China is now home to more evangelical believers than any other nation, and the church continues to grow and make inroads in every level of Chinese society. Such dramatic growth, against the backdrop of modern China, has produced profound and urgent church development needs. As faithful Chinese ministers strive to meet these needs, an increasing number are discovering the rich biblical and theological resources of the Reformed tradition and Presbyterian polity. This is a critical moment in the life of China’s reforming churches and the Presbyterian and Reformed mission to China. This book provides both a historical look at Presbyterianism in China and an assessment of the current state of affairs, orienting readers to church development needs and the basic outlines of Reformed Christianity in China today. While laying out the challenges and opportunities facing the church, the authors argue that assisting this reformation in China should be a central objective of the Presbyterian and Reformed mission to China in this generation.
We tend to associate philanthropy with figures like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Phil Knight. We forget, however, that God is the first and ultimate philanthropist (Titus 3:4). He has shown his love for mankind by sending his Son and pouring out his Spirit. Those who have experienced God’s philanthropy are called to do likewise, abounding in good toward all. Christian Philanthropy is a timely challenge for professing believers to make philanthropy a basic part of their lives.
Do you have money troubles? Often the underlying issue is not money but the promise of security, possessions, and pleasure that it brings. To lay a strong foundation for true financial success usually involves a change in perspective rather than in income. Biblical counselor Jim Newheiser’s reflection questions and practical exercises, paired with Scripture’s wisdom on financial and work-related topics, point you toward fiscal responsibility on earth and treasure in heaven.
In the 31-Day Devotionals for Life series, biblical counselors and Bible teachers guide you through Scripture passages that speak to specific situations or struggles, helping you to apply God’s Word to your life in practical ways day after day.
Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary in Context by Miles V. Van Pelt and Gary D. Pratico is a biblical Hebrew language resource designed to reinforce a student’s basic vocabulary by reading words that occur fifty times or more in the context of the Hebrew Bible. All 642 of these Hebrew words have been collated into 195 key biblical verses and/or verse fragments to help students practice and retain their Hebrew vocabulary. In lieu of rote memorization, Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary in Context reinforces essential vocabulary by reading words in the context of the Hebrew Bible. The book includes two primary sections. The first section provides room for students to write their own glosses of the biblical verse and to parse as they feel necessary. An English translation is also provided and any term that appears less than fifty times is glossed. Proper names are identified with gray text. The second section of the book provides the same biblical verses from the first section but with minimal room to write glosses and parse and without an English translation for aid. The end of the book includes a Hebrew-English lexicon of all the words occurring fifty times or more in the Hebrew Bible.
The Book of Proverbs has one central message (how to gain wisdom) and deals with an extensive array of practical topics including vocation, financial stewardship, moral purity, and how to have successful relationships. Here, Jim Newheiser guides the reader through all the main aspects of the teaching of Proverbs while also emphasizing how these great, life-transforming truths are rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament narrative of the Bible recounts the grand story of God calling a people to be his own. God chooses, saves, and spares that nation as he builds a channel of redemption in order to spread his glory over all the earth. Ultimately, God sends his son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of the world. What appears to be a defeat in the death of God’s Son becomes a victory, as Christ conquers death in his resurrection. Will God’s glory fill the earth? So Send I You: God’s Progress of Redemption: Part Two answers this question. As we follow the dramatic growth of the New Testament church, as recorded in the book of Acts, we will come to understand that God is surely at work in his world. His followers spread the good news of Christ’s work on the cross and his powerful resurrection, beginning from Jerusalem, cascading to the surrounding areas, and ultimately to the “ends of the earth.” As you read So Send I You: God’s Progress of Redemption, you just might discover that you too are part of God’s marvelous plan to spread his glory over all of the earth.
By studying 1 and 2 Thessalonians, we get to read some of Paul’s first scriptural statements about the glories of Christ. We also notice Paul’s great compassion and love toward this young Thessalonian church, which may have been only six months old when Paul is writing First Thessalonians. Despite being young, she is doing generally well. Although it is true that there are some difficulties; most of these are caused by those outside the church, but some are caused by those inside the church. All of these aspects have direct and indirect meaning for us today in the twenty-first century. Of course, all books in the Bible and all parts of all biblical books are important and are worthy of our study because ultimately the Triune God wrote them for the original readers and for us.
Many factors contributed to the Protestant Reformation, but one of the most significant was the debate over the doctrine of justification by faith alone. In fact, Martin Luther argued that justification is the doctrine on which the church stands or falls. This comprehensive volume of 26 essays from a host of scholars explores the doctrine of justification from the lenses of history, the Bible, theology, and pastoral practice―revealing the enduring significance of this pillar of Protestant theology.
Challenging the dominant Van Tillian approach in Reformed apologetics, this book by a leading expert in contemporary Reformed theology sets forth the principles that undergird a classic Reformed approach. J. V. Fesko’s detailed exegetical, theological, and historical argument takes as its starting point the classical Reformed understanding of the “two books” of God’s revelation: nature and Scripture. Believers should always rest on the authority of Scripture but also can and should appeal to the book of nature in the apologetic task.
When Jesus commanded His followers to go and make disciples of all nations, He instructed them to baptize those disciples in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Since baptism is a central part of life in the church, why has it been controversial and divisive among so many Christians?
In Baptism: Answers to Common Questions, Dr. Guy M. Richard tackles the key questions people have about baptism: What does it mean? Is it necessary for salvation? Who should be baptized, and how should we baptize them? As he searches the Scriptures, Dr. Richard helps us think through what the Bible teaches about baptism and encourages us to deal graciously with our brothers and sisters in Christ even when we disagree.
A Hebrew vocabulary guide that gives the student everything he or she needs in order to master basic Hebrew vocabulary and to expand knowledge of biblical Hebrew. This title is intentionally made with a space between the cover and the binding to allow the book to lay flat when opened.
Clear. Understandable. Carefully organized. Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar by Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt is the standard textbook for colleges and seminaries. Since its initial publication in 2001 its integrated approach has helped more than 80,000 students learn Biblical Hebrew.
The third edition of Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar represents a significant updating and revision of the previous edition with the goal of providing students with the best possible tool for learning Biblical Hebrew.
Some of the keys to the effectiveness of Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar in helping students learn is that it:
- Combines the best of inductive and deductive approaches
- Uses actual examples from the Hebrew Old Testament rather than “made-up” illustrations
- Emphasizes the structural pattern of the Hebrew language rather than rote memorization, resulting in a simple, enjoyable, and effective learning process
- Employs colored text that highlights key features of nouns and verbs, allowing easy recognition of new forms
- Includes appendices of verbal paradigms and diagnostics for fast reference and a complete vocabulary glossary
- Displays larger font and text size, making reading easier
By the time students have worked their way through Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar they will have learned:
- The Hebrew Alphabet
- Vocabulary for words occurring 70 times or more in the Hebrew Bible
- The Hebrew noun system
- The Hebrew verbal system
A robust suite of learning aids is available for purchase to be used alongside the textbook to help students excel in their studies. These include a workbook; video lectures for each chapter featuring the author; flashcards keyed to vocabulary in each chapter; a laminated study sheet with key concepts; audio of the vocabulary for each chapter to aid in acquisition; and a compact guide to help refresh students refresh their memory on language forms, grammar, and word meanings.
The Lord’s Supper is more than a church tradition or a complex doctrinal controversy—it has practical importance to our daily lives. When Jesus instituted the Supper, it was meant to strengthen the faith of his followers by reminding them of his promises. God has always made promises to his people through covenants, and along with them given signs and meals to point to and confirm his blessings. Looking at the unity of the covenants throughout the Bible, this book will help Christians recover the practical importance of the Lord’s Supper as both a sign and a meal of the new covenant blessings God has bestowed on believers in Christ.
This book teaches that to experience righteous suffering is to “fellowship with Christ in his sufferings” (1 Pet 4:13). We desire to know the glory of Christ, but that is only half of what he experienced. Unless we know Jesus’ suffering, we will never know the whole Jesus. And to know Jesus is the greatest joy of a believer, a “joy unspeakable.”
by
Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) is widely celebrated as one of the top theologians in the Reformed tradition, and through the ongoing labor of translation teams, editors, and publishers, his vast writings are being offered anew to English-only readers.
This book brings the groundbreaking framework of Bavinck’s “organic motif” to the fore in one of Bavinck’s most influential works. In the best sense of the title, the modern, yet orthodox Bavinck offers readers here both a philosophy of revelation and a philosophy of revelation. Philosophy of Revelation was originally presented by Bavinck at the Stone Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1908, that by itself deserves being published. This classic text is updated and annotated and may function as a supreme entry into the mind of Bavinck. Bavinck saw theology as the task of “thinking God’s thoughts after him and tracing their unity.” This project can be seen as “thinking Bavinck’s thoughts after him and tracing their unity.”
Chapters include:
- The Idea of a Philosophy of Revelation
- Revelation and Philosophy
- Revelation and Nature
- Revelation and History
- Revelation and Religion
- Revelation and Christianity
- Revelation and Religious Experience
- Revelation and Culture
- Revelation and the Future
Now that you’ve learned Hebrew, it’s time to master it.
Students who complete a basic grammar of biblical Hebrew must next practice their hard-won skill by interacting with full texts. In this comprehensive graded reader, Professor William Fullilove provides helpful notes and questions to walk you through full texts in a variety of genres: from narrative and law to psalms and wisdom literature. His graded approach, starting with simpler texts and progressing to higher complexity, gives you the confidence you need to progress in your understanding of biblical Hebrew.
Your studies are valuable. Don’t lose the ground you’ve gained—go farther.
Hebrew parsing and vocabulary apps available at Google Play and on the App Store.