Offers an examination of the texts that did not make it into the canonical bible, as well as the diverse reasons for their omission and why some of them are relevant to the lives of modern people.

A “witty and accessible look at Scripture” that explores what the Bible meant before two millennia of mistranslations and misinterpretations (Publishers Weekly, starred review). In this fascinating book, acclaimed translator and biblical scholar Dr. Joel M. Hoffman walks the reader through dozens of mistranslations, misconceptions, and other misunderstandings about the Bible. In forty short, straightforward chapters, he covers morality, lifestyle, theology, and biblical imagery, including: The Bible doesn’t call homosexuality a sin, and doesn’t advocate for the one-man-one-woman model of the family that has been dubbed “biblical.” The Bible’s famous “beat their swords into plowshares” is matched by the militaristic “beat your plowshares into swords.” The often-cited New Testament quotation “God so loved the world” is a mistranslation, as are the titles “Son of Man” and “Son of God.” The Ten Commandments don’t prohibit killing or coveting. What does the Bible say about violence? About the Rapture? About keeping kosher? About marriage and divorce? Hoffman provides answers to all of these and more, succinctly explaining how so many pivotal biblical answers came to be misunderstood.

The Aramaic Peshitta Old Testament (The Former Prophets and The Holy Writings) Joshua to Esther (12 historical books) is translated from the world's oldest complete Semitic Bible - Codex Ambrosianus (6th century AD). The Peshitta Old Testament Bible is written in Aramaic and was translated from early Hebrew manuscripts in the 1st century A.D., before the Massoretic Hebrew text edition became the standard. The Massoretic edition is that used today in Jewish synagogues and temples worldwide and is the text translated to produce most Bible translations of the Old Testament. The Peshitta's Aramaic (Aramaic is a sister Semitic language to Hebrew) gives us a clear look at what the Hebrew Bible text was before the corrupt Scribes of Jesus' time and earlier had altered many of its readings for theological and political reasons. This is English only. 6x9" hardback; 308 pages with notes.

For those who’ve never read the Bible and for those who’ve read it too much. Lacey’s “dangerously real” retelling of Scripture vividly demonstrates that the Bible is packed full of stories, poems, and images that resonate with the big issues of today. This fresh paraphrase-come-running-commentary brings the text alive: Bible stories are retold as mini blockbusters; psalms as song lyrics; epistles as emails; Revelation as seen through a virtual reality headset. Out with stale religious terms, here’s a “Bible” which talks today’s language—gritty, earthy, and witty. Enough starting at Genesis with good intentions and getting lost in Leviticus-Lacey succeeds in revitalizing a classic work by focusing on the big picture: fast-forwarding through the “slow-moving” bits with pace, passion, and energy to make the Bible a page turner. Lacey’s tour de force was created during a remarkable personal journey through terminal cancer: the stuff Bible stories are made of. This life-experience injects Lacey’s take on Scripture with authenticity and authority—resonating with Bible characters who also wrestled with the big questions. Purist alert: This is not THE Bible (capital B)… but it might just get you reaching for one.

Christians willing to look with honest eyes at challenges we face as believers in corporate church life today will find an advocate here. We are faithful people attending Bible-believing churches, yet there is a disconnect between wanting to please the Lord and achieving full stature in the body of Christ through the church. Excellent intentions fail to materialize into spiritual development. Our efforts sputter into lackluster Christian experiences, a far cry from the abundant life we were promised. Doing more or trying harder to reach goals is not the answer. Goals must be re-examined in light of scripture. Confounding bigger with better, casting a blind eye to the schism between Evangelicals and Pentecostals, settling for less, tolerating toxic doctrines that misrepresent the heart of God to the people, subsisting on spiritual junk food -- whatever erosion and error we permit will define the ultimate quality of our lives in Christ. Carol Demong (as Carol Nelson) has published a young adult Christian novel through David C. Cook, and has published numerous articles when she worked as a staff writer for Bridge Magazine, an Oregon-based Christian periodical. She has an M.A. in English literature and curriculum, and has taught writing and literary analysis in a variety of contexts. Since her recent retirement from the University of California at San Diego, she has begun writing full-time. In addition to the essays presented here and the articles and novel mentioned above, she has written Bible curriculum for women's studies, as well as short stories, poetry and other essays. She is a member of the San Diego Christian Writer's Guild. She lives with her husband and grandson in the vicinity of her extended family in Southern California. Other interests include playing the piano, research, and cooking.

Reading Genesis 1 And 2, We Are Tempted to see only problems to solve. Yet these two chapters burst with glorious truths about God, our world, and ourselves. In fact their foundational doctrines are among the richest sources of Insight as we pursue robust, sensitive, and constructive engagement with others about contemporary culture and ideas. With deftness and clarity Christopher Watkin reclaims the Trinity and creation from their cultural despisers and shows how they speak into, question, and reorient some of today's most important debates Book jacket.

When we start with the wrong question, no matter how good an answer we get, it won’t give us the results we want. Rather than joining the throngs who are asking, When will this economic crisis be over? Jim Wallis says the right question to ask is How will this crisis change us? The worst thing we can do now, Wallis tells us, is to go back to normal. Normal is what got us into this situation. We need a new normal, and this economic crisis is an invitation to discover what that means. Some of the principles Wallis unpacks for our new normal are . . . • Spending money we don’t have for things we don’t need is a bad foundation for an economy or a family. • It’s time to stop keeping up with the Joneses and start making sure the Joneses are okay. • The values of commercials and billboards are not the things we want to teach our children. • Care for the poor is not just a moral duty but is critical for the common good. • A healthy society is a balanced society in which markets, the government, and our communities all play a role. • The operating principle of God’s economy says that there is enough if we share it. • And much, much more . . . In the pages of this book, Wallis provides us with a moral compass for this new economy—one that will guide us on Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street. Embracing a New Economy Getting back to "the way things were" is not an option. It is time we take our economic uncertainty and use it to find some moral clarity. Too often we have been ruled by the maxims that greed is good, it’s all about me, and I want it now. Those can be challenged only with some of our oldest and best values—enough is enough, we are in it together, and thinking not just for tomorrow but for future generations. Jim Wallis shows that the solution to our problems will be found only as individuals, families, friends, churches, mosques, synagogues, and entire communities wrestle with the question of values together.