Moving and inspirational thoughts on what aging means (and can mean) to all of us. A warm, caring book that shows how to make the later years a source of hope.

One of early Christianity's most carefully crafted sermons, Epistle to the Hebrews" addresses listeners who have experienced the elation of conversion and the heat of hostility, but who now must confront the formidable task of remaining faithful in a society that rejects their commitments. The letter probes into the one of most profound questions of faith: If it is God's will that believers be crowned with glory and honor, why are the faithful subject to suffering and shame? Through the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Moses, and Rahab, whose faith enabled them to overcome severe trials and conflicts, and through the story of Jesus himself, whose sufferings opened the way to God's presence for all, the sermon confirms the foundations of the Christian faith. In a magisterial introduction, Koester presents a compelling portrait of the early Christian community and examines the debates that have surrounded Epistle to the Hebrews for two millennia. Drawing on his knowledge of classical rhetoric, he clarifies the book's arguments and discusses the use of evocative language and imagery to appeal to its audience's minds, emotions, and will. Providing an authoritative, accessible discussion of the book's high priestly Christology, this landmark commentary charts new directions for the interpretation of Epistle to the Hebrews and its influence on Christian theology and worship.

The book of Revelation, also called the Apocalypse of John, encourages Christians to be faithful to their Lord, Jesus Christ, through a rich mixture of symbolism and images. Perhaps the most puzzling book in all Scripture, Revelation introduces bowls and scrolls, saints and angels, horsemen and beasts, the bride and the lamb, in a wondrous end-times drama. The scene shifts from cataclysmic battles to the climax of a new heaven and new earth. In the end, the reader is exhorted to heed the words of this stunning prophecy. Dr. Ford addresses the seemingly infinite questions surrounding the book of Revelation. Issues of authorship, date, literary composition, theology, audience, purpose, and the meaning of John's now obscure symbolism occupy Ford throughout. Traditionally, Revelation is the final New Testament book, but its theology, imagery, and historical content suggest it might be the transitional link between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Contrary to general scholarly opinion, Ford identifies the writer as the Hebrew prophet and forerunner of Jesus, John the Baptist, not John the Evangelist. She conjectures that the Baptist spread his fiery apocalyptic visions decades before the first Gospels were completed. Along with a fresh new translation of the book, the author's insightful commentary and unique conclusions make for captivating reading. In light of both ancient writings and recent archaeological discoveries, Dr. Ford shows what this baffling work meant to first-century believers, and what it means for Christians today. J. Massyngberde Ford is Professor of New Testament Studies at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

Nothing speaks more highly for a commentary than how valuable it is to pastors and scholars, students, and interested readers. By all accounts, Victor Paul Furnish’s commentary on II Corinthians has become the standard by which others are judged. It is praised as “a quite superb commentary . . . everything that a good commentary should be” (Expository Times), “by any standard . . . an excellent volume” (Interpretation), and “perhaps the definitive commentary on the letter in English” (Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society). In addition, Furnish has “accomplished a difficult task with remarkable skill and apparent ease” (Biblical Theology Bulletin), and has given us “one of [the Anchor Bible’s] finest studies” (Catholic Biblical Quarterly). In the internationally renowned tradition of the Anchor Bible series, this commentary is an excellent and indispensable tool for biblical study. Scholars rarely posses both the gift of academic excellence and the ability to communicate their expertise in an extremely readable fashion; but Furnish succeeds admirably with the right balance of scholarship and practical application, offered in the most accessible prose. With a mastery of primary languages and sources, and a lucid discussion of the first-century context of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, the reader enters the worldview of the original recipients of this hard-hitting letter. In the end, Furnish successfully navigates the maze of difficulties faced by the commentator and, thankfully, helps the general audience understand what II Corinthians says and means.

An acknowledged expert on the Hebrew Bible, Thomas Dozeman offers a fresh translation of the Hebrew and Greek texts of the book of Joshua and explores the nature, function, and causes of the religious violence depicted therein. By blending the distinct teachings of Deuteronomy and the Priestly literature, Dozeman provides a unique interpretation of holy war as a form of sacred genocide, arguing that, since peace in the promised land required the elimination of the populations of all existent royal cities, a general purging of the land accompanied the progress of the ark of the covenant. This essential work of religious scholarship demonstrates how the theme of total genocide is reinterpreted as partial conquest when redactors place Joshua, an independent book, between Deuteronomy and Judges. The author traces the evolution of this reinterpretation of the central themes of religious violence while providing a comparison of the two textual versions of Joshua and an insightful analysis of the book's reception history.

The Anchor Bible series offers new, book-by-book translations of the Old and New Testament and the Apocrypha, with commentary. This volume on the Book of Daniel has been prepared by two distinguished biblical scholars from the faculty of the Catholic University of America: Alexander A. Di Lella, Professor of Old Testament, and the late Louis F. Hartman, Professor of Semitic Languages. The Book of Daniel was written as resistance literature, to strengthen and console loyal Jews of the second century B.C. who had to endure religious, economic, and social oppression at the hands of Antiochus I. The inspiring stories in which Daniel and his companions Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego survive the ordeals of the lions' den and the fiery furnace dramatize for believers of all time the ultimate test of faith--the willingness to risk one's life for one's beliefs. The Book of Daniel also includes the famous incident of "the handwriting on the wall" and recounts the four vivid dream-visions or apocalypses which, through symbols and signs, offered interpretations of history and predictions of future deliverance. Louis F. Hartman and Alexander A. Di Lella have revealed the profound religious and human dimensions of the Daniel stories. They present Daniel as a colorful and dramatic hero unique in biblical literature--an enduring symbol of hope and salvation for all men and women of faith who must suffer for their beliefs.

Contains over six thousand alphabetically arranged entries that provide information about developments and issues associated with the study of the Bible, covering people and places, versions of the Bible, methodologies of Bible scholarship, and historical and archaeological subjects, and includes illustrations, cross-references, and bibliographies.

Judges records the birth pangs of the Israelite nation. From the Conquest to the Settlement, the conflicts in this book (military, political, and religious) reveal a nascent Israel, struggling to define itself as a people. The period of the Judges, c. 1200-1100 B.C.E., was fraught with intertribal struggles, skirmishes and pitched battles with neighboring peoples, and the constant threat of assimilation. The Israelites repeatedly turned away from their God: ignored his commandments, worshiped other gods, and continually sinned. Yahweh raised up judges to lead the people back to covenant faithfulness. In their several roles as priest, prophet, and military chief of staff, these judges heeded God's call and led the people. In the Book of Judges, we get rare glimpses into the exceptional qualities and human frailties of these leaders. The approachable stories, the humor, and even the criticism of the children of Israel and the judges surprisingly illuminate a people in transition. Boling's in-depth introduction and commentary explain the historical background, the sociocultural and religious milieu, and the literary complexities of the book. His fresh translation draws the modern reader into the dynamic stories while conveying the nuance of the Hebrew text.

A lengthy introduction which discusses the authorship of the Epistles of John, their relationship to the Fourth Gospel, and what they demononstrate about the followers of John, precedes a detailed commentary on the text of the Epistles themselves.