In 'Is This Your Likeness? A Scriptural Definition of Hypocrisy and Sincerity' by J. Church, the reader is taken on a journey through the complexities of human nature as depicted in scripture. Church's literary style is reflective and introspective, drawing upon biblical references to explore the concepts of hypocrisy and sincerity. The book delves into the literary context of religious texts, providing a scholarly analysis that challenges readers to consider their own behaviors and beliefs in relation to these themes. Through a combination of exegesis and personal reflection, Church presents a thought-provoking exploration of the dichotomy between outward appearances and inner truths. His writing is rich in symbolism and metaphor, offering readers a deeper understanding of the subtle nuances of human behavior. J. Church's background in theology and philosophy is evident in his nuanced exploration of the concepts of hypocrisy and sincerity. His deep understanding of religious texts and their interpretation lends credibility to his analysis. 'Is This Your Likeness?' is recommended to readers seeking a scholarly and thought-provoking examination of the complexities of human nature and the struggle for authenticity.

For many years many Christians have exhibited bumper stickers and wrist bands challenging themselves to live up to WWJD—What Would Jesus Do? Now Andrew Fiala, a professor who has encountered many such students in his classes, objectively assesses just what it actually is that Jesus does (and doesn't) say about the essential moral issues that face us today. Andrew Fiala appreciates Jesus as a moral teacher with an ethical vision centered in love, generosity, forgiveness, tolerance, and peace. But he argues that it is often difficult to determine exactly what Jesus would say or do about tough contemporary issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, war, homosexuality, and politics. Hence, Fiala believes we need to engage in philosophical reflection and critical thinking to arrive at answers to today's ethical questions that Jesus never anticipated, such as those involving technology, scientific discoveries, ethical advances. The book shows how philosophers and psychologists—from Kant and Mill to Nietzsche and Freud—struggled to make sense of the ethics of Jesus. The book concludes by arguing that we cannot pretend that Jesus and the Bible provide all the answers to our ethical dilemmas, although Jesus does provide perennial moral wisdom. Thus, Fiala shows that Jesus' moral teachings must be filled out with contemporary ethical reflection to determine what Jesus, as a moral ideal, would really do today.

A comprehensive verse-by-verse commentary for lay Bible students, fully highlighted by articles, maps, charts, and illustrations-all in one volume. Clear and Comprehensive: Annotations by leading evangelical scholars don't dodge tough issues; alternative views are presented fairly, but commentators make their positions clear. Attractively Designed: Graphics appeal to the sound-bite generation and others who aren't traditional commentary readers. Interesting and Revealing: Hundreds of feature articles that provide additional information or new perspectives on a topic related to Bible background. Visually Appealing: Maps, drawings, and photos illuminate the commentary and visualize important information.

"New Testament writers drew heavily from Old Testament Scriptures as the demonstrated the fulfillment of the plan and promises of God in Christ. The New Testament is filled with such quotations, but their use raises several problems. How do we account for the occasions when the New Testament writers seem to take liberties with the Hebrew text, or when the wording of other New Testament citations of the Old Testament is closer to the Greek Septuagint (LXX) than to the original Hebrew? [The authors] have undertaken a systematic study of the use of Old Testament quotations in the New Testament. In three parallel columns for ready reference and study they have affixed the Masoretic Hebrew, Septuagint, and Greek New Testament texts pertinent to each quotation. A fourth column-- the largest segment of the valulable language tool--provides a critical commentary of orthographic, linguistic, and textual notes on the 312 entries. In addition, the authors include the results of a statistical survey in which every quotation is assigned to one of six levels to determine its degree of difficulty regarding the faithfulness of the New Testament to the Old Testament quotation. Helpful introductory material, including complete cross-references to the tool in both Old and New Testament order, make the work invaluable to scholars and students alike" -- BOOK JACKET from Moody Press.

Did Jesus ever do anything wrong? Judging by the vast majority of books on New Testament ethics, the answer is a resounding No. Writers on New Testament ethics generally view Jesus as the paradigm of human standards and behaviour. But since the his-torical Jesus was a human being, must he not have had flaws, like everyone else? The notion of a flawless human Jesus is a paradoxical oddity in New Testament ethics. According to Avalos, it shows that New Testament ethics is still primarily an apologetic enterprise de-spite its claim to rest on critical and historical scholarship. The Bad Jesus is a powerful and challenging study, presenting de-tailed case studies of fundamental ethical principles enunciated or practised by Jesus but antithetical to what would be widely deemed 'acceptable' or 'good' today. Such topics include Jesus' supposedly innovative teachings on love, along with his views on hate, violence, imperialism, animal rights, environmental ethics, Judaism, women, disabled persons and biblical hermeneutics. After closely examining arguments offered by those unwilling to find any fault with the Jesus depicted in the Gospels, Avalos concludes that current treatments of New Testament ethics are permeated by a religiocentric, ethnocentric and imperialistic orientation. But if it is to be a credible historical and critical dis-cipline in modern academia, New Testament ethics needs to discover both a Good and a Bad Jesus.