Bibles Bible Studies Books

This book is a must-have for any family. It realistically covers scripture-based detail of how the ark was built. It's an amazing find. Children will enjoy looking at it over and over again!

My children and I love this book. The art work is stunning. And let me just add that the cd that is included is great too. As the narrator speaks you hear the sounds of the animals and the storms. My children were enthralled as they listened to the story. They were even a little nervous when they heard the sounds of the storm,hehe.

This is a beautiful book. Well put together. It came with a CD that had some drama to it so my 6yo and 3yo at the time really liked it.

Our kids absolutely love this book! The pictures are amazing and the accuracy is so much better than the typical book on Noah and the ark.

(by Ligia Qahoush) This book is a great resource for both children and adults. My boys who are 4 and 8 enjoy hearing/reading this story (some paraphrasing is needed for my younger son). The story is told very nicely; it carefully fills in some details that the Bible doesn't record. The artwork is beautiful. The author does say that this story "has many different versions around the world" (a confirmation that the flood was universal rather than regional...). However, he also goes on to say that for this reason "to get an accurate account, we must go to the original source... the Bible". At the end of the story the author also says that "Today, God has provided another Ark of Salvation so people can be saved-the Lord Jesus Christ...". This reference to the "Ark of Salvation" truly makes this book complete! Aside from the Bible, this is a great book for those of us who want to make sure that our children's minds and hearts are filled with The Truth (not the "wisdom" of those who claiming to be wise became fools)!

I have enjoyed every one of Joan Chittister's books that I have read. However this one truly spoke to my heart. I have only recently realized how important community is in my spiritual life. This books explains what I could never put into words myself regarding the special friendships of women. I have given it as gifts to five of my very special friends.

I gave a copy of this book to everyone in a group of women friends I have when we all went away for a weekend. We had fun reading about the friendship of the women of the Bible and why they are important in todays context, however we all wish that each story was much longer, more indepth and more detailed. Nice read for a weekend.

You may know about the women in the Bible that are written about, but the author brings you up to date with your own personal life...also a good discussion for small groups or a friend...another Chittister winner.

This small book is packed with information about the women in the Bible and how each personifies as aspect of friendship. There is a chapter on Ruth, a chapter on Anne, and some women that have received very little attention. There are interesting thoughts about each of them and how they represent different aspects of friendship. I am enjoying it so much that I only allow myself a chapter at a time to read and ponder. I think this will be the book I give to women friends this year. This is a keeper.

In a day and age where individualism and self-sufficiency is prided as characteristics of success and power, a voice that reminds us of the true role and import of friendship needs to be heard - and Joan Chittister offers one such voice. Using women biblical figures as a springboard and chapter mastheads, Chittister develops a short reflection on what the true meaning of friendship is and how is should be cultivated today.

From a refreshingly feminine perspective, Chittister approaches the topic of true friendship from the projected experience of the women for whom each chapter is named. While in no way a scholarly or academic work (most observed in the lack of authoritative scripture references, scholarly endnotes/footnotes or exegetical analysis of implicit scriptural references - although she does list the biblical passages at the end of the book where each woman could be found mentioned in scripture), this book is a wonderful meditative tool for one's own reflection on friendship.

In the spirit of full-disclosure, I should note that I am a male in religious life (in contrast to the author, a female in religious life, and the audience which appears to be primarily women). This perhaps limits my ability to fully appreciate the impact this work has on a female reader. I can attest to the fact that two very close women friends have read and recommended this book to me and they have found great solace and inspiration from it. I enjoyed it very much and it has allowed me to reflect on both friendship and women in the Bible in new ways.

Truly an illuminating book on what Paul REALLY said about women! I can't recommend this enough. It will change what else you've read and been told about Paul. When viewed in the context of the times and using original language it makes ALL the difference in the world. Thank you, Dr. Bristow!

As has been mentioned in previous reviews here: Paul wasn't a male chauvanist. My apologies too, Paul. ; )

Inadequate understanding of languages coupled with cultural influences created an understanding of Paul that has led to Paul's being considered a male chauvenist. He wasn't.

Bristow explains, simply, that Paul has been misquoted and misunderstood. This book provides a simple explanation of Paul that can be understood by most people in the pews. A wonderful insight into the real Paul.

At the risk of being bashed as a feminist, unorthodox or unbiblical, I have to say that on the whole I found this book very useful in critiquing many of the excesses of male domination as found among Christians today who try to use Paul as their back-up proof text. I also write this as an Eastern Orthodox man who has seen way too much of that sort of thing among his Protestant brethren. (Coincidentally, I have found very little of the male domineering among the Orthodox, which one might not have expected!)

The author does a pretty fair job, in my layman's view, of placing St Paul's writing into the socio-religious context of the early to mid-first century. As you can see from the table of contents, Bristow covers the usual bases of equality in marriage, society and the Church. He shows, convincingly to me, that Paul viewed women as equal partners in marriage, of high standing in the Church community and as educators within the community.

I feel that he could have made much more use of our Trinitarian faith, using the Father's role in relation to the Son and Spirit as a model for an equality within a context of hierarchy, or a first among equals. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all equally God, yet their unity is derived from the Father within an order. So I feel that this sort of usage could have helped make his case both stronger and more rooted in the scripture.

Ok, so all is well and good until we come to this quote on page 57: "While Paul did not establish the practice of having women lead in worship alongside men, he certainly approved of it." Oh, really? And here is my major point of disagreement with the author. As much as I may want to, I do not find any text in the NT or early church writings to support the ordination of woman to the priesthood. Every single text that he marshals to support this position has nothing to do with the actual sacramental role of the priest/elder/pastor whatever. They include teaching and prophecy (speaking), but not what is actually the exclusive role of the presbyter or episkopos (bishop). Simply put, there is no such thing as a Christian priestess. It is very true that women were educators, catechists, deliverers of Paul's epistles (Romans for example, meaning that she may be the first interpreter of it!), hosts of house Churches (think 12 people max) and deaconesses. But to go back to the role of Christ, the priest stands in the stead of Christ at the liturgy, since all of the sacraments are Christ's, not ours. This does not have much of an impact upon Protestant Christians, since they often have no acceptance of the grace of God in the sacraments (owing to Romaphobia and their own biased reading of St Paul, perhaps). Of course you may argue that the sex/gender of Jesus has nothing to do with his personhood, but I am not so sure to dismiss that on such weak grounds. Besides, what is at debate here is what St. Paul wrote, not what modern theologians may legitimately conclude two thousand years later. And that being the case, there is no grounds in St Paul for establishing female liturgical leader. What do the texts show us? Deaconesses who deliver the Eucharist to widows or the poor? Yes. Woman who teach? Yes. Woman who baptize outside of the liturgy? Yes. Women leading the prayer in the role of bishop or priest? Never, not once. Of course that may all change, but not upon any sort of "new reading" of St. Paul, I am afraid. (And believe me, I am very sympathetic to the idea.)

Other books of interest may include an article in God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethicsby C.S. Lewis entitled "Priestesses in the Church?" It is fantastically brilliant. Also, Women in the Priesthood: A Systematic Analysis in the Light of the Order of Creation and Redemption and God or Goddess?: Feminist Theology : What Is It? Where Does It Lead?, both by Hauke, Women and the Priesthood and Ungodly Rage: The Hidden Face of Catholic Feminism. Now some of these books tend to be critical of the negative role that feminism can play in theology by really skewing it to modern desires instead of truth, so I think if you really want to learn both sides, you have to read these authors as well.

One last thing, consider Mary, the Mother of our Lord, as model for what it means to not only be a woman, but a true human before God. Here is a great place to start: Mary: The Untrodden Portal of God - Expanded and Revised Edition with a General Index.

Peace.

I cannot say enough about the insight this book contains to clarify some of those things that we sort of 'knew to some degree all along', but didn't have enough background to really be able to explain clearly from a biblical standpoint. This book is not some propaganda...it is insight to the original context and language of the writers, things that are all but lost in our shallow English language and Westernized culture. A must, especially for ministers. No room for male supremacy here.

What an insult to the apostle Paul and God as well.Believe me poeple,John T.Bristow`s message is not of Christ.There are too many women wanting to blinded by these lies,but the truth of the bible is simple and simply put.The bible says the man is the head of woman just as god is the head of man.The bible says woman are not to teach or have any authority over any man.Take it up with God poeple!!!This kind of stuff just shows you that these are the days when good is traded for EVIL.

Introduction to the NLT Study Bible
In the Introduction, there is a NLT Study Bible Features Guide. There is also a six page Master Timeline which covers the historical period from creation to approximately AD 330. The timeline is quite detailed and gives an overview of what was happening during the periods covered by books of the Bible. Not only does it list the Kings of Israel and Judah, but it also covers the kings of Assyria, Babylonia, Media-Persia and Rome.

The introduction also includes a list of NLT Study Bible Contributors. I'm no scholar and my library is limited, but several names managed to catch my eye: Daniel Block, Tremper Longman III, John Oswalt, Grant Osborne, Robert Stein, Mark Strauss, Douglas Moo, Sean Harrison and Philip Comfort.

Book and Section Introductions
The book introductions cover the usual Setting, Summary, Authorship, Setting and Date information to be found in most Study Bibles. There are several features of the Book Introductions which stood out to me as special. Each book introduction includes a map showing the geographic region covered in the book. There is a timeline for each book.

As in most Study Bibles, there is an Outline. The NLT Study Bible takes the Outline a step or two further than most in that it is a running outline. I have found this to be a very helpful feature. To quote from the Features Guide:

"Each book includes an outline with up to three levels of headings. In the introduction, we provide the first level of the outline to give the reader an overview. The full outline is embedded in the NLT text as running headings."

The Book Introductions also include a Further Reading section which has book recommendations for further study. In skimming the recommendations from several introductions, the books seem to be solid. I even own several of them so of course I like the lists.

In addition to the Book Introductions, there are Section Introductions. These include:

Old Testament
The Pentateuch
Historical Books
Books of Poetry and Wisdom
Books of the Prophets
New Testament
The Four Gospels
Letters of Paul
Paul's Letters to Timothy and Titus

There are also other informative articles of an introductory or chronological nature throughout, including:

Archaeology and Sources for OT Background
Abraham to Joshua
Time of the Judges
Israel's Monarch
Israel's Exile and Return
Life of Jesus
Harmony of the Four Gospels
Apostolic Age
Time After the Apostles

Miscellaneous Features in the Text
Scattered throughout the text are numerous helpful features including additional maps, genealogies, additional timelines, various charts and illustrations. You have to really try hard to get lost in this Study Bible. They keep everything pretty close at hand.

I have found the notes to be surprisingly relevant to the text. I say "surprisingly" because in other Study Bibles it seems that a rather large percentage of notes seem to be more filler than helpful. The notes in this Bible have been more consistently helpful to me personally.

Theme Notes and Person Profiles
Throughout the text there are notes regarding important themes and people. For instance, looking in the Gospel According to John there are numerous notes and profiles including:

The Word
John the Baptist
Miraculous Signs
Nicodemus
Believing
Living Water
The Jewish Leaders
That gets me through chapter 5.

Cross-References
I have found the cross-references to be more useful than that of most other Bibles. The references appear to be more consistently related to the idea of the verse rather than an individual word which is what was claimed in the introduction. Using them I have found it to be true. Parallel passages are clearly marked with parallel lines(//). Verses in the New Testament which are quotes of the Old Testament are marked with an asterisk (*).

Word Study System
Located within the cross-reference column are references to the Hebrew and Greek dictionaries in the back of the Study Bible. They are referenced to the Strong's Concordance numbers. The dictionaries include 100 Hebrew words and 100 Greek words. I wish there were more words included but I also want to be able to carry the NLT Study Bible without throwing out my back if you know what I mean. I would consider the words included to be rather significant, relatively speaking. The definitions are fairly broad in scope and at the end of each definition are a list of Biblical references where the words can be found. This has been a favorite, and helpful, feature of mine.

Subject Index
Following the Hebrew/Greek dictionaries in the back of the back there is a very comprehensive Subject Index which takes up 142 pages, slightly less than the TNIV Study Bible's Topics Index and Notes Index combined.

Dictionary / Concordance
The Dictionary/Concordance may be another favorite. Not only is it a concordance but it actually does contain definitions of many of the words, words from the KJV are so marked to aid someone (wisely) transitioning to the NLT, and brief biographical sketches of people.

Maps
In addition to the maps in the Introductions and in the text, there is a good collection of maps at the end of the Study Bible. There is no index included. However, given the other maps mentioned having an index in the back might be overkill. While I appreciate the inclusion of the extra maps in the back, I find myself using the Introduction and in text maps far more frequently as I find them much more convenient.

Concluding Remarks
Overall, I have found the NLT Study Bible to be an exceptional work. Beyond overall, each individual part of the work has truly impressed me. Perhaps I'm biased. When it was first announced and the features were listed on the NLT Study Bible website it seemed to me that someone had been reading my mind as to what features I had always wanted. It's almost like we were made for each other.

I give the NLT Study Bible my most enthusiastic endorsement and gladly recommend it to all.

Clear Explanations for the Difficult Passages
Ron Rhodes
Harvest House Publishers, 2008
ISBN: 9780736921756
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor [...], 08/08
5 Stars
Excellent...
I teach an adult Sunday School Class and lead a weekly Bible study on Wednesday evenings. I am always on the lookout for tools appropriate for one of my classes. In Commonly Misunderstood Bible Verses, I have found a gem of a tool. Ron Rhodes takes difficult, confusing scripture and explains it.
Rhodes answers questions such as: Where did Cain get his wife? How can the destruction of Midian be morally justified? What is the host of heaven? In what sense has the earth been given to man? Is Jesus the beginning of God's creation and is He a created being?
Of course, he could not cover all of our questions in one book. Maybe he will consider a sequel. I will be using this book in the near future for a Bible study. Well done, Ron Rhodes! Whether you are a teacher, pastor, or leader and want an individual Bible Study, Commonly Misunderstood Bible Verses is an excellent resource tool.

Now I know why Paul is such a huge figure. He explains it to the masses.
I will be getting more works from author Wright.

Great commentary but it doesn't read like any other commentary I have found. Wright does an excellent job of presenting the big picture in Paul's letter to the Corinthians. He doesn't jump on any hobby horse issues as would be easy in this letter, rather he is very faithful to the text. I would recommend this to anyone interested in personal bible study or with anyone preparing a teaching or sermon series. Also, as the other reviewers mentioned, Wright brings out some excellent illustrations. I definitely recommend this to anyone and am looking forward to using the rest of the series.

The Everyone Series once again stays true to its name with this work on First Corinthians by Tom Wright. Tom give his translation, followed by an antecdote of some kind that illustrates the point, and then he gets down to interpretation. The entire commentary was good, but the strongest section for me was his work on the resurrection of Jesus in chapter 15. He also has interesting insight into the meaning of more complex issue like the role of women in the church and the Lord's supper. I am a Pentecostal and was worried that Wright might take a harsh view against speaking in other tongues, but he does not at all do so. This is the type of commentary that a pastor could recommend to his congregation to read without the worry of tough technical language or complex phillosophical discussions. Wright keeps it simple and interesting throughout.
There is also an excellent glossary of terms at the back of each of these books that can be really helpful.

I have read a lot of N T Wright but never a commentary. I purchased this little commentary on 1 Corinthians for a series I am teaching through the book using very technical commentaries. I feel like I have found a real treasure. Wright is a world class scholar but this series is written for anyone - even a brand new Christian - to understand. I am sure I will purchase all of this series. No one will be disappointed if they invest in Wright's successful attempt to explain the Bible in a way that anyone can understand and enjoy. Practical, easy to understand, true to the text, but still exposing the profound message of Paul's letter to the Corinthians.

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.

Good Bible, I wondered about the binding and how complete it would be since it is a little big. The only complaint I have is that. But the NIV Study bible looks good with information...

What I love most about this bible is that it puts the historical and cultural context and history behind the authors and the books or letter. It connect the Old and New Testaments together in an understandable way. What a relief to find an intelligent, scholarly bible. It's lightyears beyond the King James version, but still needs gender inclusive language.

This guide along with Celia Marshall's guide to the New Testament provides the reader with a clear understanding of the composition of the Bible. She also provides ways for the reader to interpret the Bible. I like the workbook format and the tear out pages. I am a pastor who teaches the Bible in a church. I use this guide often in my classes. I find Celia's explanation of things to make so much sense. I find that church people who use this guide on their own have a better understanding of the Old Testament. It makes my work easier when trying to explain difficult passages from the Old Testament to them. I would recommend this guide along with the guide to the New Testament to anyone who wants to know the Bible.

As a former student of Dr. Grieb, I was pleased to find her fine biblical scholarship and down-to-earth approach now available in book form. Paul was problematic for me for many years. Kathy Grieb helped me learn to appreciate the apostle. I intend to use this book for a Bible study I am leading next month. Thanks, Kathy and WJK Press!

The Story of Romans: A Narrative Defense of God's Righteousness by A. Katherine Grieb (Associate Professor of New Testament, Virginia Theological Seminary) is an extensive, scholarly, yet thoroughly "reader friendly" survey and analysis of Paul's letter to the Romans, scrutinizing Paul's own thoughts, apocalyptic overtones in the gospel, and the political impact of his theology from ancient times to the modern day. Offering a meticulous, thorough, accessible analysis, The Story Of Romans is a welcome and very highly recommended addition to New Testament Studies and Pauline Theology reading lists and reference collections.

The apparent simplicity of this book is misleading. Professor A. Katherine Grieb takes the stance of an expert teacher explaining a complex text and profound ideas to non-experts, and comes up with an exposition of Paul's Letter to the Romans that is as powerful as it is lucid. She dispels the common idea that Romans is only a summary of Christian doctrine; instead, she writes that the letter "is best read as a continuous story of what God has done in Jesus Christ and what God continues to do in the lives of those who are baptized into Christ Jesus." Her procedure is to retell biblical stories of faith (or faithfulness) and of apostasy, which lie beneath the surface of Paul's letter. Those stories, and the climaxing story of Jesus Christ, make up the one great gospel story of what God has done to save a lost world. The important point is that the gospel story as conveyed by Paul was also Paul's story - for it changed his life radically - and the story of his Roman audience, and is the story of today's readers of the letter if and as they interact with it. Grieb presents Romans as PERTINENT to the lives of contemporary individuals and communities, for it tells the story of God's righteousness (mainly as God's covenant faithfulness) "again and again from different angles until it becomes so clear that we are willing to entrust our lives to it."

The brevity of the book (Introduction and main text add up to 157 pages) is both its strength and its weakness: strength, because we are exposed to much of the brilliance of Paul's thinking without having to wade through many pages of technical exegesis; weakness, because at times Grieb has to resort to unsupported interpretive leaps. But where this occurs, we can accept her interpretation on trust - the list of scholars who have shaped her reading of Romans, as acknowledged in the Preface, is a roll call of the famous. Perhaps the first two on the list, Richard Hays and N. T. Wright, have had the most influence, judging from Grieb's exposition and the number of times she references their works. As expected in a brief commentary, she proceeds section by section, rather than verse by verse. She considers Romans 9-11 as central to the letter and her exposition of these chapters is possibly the most demanding part of the book on the reader's attention. Her study of Paul's most important letter is intriguing and deserves wide readership.