The epistles of St. Ignatius are presented here in their entirety, their historical insights imparted in an excellent translation to English.
Saint Ignatius of Antioch was one of the foremost early Christians, acceding to the role of Bishop of Antioch in circa 67 A.D. . During his tenure as bishop he wrote several Epistles - letters - to various figures of the time. These are treasured as some of the earliest surviving Christian texts. As a committed traveller, Ignatius made effort to spread Christianity's influence. He coined the term 'Catholic Church', popularly used to this day.
This edition contains letters generally agreed as authentic for their reference by the Roman historian Eusebius in the 4th century. These are as follows:
Epistle to the Ephesians; Epistle to the Magnesians; Epistle to the Trallians; Epistle of the Romans; Epistle to the Philadelphians; Epistle to the Smyrnaeans; Epistle to Polycarp; Bishop of Smyrna.
For the sake of completeness, this edition also contains annotated epistles whose authenticity is disputed by historians and theologians:
Epistle to the Tarsians; Epistle to the Antiochians; Epistle to Hero, a Deacon of Antioch; Epistle to the Philippians; The Epistle of Maria the Proselyte to Ignatius; Epistle to Mary at Neapolis, Zarbus; First and Second Epistles to St. John; The Epistle of Ignatius to the Virgin Mary.
Let the book of James be your compass for navigating life's toughest trails. With Shane Bishop as your guide, this verse-by-verse journey helps you chart a practical path for living out your faith. James offers the tools you need to align belief with action, providing direction, encouragement, and strength as you tackle steep climbs and rugged terrain.
Whether you're facing challenges or seeking clarity, this guide will keep you grounded and moving forward in your walk with God.
It's not enough to simply show up on the trail; you need the right tools to navigate. James equips you with practical and moral guidance for living out your faith in real and powerful ways. As you traverse this book, you'll encounter steep hills and tough terrain, but the rewards-endurance, wisdom, and spiritual growth-make the journey worthwhile. Let James be your wake-up call to move from belief to mature discipleship.
Several themes run through the Letter of James and make clear what his burden is. He writes about suffering and joy, riches and poverty, faith and works, the tongue and speech, and about wisdom and folly. In a word, he writes about the heart and life of the Christian believer.
James's bte noire is false and hollow piety; pious platitudes are anathema to him. Faith that does not issue in good works, a holy life, concern for the needy, and a disciplined use of the tongue, is for James no faith at all.
As with other volumes in the Let's Study series, the value of Let's Study James is enhanced by the Group Study Guide which follows.
In this new authoritative volume of the New Testament Library series, Joel B. Green presents the writer of James as a sort of practical theologian, directly addressing the lived experiences of Jewish Christ followers beset by Roman social conventions and sensibilities contrary to the divine command to love God and love neighbor.
The book of James is nothing if not pragmatic. Its core arguments rest on urging its audience to take concrete action to develop faithful life patterns in a world that is often set against those who seek to follow Jesus Christ as Lord. Joel B. Green shows how the practical wisdom of James can continue to speak prophetically to a range of issues that plague our contemporary experience--the entrenched and growing gap between the wealthy and impoverished foremost among them. But readers who might be tempted to formulate a simple to-do list from James's precepts are encouraged instead to enter into the world of the text as fully and as humanly as possible by asking questions like: How would the letter's first audience (and then how might we) hear, and internalize, the writer's words about perfection, moral purity, humans made in God's likeness, and prayer for the sick and disabled? How might their lives (and then how might ours) be shaped by James's central concern with the double love of love of God and love of neighbor?
James: A Commentary examines the Letter of James from a variety of angles--its social and cultural contexts, its relationship to Israel's Scriptures and to the teaching of Jesus, the development of its message, and its significance theologically. As with other volumes in the New Testament Library series, this commentary strives to come to terms with the literary and historical aspects of James: its arguments, its appeals, its perspectives; its interpretation of Jesus' message and Israel's Scriptures; its grasp of contemporary Jewish and Greco-Roman thought. But it most deeply aims to show how James points readers toward envisaging the world as God does and acting accordingly--personally and communally.
The New Testament Library series offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, providing fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, careful attention to their literary design, and a theologically perceptive exposition of the biblical text. The contributors are scholars of international standing. The editorial board consists of John T. Carroll, Union Presbyterian Seminary; Susan E. Hylen, Candler School of Theology, Emory University; and Emerson B. Powery, Messiah University.
How can the Letter to the Hebrews help Christians grow in their faith?
The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that God is trustworthy--that we can trust in Jesus's defeat of death to lead us to eternal life. Complicating this crucial message, the letter's enigmatic origins, dense intertextuality, and complex theological import can present challenges to believers wrestling with the text today.
Amy Peeler opens up Hebrews for Christians seeking to understand God in this learned and pastoral volume of Commentaries for Christian Formation. Her fresh translation and detailed commentary offer insights into Christology, the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, and the letter's canonical resonances. She pays special attention to how the text approaches redemption, providing consolation for the anxious and correction for the presumptuous.
Peeler explains the letter's original context while remaining focused on its relevance to Christian communities today. Pastors and lay readers alike will learn how Hebrews helps them know, trust, and love God more deeply.
The Christian Counselor's Commentary occupies a unique space on the Christian's bookshelf. While it is grounded in a thorough understanding of the original text of Scripture, it does not intend to duplicate the content found in more technical commentaries. Instead, Jay Adams has given us an intensely practical study, explaining how Scripture meets the needs of those to whom the pastor and biblical counselor minister both in the counseling room and from the pulpit.
The entire commentary series is written in Jay Adams' trademark style-clear, exegetically accurate, and accessible to all. Do not let the title mislead you into thinking this series is only for those who minister. Any believer who desires to understand the Scriptures in order to live pleasing to God will be richly rewarded by studying His Word with Dr. Adams.
Holiness is a dull word these days, conjuring up men and women with sullen, morose faces, full of rectitude and rigid duty. True holiness, however, is anything but dull. It is startling and arresting. It's more than being decent, good, ethical and upright. It has that quality that the Bible calls the beauty of holiness.
This is the picture of holiness that the New Testament writer James draws for us. It is a portrayal that fascinates us and awakens us to the hope that we can be more than we ever hoped to be; that we too can live lives of uncommon beauty and grace.
Through the New Testament book of James, David Roper masterfully utilizes his decades of pastoral experience to speaking as a pastor to his flock about the insight the apostle James has to share with those desiring to follow Christ with a living faith.
David Roper shows us the extraordinary quality of life of which James speaks, which can only be described as beautiful. He takes the message of the book of James and shows us how to build a faith that works in our twenty-first century lives.
Exalting Jesus in Romans is part of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series. Edited by David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, this commentary series, to include 47 volumes when complete, takes a Christ-centered approach to expositing each book of the Bible. Rather than a verse-by-verse approach, the authors have crafted chapters that explain and apply key passages in their assigned Bible books.
Readers will learn to see Christ in all aspects of Scripture, and they will be encouraged by the devotional nature of each exposition presented as sermons and divided into chapters that conclude with a Reflect & Discuss section, making this series ideal for small group study, personal devotion, and even sermon preparation. It's not academic but rather presents an easy reading, practical, and friendly commentary.
The CCE series will include 47 volumes when complete. The author of Exalting Jesus in Romans is Tony Merida.
What does the Letter to the Hebrews have to say to Christians today?
A compelling exhortation to hold true to the faith in the face of adversity. A sermon full of iconic imagery and Old Testament allusions. A signal work of theology in the New Testament.
Above all, the Letter to the Hebrews proclaims the high priesthood of Jesus Christ. Yet readers may find this central theme difficult to discern, given the epistle's complexity and long history of interpretation. In this Pillar commentary, Sigurd Grindheim richly illuminates the Letter to the Hebrews, explaining difficult texts, offering a coherent reading, and paying careful attention to linguistic features and historical context--all while focusing on its relevance to modern readers.
Grindheim clearly and comprehensively addresses major issues, including authorship, date, canonicity, formal qualities, and important themes. Following his thorough introduction, he explains each line of the text and its significance for believers today. Grindheim's commentary offers pastors, students, and scholars the clarity and fresh insights they want in their scriptural study.
Few New Testament books have been as controversial and misunderstood as the letter of James. Its place in the canon was contested by some early Christians, and the reformer Martin Luther called it an epistle of straw. The sometimes negative view of the letter among modern theologians, however, is not shared by ordinary believers. Well known and often quoted, James is concise, intensely practical, and filled with memorable metaphors and illustrations. As such, it has become one of the most popular New Testament books in the church.
This highly original commentary on James by respected New Testament scholar Douglas Moo combines penetrating scholarship with the simplicity of style and pastoral tone characteristic of James itself. After discussing such background issues as authorship, genre, purpose, structure, and theology, Moo provides a verse-by-verse exposition of the text that leads readers to the heart of James's message--wholehearted commitment to Christ. In addition to expounding the meaning of James, Moo also takes care to provide practical insights for applying that meaning in the church today.
At once scholarly and accessible, this volume has become a standard commentary on James. The second edition is based upon the newest version of the NIV and incorporates the latest scholarship. It has been expanded, updated, and revised throughout.
Based on the latest text of the NIV, this updated commentary reflects the most current scholarship.
This updated and revised Pillar commentary seeks to clearly explain the meaning of the letters of John to teachers, pastors, and general readers looking for a reliable and trusted resource for personal study. Colin Kruse introduces the important issues involved in interpreting the Johannine letters, gives verse-by-verse comments, and provides extensive discussion of major theological themes, including the real humanity of Christ, atonement, the role of the Spirit, Christian assurance, koinōnia, Christian love, and eternal life.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary, designed for serious readers of the Bible, seeks above all to make clear the meaning of the text of Scripture as we have it. Writers of the PNTC volumes interact with the most important, informed contemporary debate yet avoid undue technical detail. Their ideal is a blend of rigorous exegesis and exposition, scholarship and pastoral sensitivity, with an eye alert both to biblical theology and to the contemporary relevance of the Bible.
1 Peter is a significant letter, seen by many scholars to be an ecumenical bridge and anchor. It is first and foremost about the transformative joy of faith in Jesus Christ.
This commentary offers a close reading of the text from beginning to end, drawing on a multiplicity of voices and engaging in a number of foundational themes for the Christian community according to the apostolic author: hope, holiness, suffering, joy, witness, hospitality, exile, resurrection, leadership. Tackling the themes raised by the epistle including slavery, exile and refugees, patriarchy, hierarchy, oppression, gender justice, and the risk of hospitality, the book engages with these topics not only through commentary, but also through short excursuses which draw the reader more deeply into some of the difficult questions.
Designed as the official commentary resource for the Lambeth Conference in 2020, and structured around the themes of the conference, the book offers a unique range of perspectives on an oft-overlooked epistle. With contributions from an impressive range of scholars including Paula Gooder, Emma Ineson, Paul Swarup, Musa Dube, Craig Keener, and Kwok Pui Lan, it will provide an important resource for anyone studying, teaching, or preaching from the letter.
Recent years have seen renewed interest in divine action, but much of the literature tends to focus on the science-theology discussion. Resulting from multi-year work of the Scripture and Doctrine Seminar, part of KLC's Scripture Collective, this book attends to the portrayal of divine action in one major biblical text, namely Hebrews. In the New Testament, Hebrews is on par with Romans in terms of importance but has too often been overlooked. Contributors to this volume explore the many different ways in which divine action is foregrounded and portrayed in Hebrews. As its name indicates, Hebrews overflows with Old Testament intertextuality, which also makes it a fertile ground for analysis of divine action stretching back into the Old Testament and opening out into different parts of the NT. The essays in this volume:
The book's conclusion reflects on the primary action of God speaking in Hebrews.
Devotional, practical, and Christ-centered, the Ironside Expository Commentary Series offers insightful and practical comments that bring out the essential truths of God's Word. All volumes present the unabridged text in a newly typeset edition. A perfect resource for preaching and teaching from the English text of the Bible, these commentaries also provide the general reader with an excellent resource for personal study and spiritual growth.
This definitive commentary sheds exegetical and theological light on the book of James for contemporary preachers and students of Scripture. Listening closely to the text while interacting with the best of scholarship, A da Besan on Spencer shows what this epistle meant for the early church and what it means for us today. In addition to its perceptive comments on the biblical text, this volume examines James's four key themes: speaking wisely, using wealth, persevering in trials, and becoming doers of the Word.
Spencer offers astute guidance to preachers and teachers wanting to do a series on James, with homiletical trajectories for each passage to show how historical narrative can be presented from the pulpit and in the classroom.