Jesus as Divine Suicide makes the argument the death of Jesus follows established and well-known models of self-sacrificing individuals, a model readily available to Roman and Jewish audiences. Paul, in his letter to the church in Galatia, uses this model to present a premeditated, self-chosen death meant to bring about a change in the cosmos. Watts, understanding the emotional attachment to the word, is careful to construct his argument based on a plethora of examples within Paul's reach, if not the reach of Jesus. The concept of devotio is explored using recent scholarship and examples are drawn from Jewish and Roman sources with the intention to show that not only did Paul use it, but that it may help to solve some of the questions scholars have raised as to who gave Paul his language of the death of Jesus. Watts goes on to argue the gruesome act of a self-caused death would have not only been allowed even by Jewish sources, but also would have had theological speculation supplied by the history of the devotion so that with minimal description, Paul is able to use the act as a way to make his argument for his gospel in Galatians.

Myth and the Church Augustus Caesar, Son of God, started the Christiancalendar. Moreover, he also contributed massively to thepersona of Christ, to Christianity and to the ChristianChurch. Indeed, Jesus, a Jewish prophet, was transformedin the process to become the God of Christian Europe. Augustus, the Godfather of Europe, spawned a religion aliento Rome and the world of Rome he had created. This was not the work of Augustus himself. However, Augustus was the luminary of the Roman state religion before he was transformed into the second person of the Trinity. The processes involved in these changes are followedthrough the rst four centuries of the Christian era. A brieflook at developments since highlight the Christian churchs continued inuence on the western European knowledgebase. Here you can check out your own mindset, against factors that are still crazily inuential. The cover illustration is of a restored cult gure of Augustus, one of thousands destroyed by Christian zealots let loose in 395. Most of the hood of the toga of Pontifex Maximus is missing. This example is at Thyatira, to where John sent a copy of his Revelations. All seven churches of the Apocalypse were in the Roman province of Asia. Just off the coast is the island of Samos, where Augustus lived when he was in the area. Patmos, where John wrote his Revelations during his exile there, is a bit further out in the Aegean Sea. The reverse of an Augustan aureus, on the spine, shows the winged victory standing on the globethat Augustus had installed as centerpiece of the Roman Curia. It was carried at his funeral to leadthe procession from the forum to his mausoleum. At the end of the fourth century it was removed from the Curia and reinstated three times. Finally Ambrosius, Bishop of Milan, insisted it be takenout and utterly destroyed. Rome and the world of Rome collapsed shortly afterwards. Augustus last 100 days were extremely busy. He was supposedto have suffered from the weariness of old age before then. But after ofcial functions in Rome he went to Capri for a few days, thenon to the Games in Naples, where heindulged in horse play with the athletes and on to Beneventum to review his armies, before they set off to war. His death at the old family home atNola is well documented, down totime and day. Its the year thats in dispute here. Christian historians strove to proveJesus was the Messiah by his dateof birth. They also wanted to knowwhen the Second Coming of Christwould occur. In the process they hadto alter the date of Augustus death. Much was destroyed to cover their tracks. Fortunately enough remainsin the debris to reconstruct the real chronology of the period. Surprisingly much else remainedto be unearthed. Cicero, not Herod,ordered the massacre of the innocents. Wise men from the east visited Augustus. Its all there for the digging.

Jesus as Divine Suicide makes the argument the death of Jesus follows established and well-known models of self-sacrificing individuals, a model readily available to Roman and Jewish audiences. Paul, in his letter to the church in Galatia, uses this model to present a premeditated, self-chosen death meant to bring about a change in the cosmos. Watts, understanding the emotional attachment to the word, is careful to construct his argument based on a plethora of examples within Paul’s reach, if not the reach of Jesus. The concept of devotio is explored using recent scholarship and examples are drawn from Jewish and Roman sources with the intention to show that not only did Paul use it, but that it may help to solve some of the questions scholars have raised as to who gave Paul his language of the death of Jesus. Watts goes on to argue the gruesome act of a self-caused death would have not only been allowed even by Jewish sources, but also would have had theological speculation supplied by the history of the devotion so that with minimal description, Paul is able to use the act as a way to make his argument for his gospel in Galatians.

Fame, wealth, power and fleeting pleasures are transient and have no eternal value. Doing the will of God is enduring and is what really count forever. We are all presently on a journey through life that will end in death. But we can make it a journey from death to life abundant by living it with Yahweh God and in Him. Jesus Christ, the only perfect man, has made this possible in reconciling us to God by dying in our place and cleansing us. This makes it possible for God to dwell in us by His Spirit to help us to overcome sin and live life pleasing to Him. Jesus always does the things that are pleasing to the Father (Jn 8: 29). He loves the Father and does exactly what the Father has commanded him (Jn 14: 31). Jesus secret is not to seek to do his own will but the will of God (Jn 5: 30). God wants us to be like Jesus and be conformed to his likeness (Rom 8: 29) and to live with Gods self-giving love. This is a way of life or mentality that does nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility counts others more important than ourselves (Phil 2: 3) through Gods enabling. It is in this way that there will be real peace and righteousness. This is what this book is about. We are on probation on earth to point others to God by our words and our life.

In this issue we will continue four lines of ministry. The first line--The History of the Lord's Recovery--contains chapters 14 through 17 of Fellowship concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups, which are in volume 3 of The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1991–1992. These chapters cover vital points concerning the vital group practice, an earnest talk concerning the practice of the vital groups, being burdened with God's loving concern for sinners and with converting sinners into members of Christ for the carrying out of God's economy, and fellowship concerning the living contents of the vital groups. The second line--Words for New Believers--contains chapters 9 through 12 of Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, Volume 1, which are in volume 3 of The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1932–1949. These chapters cover topics related to justification, reconciliation, regeneration, and eternal life. The third line--Maturing in Life--continues with chapters 3 through 6 of Reward and Punishment, which are in volume 3 of The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1955. These chapters cover various aspects of the gospel revealed in the Gospels and Acts, God setting aside a portion of His salvation as a reward, reward and punishment in the New Testament, and the time, duration, and intention of reward and punishment. The fourth line--The High Peak of the Divine Revelation--continues with chapters 2 through 5 of God's New Testament Economy, which are in volume 3 of The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1984. These chapters cover the Word's incarnation and the Son's living on the earth, the Son's death in His humanity with His divinity through the Spirit, and the Son's resurrection in His divinity with His humanity.

This extract from the Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible provides Prinslo’s introduction to and concise commentary on Psalms. The Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible presents, in nontechnical language, the best of modern scholarship on each book of the Bible, including the Apocrypha. Reader-friendly commentary complements succinct summaries of each section of the text and will be valuable to scholars, students, and general readers. Rather than attempt a verse-by-verse analysis, these volumes work from larger sense units, highlighting the place of each passage within the overarching biblical story. Commentators focus on the genre of each text—parable, prophetic oracle, legal code, and so on—interpreting within the historical and literary context. The volumes also address major issues within each biblical book—including the range of possible interpretations—and refer readers to the best resources for further discussions.