Bible Criticism

John Shelby Spong, best-selling author and popular proponent of a modern, scholarly, and authentic Christianity, argues that this last gospel to be written was misinterpreted by the framers of the fourth-century creeds to be a literal account of the life of Jesus when in fact it is a literary, interpretive retelling of the events in Jesus' life through the medium of fictional characters, from Nicodemus and Lazarus to the "Beloved Disciple."

This thought-provoking audiobook helps listeners reconcile the teachings of the Bible with the widely held evolutionary view of beginnings and will appeal to anyone interested in the Christianity-evolution debate.

Because you know it's nonsense, but were never sure why.

In Biblical Critical Theory, Christopher Watkin draws a winsome vision for biblical cultural engagement in which faithfulness to Scripture and sensitivity to culture walk hand in hand. If Christians want to speak with a fresh, engaging and constructive voice within our culture, we need to press deeper into the core truths of the Bible.

Like different artists who render the same subject using unique styles and points of view, the Gospels paint four distinctive portraits of the same Jesus of Nazareth. To Christians worldwide, he is the centerpiece of history, the object of faith, hope, and worship. Even those who do not follow him admit the vast influence of his life. With clarity and insight, biblical scholar Mark Strauss illuminates the four biblical Gospels.

Robert McKee's screenwriting workshops have earned him an international reputation for inspiring novices, refining works in progress, and putting major screenwriting careers back on track. Quincy Jones, Diane Keaton, Gloria Steinem, Julia Roberts, John Cleese, and David Bowie are just a few of his celebrity alumni. Writers, producers, development executives, and agents all flock to his lecture series, praising it as a mesmerizing and intense learning experience.

The Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John - are four accounts of Jesus' life and teachings while on earth. But should we accept them as historically accurate? What evidence is there that the recorded events actually happened? Presenting a case for the historical reliability of the Gospels, New Testament scholar Peter Williams examines evidence from non-Christian sources, assesses how accurately the four biblical accounts reflect the cultural context of their day, compares different accounts of the same events, and more.

We can go on a treasure hunt in the Bible, to not only know more about our Lord Jesus Christ, but also God’s plan and purpose for the body of Christ. We will find that when we understand the word of God rightly divided we can function properly, by His life working in and through us. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Cor. 4:7). There is a supernatural interaction that takes place between the word of God and His Spirit in us when we believe it.

The greatest of all Civil War campaigns, Gettysburg was the turning point of the turning point in our nation’s history. Volumes have been written about this momentous three-day battle, but recent histories have tended to focus on the particulars rather than the big picture: on the generals or on single days of battle—even on single charges—or on the daily lives of the soldiers. In Gettysburg Sears tells the whole story in a single volume.

It is often said, even by critical scholars who should know better, that “writing in the name of another” was widely accepted in antiquity. But New York Times bestselling author Bart D. Ehrman dares to call it what it was: literary forgery, a practice that was as scandalous then as itis today. In Forged, Ehrman’s fresh and original research takes readers back to the ancient world, where forgeries were used as weapons by unknown authors to fend off attacks to their faith and establish their church.

In terms of authority in the Christian church on earth, textual analysts rank second to the men and women who produced the books of the Bible, for it is through the work of Christian textual analysts that the form of the New Testament books' text written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is recognized, verified, and protected from corruption. In this volume, written for adults, James Edward Snapp Jr. systematically explains the materials and methods that are used to produce and, for lack of a better term, authenticate the text of the books of the New Testament. He also confronts the ...

What follows is not a translation in the ordinary sense of the word. It’s more like a paraphrase. Rather than worry over the letter of the text, the goal has been to illuminate the large scale patterns that structure it. The King James Version, for instance, renders Paul’s letter with uncanny beauty but is opaque as an argument. Modern translations tend to have the same problem. Their overriding concern is with the letter of the text, not with its logic. As a result, Paul’s forest is always getting sacrificed for the sake of his trees. But Paul’s work is too important, his good news...

If you have ever had a discussion or debate with an atheist, you know that they often present very challenging assertions. I have engaged with atheists in more than one thousand debates over the last five decades. In every exchange where a challenge to the reliability of the New Testament has been presented, it is by the same claims that have been repeated over and over again since the first and second centuries. None of the modern attempts at impeaching the reliability of the New Testament by modern atheist scholars is different from those first asserted by atheists at the beginning of ...

(Version 1.4 March, 2023) The KJV Only (KJO) believers accuse modern Bibles of being corrupt because they remove many words and phrases and even whole verses, removing enough text to equal 1st and 2nd Peter, and make many other changes. So the author investigated the issue. The question he set out to answer was, are the claims of the KJO believers accurate, or are the modern Bibles more accurate than the KJV? The author never expected his investigation to turn into a book, because there are already several books supporting both sides. However, his skill-set is thinking outside the box and ...

In this addition to the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, two well-respected New Testament scholars interpret the Gospel of John in its historical and literary setting as well as in light of the Church's doctrinal, liturgical, and spiritual tradition. They unpack the wisdom of the Fourth Gospel for the intellectual and spiritual transformation of its followers and connect the Gospel with a range of witnesses throughout the whole history of Catholicism.

A comprehensive study guide. The Bible verses are given in bold with commentary on Paul's letters to the Thessalonians in a lighter font to assist with an in-depth study of all chapters of these Bible books. The pictures timelines, tables, and other visuals make the information easy to grasp. The book begins with How God solved the sin problem, how to witness to others, and how to live now that we are saved. A summary of each book and outlines and background. Why right division is really important. Features: four timelines, the Rapture contrasted with the Second Coming, and the Five Courses...

"INTERPRETING THE BIBLE: Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics" is a seminal book crafted by Edward D. Andrews to guide students, ministers, and anyone interested in understanding the Bible more deeply. This book is unique in its approach, as it not only delves into the principles of biblical interpretation inherent in the Bible but also paves the way for readers to interpret, teach, and preach God's Word with profound insight. Understanding the Bible goes beyond surface reading—it requires a careful analysis of its genres, historical context, and language. This book serves as a ...

What was a Galilean? And if the question of the ancestry and nationality of Jesus is possible to answer, what are its political and theological implications? These questions are dealt with in this volume, featuring works by the composer Richard Wagner, the British Germanophile historian Houston Stewart Chamberlain, the German-American Bible translator and groundbreaking Middle East scholar Paul Haupt, and the Romanian law professor and politician A.C. Cuza.

Satan wants there to be cliques, factions, and denominations, but God wants us to have unity (1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:1-6). Satan knows the strategy of divide and conquer. This problem occurs when members of the body of Christ do not follow Paul to follow the risen Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). God had some hidden wisdom and power in the cross that He kept secret from Satan and mankind until He saved Paul. Our ministry is not about us, but about what Christ accomplished by His death on the cross for our sins and resurrection. Our goal is to save the lost and share the ...

How was the Bible written? Who wrote it? Was writing material available then? Who decided what the Canon included and what it did not include. Has anyone seen the original manuscripts of the Bible? How can we be sure that what we have today is a faithful reproduction? All the above, and many more, questions are answered in this book. It is a book meant for the informed layperson, and is not a technical work.