For almost 1,500 years, the New Testament manuscripts were copied by hand--and mistakes and intentional changes abound in the competing manuscript versions. Religious and biblical scholar Bart Ehrman makes the provocative case that many of our widely held beliefs concerning the divinity of Jesus, the Trinity, and the divine origins of the Bible itself are the results of both intentional and accidental alterations by scribes.
In this compelling and fascinating book, Ehrman shows where and why changes were made in our earliest surviving manuscripts, explaining for the first time how the many variations of our cherished biblical stories came to be, and why only certain versions of the stories qualify for publication in the Bibles we read today. Ehrman frames his account with personal reflections on how his study of the Greek manuscripts made him abandon his once ultra-conservative views of the Bible.
Bible scholar and popular TikToker Dan McClellan confronts misconceptions about the Bible.
The Bible is the world's most influential book, but do we really know what it says? Every day across social media and in homes, businesses, and public spaces, people try to cut debate short by claiming that the Bible says so! However, they commonly disagree about what it actually does and doesn't say, particularly when it comes to socially significant issues. For instance, does the Bible say we should be on the lookout for an antichrist associated with the number 666? Does it say women shouldn't wear revealing clothing? Does it say it's okay to hit your kids? In The Bible Say So, Dan McClellan leverages his popular data over dogma approach, and his years of experience in the academy and on social media, to lay out in clear and accessible ways what the data indicate the Bible does and doesn't say about issues ranging from homosexuality, abortion, and slavery to monotheism, inspiration, and even God's wife. Smart, accessible, and informative, The Bible Says So is an invaluable resource for our fractious times.In Making Sense of Scripture, David Lose invites the reader to engage in a conversation, one that he imagines discussing around his kitchen table, about seven major questions of the Bible. More than a standard biblical reference book, Making Sense of Scripture is a dialogue that encourages readers to bring their questions or doubts to the table when reading Scripture. During this conversation, there are different opportunities for the reader to interact with the Bible, ultimately leaving room for personal transformation of the heart and mind.
Introduction Chapter 1: What Is the Bible? Chapter 2: Is the Bible True? Chapter 3: How Is the Bible the Word of God? Chapter 4: Where Did the Bible Come From? Chapter 5: How Can I Read the Bible with Greater Understanding? Chapter 6: Is There a Center to Scripture? Chapter 7: What Kind of Authority Does the Bible Hold?OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD - Get the most out of your Bible.
In clear, simple language, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth helps you accurately understand the different parts of the Bible--their meaning for ancient audiences and their implications for you today--so you can uncover the inexhaustible wealth of God's Word.
More than a million people have turned to How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth to inform their reading of the Bible. This fourth edition features revisions that keep pace with current scholarship, resources, and culture. Changes include:
Used all around the world, this Bible resource covers everything from how to choose a good translation to how to understand the different genres of biblical writing.
Understanding the Bible isn't just for the few, the gifted, and the scholarly. The Bible is meant to be read and comprehended by everyone from casual readers to seminary students. Even a few essential insights into the Bible can clear up a lot of misconceptions and help you grasp the meaning of Scripture and its application to your twenty-first-century life.
Renowned religion expert and Harvard Divinity School professor Harvey Cox deepens our experience of the Bible, revealing the three primary ways we read it, why each is important, and how we can integrate these approaches for a richer understanding and appreciation of key texts throughout the Old and New Testaments.
The Bible is the heart of devotional practice, a source of guidance and inspiration rich with insightful life lessons. On the other side of the spectrum, academics have studied the Bible using scientific analysis to examine its historical significance and meaning. The gap between these readings has resulted in a schism with far-reaching implications: Without historical context, ordinary people are left to interpret the Bible literally, while academic readings overlook the deeply personal connections established in church pews, choir benches, and backyard study groups.
In How To Read the Bible, Cox explores three different lenses commonly used to bring the Bible into focus:
By bringing these together, Cox shows the Bible in all its rich diversity and meaning and offers us a contemporary activist version that wrestles with issues of feminism, war, homosexuality, and race. The result is a living resource that is perpetually evolving as our understanding changes and deepens from generation to generation.
Have you ever wondered what God requires His people to sacrifice to Him? In Kingdom Finances, you will discover the different perspectives on giving as presented in the Bible. If you received this book prayerfully, God will transform the way you think and feel about finances and experience a breakthrough in your life. Kingdom Finances offers an approach to help you understand God's plans and His provision to fulfill those plans while you enjoy His life, and bring others into His salvation and blessing. In Kingdom Finances, you will find principles of giving so you can start giving to God in everything you do in obedience to His Word. This is a faith-building book to help you build on the Rock. God will challenge you to leave certain things behind to enable you to grab hold of His harvest and spiritual fruit. Radical faith requires radical sacrifice, and Kingdom Finances will help you follow that path.
OVER TWO MILLION COPIES SOLD!
It's the most powerful force in the universe, our only hope for love and forgiveness, and a foretaste of eternal life: amazing, radical, life-changing grace.
Millions of lives have been changed by award-winning author Philip Yancey's startling exploration of grace at street level. Grace is the one thing the world can't duplicate, the healing force we need, and the key to transforming a broken world.
In this revised and updated edition of his personal and provocative book, Yancey offers true portraits of grace's life-changing power. These stories, set in the midst of life's stark realities, evoke such questions as:
With powerful stories, rich theology, and practical suggestions, Yancey challenges us to become living answers to a world that desperately needs to know, What's So Amazing About Grace?
Many of us have been taught to read Scripture as a collection of information that needs to be categorized, systematized, and analyzed verse by verse, concept by concept. But the Bible isn't a jigsaw puzzle, and it wasn't written in just Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. It was also written in the language of story. And as with every good story, we get to meet colorful characters, unravel mysteries, and see the world from a different point of view. It all makes more sense when understood from the perspective of storytelling.
In The God of Story, Daniel Schwabauer explores the narrative principles of theme, context, characterization, voice, and plot as a lens for understanding the cosmic story arc of God's relationship to humanity. By including creative retellings of biblical stories, he demonstrates how to engage Scripture with imagination.
For a fresh approach to reading the Bible and discovering how its stories connect to your own, start by learning to see God as the master storyteller.