currently using this course as my Sunday School lesson book. The hope and encouragement that I see stirring in the people are very gratifying! This course takes you from the first baby-steps of faith all the way to using your faith for great things. I love it - use it to counsel individuals in my class. A valuable teaching tool!

This is the most awsome teaching on faith I have ever read. Very comprehensive, yet simple to read and understand. By the end you will understand how to walk by faith and believe God's Word is the sole source of Truth. God Bless.

I bought this book a month ago and it has blessed me tremendously!! Kenneth Hagin breaks down the different kinds of faith, what faith is, and how to apply your own faith. He also tells his own personal story about being healed from his death bed and many other experiences he had in the church, such as helping fellow Christians with their own faith. I love that there are questions after every lesson. This helps me to remember and understand what I have been taught in the lesson. I love reading Kenneth Hagin books because he speaks the truth about God. You will surely be blessed by this book and many other Kenneth Hagin books. This is a must read for anyone who is born-again, have weak faith, or for any Christian or anyone else who wants to have a relationship with God!!

The author provides a very scholarly analysis of women in the Old Testament. If more intellectual reading is not your thing, then this may not be the book for you. However, if you are into writing that is a little more dense, then you might like it. She provides a lot of interesting points. If you want to read about some of the symbolism and meaning of women in the bible, this book could pose very helpful.

Real different perspective of women and their roles in biblical studies. I shared with my Bible study folks and the ladies were most interested and shared the book. Also see "and Sarah laughed" for similar stories.

An excellent read and an excellent resource for students and interested parties. Well-written, clear, with humor and insight too.

I have read a few dozen such books and I was very impressed by this one. Tikva Frymer-Kensky is very scholarly she often defers to the original Hebrew. Her work is well documented, yet very readable. I was particularly impressed by her treatment of Hagar. Most Jewish authors either portray her negatively or ignore her altogether.

In Tikva Frymer-Kensky's Reading The Women Of The Bible: A New Interpretation Of Their Stories, gender issues in the Bible are tackled from the perspective of proposing a new taxonomy of four discourses involving women, reflecting the author's background as a professor of Hebrew Bible at the Divinity School at the University of Chicago. Informed and informative, Professor Tikva Frymer-Kensky's new and thoughtfully engaging interpretation of their stories includes liberal quotes from the Bible and insights into early Biblical influences and is very highly recommended reading.

Henrietta's book is the most useful tool in understanding the Bible. If you are in a Bible Study or just reading the Bible, this book is a must read first, last or as you progress. I have had the privledge to know the author and she was a shining star herself and her book is just an example of how she relates to God's word to and with others. She is missed in life but her rewards are overflowing. I hope to meet her again.

I bought this book for my sister because she likes the King James Version however it is a very easy read and everything is very understandable. All Harriet Mears books are very informative.

Many of us call ourselves Christians, but know so little about our Bibles. This classic will change all of that. Should be required reading of all Christians. Call it Bible 101. A must for your library.

I have ordered at least 35 of these books for students I have taught over the past 2.5 years only because it is one of the best sources of Bible knowledge apart from the Bible itself. The organization of the material and the way it is presented makes it a great lead-in to student Bible study. It does not portent to replace the Bible, simply establish a different way of understanding what the Bible has to offer. I keep several variations of this book in my personal library. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that wants a obtain a clear cut understanding of the Bible before they read the Bible itself.

I can't say enough good things about this book! I have purchased it twice for each student in my Bible classes at our congregation. (5/6th grade level). I use it in my preparations to teach and since it is reproducible for that use, find it to be invaluable. I disagree doctrinally with some of the teaching in it (Calvinistic teachings) but for helping others to understand the books of the Bible and its chronology, it is wonderful. There are maps and charts as well as a good dictionary in the back of the book. Get it for your children AND yourself!

Nice book for Kids. The illustrations are very good. The glossy paperback makes it last longer in handling by kids.

We decided to "gift" our 3rd graders with gift Bibles that were usable and would stand the test of time as they grew. This is by far the best! Our children cherish their bibles and are excited to use them in Sunday School and Bible Study.

Zondervan has always been known for its excellent products and this is no exception. What a wonderful Bible for kids ages 5-12, and even for adults! Written at a third garde reading level, this Bible is easy to understand and I enjoyed reading the answers to questions that kids (and yes, even adults) ask about God, heaven, and the world around them. The use of blue and red for the print is eye catching and easy on the eyes (and yes, much less boring too) The illustrations are cute and made me smile often. A dictionary and topical index is included. Parents and grandparents, no need to hesitate on the purchase of this particular Bible. Much time and effort has been expended to make it as easy to understand while being true to the original text as possible. I even recommend this to adults who find themselves confused by other versions.

I have all of the set. They are excellent, reliable and easy to read.

I purchased this volume to complete the set. MacArthur is one of the best and most consistent Biblical expositors. His hermeneutic is historical/grammatical and he is very consistent in his interpretation. I love the background information and the practical application that go along with the verse by verse commentary.

The last chapter (the only one I have actually read so far) is a hoot. The author summarizes the previous nine chapters and says things like "Blame the Babylonians -- it's not my fault", "Again, not my fault! I didn't fake any of it -- it just came out of the ground when I wasn't looking!", etc.

He then attacks the elements of the New Literary Criticism with comments like "No more than a half-truth at best", "Simply not the case', "Utter poppycock in practice", "Absolute trash", etc., followed by support for his statements.

This is followed by specific comments on specific minimalists. The preface (also very interesting) and the summary chapter alone are worth the price of the book.

You wouldn't expect such a long book--nearly 700 pages, including maps, charts, and indexes--to be entertaining, but Kitchen manages it. And, although he takes the orthodox view on most of the Old Testament he treats every issue in a fair manner, discussing the various points of view of the minimalists.

You can expect surprises no matter what your level of background in the subject. Take even the common belief that Akhenaten was the first known monotheist. "The Cairo Hymn to Amun in Egyp (ca 1500/1400) from well before Akhenaten's time, already Amen-Re (twice over) as creator of the other gods as well as of humanity, so that he was necessarily sole god before such a creation, conceptually. The hymn itself originated much earlier..." (p 331).

It's impressive to see such evidence for the authenticity of the Tenach marshalled by Prof Kitchen, but he has the irritating habit of jumping from scene to scene, his comments are not organised as well as they might be, although clearly often the product of great study and thought (his views on the merits on the rival datings systems of Kings of Judah and Israel is a marvel of concise but biting analysis). Perhaps it's unfair to ask for a more systematic presentation from an archaeologist (who's work is inevitably punctuated, incomplete and usually in process), but it feels unpolished.

After reading several books on archaeology of ancient Israel, I found it important to read a book which deals fairly and squarely with those scholars who question whether the United and Divided Kingdoms really existed, or whether the Old Testament is a distorted history to serve the needs of the priests of Israel and Judea. This is important issue, because of the bearing it has on the current turmoil in the Middle East and the claims by some states that the State of Israel has no right to exist.

Dr Kitchen tackles the task of proving the reliability of Old Testament by working backwards, starting with the time of the Divided Kingdoms of Israel (Chapter 2), for which there is considerable archaeoligical evidence to corroborate the biblical accounts of the these kingdoms, the conquest of the Israel by the Assyrians, the later dispersal of the inhabitants of Judea by the Babylonians, and the occupation of the country (Chapter 3) during the Babylonian, Persian and Greek periods.

The point of working backwards becomes very clear when he moves to the analysis of the period of the United Monarchy of David and Solomon (Chapter 4), where there is only circumstantial archaeological evidence at best. This period follows the invasions of the Sea Peoples and coincides with the beginning of the Third Intermediate Period of Egypt (on which Dr Kitchen is a foremost expert), and immediately before the establishment of the Assyrian Empire. The archaeological data and historical inscriptions are not only sparse, but seemingly full of contradictory evidence and he describes the evidence such as it is, showing that it is not inconsistent with the biblical accounts.

For the period of Joshua and the Judges (Chapter 5), he dissects these books in great detail, pointing out that they show quite clearly that the Israelites infiltrated into the land of Canaan rather than by rapid conquest. This is consistent with the archaeological record which indicates a group on incomers infiltrating the land of Canaan over a period of about a 150 years. There is, of course, no historical inscriptions that can verify this view, but the consistency of the archaaeological and biblical record is there. Dr Kitchen uses a similar technique in comparing the biblical account of the Exodus (Chapter 6), with the archaeological evidence in Egypt and Palestine which which he believes to have occurred in the last decades of the 13th century - this being the period of the reigns of Ramesses II of the 19th Dynasty of Egypt and his son Merneptah. He shows that the descriptions of the culture and behaviour of the Israelites who left Egypt are consistent with the culture recorded on many inscriptions in tombs, temples, etc of that period of the New Kingdom

I think these two chapters are the key parts of the whole book. Dr Kitchen clearly shows that the archaeological record does support the biblical account for the later periods, but here it is mainly the matter of comparing cultures and behaviour, and I think it best to read these chapters with the appropriate Biblical books in hand for reference.

Some people would argue that the biblical record in Genesis is simply a legend and bit of a fairy tale, but Dr Kitchen (in Chapters 7 and 9) does show that the culture of the Patriarchs, their predecessors, and the genealogical lists of peoples, is generally consistent with records on inscriptions of the first half of the 2nd millenium BCE but, of course, there is no direct evidence of the Patriarchs, only of peoples who seem to have had a culture similar to that ascribed to the Patriarchs

Chapter 8 is an interesting analysis of the culture of Prophets and Prophecy during the late 2nd millenium and 1st half of the 1st millenium BCE, and the final chapter (10) is a glorious polemic on the misinterpretations, mis-statement of facts, etc of those who deny the reliability of the Old Testament

The book is 650 pages long, has 100 pages of very detailed notes, 40 pages of maps and illustrations of objects, a subject index, and 14 pages of biblical reference. It is a very thorough book, and Dr Kitchen provides a full description and analysis of the archaeological evidence, and its relevance to the accounts in the books of the Old Testament. In doing so, he provides detailed notes on the findings and differing views of the various scholars, irrespective as to whether those views coincide with his or not. He is, of course, in major disagreement with many of these views, and is quite outspoken and often quite scathing about the "sloppy thinking", "blunders", and "failure to understand" of some of the most famous scholars. While this is quite amusing to read, it is somewhat disconcerting because, this kind of scoffing can be seen by some to be hiding a weakness in his own position. In his defence I would observe that where he does so, it is usually with a very thorough exposition of the weakeness of the other party s view and analysis of the facts. So even though his strongly held views permeate the whole book, I have to applaud his objectivity and overall fairness.
It took me a while to complete my study of this book. I read it from start to finish, and then read it in reverse order to make sure I had captured the major points. Dr Kitchen has done such a thorough job on this subject that I think it should be required reading by any serious scholar who has doubts about the Reliability of The Old Testament, as well as those students who wish to find the truth for themselves from their own studies.

Compared to equivalent works on the New Testament, Kitchen has written an encyclopedia. Kitchen provides meticulous and refreshing scholarly insight into the Old Testament. While many constantly minimize and undermine the Bible, Kitchen provides the evidence that undermines the underminers. Since such a volume with such an eye popping title can stir much inflamed passion, a few key points need to be addressed.

Firstly, some criticize Kitchen's mantra "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence!" since arguments from silence are considered incomplete, if not fallacious. However, careful readers will understand that Kitchen isn't really trying to argue from silence, but rather, Kitchen questions the assumption that a lack of archeological evidence means a recorded event did not occur. One must understand that much of what is known of Ancient History, especially the history of less developed civiizations, depends upon written sources and only small amount of archeological evidence. Kitchen thoroughly illustrates that though there maybe a lack of overt "hard" evidence, the Old Testament documents can still be corroborated by the little evidence that is available. After all, the whole point of Kitchen's work is to demonstrate that the Old Testament is a reliable documentary source.

This last point, points to another important point; Kitchen's book is supposed to be a work of apologetics rather than a strictly academic work. His purpose is to defend the reliability of the Old Testament just as F.F. Bruce defended the reliability of the New Testament, which was infact Kitchen's inspiration for this volume.

Further, it must also be understood ancient works of history are not only typically written long after the events they record, the ancients also regulary used colorful literary devices in order retell the past, Herodotus being the most obvious ancient example. That said, one must not so easily dismiss the Old Testament for not fitting modern "scientific" history. Of course, skeptics argue that Literary/Historical criticism helps reduce, if not eliminate, fact from fiction. But again, Kitchen rightly demonstrates how what the Old Testament does record has substantial historical merit.

Perhaps the biggest drawbacks to Kitchen's book are organization and readability. Since Kitchen begins his work with more recent history, and then works his way backwards, some may feel disoriented, especially if one intends to use the book in a classroom setting. One would best be served by using this book as a primer for Old Testament studies or after reading the whole Old Testament, rather than using it as a side by side Scripture study tool. Also, because the information provided is extremely dense, some readers may feel a bit overwhelmed. It would be best for first time readers to be familiar with the Old Testament within its historical and literary context, before reading this book. I highly recommend ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN THOUGHT AND THE OLD TESTAMENT by John H. Walton as a definite primer for Kitchen's masterwork.

Lastly, I'm very happy that Kitchen shied away from addressing questions concerning the Canon of the Old Testament in this book. I'm sure he has an opinion concerning this question, but he seems to have left this issue for others to decide. If one wished to delve into this juicy subject I think WHY CATHOLIC BIBLES ARE BIGGER? by Gary Michuta is the book to read.

I hope these comments can be of help to some. I absolutely think this book is a MUST read for any serious Bible student. If one wants to move onto the New Testament after studying the Old, hands down, one should read: THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS: ARE THEY RELIABLE? by F.F. Bruce and THE HISTORICAL RELIABILITY OF THE GOSPELS by Craig L. Blomberg. I hope readers won't prejudge Kitchen's volume because he's an ardent Christian, after all, most skeptical authors, such as the prominent Israel Finkelstein, make their positions well known from the get go in their own polemics. In the end, when it comes to this subject and the available evidence, it appears Kitchen carries the day.

Thielman's theology treats the New Testament texts sympathetically, "as they were intended to be read," and through careful analysis, he thoroughly and convincingly engages less sympathetic scholarship. Using clear prose and thoughtful organization, both the theological diversity of the 27 books of the New Testament and their inter-relatedness are described. The introduction calls the reader to embrace the insight of faith while carefully examining the New Testament documents in their historical context. In subsequent sections, each book of the New Testament is discussed separately but within groupings based on similar historical and literary characteristics: The Gospels and Acts; the Pauline Letters; and the Non-Pauline Letters and the Revelation of John. In his final chapter, Thielman highlights five central theological unities of the New Testament: the centrality of Jesus, the importance of faith, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Church as God's people, and the final eschatological restoration. In short, this book offers meticulous scholarship and reasoning that is readable, engaging and informative; it celebrates the diversity of the New Testament texts while highlighting key points of theological harmony. This is a welcome addition to any theological library.

Having read Thielman's previous work "Paul and the Law" (InterVarsity Press, 1994) I was really looking forward to this (now his magnum opus) work. Overall, I was pretty satisfied after browsing through the pages. However, it is more of a theological introduction of the New Testament (i.e., R. Brown, P. Achtemeier/J. Green/M. Thompson, etc.) than an actual theology of the New Testament (i.e., G. Ladd, L. Goppelt, A. Schlatter, etc.). He goes over every book and letter of the New Testament and neatly exposits what each of the books and letters say. Thus, it will be a useful text for a New Testament introductory course at a graduate level seminary.

Having said all that, however, there is one glaring error that Thielman espouses that forces me to dock off two stars. In his section on Paul's view of justification, he writes: "It is not merely the verdict of innocence that God pronounces over the one who has faith in Christ, but it is also a saving power by which God rescues those who have faith in Christ" (p. 462). For Thielman, justification/righteousness is not merely a forensic declaration that a believing sinner is righteous before God due to Christ's perfect obedience, but also a "power that radically changes believers--it both saves them and demands their obedience" (Ibid). Thielman muddies the difference between justification and sanctification. He follows the same view of justification/righteousness as Ernst Kasemann, Gottlob Schrenk, and Karl Kartelge (a Roman Catholic). For those who think that Thielman has not abandoned the Reformation understanding of justification really need to study Reformation history, the Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter XI.1), and systematic theology texts written by contemporary orthodox evangelical scholars (i.e., M. Erickson, W. Grudem, R. Reymond, etc). Those who still stubbornly believe that Thielman's understanding of justification is still in line with the Reformation and its creeds after further study are those merely trying to avoid censure from their own denomination (like some pastors in the various Reformed and Presbyterian denominations). I would recommend this book as a good resource for those interested in New Testament studies. Unfortunately, Thielman really missed the target when discussing Paul's doctrine of justification.

Frank Thielman has produced a true gem of scholarship and exegetical work in exploring the theology of the New Testament. While not exhaustive, it goes into enough depth to provide the reader with a more than average understanding of the texts in both the original languages, writing sytle of the author(s), and the cultural context in which the books and letters were written. He is very careful to give detailed outlines and even pick out minutae among the different Gospels to highlight their different specific themes and then at the end unifies all the unique threads to give an overall perspective. The Epistles are carefully analyzed to provide the reader with the details surrounding the circumstances and purposes for which the letter was written to help the reader understand the reasons and methods which the author used in their presentation of their material, which also helps explain things such as what may seem like different (contradictory) emphasies amongst Paul's letters (for example) while showing in fact that they are not contradictory but make sense in the context of each circumstance the letter was addressing. He also takes a conservative approach, which I approve of, in consulting the accounts in Acts to provide a sufficient historical background in which to view the various Epistles. In his treatment of 1 Thessalonians he does this to explain several elements of why the people in Thessalonia might have been persecuted and why Paul had been "torn away" from them. He weaves the various themes masterfully throughout his treatment of each book, emphasising their differences to reveal the initial purposes and meaning of the texts in each book while also unifying the various topics in the NT under a cohereht view of Systematic Theology. And the compliment of the arsenal of footnotes is more than adequate.

As for the person (reviewer) who noted an exception to Thielman's treatment of justification, by "muddying the difference between justification and sanctification", I do acknowledge that Thielman's approach to some issues are not perfect and I have my occasional disagreements, but even in that case, though somewhat misleading, he does -in a way- show the close relationship between justification and sanctificaion. Though sanctification is a life long process and doesn't inevitably assume the Christian will be perfect, it starts at our justification from Christ in which he gives us righteousness which then needs to be worked out. Thus we should "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12). Though the reviewer who pointed that out is correct that there is a difference, though interconnected. The only other exception that I would note would be his treatment on Romans chapter 7 (which is a controversial chapter among all Christian circles) by seemingly interpreting it as Paul not talking of himself but rather him personifying historical Israel. Though previous chapters had mentioned the experiences of historical Israel there is no reason to read that into Paul's (admittedly difficult) admission of his struggle with sin. So I found that a strange and rather misleading interpretation.

Overall the book is wonderful and indepth, but as with any Christian book I would always council caution to examine carefully what is being presented. The truth will always stand under intensive scrutiny. We should "test everything, and hold on to the good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). I myself am writing a book, and while I strive to be thorough with my assumptions and views concerning the Bible I certianly don't expect to have everything 100% right. For that reason I give 5 stars to this book for it has made up in vitality, content, research, and intelligence for any blunders it may have and is largely a true prize of scholarship and theology, reviving the Bible of the day of Jesus and the Apostles and awaking the reader to the power and life that the Christians of the first century had and grew in despite their struggles.

This volume helpfully interacts with the scholarship on the New Testament, yet keeps the discussion focussed on the biblical text. Arranged canonically as opposed to any order dictated by systematic theology, this provides a refreshingly different approach. A useful summary for any serious student of the New Testament.