A study of the importance of variant forms of Old Testament narratives in prompting the development of the criticism of the Bible. The recognition of the recurrence of stories in variant forms in the Old Testament has been seminal to the birth and development of biblical criticism. The author assesses the role of the “double narrative phenomenon” in the evolution of Old Testament methodology, from its earliest documentary theories to its most recent literary ones, with the help of current literary, folklore and textual studies.

A veteran pastor with thirty years of experience guides readers through a ten-step process to preaching Old Testament narratives from text selection to delivery. The first edition received a Christianity Today award of merit and a Preaching magazine Book of the Year award. This edition, now updated and revised throughout for a new generation, includes a new chapter on how to preach Christ from the Old Testament and an exemplary sample sermon from Mathewson. Foreword by Haddon W. Robinson.

The Old English poems in this volume are among the first retellings of scriptural texts in a European vernacular. More than simple translations, they recast the familiar plots in daringly imaginative ways, from Satan's seductive pride (anticipating Milton), to a sympathetic yet tragic Eve, to Moses as a headstrong Germanic warrior-king, to the lyrical nature poetry in Azarias. Whether or not the legendary Caedmon authored any of the poems in this volume, they represent traditional verse in all its vigor. Three of them survive as sequential epics in a manuscript in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. The first, the Old English Genesis, recounts biblical history from creation and the apocryphal fall of the angels to the sacrifice of Isaac; Abraham emerges as the central figure struggling through exile toward a lasting covenant with God. The second, Exodus, follows Moses as he leads the Hebrew people out of Egyptian slavery and across the Red Sea. Both Abraham and Moses are transformed into martial heroes in the Anglo-Saxon mold. The last in the triad, Daniel, tells of the trials of the Jewish people in Babylonian exile up through Belshazzar's feast. Azarias, the final poem in this volume (found in an Exeter Cathedral manuscript), relates the apocryphal episode of the three youths in Nebuchadnezzar's furnace.

Discover the Richness of the Old Testament The Hebrew Scriptures are the beginning of—and foundation for—God’s incredible story of redemption. Studying the Old Testament, and its relationship to God’s new covenant, inspires wonder and awe at God’s grand plan of salvation that spans millennia. Tragically, too many preachers and Bible teachers don’t have the time or inclination to dive into the depths of the Old Testament. T. J. Betts, respected professor of Old Testament interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, provides a convenient solution in this book: By walking you through the steps to effectively preach and teach the Old Testament By describing how to interpret the stories and narratives in the Hebrew Scriptures By outlining how to present, illustrate, and apply the Old Testament to people’s lives You’ll want this book in your library because it is a tool for unpacking Scripture.

The New Testament may be the most influential book of all time, from both a religious and a literary standpoint. But while the New Testament's impact upon people's religious beliefs and practices has been analyzed-and continues to be analyzed-at enormous length and in intricate detail, amazingly little has been written about the New Testament's impact as literature.

An Artistic Approach to New Testament Literature is a first introductory textbook for late high school or college students and would serve well in a freshman experience course. Historical criticism informs the background commentary. Biblical texts are described according to the formal art elements of form, line, color, and texture. Other artistic terms such as perspective and focal point are used to characterize biblical passages. Thought-provoking questions and art projects are provided for exploration in the foreground or in the world in front of the text. This book is a bridge between church and academy. If church leaders or teachers have questions for the author, they are invited to contact her through e-mail at Shrnrchace@aol.com.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1871. The publishing house Anatiposi publishes historical books as reprints. Due to their age, these books may have missing pages or inferior quality. Our aim is to preserve these books and make them available to the public so that they do not get lost.

This book offers a systematic and comprehensive review of the fundamental literary aspects of biblical narrative, investigating the characteristics and points of view of the narrator, the shaping of characters, the structure of the plot, time and space, and finally the style. Many examples are provided to clarify the issues discussed as well as to shed fresh light on the narratives.

"This new series is designed with the needs of introductory level students in mind. It will also appeal to general readers who want to be better informed about the latest advances in our understanding of the Bible and of the intellectual, political and religious world in which it was formed." "The authors in this series bring to light the methods and insights of a whole range of disciplines - including archaeology, history, literary criticism and the social sciences - while also introducing fresh insights and approaches arising from their own research."--BOOK JACKET.

How should Christians read the Old Testament today? Answers to this question gravitate between two poles. On the one hand, some pay little attention to the gap between the Old Testament and today, reading the Old Testament like a devotional allegory that points the Christian directly to Jesus. On the other hand, there are folks who prioritize an Old Testament passage's original context to such an extent that it is by no means clear if and how a given Old Testament text might bear witness to Christ and address the church. This volume is a tribute to Willem A. VanGemeren, an ecclesial scholar who operated amidst the tension between understanding texts in their original context and their theological witness to Christ and the church. The contributors in this volume share a conviction that Christians must read the Old Testament with a theological concern for how it bears witness to Christ and nourishes the church, while not undermining the basic principles of exegesis. Two questions drive these essays as they address the topic of reading the Old Testament theologically. Christology. If the Old Testament bears witness to Christ, how do we move from an Old Testament text, theme, or book to Christ? Ecclesiology. If the Old Testament is meant to nourish the church, how do scriptures originally given to Israel address the church today? The volume unfolds by first considering exegetical habits that are essential for interpreting the Old Testament theologically. Then several essays wrestle with how topics from select Old Testament books can be read theologically. Finally, it concludes by addressing several communal matters that arise when reading the Old Testament theologically.