This outstanding book provides an in-depth historical study of the place of Jesus in the religious life, beliefs, and worship of Christians from the beginnings of the Christian movement down to the late second century. Lord Jesus Christ is a monumental work on earliest Christian devotion to Jesus, sure to replace Wilhelm Bousset s Kyrios Christos (1913) as the standard work on the subject. Larry Hurtado, widely respected for his previous contributions to the study of the New Testament and Christian origins, offers the best view to date of how the first Christians saw and reverenced Jesus as divine. In assembling this compelling picture, Hurtado draws on a wide body of ancient sources, from Scripture and the writings of such figures as Ignatius of Antioch and Justin to apocryphal texts such as the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Truth. Hurtado considers such themes as early beliefs about Jesus divine status and significance, but he also explores telling devotional practices of the time, including prayer and worship, the use of Jesus name in exorcism, baptism and healing, ritual invocation of Jesus as Lord, martyrdom, and lesser-known phenomena such as prayer postures and the curious scribal practice known today as the nomina sacra. The revealing portrait that emerges from Hurtado s comprehensive study yields definitive answers to questions like these: How important was this formative period to later Christian tradition? When did the divinization of Jesus first occur? Was early Christianity influenced by neighboring religions? How did the idea of Jesus divinity change old views of God? And why did the powerful dynamics of early beliefs and practices encourage people to make the costly move of becoming a Christian? Boasting an unprecedented breadth and depth of coverage — the book speaks authoritatively on everything from early Christian history to themes in biblical studies to New Testament Christology — Hurtado s Lord Jesus Christ is at once significant enough that a wide range of scholars will want to read it and accessible enough that general readers interested at all in Christian origins will also profit greatly from it.

Of the life and work of Jesus, the apostle John said, "Even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written" (John 21:25). Acknowledging the size of the task, as well as its importance, Dr. John F. Walvoord has written this systematic presentation of the Person and work of Christ from eternity past to eternity future. Beginning with an analysis of modern trends in the study of Christology, Dr. Walvoord shows that "contemporary Christology has in many respects confused rather than clarified the extended revelation of the Word of God." The Word of God forms the solid basis for Dr. Walvoord's entire study. Analyzing the Old Testament, he shows Christ in its history, typology, and prophecy. Then, in the New Testament, he examines the life and work of the incarnate Christ. The doctrines of atonement, redemption, propitiation, and reconciliation are thoroughly and clearly discussed. The book concludes with an examination of the present and future work of Christ, thus giving the reader a comprehensive study of Christology

Archbishop Alban Goodier, S.J. fills in the many blanks in the historical narratives about the Passion of Jesus Christ with a riveting account based on history, culture and his own deep spiritual insights. He brings to life and unifies the many observations, emotions and subtle and not-so-subtle actions that revolve around the person of God the Son as he faces his most tragic and triumphant moment. The author’s unique approach intersperses Scripture accounts with the commentary of an incisive narrator who sifts and judges from the span of hundreds of years. He draws from the obvious as well as the obscure, and finds supernatural meaning in the most mundane actions that surround the suffering Christ. In the hands of this writer, the Lord’s few words, accompanied by the author’s commentary, challenge contemporary believers as much as they did those who first followed in the footsteps of Christ and his apostles. The author was born in 1869 in Lancashire, northern England and educated at the prominent Catholic college, Stonyhurst, which has been the source of many English Catholic politicians, intellectuals and business people. After a degree from the University of London, he was ordained a Jesuit in 1903. He served as archbishop of Bombay from 1919 to 1926 and returned to England to write and serve as a chaplain until his death in 1939.

Lydia was seated on her bed reading her Bible on an ordinary August morning, oblivious of what she was about to hear and what would become her life from that day forward. Her son and nephew rushed into her bedroom. Her son was shouting, "Mum, there were two angels at the gate at night!" Her son was six years old at the time. He held her face and said, "I know the names of the two angels. They are called Angel Gabriel and Angel Michael." The two boys went on to say that Angel Michael was at the right side of the gate and was holding his sword facing upwards, while Angel Gabriel was on the left side of the gate and had his sword pointing downwards. She was amazed! How did they know the names of these two mighty archangels? Instantly, she realized that her son had had a supernatural encounter, together with his five-year-old cousin! This was the beginning of a series of incredible journeys with Jesus Christ. This book records their breathtaking trips to heaven and hell, their conversations with God the Father, their encounters with angels, relatives they met in heaven, and even the twenty-four elders who worship before the Throne of God all day and all night. These accounts will reveal to you how God is using children to bring home the simple truth that the Bible is the Word of God, heaven is real, and the only way to get there is through Jesus Christ, His Son.

"To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to be in a position of privilege and blessing beyond anything the world might offer," begins author Jeremy Walker. Life in Christ explores the unsearchable riches of the Christian pilgrimage and traces its trajectory, highlighting key elements in the believer's experience. Do you wrestle with assurance? Have you grasped the engagement demanded in Christian living? Do you find the way wearying at times? Do you struggle with your Christian identity? Walker provides instruction for Christians to assess their own standing and progress in the faith exhorting and equipping and always pointing them ahead to the hope of the glory of Christ. Along the way, he encourages God's people to live a life to the praise of His glory as he examines some of the basic truths that establish and direct a true child of God. "In this splendid book on the very central issues of eternity, Jeremy Walker, like J. C. Ryle of old, carries the reader along with an excellent, gripping style. It is a book that everyone should read and then pass on to others who need an explanation of the true gospel, especially those slaves of political correctness sadly found in many modern pulpits." Erroll Hulse, pastor, conference speaker, author, and founding editor of Reformation Today

"Who do you say that I am?" This question that Jesus asked of his disciples, so central to his mission, became equally central to the fledgling church. How would it respond to the Gnostics who answered by saying Jesus was less than fully human? How would it respond to the Arians who contended he was less than fully God? It was these challenges that ultimately provoked the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. In this volume covering the first half of the article in the Nicene Creed on God the Son, John Anthony McGuckin shows how it countered these two errant poles by equally stressing Jesus' authentic humanity (that is, his fleshliness and real embodiment in space and time) and his spiritual glory or full divinity. One cottage industry among some historical theologians, he notes, has been to live in a fever of conspiracy theory where orthodox oppressors dealt heavy-handedly with poor heretics. Or the picture is painted of ancient grassroots inclusivists being suppressed by establishment elites. The reality was far from such romantic notions. It was in fact the reverse. The church who denounced these errors did so in the name of a greater inclusivity based on common sense and common education. The debate was conducted generations before Christian bishops could ever call on the assistance of secular power to enforce their views. Establishing the creeds was not a reactionary movement of censorship but rather one concerned with the deepest aspects of quality control. Ultimately, what was and is at stake is not fussy dogmatism but the central gospel message of God's stooping "down in mercy to enter the life of his creatures and share their sorrows with them. He has lifted up the weak and the broken to himself, and he healed their pain by abolishing their alienation."

The Lord Jesus Christ is Incomparable. But who is He? Was He a Prophet? Was He God? Why did He become man? And what was His message? These are some of the questions that stoke our curiosity and rouse our quest for this unique person of the universe par excellence. Here, Richfield synthesizes Old and New Testament Canon of Scripture into an easy-to-read overview of the One who gives meaning and purpose to this earthly existence. As one following in loving service, Richfield presents Jesus Christ as incomparable and far above any other. In Him is a treasury of wisdom, and to know Him is to unlock the secret of life.

Focusing on the person and work of Jesus, Donald G. Bloesch goes beyond current reconstructions to probe issues of theological method, models of salvation, the plausibility of miracles, the language of faith and the doctrine of sin.