In Meditations on the Old Testament Apocrypha, Pastor Joshua Sullivan explains the apocryphal books in an easy to understand fashion. Far from simply conveying historical information about the intertestamental period, each devotion helps the reader understand these books in a way that strengthens one's faith in Christ and excites one's zeal for the good works which flow from faith. The Christian reader will see many parallels between their own world and the world which brought forth these books. The reader will also be encouraged by the examples of these Jews who strove to maintain and confess the true faith in cultures and situations that sought to stamp out the true faith of the God of Israel. These books encourage modern readers to keep God's Word holy and to live holy lives according to it, even as they live in cultures saturated with the temptation to compromise. Pastor Sullivan also demonstrates how to read these books Christologically. The apocryphal authors, although not divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, were steeped in Moses and the Prophets. They looked forward to the same Christ as the Old Testament Scriptures and as a result, they painted beautiful, if unintentional, portraits which foreshadow Christ's person and work. When read in this way, these books will deepen the reader's appreciation for Christ and the salvation He offers to all men in the promise of the gospel. Meditations on the Old Testament Apocrypha contains the King James text for the apocryphal books I Esdras, Tobit, Judith, and Wisdom of Solomon as well as original devotional material for each chapter of the apocryphal text.

Presented here are two volumes of apocryphal writings reflecting the life and time of the Old and New Testaments. Stories told by contemporary fiction writers of historical Bible times in fascinating and beautiful style.

The Fortress Commentary on the Bible: Old Testament and Apocrypha presents a balanced synthesis of current scholarship, enabling readers to interpret Scripture for a complex and pluralistic world. The contributors bring a rich diversity of perspectives to the task of connecting solid historical critical analysis of the Scripture with sensitivity to theological, cultural, and interpretive issues arising in our encounter with the text. The contributors represent a broad array of theological commitmentProtestants, Catholics, Jews, and others. The introductory articles and section introductions in the volume discuss the dramatic challenges that have shaped contemporary interpretation of the Old Testament and Apocrypha. Individual book articles provide an introduction and commentary on key sense units that are explored through the lenses of three critical questions: The text in its ancient context. What did the text probably mean in its original historical and cultural context? The text in the interpretive tradition. How have centuries of reading and interpreting shaped our understanding of the text? The text in contemporary discussion. What are the unique challenges and interpretive questions that arise for readers and hearers of the text today? The result is a commentary that is comprehensive and useful for preaching, teaching, and research.

Anyone interested in sharing the gospel with Catholic friends or understanding where members of that denomination stand on important points of theology will appreciate this thorough yet easy-to-use reference. Using the simple, step-by-step format applauded by readers in Rhodes' previous books, Reasoning from the Scriptures with Catholics covers many theological issues that divide Protestants and Catholics, including¼ purgatory and indulgences the reverence of Mary, mother of Jesus papal infallibility Catholic traditions and much more Each chapter examines a single Catholic belief or practice as taught in the Catholic Catechism and other major Catholic sources, provides biblical responses, and offers questions to help Catholics examine their church's readings. Pastors, teachers, and lay leaders will find this insightful guide a must-have tool for sharing the good news of salvation by faith alone with Catholic friends and family members.

Inspired by the epistles of St Paul, St John Chrysostom has many important and practical things to say to Christian couples and families.

'Loveday's case is that the mantle of historical truth and divine authority has placed upon the Bible an intolerable weight, crushing it as a creative work of immense imaginative and inspirational power. His argument is both fascinating and persuasive.' Matthew Parris The Bible for Grown-Ups neither requires, nor rejects, belief. It sets out to help intelligent adults make sense of the Bible – a book that is too large to swallow whole, yet too important in our history and culture to spit out. Why do the creation stories in Genesis contradict each other? Did the Exodus really happen? Was King David a historical figure? Why is Matthew's account of the birth of Jesus so different from Luke's? Why was St Paul so rude about St Peter? Every Biblical author wrote for their own time, and their own audience. In short, nothing in the Bible is quite what it seems. Literary critic Simon Loveday's book – a labour of love that has taken over a decade to write – is a thrilling read, for Christians and anyone else, which will overturn everything you thought you knew about the Good Book.