Controversy rages on about God's choosing people for salvation. Are only the few elect? Rather than typically beginning with the preconceptions of systematic theologies, Dr. William Klein takes up this question by searching for a biblical theology of election. He surveys the OT contexts of God's choosing individuals--prophets, priests, kings--to serve divine purposes, and considers God's election of the nation of Israel as his special people. This OT study proposes that God's election is both individual and corporate, but not always determinative. Individuals entered the people of God by birth, but not all the people found salvation. Faith in Yahweh was required. This book traces these elective understandings through the intertestamental literature, identifying continuities and shifts. The bulk of the study, and the heart of the argument, focus on the New Testament. Klein identifies concepts of election, and relationships between writers in the gospels, the Lucan material, Paul's writings, and the rest. The new covenant, God choosing the church in Christ, emphasizes election as corporate, while the individual election of Jesus' disciples and of Paul raises the question whether such chosenness is necessarily salvific. In closing, Klein discusses the most engaging and divisive questions around God's election, and offers a real challenge to today's church.

As an interdisciplinary forerunner of the new literary approaches to gospel narratives over the last four decades in New Testament scholarship, the revised and expanded monograph by David Wead makes a timely contribution to the advancement of those studies. Rooted in comparative analyses of contemporary Hellenistic and Jewish literary techniques, and drawing from the best of Continental scholarship, Wead not only points Johannine scholars to relevant ancient resources, but his analyses prepare the way for fresh interpretations of John's story of Jesus today. Published originally in Switzerland, this book was overlooked by many scholars, to the detriment of their work. However, in addressing such themes as John's post-resurrection point of view, the Johannine sign, the Johannine double meaning, irony in the Fourth Gospel, and metaphor in the Fourth Gospel, Wead's work is now available to new generations of scholars, who will find his work both instructive and provocative. This newly revised and expanded edition, edited by Paul Anderson and Alan Culpepper, not only includes a new epilogue by David Wead, featuring new reflections and insights, but it also includes an expansive overview of the literature—before and after Wead’s work—including a helpful assessment of Wead’s monograph in service to ongoing Johannine scholarship. No serious study of Gospel literary features, devices, and strategies can afford to overlook this important book!

In all your boyhood dreams of growing up, did you dream of being a "nice guy"? Eldredge believes that every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue. That is how he bears the image of God; that is what God made him to be.

The beloved and timeless King James Version is made available in an edition priced right for Sunday schools, Bible clubs, church presentations, and giveaways. Offering affordable quality, these handsome award Bibles will withstand heavy use thanks to better quality paper and supple but sturdy cover material. A great way to honor special achievements-at a budget-conscious price A spectrum of attractive colors-black, burgundy, blue, royal purple, dark green, and white-suit any occasion Imitation leather, 640 pages, 5 8 inches Clear 7-point type Color maps and presentation page The words of Christ in red 32 pages of study helps Sewn binding Shipped with an attractive four-color half-wrap and shrink-wrap.

This single volume introduces the reader to the most important methods of Biblical criticism by covering both traditional and more current methods, giving special attention to the way in which methods of criticism are applied to specific texts. The contributors, from a diverse background, demonstrate how their own method is applied.

According to Warren Wiersbe, The Supremacy of God in Preaching "calls us back to a biblical standard for preaching, a standard exemplified by many of the pulpit giants of the past, especially Jonathan Edwards and Charles Spurgeon." This newly revised and expanded edition is an essential guide for preachers who want to stir the embers of revival. Piper has added valuable new material reflecting on his thirty-three years of preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church, offering a glimpse of what a lifetime of putting God first has done for the faith of the hundreds of thousands who have heard him preach over the years.

This book is a comprehensive guide and a one-volume handbook on Spirit-led ministry in the twenty-first century. Written for ministry students, seasoned pastors, and anyone dealing with a sense of calling, this is an inspiring read on Spirit-empowered ministry that expresses itself in word and deed through preaching, teaching, healing, and leadership. In these pages, a pastor, chaplain, and seminary professor who has trained people for ministry in multiple nations addresses the most important aspects of effective Christian ministry. Read this book to encounter biblically sound and theologically balanced information and transformational instruction. Discern, discover, or reaffirm a call to ministry, seek the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and develop excellence in contemporary ministry.

Understanding the Bible will provide you with a foundational knowledge of the entirety of Scripture with a focus on broadening your vision of Jesus Christ. This book answers foundational questions: Who wrote the Bible? What is its message? Why is it thought to be a "holy" book? How does one read and interpret it? By delving into the geographical, religious, and historical concerns that shaped the world of biblical times, you'll see Jesus as never before: both as a man of his times and culture, and as the culmination of a divine providence that prepared the way for the ministry of the Messiah. Written by renowned preacher, writer, and apologist John Stott, this new, expanded edition includes: Questions at the beginning of each chapter to help you focus. New, up-to-date maps for the chapters on history and geography. An index to help you speedily access areas of interest.