Who is Jesus? What did he do? What did he say? -Are the traditional answer to these questions still to be trusted? - Did the early church and tradition "Christianize" Jesus? - Was Christianity built on clever conceptions of the church, or on the character and actions of an actual person? These and similar questions have come under scrutiny by a forum of biblical scholars called the Jesus Seminar. Their conclusions have been widely publicized in magazines such as Time and Newsweek. Jesus Under Fire challenges the methodology and findings of the Jesus Seminar, which generally clash with the...

In the aftermath of the waves of discipleship programs that have swept over the church in the last 30 years, clergy, and laypersons alike are more confused than ever about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. What should a disciple of Jesus look and act like today? What is the relationship between discipleship and salvation, between discipleship and sanctification, between discipleship and ministry? How were disciples of Jesus different from other disciples in the ancient world? How did the early church carry out Jesus' agenda in "making disciples of all the nations"? In...

In the latest addition to the unique Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition series, a New Testament scholar (Wilkins) and a theologian (Thoennes) team up to offer readers a robust introduction to biblical and theological studies. Designed to help Christian students delve into these disciplines, this readable guide outlines a distinctly evangelical approach to studying the Bible and theology. It succinctly defines a variety of sub-disciplines while highlighting key assumptions that are crucial for solid interpretation and application. The authors also explore important contemporary...

Discover: -How the springs at Hierapolis help us understand why Jesus described the church at Laodicea as "lukewarm" -The background and circumstances of certificates of divorce in Judaism -How Jewish dietary laws provided a powerful metaphor for God's acceptance of the Gentiles Brimming with photos and graphics, the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary walks you verse by verse through all the books of the New Testament. It's like slipping on a set of glasses that lets you read the Bible through the eyes of a first-century reader Discoveries await you that will snap the...