John Shelby Spong, bestselling author and popular proponent of a modern, scholarly and authentic Christianity, argues that this last gospel to be written was misinterpreted by the framers of the fourth-century creeds to be a literal account of the life of Jesus when in fact it is a literary, interpretive retelling of the events in Jesus' life through the medium of fictional characters, from Nicodemus and Lazarus to the "Beloved Disciple." The Fourth Gospel was designed first to place Jesus into the context of the Jewish scriptures, then to place him into the worship patterns of the synagogue and finally to allow him to be viewed through the lens of a popular form of first-century Jewish mysticism. The result of this intriguing study is not only to recapture the original message of this gospel, but also to provide us today with a radical new dimension to the claim that in the humanity of Jesus the reality of God has been met and engaged.

By reading the Gospel of John as a mystical text and hearing the words of Jesus as mystical language we discover an ancient spirituality that is consistent with modern science and helpful for interfaith dialogue. In John's Gospel Jesus escapes capture ten times and corrects literal reception of his language eleven times. These patterns along with John's emphasis on the inner Presence and the divine desire for Oneness show a mystical approach to faith. Embracing Jesus' mystical, metaphorical language enables one to develop a 'mystical mindset' for living in the 21st century. The perception of separateness from God and one another is corrected by this fresh reading of John's Gospel along with the mystics of the Christian tradition as well as other spiritual traditions.

If the New Testament represents the crown jewels of Christianity, the Gospel of John is its "pearl of great price," the most beloved, most read, most quoted, most distinctive, most memorable, most debated book in its canon. Truth Revealed is ideal for individual and group study. It divides the Gospel of John into twelve units, providing helpful introductory features, summaries, learning objectives, and questions for each unit, and concludes by offering perspective on a specific topic that arises as one follows the narrative, always with an eye on the big picture, namely, guidance for daily living. Few sayings attributed to Jesus are better known or more widely quoted than the words "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). At his trial before Pilate, Jesus declared that his purpose in life was to witness to the truth. Pilate responds with the Gospel's most memorable question: "What is truth?" The answer is explored in Truth Revealed, a commentary that provides literary, theological, historical, and textual guidelines for understanding the message of this ancient work in a way that is accessible and applicable to twenty-first century readers.

The Fourth Gospel, otherwise known as the gospel of the beloved disciple of Jesus, has captivated the imagination of myriads of people worldwide. Echoing one of its major themes, namely water, this gospel has been described as one in which a child can wade and an elephant can swim. Of the four gospels in the New Testament, this one stands out from the other three at several levels. In the Fourth Gospel the extraordinary acts of Jesus are labeled consistently as signs, not miracles. In the second major part, however, the signs give way to reality found uniquely in the life and death of Jesus on behalf of benighted humanity. He is the true light that enlightens every one and every thing. There are no parables in the Fourth Gospel. A parable is something that is literally thrown alongside the ordinary world of the day. The Fourth Evangelist focuses on truth, one of its major themes. There are puzzling pieces mixed in with the good news, which serves to make this gospel captivating to the reader. Through all of the complex twists and turns in this gospel the theme of love shines forth brilliantly, especially so in the second half.

Bestselling and controversial bishop and teacher John Shelby Spong reveals the subversive, mystical wisdom of the writer of the Gospel of John and how his teachings point us forward in the twenty-first century In The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic, Spong turns his attention to the Gospel of John, the fourth Gospel in the Bible. Contrary to what is most often believed, he writes that this gospel was misinterpreted by the framers of the fourth-century creeds to be a literal account of the life of Jesus. In fact, it is a literary, interpretive retelling of the events in Jesus’ life through the medium of Jewish worship traditions and fictional characters, from Nicodemus and Lazarus to the “Beloved Disciple.” The Fourth Gospel not only recaptures the original message of this gospel, but also provides us with a radical new dimension to the claim that in the humanity of Jesus the reality of God has been met and engaged. This book offers a fresh way to read the Gospel of John and a unique primer about how to be a Christian in the post-Christian twenty-first century.

John’s Gospel can be both inspiring and bewildering. This book enables insight into the Gospel in a fresh way. How is it that we respond to it as we do? Understanding is enhanced by studying the text and by being aware of the kind of responses we make. Reading and working with it will deepen fellowship and skill in pastoral care. John’s text is mined for gems of insight into ourselves and as a rich resource of ample illustrative material for preachers and teachers. This book elucidates chapters five to nine of the Gospel, presenting insights that involve us in the story. The content derives from years of teaching John’s Gospel in workshops and reflection groups in varying church contexts. Guidance is given in working in this way and in how we can share our insights with each other in the light of the text. This experience of John’s Gospel is illuminated using recent ways of reading. What the story means is conveyed in detailed Bible study. It becomes real for us. How this happens is explored by understanding the process of reading and by observing our reactions to the text. John’s Christ becomes central to who we are.

This publication deals with a biblical theology of prayer based on the New Testament. It forms the second of a two-volume publication on a biblical theology of prayer, dealing with the concept of prayer in the Old and New Testament, respectively. This New Testament volume begins with an introduction on prayer and worship in early Jewish tradition, followed by eleven chapters dealing with New Testament corpora. It concludes with a final chapter synthesising the findings of the respective investigations of the Old and New Testament corpora to provide a summative theological perspective of the development of the concept of prayer through scripture. Prayer forms a major and continuous theme throughout the biblical text. Prayer was an integral part of the religious existence of God’s people in both the Old and New Testament. It underwent its greatest developments during, after and as a result of the Exile and was deepened and transformed in the New Testament. In both the Old and the New Testament, God is the sole ‘addressee’ of his people’s prayer. This conviction continued into the New Testament, but was broadened with Trinitarian elements of worship, adoration and intercession. A biblical theological investigation is chosen as methodology. Since all the biblical books form part of one canonical text, the assumption is that the various theologies about prayer being displayed in these books can be synthesised into a developing meta-theology about prayer. As the Old and New Testament form part of the canonical text, the results about prayer in the Old Testament can be brought into play with the results about prayer in the New Testament. This eventually leads toward an overarching biblical theology of prayer.

Do the miracles in the gospel of John really prove that Jesus of Nazareth is the son of God? In a carefully-researched study, a seasoned preacher and teacher examines the signs recorded in the gospel of John, explores whether they provide definitive proof of the deity of Jesus Christ, and analyzes the background of the audience during the time period of Jesus as well as that of the implied readers of the gospel. While explaining the text in John’s gospel, specifically the passages related to the traditional seven signs and the other nontraditional miraculous signs, Dr. Solomon Fields also analyzes the acceptance or lack of acceptance of the signs that John incorporates as reasons for believing in Jesus Christ and considers the post-resurrection perspective of the uniqueness of the signs within the early church and the present-day church in regard to the Christian faith—all while giving honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ so that souls may be saved and strengthened in the kingdom of God. The Signs of Jesus’ Deity in the Gospel of John provides a concise resource tool for those who minister through preaching, teaching, and leading bible studies around the signs within this important Christian teaching. “I thank Dr. Fields for presenting such a fresh view on the Signs (miracles) of Jesus. These Signs are a testament of the Divine powers of His attributes shown to man during His ministry here on earth. No one else within the historical times of man on earth could possibly exhibit these things except the Son of God. Being a student of history I appreciated the book’s use of the Old Testament to give strength to the acts rendered by our Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament connection expounds on the fact that the Word (Jesus) was preexistent from the beginning, as indicated in the first verse of the Book of John. The Word was God prior to the beginning and so in essence these powers of Signs were existing prior to the beginning. Again thank you Dr. Fields for this persuasive view on the Signs of Jesus, it is a good resource for study. I will recommend the book for my students.” —Dr. Bill Odems, Mount Olive Bible Institute “Whether you are a pastor, minister, or layperson, you will find this in-depth exposition of the miracles of Jesus, as chronicled in the Gospel of John, to be inspirational, insightful, and provocative. The meticulous examination and brilliant writing of Dr. Fields reinforce the truth regarding the deity of Jesus as The Christ.” —Cory S. Powell, Pastor, New Dimensions Tabernacle, Lubbock TX

It is June 2018 as an unusual group of scholars, professors, lecturers, and students gather in a California hotel. They are all attendees of an Apologetics conference intended to join qualified representatives of Christian, Deist, and Atheist thought for a two-week, no-holds-barred debate and discussion of their respective positions that will ultimately be included in a book published after the conference. Evangelical Christianity is represented by advocates of Evidentialist and Presuppositionalist approaches to Apologetics. Catholicism, liberal Christianity, and Deism are also well-supported. The Atheist perspective is advocated by a polemical author and a college professor notorious for attacking the views of his Christian students. As the participants argue over controversial issues such as cosmology, evolution, The Bible, historical evidence for Jesus, the resurrection, biblical prophecies, and the problem of evil, intellectual fireworks result. But what will result when such a volatile and eclectic group is placed face-to-face for more than two weeks? The Debaters of this Age is the tale of what happens inside a California hotel in 2018 when a group of intellectuals gather to vigorously discuss the religious issues of our time.

Let's go for walk. A very long walk. A journey down the pilgrim's path. Traipsing through the forest of life. Climbing over the mountains of adversity. Enduring the climate of challenge. Over the course of countless miles and numerous days, we will mine the golden wisdom hidden within our pilgrimage experience.