Ryken's Bible Handbook


Book Description

Three authors help shed light on understanding the Bible, not just as the inspired work of God, but also looking at the different genres that make up the Bible's books--poetry, historical narrative, wisdom literature, story, parables, and more.




Words of Delight


Book Description

In this introduction to Scripture, Leland Ryken organizes biblical passages into literary genres including narratives, poetry, proverbs, and drama, demonstrating that knowledge of a genre's characteristics enriches one's understanding of individual passages. Ryken offers a volume brimming over with wonderful insights into Old and New Testament books and passages--insights that have escaped most traditional commentators.




How to Read the Bible as Literature


Book Description

Why the Good Book Is a Great Read If you want to rightly understand the Bible, you must begin by recognizing what it is: a composite of literary styles. It is meant to be read, not just interpreted. The Bible’s truths are embedded like jewels in the rich strata of story and poetry, metaphor and proverb, parable and letter, satire and symbolism. Paying attention to the literary form of a passage will help you understand the meaning and truth of that passage. How to Read the Bible as Literature takes you through the various literary forms used by the biblical authors. This book will help you read the Bible with renewed appreciation and excitement and gain a more profound grasp of its truths. Designed for maximum clarity and usefulness, How to Read the Bible as Literature includes * sidebar captions to enhance organization * wide margins ideal for note taking * suggestions for further reading * appendix: "The Allegorical Nature of the Parables" * indexes of persons and subjects




Effective Bible Teaching


Book Description

Why does Bible study flourish in some churches and small groups and not in others? In this updated edition of a trusted classic, two Christian education specialists provide readers with the knowledge and methods needed to effectively communicate the message of the Bible. The book offers concrete guidance for mastering a biblical text, interpreting it, and applying its relevance to life. Its methods, which have been field-tested for twenty-five years, help pastors, teachers, and ministry students improve their classroom skills. Readers will learn how to develop the "big idea" of a passage and allow the text itself to suggest creative teaching methods. This new edition has been updated throughout and explores the changed landscape of Bible study over the past two decades. Readable and interdisciplinary in approach, this book will help a new generation of Bible students teach in a purposeful and unified way.




The ESV and the English Bible Legacy


Book Description

Modern Bible translations are at a crossroads as multiple translation philosophies argue that Bible translations ought to be done a certain way. So who's right? And what has been the historic view of English Bible translators? Leland Ryken, an expert on the literature of the Bible, brings clarity to questions of how modern Bible translations should be viewed in their historical context. He begins by tracing the history of English Bible translation from William Tyndale to the King James Bible, outlining important distinctions. In the view of these historic translators, there is a right way and a wrong way to translate the Bible. Ryken concludes that essentially literal Bible translations best adhere to the legacy of classic English Bible translation. He contends that the English Standard Version is a true heir of this classical stream and concludes with an argument on why the ESV can serve as the translation of choice for Christians in all walks of life. This book will be a great resource for Christians who have questions about why we have different Bible translations and how to choose between them.




Literary Introductions to the Books of the Bible


Book Description

The Bible is more than a collection of ancient stories. It's actually a unified whole, consisting of carefully crafted pieces of literature, each with its own unique literary style, form, and techniques. In this comprehensive volume, renowned literary expert and Bible scholar Leland Ryken introduces readers to the distinct literary features of each book of the Bible. Exploring how such features shed light on the message of the biblical writers through book outlines, helpful charts, and succinct definitions, this companion to Ryken's A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible will help Bible readers and students read, interpret, and teach God's Word with greater precision and deeper insight.




Shakespeare's Macbeth


Book Description

Guides readers through the last of Shakespeare's magnificent tragedies, Macbeth, and explores the keys to virtuous behavior as well as the psychology of guilt. Part of the Christian Guides to the Classics series.




Ecclesiastes (Redesign)


Book Description

The book of Ecclesiastes is, above all else, unflinchingly honest. Whether wrestling with the tedium of work, the injustices of life, the ravages of age, or the inevitability of death, this enigmatic Old Testament book takes a hard look at the way the world really is. And yet, as Phil Ryken points out in this instructive commentary, Ecclesiastes wisely teaches people to trust God in the midst of such struggles. Written with pastors and Bible teachers in mind, this commentary will equip readers to better understand, explain, and apply the message of Ecclesiastes, highlighting the book’s enduring relevance as a testament to the ultimate duty of all people: fearing God and keeping his commandments. The Psalms is one of the most widely loved books of the Bible. A source of instruction for our prayers, inspiration for our songs, and consolation for our tears, these biblical poems resound with the whole spectrum of human emotion and teach us to hope in God each and every day. In the first volume of a three-part commentary on the Psalms, pastor James Johnston walks readers through chapters 1–44, offering exegetical and pastoral insights along the way. In an age that prizes authenticity, this resource will help anyone interested in studying, teaching, or preaching the Bible to truly engage with God in a life-changing and heart-shaping way. Part of the Preaching the Word series.




Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter


Book Description

Guides readers through the signature book of American literature, Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, and unpacks its universal themes of sin, knowledge, and the human condition. Part of the Christian Guides to the Classics series.




A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible


Book Description

To truly understand God's Word, we must know both what it says (content) and how it says it (form). This accessible guide features over 250 alphabetically arranged entries explaining common literary forms found in the Bible. Each entry contains a succinct definition, helpful illustrations, and a representative list of passages where that particular literary form is present. More than merely a dictionary, this indispensable resource will help Bible readers better understand the underlying structure of Scripture—giving a clearer shape and deeper meaning to each and every page of God's Word.