What does it mean to be human? For this timeless question, the Bible offers truths for the flourishing of all creation. Carmen Imes recovers the theologically rich creation narratives and explores the implication of our kinship relationship with God, considering what it means for our work, gender relations, creation care, and eternal destiny.
Throughout the church's history, Christians have disagreed over many particular questions surrounding humanity's fall. In this Spectrum Multiview book contributors present five views on these questions—Augustinian-Reformed, Moderate Reformed, Wesleyan, Eastern Orthodox, and a Reconceived view—offering both an articulation of their own view and responses to the others.
Christians desperately need to name and expose the modern-day false gods of prosperity, nationalism, and self-interest. Combining a biblical study of idolatry with practical discipleship, Old Testament scholar Christopher J. H. Wright calls readers to fight the temptation of idolatry as we consider connections between Old Testament patterns and today's culture.
How might premodern exegesis of Genesis inform Christian debates about creation today? Pastor and theologian Gavin Ortlund retrieves Augustine's reading of Genesis 1-3 and considers how his premodern understanding of creation can help Christians today, shedding light on matters such as evolution, animal death, and the historical Adam and Eve.
We all share an experience of exile—of longing for our true home. In this ESBT volume, Matthew S. Harmon explores how the theme of sin and exile is developed throughout Scripture, tracing a common pattern of human rebellion, God's judgment, and the hope of restored relationship, beginning with the first humans and concluding with the end of exile in a new creation.
Genesis is a book of origins: of the world, of sin, of God's promise of redemption, and of the people of Israel. It serves as a foundation for the New Testament's teaching that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promise to humankind. In this Tyndale Commentary, Andrew Steinmann offers a thorough exegetical commentary on Genesis, including a reconstructed timeline of events from Abraham's life through to the death of Joseph.
In this classic work, Derek Kidner not only provides a verse-by-verse exegetical commentary on Genesis but also lucidly handles the tough issues that the book raises. Focusing on the study of Genesis on its own terms, as "a living whole," Kidner uses clear prose and theological insight to highlight the theological themes of the nature of God, humankind, and salvation.
What does the Old Testament—especially the law—have to do with your Christian life? In this warm, accessible volume, Carmen Joy Imes takes readers back to Sinai, arguing that we've misunderstood the command about "taking the Lord's name in vain." Instead, Imes says that this command is really about "bearing God's name," a theme that continues throughout the rest of Scripture.
Did Moses write about Jesus? Kevin Chen challenges the common view of the Pentateuch as focused primarily on the Mosaic Law, arguing instead that it sets forth a coherent, sweeping vision of the Messiah as the center of its theological message. Building on the work of John Sailhamer, Chen provides a fascinating study and an exegetical basis for a Christ-centered biblical theology.
How were holidays chosen and taught in biblical Israel, and what did they have to do with the creation narrative? Michael LeFebvre considers the calendars of the Pentateuch, arguing that dates were added to Old Testament narratives not as journalistic details but to teach sacred rhythms of labor and worship. LeFebvre then applies this insight to the creation week, finding that the days of creation also serve a liturgical purpose.