Call Me Barabbas looks at the journey of both Paul Derry and R.C. Sproul Jr. R.C. Sproul told Paul, "You and I know that Jesus came to save sinners. The people in the world you came from know they are sinners but need to learn Jesus saves. The people in the world I came from (Reformed evangelicals) know Jesus saves, but need to learn they are sinners." Thus, the concept of Call Me Barabbas was born and turned into this book of two drastically different lives that share one major similarity - the grace and mercy of Christ Jesus. Table of Contents: Forward (written by Burl Cain) Preface (written by Paul Derry and R.C. Sproul Jr.) Chapter 1. The Theological Foundation (written by R.C. Sproul Jr.) Chapter 2. The Story of Barabbas (written by R.C. Sproul Jr.) Chapter 3. The Making of a Barabbas (written by Paul Derry) Chapter 4. Breaking Barabbas (written by Paul Derry) Chapter 5. Braking Barabbas (written by R.C. Sproul Jr.) Chapter 6. Barabbas and Judas’s Kiss (written by Paul Derry) Chapter 7. Brides of Barabbas (written by Paul Derry) Chapter 8. Barabbas Betrayed (written by Paul Derry) Chapter 9. Barabbas Betrays (written by Paul Derry) Chapter 10. Barabbas Betrays Again (written by R.C. Sproul Jr.) Chapter 11. Barabbas, Come Forth (written by Paul Derry) Chapter 12. Barabbas Reborn (written by Paul Derry) Chapter 13. Barabbas Released (written by Paul Derry) Chapter 14. Barabbas Beset (written by R.C . Sproul Jr.) Chapter 15. Beside Barabbas (written by R.C . Sproul Jr.) Chapter 16. Barabbas All (written by R.C . Sproul Jr.) Chapter 17. Barabbas, Lazarus, and Us (written by R.C . Sproul Jr.) Chapter 18. Be Barabbas (written by R.C . Sproul Jr.)

After his paternal grandfather rescues infant Octaviate Bracia from one of Romes traitor purges, he spirits the child away to Judaea. Upon maturity, Octaviate joins Caesars Forces. His vindictive ex-wife implicates Octaviate in treason. Her schemes are too perfect, in fact, to fully convince Caesars chief prosecutor of Octaviates guilteven though three legions with which he is associated have been decimated. From Judaeas dusty highways and byways, an itinerate rabbi and his followers draw multitudes to their meetings and into their ranks. Soon, their massive popularity threatens the religious machine and the Roman Peace. Octaviates commander assigns men to follow this teacher and the crowds should the rabbi establish Messianic claims. The downfall of Lucius Aelius Seianus, imperial regent, brings Caesar Tiberius out of hiding. Caesar is neither happy nor balanced. He decrees empire-wide purges for traitors. The love of Octaviates second wife, a former slave and arena fighter, the imperial prosecutors desire for truth, and his commanding officers faith in his loyaltyall of these enable Octaviate to prove his innocence. Under pressure from religious officials, Rome crucifies the rabbi for treason. While supervising the loathsome task, Octaviate sees Messianic prophecies fulfilled. Now he admits before the world that, truly, this man was the Son of God. His declaration brings Romes fury upon him. While Rome festers with paranoia and lies, Octaviate wonders if anyonehis family includedcan escape so great a wrath.

Join others who want to know God better and read His Word with The Bible Recap Discussion Guide. Specially written to spark meaningful conversations, it follows the same chronological reading plan as The Bible Recap podcast and book. Adaptable for a variety of schedules and settings--for example, meeting with a friend or in a small group or Sunday school class--these questions will lead you to a deeper understanding of the Bible's narrative and how God's character is revealed throughout Scripture. Together you'll find that He's where the joy is! Praise for The Bible Recap "I have grown closer to God in ways I couldn't expect." "It has helped me understand the Bible like never before." "More than a Bible study, it is a God study."

Follow the further adventures of the very remarkable Yeshua bar Yosef, feminist, humanist, romantic and idealist, as he falls in love with Mary of Migdal Nunaiya, travels from Israel to Phoenicia and beyond, is denounced, defrocked and disgraced as a pretended Man in White and, through no fault of his own, becomes known as the Messiah, Jesus bar Abbas, the leader of the Rebel Alliance, the next King of a United Israel, the Son of Man, the Son of God, and the greatest thing since challah bread.

In A Stranger in Jerusalem, Trevan Hatch attempts to situate the stories about Jesus within their Jewish context. Jesus was a Jew, his friends were Jews, his first followers were Jews, he studied the Hebrew Scriptures (either orally or from texts), he worshiped in the synagogue, and he occasionally traveled to Jerusalem to observe the Israelite festivals. Hatch illustrates that Jesus does not seem to have rejected Judaism or acted as a radical outsider in relation to his Jewish peers, but rather he worked within a Jewish framework. The overarching questions addressed in this book are (1) how can an understanding of early Judaism illuminate our understanding of the Jesus traditions, (2) how did Jesus relate to his Jewish world and vice versa, (3) why did the Gospel writers portray Jesus and his Jewish peers the way they did, and (4) how would Jews in the first and second centuries have interpreted the Jesus traditions upon hearing or reading them? Hatch explores several topics, including childhood and family life in first-century Galilee; Jewish notions of baptism and purity; Jewish prophets and miracle workers; Jewish ideas about the messiah; and Jesus' relationship with Judas, the Pharisees, the priestly establishment in Jerusalem, the Jewish populace, and his own disciples.