The First Epistle to the Corinthians


Book Description

A new examination of a classic Christian text begins with the Greek text of the Corinthians and outlines the most important theological, ethical, and socio-historical issues surrounding this seminal book.




The Conversion of the Imagination


Book Description

The Conversion of the Imagination contains some of the best work on Paul by first-rate New Testament scholar Richard B. Hays. These essays probe Paul's approach to scriptural interpretation, showing how Paul's reading of the Hebrew Scriptures reshaped the theological vision of his churches. Hays's analysis of intertextual echoes in Paul's letters has touched off exciting debate among Pauline scholars and made more recognizable the contours of Paul's thought. These studies contain some of the early work leading up to Hays's seminal Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul and also show how Hays has responded to critics and further developed his thought in the years since. Among the many subjects covered here are Paul's christological application of Psalms, Paul's revisionary interpretation of the Law, and the influence of the Old Testament on Paul's ethical teachings and ecclesiology.




The Ragamuffin Gospel


Book Description

Previously published: Sisters, Or.: Multnomah Publishers, c2000.




Holy Bible (NIV)


Book Description

The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.







Not Yet Married


Book Description

Life Is Never Mainly About Love and Marriage. So Learn to Live and Date for More. Many of you grew up assuming that marriage would meet all of your needs and unlock God's purposes for you. But God has far more planned for you than your future marriage. Not Yet Married is not about waiting quietly in the corner of the world for God to bring you "the one," but about inspiring you to live and date for more now. If you follow Jesus, the search for a spouse is no longer a pursuit of the perfect person, but a pursuit of more of God. He will likely write a love story for you different than the one you would write for yourself, but that's because he loves you and knows how to write a better story. This book was written to help you find real hope, happiness, and purpose in your not-yet-married life.




Strange Kingdom


Book Description

Experience how the power of the cross unleashes meaning and purpose in the midst of your daily life. This meditative and spiritual reflection by Ken Costa considers the cross and the king who died upon it. Christ’s work on the cross established a kingdom that is strange indeed, if a king died on the cross in order to establish it. It is a kingdom where suffering and abandonment are transformed into the power of presence and live, a kingdom where a King exchanges gifts of great value for worthless dross, where a robber becomes righteous, and a criminal becomes the first citizen of heaven. Spend some time as Easter draws near considering the strange, upside-down kingdom, where broken things are made whole. “A king who dies on the cross must be the king of a rather strange kingdom.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer "Strange Kingdom is a joy. In my 47 years in the Christian publishing business, Ken Costa’s compelling and inspirational reflections are unique on the meaning and purpose of the cross of Christ. A must-read for every Christian and a revelation for the spiritually curious.”—Joey Paul, Senior Editor, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Nashville, TN “Ken Costa masterfully and meticulously gives us an in-depth look at the cross of Jesus and what it means to us in our everyday lives.” —Robert Morris, Senior Pastor, Gateway Church, Southlake, TX “Ken Costa’s deep love for God and unashamed defense of the cross of Jesus Christ is mirrored in this book. The perspective of a banker, the mind of a scholar, and the heart of a Christian who wants people to love Christ radiates on every page.” —R. T. Kendall, author and former minister of Westminster Chapel, England “. . . a fresh revelation of Christ and the power of the cross.”—Joseph Prince, Senior Pastor, New Creation Church, Singapore “Not since John Stott’s The Cross of Christ have I read a book on the saving work of Jesus that I want to return to again and again as much as this one.” —Miles Toulmin, Vicar, HTBB, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia “This book will encourage your faith and deepen your understanding of what the cross means to people in their day-to-day lives.” —Jentezen Franklin, Senior Pastor, Free Chapel, Gainesville, GA “His honesty opens a window onto the meaning of the cross and the upside-down world it invites us in.” —Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, England




8 Habits for Growth


Book Description

Don’t just do the right actions. Build habits—and watch your life be transformed. Many books try to help you do the right actions. But the real key to life transformation—for yourself and then for others—is building habits that become part of your life. Because habits don’t just dictate what you do. They reflect who you are. In 8 Habits for Growth, Darryl Dash wants to show you the eight long-term practices—all very doable—that will lead to permanent growth if you incorporate them into your life. You’ll learn why it’s important to: Make time Rest Read or listen to the Bible Pray Pursue worship and community in a church Care for your body Simplify your spiritual life Build a rule of life Personal growth doesn’t happen overnight. But it does happen, slowly, as you build God’s habits into your life. So what are you waiting for? Start your new habits today and let God transform who you are . . . and who you can become.




National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States


Book Description

The national directory addresses the dimensions and perspectives in the formation of deacons and the model standards for the formation, ministry, and life of deacons in the United States. It is intended as a guideline for formation, ministry, and life of permanent deacons and a directive to be utilized when preparing or updating a diaconate program in formulating policies for the ministry and life of deacons. This volume also includes Basic Standards for Readiness for the formation of permanent deacons in the United States, from the bishops' Committee on the Diaconate, and the committee document Visit of Consultation Teams to Diocesan Permanent Diaconate Formation Programs.




On First Principles


Book Description

Origen’s On First Principles is a foundational work in the development of Christian thought and doctrine: it is the first attempt in history at a systematic Christian theology. For over a decade it has been out of print with only expensive used copies available; now it is available at an affordable price and in a more accessible format. On First Principles is the most important surviving text written by third-century Church father, Origen. Origen wrote in a time when fundamental doctrines had not yet been fully articulated by the Church, and contributed to the very formation of Christianity. Readers see Origen grappling with the mysteries of salvation and brainstorming how they can be understood. This edition presents G. W. Butterworth’s trusted translation in a new, more readable format, retains the introduction by Henri de Lubac, and includes a new foreword by John C. Cavadini. As St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Doctor of the Church, wrote: “Origen is the stone on which all of us were sharpened.”