Strange Scriptures That Perplex the Western Mind PDF Download

Author: Barbara M. Bowen
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 9780802815118
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Book Description
With fascinating insights into biblical customs and conditions--many of which exist today in the Middle East--Bowen clarifies over 100 scriptural texts and phrases that often puzzle Western readers unfamiliar with the culture of Bible times.

Author: Chris Palmer
Publisher: Whitaker House
ISBN: 1641236868
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 255

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Book Description
What’s that Scripture mean? Ever asked yourself this question when you’re reading through the Bible? We all have. Whether we’ve been saved a long time or are just beginning to follow Christ, there are portions of Scripture that go over our heads. They’re puzzling. Odd. Complicated. Strange. What’s baptism on behalf of the dead? (1 Corinthians 15:29) Wasn’t it rude for Jesus to call a woman a dog? (Mark 7:27) If Jesus is eternal, why is he called the firstborn? (Colossians 1:15) How can we do greater works than Christ? (John 14:12) Scriptures like these are not preached from the pulpit as commonly as our favorite texts. You rarely hear about them in your small group Bible study. And it’s definitely not easy to explain what they mean. Think of it like this: if the Bible were an apple orchard, the Scriptures we’re most familiar with are like the luscious Honeycrisp. They’re our favorites. Like, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” and “Love never fails.” But strange Scriptures are more like an unripe Granny Smith. There’s juice in it, all right, but if you want meaning and life application, you have to do a whole lot more squeezing. That’s where Strange Scriptures comes in. Within each short study, author Chris Palmer has aimed to represent scholarship, Greek exegesis, and life application to bring forth a full-bodied study to nourish your soul.

Author: Matthew Richard Schlimm
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1441222871
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 286

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Book Description
The Old Testament can seem strange and disturbing to contemporary readers. What should Christians make of Genesis 1-3, seemingly at odds with modern scientific accounts? Why does the Old Testament contain so much violence? How should Christians handle texts that give women a second-class status? Does the Old Testament contradict itself? Why are so many Psalms filled with anger and sorrow? What should we make of texts that portray God as filled with wrath? Combining pastoral insight, biblical scholarship, and a healthy dose of humility, gifted teacher and communicator Matthew Schlimm explores perennial theological questions raised by the Old Testament. He provides strategies for reading and appropriating these sacred texts, showing how the Old Testament can shape the lives of Christians today and helping them appreciate the Old Testament as a friend in faith.

Author: Tania Harris
Publisher: Authentic
ISBN: 9781780781884
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
How do I know it's God? is one of the most commonly asked questions of new and mature Christians alike, and the aim of God Conversations is to both equip and inspire the reader and show them that hearing the voice of the Spirit is accessible to everyone who chooses to follow Jesus. Most Christians know that God speaks, yet struggle with how to recognise his voice in their everyday lives. What does God's voice sound like? How do we know if what we're hearing is from God? Stories of God talking to his people abound throughout the Bible, but we usually only get the highlights. We read; "And God said to Joseph; 'Go to Egypt'," and then; "Mary and Joseph left for Egypt." We don't get a blow-by-blow description of how God spoke. We don't receive a detailed explanation of how they knew it was God, and we don't get to see what was going on inside their heads as they acted on what they'd heard. In God Conversations, international speaker and pastor Tania Harris shares insights from her own journey about hearing God's voice. You'll get to eavesdrop on some contemporary conversations with God in the light of his communication with the ancient characters of the Bible. Part memoir, part teaching, this unique and creative collection of stories will help you to recognise God's voice when he speaks and how to respond when you do.

Author: John Piper
Publisher: Crossway
ISBN: 1433552663
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 223

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Book Description
God has provided a way for all people, not just scholars, to know that the Bible is the Word of God. John Piper has devoted his life to showing us that the glory of God is object of the soul’s happiness. Now, his burden in this book is to demonstrate that this same glory is the ground of the mind’s certainty. God’s peculiar glory shines through his Word. The Spirit of God enlightens the eyes of our hearts. And in one self-authenticating sight, our minds are sure and our hearts are satisfied. Justified certainty and solid joy meet in the peculiar glory of God.

Author: Bishop K. C. Pillai
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN: 1787202763
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 111

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Book Description
First published in 1963, this book by Bishop K. C. Pillai was written on the urging of many of his listeners to put his teachings into book form, “so that more Christians may be encouraged to trust in the Word of God, and believe more deeply through understanding.” He explains in his Introduction that he was unable to put all of his teachings into one book at this time due to time constraints, but with this volume intends to “touch upon some of the portions of the Bible which my listeners tell me have been the most interesting and inspiring.” A wonderful book for any reader who seeks to know and understand the Word of God...

Author: Jeremiah L. Alberg
Publisher: MSU Press
ISBN: 1609173643
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
Jeremiah Alberg’s fascinating book explores a phenomenon almost every news reader has experienced: the curious tendency to skim over dispatches from war zones, political battlefields, and economic centers, only to be drawn in by headlines announcing a late-breaking scandal. Rationally we would agree that the former are of more significance and importance, but they do not pique our curiosity in quite the same way. The affective reaction to scandal is one both of interest and of embarrassment or anger at the interest. The reader is at the same time attracted to and repulsed by it. Beneath the Veil of the Strange Verses describes the roots out of which this conflicted desire grows, and it explores how this desire mirrors the violence that undergirds the scandal itself. The book shows how readers seem to be confronted with a stark choice: either turn away from scandal completely or become enthralled and thus trapped by it. Using examples from philosophy, literature, and the Bible, Alberg leads the reader on a road out of this false dichotomy. By its nature, the author argues, scandal is the basis of our reading; it is the source of the obstacles that prevent us from understanding what we read, and of the bridges that lead to a deeper grasp of the truth.

Author: John F. MacArthur
Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM
ISBN: 1400205182
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
In Strange Fire, bestselling author and pastor John MacArthur chronicles the unsavory history behind the modern Charismatic movement. What would God say about those who blatantly misrepresent His Holy Spirit; who exchange true worship for chaotic fits of mindless ecstasy; who replace the biblical gospel with vain illusions of health and wealth; who claim to prophesy in His name yet speak errors; and who sell false hope to desperate people for millions of dollars? The charismatic movement has always been a breeding-ground for scandal, greed, bad doctrine, and all kinds of spiritual chicanery. As a movement, it is clearly headed the wrong direction. And it is growing at an unprecedented rate. From the Word of Faith to the New Apostolic Reformation, the Charismatic movement is being consumed by the empty promises of the prosperity gospel. Too many charismatic celebrities promote a “Christianity” without Christ, a Holy Spirit without holiness. And their teaching is having a disastrous influence on a grand scale, as large television networks broadcast their heresies to every part of the world. In Strange Fire, MacArthur lays out a chilling case against the modern Charismatic movement that includes: Rejecting its false prophets. Speaking out against their errors. Showing true reverence to the Holy Spirit. Clinging to the Bible as the inerrant, authoritative Word of God and the one true standard by which all truth claims must be tested.

Author: Luke T. Harrington
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 0785234454
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
Ever wished there was a book about some of the weirdest and most disturbing stories in the Bible that was also hilarious to read? You've found it. It turns out, there's a lot of strange stuff in the Bible, and this book takes a tongue-in-cheek look at all of it. Approximately 80 percent of Americans admit they haven't read the Bible. If they did, they'd be pleasantly surprised by its impressive quantity of sex and poop jokes. David danced naked. Noah was basically a moonshining hillbilly. Ezekiel baked poop bread. Herod was eaten by worms. Jesus cursed a fig tree, just to prove he could. Mark went streaking. Hosea married a prostitute. Lot was date-raped by his own daughters. This unique book: Combines humor and education to give better insight into some of the strangest parts of the Bible Organized by topic (poop, genitalia, weird violence, prostitution, gratuitous nudity, seemingly pointless miracles, and other fun stuff) Is a thoroughly researched (really!), reverent, and insightful look at the best-selling book in history Makes a perfect gift for pastors and white elephant parties From Elisha, who loosed homicidal bears on some kids because they called him bald (it's a long story), to the story of Ehud, who gets away with assassinating a tyrannical king because his servants think said king is taking a dump (also a long story), this book examines and casts new light on some of the Bible's stranger moments.

Author: Rutherford Hayes Platt
Publisher: Nelson Bibles
ISBN:
Category : Apocryphal books
Languages : en
Pages : 660

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Book Description
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.