There is no book better than the Bible. It is God’s own word. He breathed it into existence. He does wonderful things in and by it. But there is hardly a book more assailed, mocked, and assaulted than the Bible. New Testament Professor Guy Prentiss Waters delves into the doctrine of Scripture. Addressing the revelation, inspiration, inerrancy, sufficiency and perspicuity of the Bible, he also engages with what some other prominent theologians had to say on the subject.
Applied expository guide to Hebrews: a book that shows us how and why Jesus is better than anything else.
We are all tempted to drift away from Jesus, but in the book of Hebrews God gives us an anchor: a detailed understanding of how and why Jesus is better than anything else.
Seminary professor Michael J. Kruger unpacks this rich book verse by verse. He explains the Old Testament background, gives plenty of application for our lives today, and shows us how Jesus is the fulfilment of all God’s work on earth. He encourages us to live by faith in Jesus: the only anchor for our souls.
This expository guide can be read as a book; used as a devotional; and utilised in teaching and preaching.
This brief, accessible invitation to the historic creeds and confessions makes a biblical and historical case for their necessity and shows why they are essential for Christian faith and practice today. J. V. Fesko, a leading Reformed theologian with a broad readership in the academy and the church, demonstrates that creeds are not just any human documents but biblically commended resources for the well-being of the church, as long as they remain subordinate to biblical authority. He also explains how the current skepticism and even hostility toward creeds and confessions came about.
This Reader charts John Webster’s theology from its earliest development, guiding the reader through selective essays that represent his corpus. It is an excellent introduction to the breadth of his writings, which teaches students how to engage with his particular mode of theological argument.
T&T Clark Reader in John Webster starts with a biographical, chronological and topical survey of Webster’s theological development. It notes his shifting conversation partners and his abiding theological principles. The editor places the essays in context with short introductions, as well as editorial footnotes clarifying key terms, historical or exegetical arguments or polemical emphases. This is an essential introduction to Webster’s work and his impact on classical and contemporary theology.
The Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible encourages readers to explore how the vital roots of the ancient Christian tradition inform and shape faithfulness today. In this volume, prominent Reformed theologian Michael Allen offers a theological reading of Ephesians. As with other series volumes, this commentary is designed to serve the church, providing a rich resource for preachers, teachers, students, and study groups.
The Oxford Handbook of Reformed Theology looks back to past resources that have informed Reformed theology and surveys present conversations among those engaged in Reformed theology today. First, the volume offers accounts of the major historical contexts of reformed theology, the various relationships (ancient and modern) which it maintains and from which it derives. Recent research has shown the intricate ties between the patristic and medieval heritage of the church and the work of the reformed movement in the sixteenth century. The past century has also witnessed an explosion of reformed theology outside the Western world, prompting a need for attention not only to these global voices but also to the unique (and contingent) history of reformed theology in the West (hence reflecting on its relationship to intellectual developments like scholastic method or the critical approaches of modern biblical studies). Second, the volume assesses some of the classic, representative texts of the reformed tradition, observing also their reception history. The reformed movement is not dominated by a single figure, but it does contain a host of paradigmatic texts that demonstrate the range and vitality of reformed thought on politics, piety, biblical commentary, dogmatic reflection, and social engagement. Third, the volume turns to key doctrines and topics that continue to receive attention by reformed theologians today. Contributors who are themselves making cutting edge contributions to constructive theology today reflect on the state of the question and offer their own proposals regarding a host of doctrinal topics and themes.
“Covenant theology sets the gospel in the context of God’s eternal plan of communion with his people and its historical outworking in the covenants of works and grace.”
―Ligon Duncan
Just as two bookends hold together a row of books, the covenant of works and the covenant of grace hold together the storyline of Scripture. Join a host of twenty-six scholars, including O. Palmer Robertson, Michael J. Kruger, and Scott R. Swain, as they explore how the concept of covenant is clearly taught in Scripture and how it lays the foundation for other doctrines of salvation. This monumental work is Trinitarian, eschatological, historical, confessional, and practical, presenting readers with a great hope and consolation: the covenant-making God is a covenant-keeping God.
Are you facing an unexpected financial crisis or anticipating the possibility of difficult times ahead? Financial problems happen for so many reasons, but right now the uncertainty of the future, coupled with unstable economic conditions, means that money worries are high on our list of concerns. How are we to prepare for financial difficulty? What do we do if we’re already in the middle of a financial crisis?
Counselor and author Jim Newheiser takes us through the timeless wisdom and comfort of God’s Word to help us face these frightening financial storms. He offers guidance for helpful ways to prepare for financial challenges, as well as direction for approaching a crisis that has already come. Through a balanced discussion on personal responsibility and trust in the Lord’s provision, readers will be equipped to take wise steps forward in faith, remembering that our true eternal treasure is unfading.
The doctrine of “the covenant of works” arose to prominence in the late sixteenth century and quickly became a regular feature in Reformed thought. Theologians believed that when God first created man he made a covenant with him: all Adam had to do was obey God’s command to not eat from the tree of knowledge and obey God’s command to be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth. The reward for Adam’s obedience was profound: eternal life for him and his offspring. The consequences of his disobedience were dire: God would visit death upon Adam and his descendants. In the covenant of works, Adam was not merely an individual but served as a public person, the federal head of the human race.
The Covenant of Works explores the origins of the doctrine of God’s covenant with Adam and traces it back to the inter-testamental period, through the patristic and middle ages, and to the Reformation. The doctrine has an ancient pedigree and was not solely advocated by Reformed theologians. The book traces the doctrine’s development in the seventeenth century and its reception in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. Fesko explores the reasons why the doctrine came to be rejected by some, even in the Reformed tradition, arguing that interpretive methods influenced by Enlightenment thought caused theologians to question the doctrine’s scriptural legitimacy.
It’s amazing how heavy the weight of emptiness can feel, how much room it can take up in our souls, how much pain can be caused by something that isn’t even there. But while we may see the emptiness of our lives as our greatest problem, that’s not how God sees it. When God looks into the empty places of our lives, He sees His greatest opportunity. God does His best work in the emptiness of our . . .
- Insatiable craving for things that don’t satisfy
- Relational disappointments and loneliness
- Frustrated search for purpose and meaning
- Relentless desire for comfort and security
- Ongoing struggle to live with loss and unfulfilled dreams
Join Nancy Guthrie in discovering why emptiness has never been, and never will be, a problem to God. As Nancy pulls back the curtain on God’s work to fill up emptiness as revealed throughout the Bible, you’ll experience page after page of grace and hope that your emptiness can and will be filled. You’ll begin to see that God really does do His best work with empty―as he fills it with Himself.
Our Lord has wisely given the Psalms, the songbook of the Bible, for the benefit of the church. But for many people, the Psalms’ contents are mysterious because they no longer have a place of prominence in the church’s worship. Author J. V. Fesko hopes to awaken the church to the majesty, beauty, and splendor of the Psalms through a devotional exploration of Psalms 1–8, a “grand Christ hymn,” in which David, as the suffering king, prefigures the king of kings, Jesus Christ. To encourage readers to come to a greater appreciation for the Psalms, the author includes with each chapter questions for further reflection and study and a metrical version of each psalm. He also recommends Internet resources that provide digital files of the tunes.
“Greg Lanier unfolds the rich Trinitarian framework within which the Old and New Testaments present Jesus as God’s divine Son.”
―Scott R. Swain, author, The Trinity: An Introduction; coeditor, The Oxford Handbook of Reformed Theology
The question of Jesus’s divinity has been at the epicenter of theological discussion since the early church. At the First Council of Nicaea in AD 325, the church fathers affirmed that Jesus is “true God from true God.” Today, beliefs such as this one are confessed through creeds in churches around the world, and yet there remains confusion as to who Jesus is.
New Testament scholar Greg Lanier traces the rich roots of creedal Christology through the Scriptures, explaining six ways that the Bible displays Jesus’s divinity. As you discover the overwhelming biblical evidence for the divinity of Christ, you will be drawn to the inescapable conclusion that the man Jesus Christ is more than just a footnote in history―he is truly God.
For many today, history holds little application to modern existence, and so we are both biblically and historically uninformed. Biblical archaeology—the systematic study of the material remains of human behavior in biblical history—provides a helpful corrective on those two fronts. In this full-color handbook, archaeologist and professor John D. Currid shows how his field of study plays its part in restoring our understanding of ancient life and events.
With the aid of photographs, maps, charts, and study questions, you will
- gain overview of the geography of the land of the Bible;
- take a tour through archaeological sites throughout the land;
- learn about discoveries in agriculture, architecture, ceramics, burial practices, and more.
Basics of Hebrew Accents provides readers of biblical Hebrew with a comprehensive working knowledge of accentuation. Hebrew accents can be perplexing but knowing them and their functions will help students become better readers of the Hebrew Bible. The book is an ideal tool for beginning students who are learning to read the language as well as for more advanced students who are reading and translating the Hebrew text.
Mark Futato has carefully organized his book to emphasize accessibility while providing:
- Clear explanations of the primary functions of Hebrew accents
- A student-friendly presentation
- Accessibility for independent study
- A practical and handy reference resource for all students of the Hebrew Bible
The words of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech have become enshrined in US history. But after the end of King’s generation of leadership, what happened to the African American struggle for freedom? Like the ancient Israelites, the African American community has survived a four-hundred-year collective trauma. What will it take for them to reach the promised land that King foresaw―to be truly free at last? In this classic historical and cultural study, Carl Ellis offers an in-depth assessment of the state of African American freedom and dignity. Stressing how important it is for African Americans to reflect on their roots, he traces the growth of Black consciousness from the days of slavery to the 1990s, noting especially the contributions of King and Malcolm X. Ellis examines elements of Black culture and offers a distinct perspective on how God is active in culture more broadly. Free at Last? concludes with a call for new generations of “jazz theologians” and cultural prophets to revitalize the African American church and expand its cultural range. The book also includes a helpful glossary of people, events, and terms. Ellis writes, “It is my prayer that the principles contained in this book will play a role in building bridges of understanding and facilitating reconciliation where there has been alienation.” With a new preface by the author, this groundbreaking book is now available as part of the IVP Signature Collection.
The Adorable Trinity investigates the little–known yet fascinating conflict between Trinitarianism and Unitarianism in the nineteenth century American South. It explores the lives, ministries, and theological contributions of three Southern Presbyterian pastor–scholars associated with Columbia Theological Seminary – James Henley Thornwell, Thomas Smyth, and Benjamin Morgan Palmer – and their winsome, fruitful stands for the Trinitarian faith in response to a burgeoning Southern Unitarian movement. In a readable and engaging way, the author provides readers with intriguing history that illumines the mind and warm theology that moves the heart to adore and serve the Triune God of love.