Bibles Bible Studies Books

In a world of books that presents ideal Christian families as the norm, it's easy to forget that God's plan was realized through a lineage of flawed families! This book is a refreshing change and a source of hope for all broken and flawed families!

This was a good book with lots,well some, pretty good life lessons (forgiving pages 151-152 ). But there could have been more examples of flawed families and way less fluffing out of the few examples they did include in the book.It was nice to know that Biblical families are as dysfunctional as 21st century families. Would I buy it again? Absolutely just so I could refer back to the passages I underlined.

What the previous reviewer has labeled fluff is generally regarded by scholars as "close reading" of the text, paying attention to details in the text which we might otherwise ignore. Granted the Garlands go beyond the text on (rare) occasion, asking questions the text doesn't seem particularly interested in asking. But this does not detract on the whole from what is otherwise a careful, insightful project.

This readable book is easy to read and is for anyone interested in the Bible, especially those struggling with family problems or suffering because of relationship difficulties or traumatic life events.

For example, the chapter on Michal provides insight into her shame at David's dancing, insight which most readers (including the present reviewer) tend to miss without special attention to her story elsewhere in Samuel. We miss such insights because of many factors, but particularly due to failure to read the Bible closely and our cultural assumptions which may reflect Hollywood more than the Holy Book (i.e., that Bathsheba seduced David, an assumption the authors rightly refute). There are two antidotes: going back to the text to see what it really says, and asking careful questions to ensure that the text is saying what we think it's saying.

As the Garlands note, when we pay careful attention to those who are "damaged goods" in Scripture, the simple act of hearing that one's trials are also found in Scripture provides enormous encouragement to the suffering. For those of us who live around others who are suffering, hearing oft-ignored stories from Scripture helps us hear the cries and needs of those who suffer in the present. The Bible isn't just about heroes, and it's certainly not about perfect families and lives--it's about people in need of mercy and grace and restoration.

Well done, Garlands!

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.

This is an excellent first book for someone interested in Kabbalism. He simplifies and explains some of the aspects of the work by Gershom Scholem, the former head of Jewish Mysticism at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The Zohar was a 11th and 12th century work from the Rabbinic schools in France and Spain. The original authors have been identified, in many cases, to specific writers at the various schools. It was written in a manner to make it seem old and mysterious, but those claims have been proven to be false.

There are many books on Kabbalah and the Zohar in English floating around these days, but this one is understandable, accessible, profound and academic. Professor Green introduced Daniel Matt to Ms Pritzker, and got the ball rolling on the what probably will be a 15 year translation project for the Pritzker Edition of the Zohar. This book is a companion that has been published in time to coincide with Volume 2 of the Pritzker edition. When I opened Volume 2, and started with Parshat Lekh Lekha of the Zohar, I was lost after sentence two. Green's book is an invaluable aid. As promised on the back cover, Green unravels the historical and intellectual origins of the Zohar's rich text and provides an excellent introduction to its themes, complex symbolism, narrative structure, and language. Topics include: The Kabbalistic Tradition: A Brief History Until the Zohar; Teachings of the Kabbalists: The Ten Sefirot; The Zohar: Midrash on the Torah; The Zohar Narrative; Mysticism of the Zohar; The Zohar in Historical Context; Selected Themes within the Zohar: Creation and Origins, Between Worlds, Evil and the Demonic, Torah and Revelation, The Commandments, Avodah : The Life of Worship, The Tsaddiq and the Life of Piety, ....; The Question of Authorship; The Language of the Zohar; and the Influence and Canonization of the Zohar. Chapter 5 on the narrative is a must read for anyone who dares to open a page of the Zohar.

Arthur Green is exceptionally articulate and highly educated. Having said that, he is an academician. This means, among other things, that generally speaking his primary orientation is to start with the assumption that claims of classic Judaism are not true until proven otherwise. There is nothing objectively wrong with this per se. Nevertheless, it is an orientation. It is a choice. Everything begins with axioms ("Godel, Escher, Bach") and his axiom is that I don't believe the authenticity of something like the Zohar unless proven otherwise.

There is controversy about the historicity of the Zohar even in classic Jewish circles. Is it actually the teachings of second-century sage, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his contemporaries (or at least those in the ensuing generation or so after him)? The great 18th century sage, Rabbi Yaakov Emden, examined the question in detail and wrote an entire book the subject. Most or all of the essential claims of latter day academicians, in fact, can probably be traced to this book.

Having said that, though, most of them have gone beyond Rabbi Emden and whereas he might present evidence that raises questions about parts of the Zohar they have turned his questions into conclusions and extended it to the entire body of the Zohar. Arguably the most extreme example of this is Gershom Scholem. He is the 20th century academician most responsible for disseminating the opinion that the Zohar is entirely a 13th century creation.

In truth, it is hard to read Scholem and not be impressed with his arguments. But, more in truth, the matter is not as settled as Scholem and an uninitiated person reading Scholem might suspect. (See below.) At the least there is an inbetween position between the assumption that the Zohar is literally the words of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the invention of a 13th century scholar. This position would say, for instance, that some or even most of the Zohar goes back to Rabbi Shimon and his immediate followers, but includes later interpolations by various scholars for various reasons.

Scholem knows nothing of that -- or admits nothing of that. Neither do his most ardent followers.

In this regard, Arthur Green has not added anything new to Scholem. And this, in my opinion, makes his introduction to the Zohar here one-sided, if not highly faulted (I gave him two stars instead of one because he writes well).

Here is not the place to go into detail about the other side of the coin. However, below is a link to a multi-part online essay that does. Specifically, it critiques piece-by-piece Scholem's claims, many of which are found in his Major Trends of Jewish Mysticism, that led him to his conclusions.

(E.g. Scholem cites 18 places in the Zohar where a place called Kapotkia is mentioned and argues that no such place ever existed in Israel, and it was never mentioned in Talmudic or Midrashic sources as a place in Israel. This leads him to conclude that "the author had never so much as set foot in Palestine and that his knowledge of the country was derived entirely from literary sources which he misunderstood!" However, the place Kapotkia appears in Targum Onkelos, Targum Yonatan, Mishnah, Babylonian Talmud and several Midrashim!)

In any event, if you want an Academic-oriented book that provides an overview of the Zohar and its major themes consider Isaiah Tishby's, "Wisdom of the Zohar" (translated from the original Hebrew). Tishby was Scholem's disciple and, not surprising, follows in his footsteps in terms of assuming late authorship of the Zohar. Nevertheless, his 3-volume "Wisdom of the Zohar" goes way beyond anything Scholem did or anything in English does regarding offering an overview of the Zohar and its major themes.

If you really, really want to know what the Zohar says, however, I hate to be the one to inform you but there is really no short-cut -- other than learning it in the original and finding a genuine teacher and/or group of like-minded individuals who not only learn the Zohar but live it.

Here's the link I promised:

http://www.kabbalaonline.org/Introductions/history/Authenticity_of_the_Zohar_-_I.asp

This introduction is a well written and scholastic overview of the Zohar. I was satisfied that I was given plenty of information to better understand the history of the Zohar. I feel that I have enough information in the references to do further research if I choose to do so. I am reading Vol. 1 of the Pritzker Editions and having read the "Guide" I feel confident as I continue my study of the Zohar using Matt's work and even other Kabbalah writings.
I recommend Green's Guide especially to those like myself who have little knowledge of the Zohar and the Kabbalah traditional writings. I think it is also a worthy vol. for those more experienced and informed in such studies. I think Green proves himself a learned scholar. To me it was well written and easy to read.

For anyone unfamiliar with N.T. Wright, this would be a great introduction to the thoughts of perhaps the premier theologian of our time. While an Anglican bishop, his theology as personified in this little volume is Biblically based 100%, with just enough insight to irritate both wild eyed liberals and equally wild eyed conservatives. The best of theologians

This author is a renowned scholar of Scripture and as such carries a weight of many books and articles. I thought that he brought up many points that were valid, but he seems to "pick on" the church in the United States as the culprit for mis-readings. I think the Anglican Church, headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury has just as many problems and just as many "discussions" as the Episcopal Church. But that aside, this book is for Meat Eaters not Milk Drinkers. He does call for calm discussion and not mean rhetoric, listening rather than just talking to be heard. His take on some subjects are different than mine, but that is what it is all about...the Holy Spirit talking to him in one way, and to me in another.

Both in scholarship and general life styles, liberals and conservatives are locked in hopeless battle. "You don't care about people!" vs "You ignore God's word!" is common rhetoric throughout the declining churches of North Amercia. Bishop Wright offers a new way of stepping beyond these unity destroying, fruitless debates about the Bible, a way of hope and new life.

Bishop Wright takes a fresh look at the Bible and its purposes. In doing so he offers a new way to work together to fulfill God's purposes that goes beyond both entrenched positions. His way of doing so offers hope for all, liberal and conservative. He challenges us all to fulfill God's purposes in creating the Bible.

While it is a stand alone book, this book is best read in combination with Wright's *Simply Christian*. New hope and new life are there in abundance in both books, a way out of the trap of liberal vs conservative dogmatized thinking.

Yes, as another reviewer commented, this book is meat instead of milk. It is meat tenderized for a toddler, when compared with the meat offered in scholarly theological books. This book is for anyone and everyone who wants hope and new life.

One reader at a time, we can change the world around us for the better. That, in the end, is what we are commanded to do. This book offers us a new way to do so.

N. T. Wright always has a lot to say, and much we should hear. While some of his works get quite lengthy and detailed, this little book is a gem, getting right to the point, and challenging all Christians to reclaim a positive understanding of Biblical Authority. If all believers could claim such a perspective, we would have much less dis-unity in the body of Christ. A must read for anyone who takes the Bible seriously, and hopes everyone else will, too.

It's not too bad for a novus ordo book pretending to be Catholic. Rather limited but I find it useful sometimes in writing my sermons.

This is an interesting book. It is very useful to give one a better understanding of his faith. The book helps a person to be able to defend the crucial doctrines of the Catholic Church.

By no means is this a thorough treatment of the scriptural basis for Roman Catholic doctrine. But, neither was it intended to be so. It does provide a handy quick-reference for reminding you of key passages in this long-standing debate. Books such as this make me a little uneasy in that they may imply an acceptance of the Sola Scriptura (Bible alone) premise - conceding the entire debate to the dubious doctrines of one side in that debate. In no way should one make that mistake - Mr. Madrid is not attempting to accept the Sola Scriptura premise but is simply providing the evidence one might need to refute the claims that scripture militates against Roman Catholic doctrines. Some of those doctrines are not so clearly spelled out in scripture as are others and to those we are indepted to the entire teaching history (Tradition) of the church. At the same time, that sacred Tradition does not contradict sacred Scripture - indeed, no such dichotomy between the two exists.

Again, this is a handy quick reference for one who is already familiar with the topic and not a treatise on the doctrines as a whole. Good to keep handy but only a start to understanding the faith fully. This is a very useful book and good to have handy for frequent reference.

"Where is that in the Bible?" by Patrick Madrid is the perfect brief book for anyone who has wondered what the Biblical basis is for some of the things that Catholics do and believe. "it is designed to be a handy reference guide, an overview of the major biblical passages that pertain to many issues that tend to come up between Catholics and non-Catholics." But even if you never use this book to debate with anyone regarding your faith, it is useful simply to have a deeper understanding of one's own faith.

There are six main divisions to the book dealing with authority, doctrines, the sacraments, customs and practices, moral issues and non-Catholic beliefs. The chapter on "Authority" discusses the roots of the papacy, the authority of the Church, the role of tradition and the role of Scripture. "Doctrines" discusses Catholic's understanding of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Trinity, Purgatory, salvation and more. The roots of the seven sacraments are covered in the chapter on "The Sacraments." "Customs and Practices" covers many of the practices that others may take issue with in the Church. For example, the role of priestly celibacy, tithing, and repetition in prayer. "Moral Issues" covers many of the hot-button issues of our day including abortion, divorce, and homosexuality. The final chapter "Non-Catholic Beliefs" seems somewhat out of place in the book, but it deals with why certain non-Catholic beliefs are not biblically based such as the claim of Jehovah's witnesses that only 144,000 will be saved.

"Where is that in the Bible?" is not an exhaustive discussion of these beliefs and practices. Rather, it offers brief treatments with a few well-chosen Bible passages. It is a worthy introduction for those who have wondered about any of these issues.

I joined the Catholic Church at Easter in 2000. I used to be a Baptist/Congregational/Bible Church Protestant. With my past and my present, I'm one of those people who's literally been on both sides of the fence in the "who's right, who's wrong" debate. Patrick Madrid, a favorite apologist of mine, compiled this wonderful little "fieldguide" to Catholicism that takes major Catholic beliefs and supplies Biblical evidence for them. He also uses the Bible to debunk a few beliefs of other religions as well.

The book is broken down into six distinct areas of study: 1) Authority, 2) Doctrines, 3) The Sacraments, 4) Customs and Practices, 5) Moral Issues, and 6) Non-Catholic Beliefs. What makes this book unique is the fact that Madrid goes out of his way to eliminate Sacred Tradition, the Catechism, and those books of the Bible not accepted by most Protestants in order to defend each issue. He will sometimes hint at these sources, but primarily uses the Bible as accepted by most mainstream Protestant faiths. Much like his book, "Answer Me This!," which takes fifty frequently asked questions by Protestants of Catholicism and answers them, Madrid breaks each section of this book into short, to-the-point explanations. This isn't an exhaustive or thorough resource book, but it is easy enough to carry along with you most of the time. I'd also suggest toting along a Bible with you, as Madrid lists numerous references but does not print each one of them out on the pages of his book.

Overall, this book combined with "Answer Me This!" will provide any Catholic with a solid defense of their faith. It's also a wonderful book to use in day-to-day Bible study. It's a wonderful little resource to have around whenever friends or neighbors question your faith.

Highly recommended.

This book brought a tremendous amount of information and revelation concerning unrevealed abilities and desires. I highly recommend it to anyone who may be struggling with self identity, and even those who are looking for a change.Soaring With Eagles: Seven Keys to developing a Worship Lifestyle

How are you going to find the manpower necessary to lead your church in outreach, evangelism, fellowship and worship? Rather than the traditional approach of a Nominating Committee who "strong arms" people into volunteering, a better approach is to help people identify their spiritual gifts, review their spiritual profile and seek a group of peers guidance on how to implement their ministry. This book and the leadership guide is an excellent resource to use. We have had two cycles in our church and are well on the way to a new era of church growth and better impact on our community.

I usually am a slow reader but this small book held my interest so much that I finished it in 2 nights. It grabbed my attention right from the
first page, it was easy to understand and kept me at the edge of my seat
until the very last page. One night after reading I experienced one of
the strangest, yet most peaceful feeling after retiring for the night as tho God was pleased with me with what I am doing with my time and my life.

This small book is a trasure that can be referenced again and again. Excellent!

The Young's Analytical Concordance is a wonderful addition to Young's Literal Translation Bible. You will find multiple Scriptures for each word you research and much other valuable information. It is something all serious students of the Word of God will want to have. In my opinion is better than any of the others. Its an addition to your library you won't want to leave out.

The print is small, but the quality is good. My favorite feature of this concordance is that it immediately fine-tunes the subtle differences of meaning that an English word used in the King James Bible has. Different verses with the same word do not always imply the same message.

For example, the word "careful" is subdivided in six more precise meanings with each verse using this word into the category that it's most suited for. Words can have synonymous meanings, but only one word can give the precise definition needed for complete understanding. In this case, trembling fear isn't the same thing as being mindful; just like becoming distracted isn't quite the same thing as being anxious.

This concordance is based on the KJV. But it is very unique in its design. Rather than just listing the verses that contain a particular English word, this concordance breaks up the entries according to what Hebrew or Greek word the English word is translating. So, for instance, if you look up "Love" the entries are broken up into five parts for the noun and into seven parts for the verb.

Looking further at the entry for "Love," Young first gives a basic translation of the Hebrew or Greek word, then the actual Hebrew or Greek word in Hebrew or Greek letters, then the Hebrew or Greek word transliterated into English letters, then comes the partial verses.

The definitions Young gives are an attempt to bring out shades of meaning between the different Hebrew and Greek words translated by the same English word. So for "agapao" he gives simply "to love" but for "phileo" he gives "to be a friend."

In the back of the book are indexes of Hebrew and Greek words (with transliterated letters) indicating the differing ways they are translated and thus listed in the main concordance.

So this concordance will enable you to study how different Hebrew and Greek words are translated by the same English word and how different English words are used to translate the same Hebrew or Greek words. And this study will show you that the KJV used quite many different words for the same words going both ways.

In fact, one purpose of Young's Literal Translation of the Bible (as seen in its Introduction) was to reduce this number of differing translations as much as possible as compared to the KJV. I used YLT as the starting text for my Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament: Third Edition. In my ALT, I also tried to be as consistent in my translations as possible.

The name for my ALT came in part from using YLT as the starting text and from using this concordance as one of the resources I consulted while working on the ALT. And this concordance was helpful in my translation work, especially in terms of trying to be consistent in my translations.

So I would highly recommend this concordance, especially if you use the KJV. But if you use a different version, it is also helpful to have a concordance based on that version. That is why I came out with a Complete Concordance to the Analytical-Literal Translation: Second Edition for users of my version.

This is a great concordance, but I don't think it works as well for concordance-surfing as the Strongs. Or maybe I'm just not used to surfing this particular concordance yet.

Concordance Surfing: (sorry, the reference seems obvious but it may be that someone doesn't know how to do this and that would be a pity!)

Open the book and start thumbing through, until a word jumps out at you. Any language will work, so don't be surprised if you start at a Hebrew or Greek word. Begin running the references as they interest you, stopping and looking up the verses in context of the chapter or just to get an overview of how the word is used and what how it was originally translated. Take a look at the root word, and the underlying picture that the root creates. Let your "intuition" (vanilla name for the Holy Spirit) lead you from one reference to the next, one word or concept to the next until the subject opens up into 'way more than the sum of its parts.

Similar to dictionary surfing, it gives the same effect on an expanded level. Works for "un-believers" just as well as believers -- you'd be amazed. A gift of a concordance and a KJV to a seriously depressed, washed-out intellectual accompanied by the most subtle hint that it's an awesome surf and a suggestion to start with a word that makes them mad even -- may be enough to give them a whole new lease on life (double meaning totally intended). They may even move out of their mother's basement in record time. No kidding.

Works really well even accompanied by drug use. Has been known to be more effective in checking drug use in even serious cases than griping and guilt-tripping. Works best when accompanied by secret intercession. Only secret intercession, though. Start mouthing off about it and you will sabotage any good intentions you call yourself having.

I have used Young's Analytical Concordance for 50 years and it is by far the best tool to study the Bible I have found.

I have found this book to be easy to read and it explains the subject well. I encourage anyone to buy it.

An excellent scientific work.

Chatzieleftheriou S. Konstantinos
Teacher of Orthodox Theology
conchatzi@yahoo.gr

For what it was written for, this book does a great job. It is essentially a study of Higher Criticism of the New Testament. Guthrie does excellent work in putting forth the various positions held by numerous scholars. While not of the same theological bent as I, this work is a necessary evil when pursuing any graduate or post graduate degree in the field of Biblical Study. I highly recommend it on that foundation.

NEW TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION by Donald Guthrie probably remains the standard conservative work of its genre. If you want to find consistently conservative views on the authorship, dating, and textual integrity of the books of the New Testament (NT), then this is the place to go. (Raymond Brown, who generally ignores conservative writers, describes this book as "very important".)

As an example of Guthrie's approach, take II Peter: Of all the books of the NT this is the one most likely to be pseudonymous. Guthrie marshals a substantial amount of evidence indicating that Peter could have written it. Much of this you won't find in other NT introductions, which often take for granted that it is a second century work.

It should be noted that this is an introduction to the books of the New Testament. Guthrie does not provide background studies on the history and culture of NT times, or synopsis of the events of the NT (life of Christ, journeys of Paul, etc.) Because of the limited scope of this work (and its length) it is definitely not the first book to read if you are new to the NT.

In the world of New Testament Intro's, Guthrie is the standard. This intro covers background info of each NT book, to include authorship, date, style, unity, problems, etc. If you're buying a New Testament Intro, you can't go wrong with Guthrie, it's the finest. Not as exhaustive, but just as good, and better priced... is the Intro by Carson/Moo/Morris. Both are first rank in scholarship.

The two books complement each other well, either one is a great buy, for your money, Carson is a better value. If they were the same price, Guthrie would edge out Carson, but not by much. Stay away from all other NT intro's, such as Brown, Kummel, Ladd, etc. None can compete with Carson or Guthrie. I have Brown's sitting on my shelf collecting dust, whereas Guthrie and Carson I reference often.

If you're buying a commentary on a specific book, check out my written review for Carson's Intro. I list the best of the best, however, I don't list Bible books that have no clear cut stand out commentary. For example, Mark has several that are arguably the best, but none stand out (stay away from Hooker on Mark, it's garbage). Carson must have lost his mind when he endorsed her in his commentary survey....