Covenant Continuity and Fidelity


Book Description

The core of Malachi's covenantal imagination is shaped by his reflection on an authoritative collection of source texts in the Hebrew Bible. The mention of people, nations and places, Deuteronomic terminology, and rare words and unique word/root combinations exclusive to Malachi and only a few other texts encourages the book to be read in the context of received biblical traditions and texts. The diversity of methodologies used previously to analyse Malachi has resulted in confusion about the significance of the inner-biblical connections in the book of Malachi, which Gibson clarifies. His reading frees the text of Malachi from being overburdened by too many “intertexts”, and allows its central message of covenant to arise with greater clarity and force. Gibson reveals how Malachi's connections to earlier source texts are neither random nor causal; rather, they have been strategically employed to inform and shape his central theme of covenant continuity and fidelity.




Covenant Continuity and Fidelity


Book Description

The core of Malachi's covenantal imagination is shaped by his reflection on an authoritative collection of source texts in the Hebrew Bible. The mention of people, nations and places, Deuteronomic terminology, and rare words and unique word/root combinations exclusive to Malachi and only a few other texts encourages the book to be read in the context of received biblical traditions and texts. The diversity of methodologies used previously to analyse Malachi has resulted in confusion about the significance of the inner-biblical connections in the book of Malachi, which Gibson clarifies. His reading frees the text of Malachi from being overburdened by too many "intertexts", and allows its central message of covenant to arise with greater clarity and force. Gibson reveals how Malachi's connections to earlier source texts are neither random nor causal; rather, they have been strategically employed to inform andshape his central theme of covenant continuity and fidelity.




Reformation Worship


Book Description

Worship is the right, fitting, and delightful response of moral beings—angelic and human—to God the Creator, Redeemer, and Consummator, for who he is as one eternal God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and for what he has done in creation and redemption, and for what he will do in the coming consummation, to whom be all praise ...




Malachi’s Use of Joel’s Day of the Lord


Book Description

The Day of the Lord texts of Malachi (Mal 3:2, 7; 4:5) demonstrate that he seems to allude to Joel's Day of the Lord (2:11, 13, 31 [MT 3:4]). Malachi's Day of the Lord seems to have a strong inner-biblical relationship with the Day of the Lord motif of Joel. A significant interpretive loss is committed when allusion is recognized in the source text but ignored and not explored. Thus, the passages themselves call for an inner-biblical allusion study. In addition, the interpretive significance of Joel's Day of the Lord in Malachi has not been investigated comprehensively as the review of literature and intertextual and inner-biblical studies on Malachi validated. Thus, these are the interrelated questions: (a) "What are the criteria to verify the inner-biblical connection between Malachi and Joel on the Day of the Lord?" (b) "How did Malachi use Joel's Day of the Lord motif?" (c) "How did Malachi develop the Day of the Lord theme in his book?" There are three purposes of this study. The first is to identify objective criteria to verify the inner-biblical connection between Malachi and Joel on the Day of the Lord. The second is to determine how Malachi used Joel's Day of the Lord motif. The last is to ascertain how Malachi developed the Day of the Lord theme in his book.




Biblical Interpretation in Ancient Israel


Book Description

First published in hardback in August 1985, Professor Fishbane's book offers the first comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of textual analysis in ancient Israel. It explores the rich tradition of exegesis prior to the development of biblical interpretation in early classical Judaism and the earliest Christian communities, and examines four main categories of exegesis: scribal, legal, aggadic, and mantological. In studying this subject, it emerges that the Hebrew Bible is not only the foundation document for the exegetical culture of Judaism and Christianity, but an exegetical work in its own right. Professor Fishbane, who has added new material in appendices to this paperback edition, has been awarded three major prizes for this work: the National Jewish Book Award 1986, the Biblical Archaeological Society 1986 Publication Award, and the Kenneth B. Smilen Literary Award.




Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships


Book Description

WHEN IT COMES TO SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIPS, this book by Karen Keen contains the most thoughtful, balanced, biblically grounded discussion you’re likely to encounter anywhere. With pastoral sensitivity and respect for biblical authority, Keen breaks through current stalemates in the debate surrounding faith and sexual identity. The fresh, evenhanded reevaluation of Scripture, Christian tradition, theology, and science in Keen’s Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships will appeal to both traditionalist and progressive church leaders and parishioners, students of ethics and biblical studies, and gay and lesbian people who often feel painfully torn between faith and sexuality.




Be Thou My Vision


Book Description

Every Christian knows the importance of a daily quiet time with the Lord. But anyone who's been a believer long enough has likely experienced seasons that feel more mundane or routine, leading to aimlessly skimming a couple of Bible verses or praying the same prayer over and over. In Be Thou My Vision, Jonathan Gibson has created a 31-day liturgical guide designed to provide structure to the daily worship of individuals and families. Each daily reading includes a call to worship, adoration, confession, assurance, creed and catechism, the Gloria Patri, a prayer of illumination, Bible reading, intercessory prayer, and the Lord's Prayer. Designed to be read in 15–20 minutes a day, this beautifully produced liturgy will give readers focus and purpose to their daily quiet time while teaching them historical prayers, creeds, and catechisms that point them to Christ.




Covenant: A Vital Element of Reformed Theology


Book Description

Covenant: A Vital Element of Reformed Theology provides a multi-disciplinary reflection on the theme of the covenant, from historical, biblical-theological and systematic-theological perspectives. The interaction between exegesis and dogmatics in the volume reveals the potential and relevance of this biblical motif. It proves to be vital in building bridges between God’s revelation in the past and the actual question of how to live with him today.




Covenant Theology


Book Description

A Comprehensive Exploration of the Biblical Covenants This book forms an overview of the biblical teaching on covenant as well as the practical significance of covenant for the Christian life. A host of 26 scholars shows how covenant is not only clearly taught from Scripture, but also that it lays the foundation for other key doctrines of salvation. The contributors, who engage variously in biblical, systematic, and historical theology, present covenant theology not as a theological abstract imposed on the Bible but as a doctrine that is organically presented throughout the biblical narrative. As students, pastors, and church leaders come to see the centrality of covenant to the Christian faith, the more the church will be strengthened with faith in the covenant-keeping God and encouraged in their understanding of the joy of covenant life.




Bible Basics for Catholics


Book Description

John Bergsma’s popular Bible Basics for Catholics, which has sold more than 60,000 copies, offers readers an accessible vision of salvation history as it unfolds in the Bible, showing readers how the Bible points us to the saving life and work of Jesus. This new edition includes an additional chapter on covenant fulfillment in the Book of Revelation. Bergsma brings to his theology a combination of academic expertise, pastoral wisdom, and unique playfulness. Bible Basics for Catholics is based on Bergsma’s popular Introduction to Theology course at Steubenville. As a teacher, Bergsma has an uncanny ability to make complex ideas understandable and faith-inspiring while staying true to both Catholic teaching and biblical scholarship. Readers will begin to see the Christian understanding of salvation by walking through the Old Testament, going through the great stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the great kings and prophets of Israel, and culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ.