eBooks de Libros sagrados, página 6 de 311

When it comes to developing a deep, trusting relationship with God, efficiency and productivity are not the answer. Its far better to "waste" time with him, to just enjoy being with him. After all, thats how any friendship grows.But making room for God in the midst of our fast-paced lives is not an easy task. Just as time with our best friends can get squeezed out by the rush of activities, so can time with God. Even "wasting time" with God means making a commitment and setting priorities--whether its something we enjoy or not.Beginning with the supposition that God desires friendship with us, Klaus Issler encourages us to consider seven character traits and to develop their companion disciplines: friendship, humility, faith, commitment, communication, apprenticeship and partnership. Here is a full-orbed model of Christian spirituality that will be of lasting value.

The principal interest of the text on the tabernacle tent, Exodus 24:15 - Numbers 10:28, is Israelite worship-cultic place, the cultic people, and laws for the regulation of cultic life. The method followed is description of the biblical text and collation of the evidence as would a classicist go about classifying an ancient Greek Vase. The findings reveal a virtual world of Israelite cult. The transportable tabernacle tent with its courtyard and altar resembles a temple in its complexity. Through words the reader is invited into the atmosphere of the tabernacle tent where all the senses are evoked. The beautifully embellished fore-room of the tent illuminated by the light of the lamp-stand is seen, the waft of incense smelt, the atmosphere of fear or attraction that emanates from the epicentre of holiness felt. The tabernacle tent is constructed of words, not of stones. It is indestructible and does not succumb to the vagaries of time, as pristine today as it was over 2,500 years ago when it was first created.

Now available for the first time in English, Karl Ludwig Schmidts The Framework of the Story of Jesus (Der Rahmen der Geschichte Jesu) has been a foundation of New Testament studies. Through meticulous analysis, Schmidt demonstrates that the Synoptic Gospels are collections of individual stories that circulated orally and independently in the earliest Christian communities. Schmidt shows persuasively how, in their oral forms, most of these traditions existed apart from any sequence or specific temporal or geographic location, and that the chronology and locations now evident in the Gospels were applied by the evangelists while collecting and recording the oral traditions. Across much of the twentieth century and even into the present day, Schmidts thesis has undergirded Gospel interpretation. Yet as long as The Framework of the Story of Jesus remained untranslated, Schmidts ideas have been open to neglect and misinterpretation among Anglophone scholars. Discussion of the Synoptic Gospels and broader New Testament study will be enriched by engagement with the evidence and argument as originally presented.

In Rome in A.D. 165, two men named Carpus and Papylus stood before the proconsul of Pergamum, charged with the crime of being Christians. Not even torture could make them deny Christ, so they were burned alive.Is my faithfulness as strong?In the fifth century, Melania the Younger and her husband, Pinian, distributed their enormous wealth to the poor and intentionally practiced the discipline of renunciation.Could living more simply deepen my trust in God?In the sixteen hundreds, Philipp Jakob Speners love for the Word of God and his desire to help people apply the Bible to their life moved him to start "Colleges of Piety," or small groups.In what ways could commitment to community make me more like Christ?The history of the church has shaped what our faith and practice are like today. Its tempting to think that the way we do things now is best, but history also has much to teach us about what weve forgotten. In Water from a Deep Well, Gerald Sittser opens to us the rich history of spirituality, letting us gaze at the practices and stories of believers from the past who had the same thirst for God that we do today. As we see their deep faith through his vibrant narratives, we may discover that old ways can bring new life to our own spirituality.

Este libro ofrece tres aportaciones: a) En un plano histórico, sitúa el evangelio en el contexto de la Guerra Judía (66-70 d.C.), desde el interior del despliegue de las comunidades cristianas. b) En un plano teologico, pone de relieve la aportacion de Marcos en el despliegue de la identidad y conciencia de la Iglesia, al identificar al Cristo pascual (resucitado) con el mismo Jesus de la historia. c) En un plano literario, respeta el caracter narrativo del texto: Marcos no razona, ni demuestra, sino que cuenta la historia de Jesus, instituyendo de esa forma su figura, como punto de partida y centro del cristianismo.

This English translation of Knopfs commentary on the Didache and 1-2 Clement makes this influential commentary available to the English reader. Knopfs work is a crucial insight into Christianitys second century, revealing the early theological and organisational considerations, expressions, and discussions which characterised the early church. Jacob N. Cerones scholarly insight provides verse by verse critical commentary and introductory context, and brings clarity to Knopfs rhetorical and philological analysis. A crucial resource for students and scholars, this translation illuminates Knopfs work anew.

One of the key tasks of New Testament study is to construct a correct doctrine of the person of Jesus Christ, which is central to the Christian faith. In The Foundations of New Testament Christology, R.H. Fuller fulfils this task through a close examination of the first-century texts in both their Palestinian and Hellenistic contexts. An exponent of the neo-orthodox position that dominated post-war scholarship in the field, central to Fullers argument is the traditio-historical approach to New Testament criticism. As Fuller sees it, the Churchs Christology was a response to its total encounter with Jesus, not only in his earthly history but also in the Churchs continuing life. By emphasising the continuity between the historical Jesus and the witness and message of the early post-resurrection church, he offers a comprehensive and thorough survey of this most important facet of exegesis.

One of the key tasks of New Testament study is to construct a correct doctrine of the person of Jesus Christ, which is central to the Christian faith. In The Foundations of New Testament Christology, R.H. Fuller fulfils this task through a close examination of the first-century texts in both their Palestinian and Hellenistic contexts. An exponent of the neo-orthodox position that dominated post-war scholarship in the field, central to Fullers argument is the traditio-historical approach to New Testament criticism. As Fuller sees it, the Churchs Christology was a response to its total encounter with Jesus, not only in his earthly history but also in the Churchs continuing life. By emphasising the continuity between the historical Jesus and the witness and message of the early post-resurrection church, he offers a comprehensive and thorough survey of this most important facet of exegesis.

Second century apocryphal Christian texts are Christian fiction: they draw on the motifs of contemporary pagan stories of romance, travel and adventure to entertain their readers, but also to explore what it means to be Christian. The Thecla episodein the Apocryphal Acts of Paul recounts the conversion of a young pagan woman, her rejection of marriage, her narrow escapes from martyrdom and the end of her story as an independent, ascetic evangelist. In Theclas Devotion, J.D. McLarty reads the Thecla episode against a paradigm pagan romance, Callirhoe: for both texts the passions are key to the unfolding of the plot - how are unruly emotions to be managed and controlled? The pagan would answer, through reason. This study uses the portrayal of emotion within character and plot to explore the response of the Thecla episode to this key question for Christian identity formation.

Second century apocryphal Christian texts are Christian fiction: they draw on the motifs of contemporary pagan stories of romance, travel and adventure to entertain their readers, but also to explore what it means to be Christian. The Thecla episodein the Apocryphal Acts of Paul recounts the conversion of a young pagan woman, her rejection of marriage, her narrow escapes from martyrdom and the end of her story as an independent, ascetic evangelist. In Theclas Devotion, J.D. McLarty reads the Thecla episode against a paradigm pagan romance, Callirhoe: for both texts the passions are key to the unfolding of the plot - how are unruly emotions to be managed and controlled? The pagan would answer, through reason. This study uses the portrayal of emotion within character and plot to explore the response of the Thecla episode to this key question for Christian identity formation.

The legacy of Pauline scholarship, from ancient to modern, is characterised by a surfeit of unsettled, conflicting conclusions that often fail to interpret Paul in relation to his Jewish roots. William S. Campbell takes a stand against this paradigm, emphasising continuity between Judaism and the Christ-movement in Pauls letters. Campbell focusses on important themes, such as diversity, identity and reconciliation, as the basic components of transformation in Christ. The stance from which Paultheologises is one that recognises and underpins social and cultural diversity and includes the correlating demand that because difference is integral to the Christ-movement, the enmity associated with difference cannot be tolerated. Thus, reconciliation emerges as a fundamental value in the Christ-movement. Reconciliation, in this sense, respects and does not negate the particularities of the identity of Jews and those from the nations. In this paradigm, transformation implies the re-evaluation of all things in Christ, whether of Jewish or gentile origin.

This book sets out to change the starting point for theological conversation about the work of the Holy Spirit. Protestant theologians have associated the Spirits work almost entirely with believers and/or the church. The Spirits role is to apply Christs atoning work to Gods people. In contrast, early Christian reflection saw the Spirits main role as bringing about the eschatological rule of God, which reaches beyond individuals or even the church and extends to all creation. This volumes explores the shape pneumatology takes when we develop the theology of the Holy Spirit within an eschatological framework that has a universal scope and an unlimited history. When we do so, we find that pneumatology deriving from questions about what the Spirit doesfor us needs to give way to pneumatology that derives from questions about how the Spirit can draw us into the saving history of the triune God.

Discovering the New Testament is a new and comprehensive introduction to the New Testament in three volumes, reflecting current research and scholarship in New Testament studies. Each volume provides a thorough discussion of background issues as well as treating theological themes and practical application. In this third volume, Mark J. Keown surveys Hebrews, the General Epistles, and Revelation. In addition to covering introductory matters, Keown addresses key concerns for each book, such as the use of the Old Testament in Hebrews, Jamess view of justification, the relationship of 2 Peter and Jude, and Revelations various interpretative approaches. Ideal for college or seminary students, Discovering the New Testament provides numerous maps and charts as well as discussion questions for each chapter and a focus on real--life relevance and application.

Discovering the New Testament is a new and comprehensive introduction to the New Testament in three volumes, reflecting current research and scholarship in New Testament studies. Each volume provides a thorough discussion of background issues as well as treating theological themes and practical application. The first volume on the Gospels and Acts covers Jewish and Greco--Roman backgrounds, critical methodologies, the synoptic problem, and surveys each of the four gospels and Acts. It concludes with three chapters that explore the key theme of the kingdom of God, including its Old Testament background, the place of miracles, and an examination of Jesus parables. Ideal for college or seminary students, the volumes provide numerous maps and charts, as well as discussion questions for each chapter and a focus on real--life relevance and application. Forthcoming volumes will focus on Paul (Vol. 2) and the general epistles and Revelation (Vol. 3).

Thomas Merton presented numerous sets of conferences during his decade (1955-1965) as novice master at the Cistercian Abbey of Gethsemani. The two courses included in this volume - a thorough examination of the book of Genesis that began in mid-1956 and concluded on the Feast of Pentecost in 1957, and a series of classes on the book of Exodus from 1957 and 1958 - are here presented for the first time in a critical edition accompanied by extensive annotation and a comprehensive introduction. These courses comprise the only major surviving teaching notes on particular books of Scripture dating from the years when Merton was in charge of the novitiate. They provide direct access to his views on the intellectual and spiritual contexts in which they should be understood. As biblical scholar Pauline Viviano writes in her preface, this edition of Thomas Mertons class notes brings us into the workings of a great spiritual leaders mind as he reflects upon Scripture. ... all who are on a spiritual journey can gain from his insights and the lessons he draws.

The Messianic Secret, which one century on is still the point of departure for all studies of the Gospel of Mark and of an understanding of the literary methods of the Gospel writers, is now available in English in this translation by J.C.G. Greig. Wredes primary concern in his discussion of Mark is the doctrine of the messianic secret, the notion of a Jesus who, assuming messiahship at baptism, keeps it secret for much of his ministry until, after the confessions of Peter, he introduces the disciples to the idea of a suffering and dying Messiah. The idea of such a secret can be shown, from a study of the other Gospels, to have developed variously, and above all to go back to a period prior to Marks work as the earliest evangelist. Wrede finds the theological source of the idea of a secret about the messiahship in a contrast between what the Church came to think of Jesus and how his life had been understood during his ministry. He suggests that because the Church came to think of Jesus as Messiah after the Resurrection, they came to explain the lack of explicit declaration of his messiahship by Jesus during his ministry by suggesting that (nevertheless) Jesus had after all secretly revealed himself as the Messiah. The doctrine of the messianic secret is, says Wrede, the after-effect of the idea of the Resurrection as the beginning of Jesus messianic office". Furthermore, if this doctrine could have arisen only at a time when nothing was known of any open claim on Jesus part to be Messiah, this seems to be positive evidence that Jesus actually did not represent himself as Messiah. Wrede was among the first to recognise the creative contribution of the writers of the Gospels, and to emphasise the necessity of a historical approach to the Churchs traditions if we are to avoid a naive misunderstanding of the perspective from which the Gospels are written. His work is thus the foundation stone not only in the study of Mark, about whom he still has much to teach us, but also in the vexed area of the contribution of the evangelists to the Gospel. In this field Wredes work is still essential reading, unsurpassed by the advances of the Form Critics, the Redaction Critics, whose work draws directly on his, and even of the more advanced literary critics of the present day.

The Messianic Secret, which one century on is still the point of departure for all studies of the Gospel of Mark and of an understanding of the literary methods of the Gospel writers, is now available in English in this translation by J.C.G. Greig. Wredes primary concern in his discussion of Mark is the doctrine of the messianic secret, the notion of a Jesus who, assuming messiahship at baptism, keeps it secret for much of his ministry until, after the confessions of Peter, he introduces the disciples to the idea of a suffering and dying Messiah. The idea of such a secret can be shown, from a study of the other Gospels, to have developed variously, and above all to go back to a period prior to Marks work as the earliest evangelist. Wrede finds the theological source of the idea of a secret about the messiahship in a contrast between what the Church came to think of Jesus and how his life had been understood during his ministry. He suggests that because the Church came to think of Jesus as Messiah after the Resurrection, they came to explain the lack of explicit declaration of his messiahship by Jesus during his ministry by suggesting that (nevertheless) Jesus had after all secretly revealed himself as the Messiah. The doctrine of the messianic secret is, says Wrede, the after-effect of the idea of the Resurrection as the beginning of Jesus messianic office". Furthermore, if this doctrine could have arisen only at a time when nothing was known of any open claim on Jesus part to be Messiah, this seems to be positive evidence that Jesus actually did not represent himself as Messiah. Wrede was among the first to recognise the creative contribution of the writers of the Gospels, and to emphasise the necessity of a historical approach to the Churchs traditions if we are to avoid a naive misunderstanding of the perspective from which the Gospels are written. His work is thus the foundation stone not only in the study of Mark, about whom he still has much to teach us, but also in the vexed area of the contribution of the evangelists to the Gospel. In this field Wredes work is still essential reading, unsurpassed by the advances of the Form Critics, the Redaction Critics, whose work draws directly on his, and even of the more advanced literary critics of the present day.

A Groundbreaking Analysis of Dallas Willards Theology of Spiritual Formation Dallas Willards formational theology begins with the claim that the aim of God in human history is the formation of a community of loving persons apprenticed to Jesusand ends with the promise that such apprenticeship prepares us to share in Gods governance of the cosmos.This apprenticeship to Jesus is the path to human flourishing, the renewal of the church, and the healing of the world. In Kingdom Apprenticeship, Keas Keasler offers the first comprehensive study of Willards theology of spiritual formation. He argues that while the three Ds of disciples, discipleship, and disciplines made Willard famous, his formational theology is much deeper than that. Willards unique grammar of transformation is grounded in ordinary life, for it is in our present reality that we are trained to participate in Gods eternal purposes.Mining Willards philosophical works, theological writings, recorded lectures, and unpublished papers, Keasler shows: Willards theology serves as a practical curriculum for spiritual growth, offering a remedy for the character crisis we see in the church and in society. Apprenticeship to Jesus is both for growth in Christlikeness and preparation for reigning with God in the fullness of his kingdom. Spiritual formation is not secondary or supplementary to Gods mission; it is its very strategy. Against the drift of modern theology into abstraction, Willard calls the church back to a clinical theologyone aimed at the transformation of character through an interactive life with God. Formation and mission, contemplation and action, inner renewal and outward vocationall are inseparably linked in Willards vision.Kingdom Apprenticeship offers a fresh and urgent call: to recover apprenticeship to Jesus as the heart of the Christian lifeand the hope of the world.

This volume, edited by Jeffrey P. Greenman and George Kalantzis, marks another compilation from the Wheaton Theology Conference. 2009s event produced the wealth of work represented here exploring the theological foundations for a faithful approach to the church practices that contribute to spiritual formation, that is, to our sanctification in the power of the Holy Spirit.Including essays from keynote speakers Dallas Willard and Gordon Fee as well as contributing essays by noted presenters such as Chris Hall, David Gushee, Linda Cannell, Cherith Fee Nordling and Lawrence Cunningham, this book offers a stimulating exploration of the historical, biblical and theological dimensions of spiritual formation. It will be of special interest to those who serve as pastors, spiritual directors, church ministry leaders and Christian educators.

Commentary from Christopher Ash Sets Out a Deeply Christian Study of Psalms 51100While reading Psalms, it is common for commentaries to focus on Old Testament meaning, without connecting it deeply to Christs fulfillment in the New Testament. By studying Scripture this way, believers miss out on the fullness of Gods word. The key to experiencing authentically Christian worship is learning a Christ-focused approach to praying and singing the Psalms.In this thorough commentary, Christopher Ash provides a careful treatment of Psalms 51100, examining each psalms significance to David and the other psalmists, to Jesus during his earthly ministry, and to the church of Christ in every age. Ash includes introductory quotations, a deep analysis of the texts structure and vocabulary, and a closing reflection and response, along with selected quotations from older readings of the Psalms. Perfect for pastors, Bible teachers, and students, this commentary helps readers sing and pray the Psalms with Christ in view.Exhaustive: Christopher Ashs exegesis explores how the Psalms are quoted and echoed throughout the New Testament Applicable and Heartfelt: Explains how a Christ-centered approach to reading the Psalms influences doctrines of prayer, prophecy, the Trinity, ecclesiology, and more Ideal for Pastors and Serious Students of Scripture: Written for Bible teachers, Sunday school and youth leaders, and small-group leaders