John Walton
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Lost World Of The Prophets
$22.00Add to cartBeing responsive to God is at the heart of prophecy. But readers of ancient prophecies and apocalyptic literature-including those in the Old Testament-can come away thoroughly perplexed. Are the prophets speaking about their own times, about our present, or about some still-unrealized future?
It’s common to study prophecy with a focus on the sole question of prediction and fulfillment, either for the sake of apologetics or for understanding the end times, but such an approach can fail to track with the original intent of the authors. We need to shake loose both from a paradigm of reading prophecy as an offer of mysterious divination as well as from the habit of constructing eschatological timelines of any sort. How do these books work as meaningful Scripture for Christians today?
John Walton applies his signature method to help us recover the lost world of the prophets. To read these biblical books well, we must understand:
*the role of the prophet
*the nature of prophetic literature
*the theological significance of prophecy
*how apocalyptic differs from prophecyA fresh reading of the Old Testament text in light of the ancient Near Eastern context can open new avenues of awareness. Walton provides a clear, helpful guide to the nature of biblical prophecy and apocalyptic literature that will help readers avoid potential misuse and reclaim the message of the prophets for their lives.
The books in the Lost World Series follow the pattern set by Bible scholar John H. Walton, bringing a fresh, close reading of the Hebrew text and knowledge of ancient Near Eastern literature to an accessible discussion of the biblical topic at hand using a series of logic-based propositions.
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Wisdom For Faithful Reading
$26.00Add to cartThe church has too often lost its way in reading the Old Testament for lack of sound principles of interpretation. When careless habits get us off track, we can lose sight of what the Bible is really saying, derailing our own spiritual growth and even risking discredit to God’s word.
We need a consistent approach to give us confidence as faithful interpreters. In Wisdom for Faithful Reading, the trusted Old Testament scholar John Walton lays out his tried-and-true best practices developed over four decades in the classroom. His principles are memorable, practical, and enlightening, including:
*The Bible is written for us, but not to us.
*Reading the Bible instinctively is not reliable and risks imposing a foreign perspective on the text.
*More important than what the characters do is what the narrator does with the characters and what God is doing through the characters.
*Not everything has a “biblical view.”
Along with identifying common missteps, Walton’s insights point the way to stay focused on what the Old Testament text communicated to its original audience-and what it has to say for us today. When we submit ourselves to be accountable to the authors’ intentions we experience the true authority of Scripture, and faithful reading fuels a faithful life.
Using numerous examples across the breadth of the Old Testament and its genres, Walton equips thoughtful Christians to read more knowledgeably, to pay attention to God’s plans and purposes, to recognize good interpretations, and to truly live in light of Scripture. You may never read the Old Testament the same way again.
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1-2 Samuel
$45.00Add to cartTo craft informed sermons, pastors scour commentaries that often deal more with minutia than the main point. Or they turn to devotional commentaries, which may contain exegetical weaknesses. The Teach the Text Commentary Series bridges this gap by utilizing the best of biblical scholarship and providing the information a pastor needs to communicate the text effectively. By keeping the discussion of each carefully selected preaching unit to six pages of focused commentary, the volumes in this series allow pastors to quickly grasp the big idea and key themes of each passage of Scripture. The text and its meaning are made clear, and sections dedicated to effectively teaching and illustrating the text help pastors prepare to preach. Full-color illustrations, maps, and photos are included throughout each volume to illustrate the world and events described in the Bible.
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Lost World Of The Torah
$25.00Add to cartOur handling of what we call biblical law veers between controversy and neglect.
On the one hand, controversy arises when Old Testament laws seem either odd beyond comprehension (not eating lobster) or positively reprehensible (executing children). On the other, neglect results when we consider the law obsolete, no long carrying any normative power (tassels on clothing, making sacrifices). Even readers who do attempt to make use of the Old Testament “law” often find it either irrelevant, hopelessly laden with “thou shalt nots,” or simply so confusing that they throw up their hands in despair. Despite these extremes, people continue to propose moral principles from these laws as “the biblical view” and to garner proof texts to resolve issues that arise in society. The result is that both Christians and skeptics regularly abuse the Torah, and its true message often lies unheard.
Walton and Walton offer in The Lost World of the Torah a restorative vision of the ancient genre of instruction for wisdom that makes up a significant portion of the Old Testament. In the ancient Near East, order was achieved through the wisdom of those who governed society. The objective of torah was to teach the Israelites to be wise about the kind of order needed to receive the blessings of God’s favor and presence with the context of the covenant. Here readers will find fresh insight on this fundamental genre of the Old Testament canon.
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Lost World Of The Flood (Student/Study Guide)
$22.00Add to cart“The flood continued forty days on the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth . . . and the ark floated on the face of the waters” (Gen 6:17-18 NRSV).
In our modern age the Genesis flood account has been probed and analyzed for answers to scientific, apologetic, and historical questions. It is a text that has called forth flood geology, fueled searches for remnants of the ark on Mount Ararat, and inspired a full-size replica of Noah’s ark in a biblical theme park. Some claim that the very veracity of Scripture hinges on a particular reading of the flood narrative. But do we understand what we are reading?
Longman and Walton urge us to hit the pause button and ask, what might the biblical author have been saying to his ancient audience? The answer to our quest to rediscover the biblical flood requires that we set aside our own cultural and interpretive assumptions and visit the distant world of the ancient Near East. Responsible interpretation calls for the patient examination of the text within its ancient context of language, literature, and thought structures. And as we return from that lost world to our own, we will need to ask whether geological science supports the notion of flood geology.
The story of Noah and the flood will continue to invite questions and explorations. But to read Longman and Walton is put our feet on firmer interpretive ground. Without attempting to answer all of our questions, they lift the fog of modernity and allow the sunlight to reveal the true contours of the text. As with other books in the Lost World series, The Lost World of the Flood is an informative and enlightening journey toward a more responsible reading of a timeless biblical narrative.
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Revelation
$27.00Add to cartThe Teach the Text Commentary Series utilizes the best of biblical scholarship to provide the information a pastor needs to communicate the text effectively. The carefully selected preaching units and focused commentary allow pastors to quickly grasp the big idea and key themes of each passage of Scripture. Each unit of the commentary includes the big idea and key themes of the passage and sections dedicated to understanding, teaching, and illustrating the text.
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Old Testament Theology For Christians
$40.00Add to cartAbbreviations
1. Introduction And Foundations
2. God And The Gods
3. Cosmos And Humanity
4. Covenant And Kingdom
5. Temple And Torah
6. Sin And Evil
7. Salvation And Afterlife
8. Conclusions
Author Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
The Old Testament was written for us, but not to us. We will fully grasp its theology only when we are immersed in the ancient cultural river of Israel and the broader cultural river of the ancient Near East.In Old Testament Theology for Christians, John Walton invites us to leave our modern (and even many of our Christian) preconceptions at the threshold as we enter the world of the Old Testament. He challenges us to see it anew-as if for the first time-as guests in a strange and foreign land.
Walton offers a theology of the Old Testament that is consistently guided by what the ancient authors intended as they wrote within their cognitive environment. As we engage with their world, questions arise:
Why was the law given to Israel and how should we view it today?
How does the Old Testament understand sin and salvation?
Did God command Israel to commit genocide?
What was the role of the temple and its sacrifices in God’s covenant with Israel?
Is there an integrating and central theme of Old Testament theology?
What did God require of Israel and how does that apply to Christians today?
Should we look to the Old Testament for solutions to twenty-first century issues?
How should we read the Old Testament in light of Christ?In this capstone to a career of studying and teaching the Old Testament, Walton’s answers take unexpected turns. Viewed within its ancient Near Eastern cognitive environment, the text blossoms into fresh and challenging insights. No matter how you are accustomed to approaching the Old Testament, Old Testament Theology for Christians will challenge and sharpen your perceptions.
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Lost World Of The Israelite Conquest
$24.00Add to cartPerhaps no Old Testament episode is more troubling than the conquest of Canaan. “Destroy everything” is the byword of holy war. This is genocide. Or is it? Do we too quickly set a contemporary overlay on these ancient texts? This book takes us into the lost world of these texts, recalibrates our understanding and reshapes our conversations.
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Exodus
$27.00Add to cartFocused Biblical Scholarship to Teach the Text Effectively
To craft informed sermons, pastors scour commentaries that often deal more with minutia than the main point. Or they turn to devotional commentaries, which may contain exegetical weaknesses. The Teach the Text Commentary Series bridges this gap by utilizing the best of biblical scholarship and providing the information a pastor needs to communicate the text effectively. By concentrating each carefully selected preaching unit into six pages of focused commentary, each volume in this series allows pastors to quickly grasp the big idea and key themes of each passage of Scripture. Each unit of the commentary includes the big idea and key themes of the passage; sections dedicated to understanding, teaching, and illustrating the text; and full-color illustrations, maps, and photos.
The newest release in this innovative commentary series is T. Desmond Alexander’s treatment of Exodus.
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How To Read Job
$25.00Add to cartPart I: Reading Job As Literature
1. What Is The Book Of Job About?
2. What Is The Rhetorical Strategy Of The Book Of Job?
3. Job In The Context Of The Ancient Near East
4. Is Job A Real Person?Part II: Getting To Know The Characters Of The Book Of Job
5. What Do We Learn About God From Job?
6. Who Is “Satan” In Job?
7. What Is The Role Of Job In The Book Of Job?
8. How To Assess Job’s Human Advisers
9. Who Is Job’s Advocate?
10. Behemoth And Leviathan, The Most Powerful Creatures ImaginablePart III: The Theological Message Of The Book Of Job
11. The Retribution Principle And Theodicy In Job
12. The Retribution Principle In Wisdom Literature
13. Does Job Believe In The Afterlife?
14. Learning About The Cosmos In Job
15. The Theology Of Suffering In The Book Of Job
16. Job’s View Of GodPart IV: Reading Job As A Christian
17. Job And Jesus
18. The Message Of The Book Of Job For Today
19. Does The Book Of Job Provide Comfort?
20. Applying The Book Of JobAppendix: Commentaries On The Book Of Job
Author Index
Subject Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
We often turn to the book of Job when we encounter suffering. We look for an explanation for the questions “Why me?” or “Why her?” But what if it turns out that although Job does suffer, the book is not really about his suffering?If ever a book needed a “How to Read” instruction manual, it is the book of Job. And when two respected Old Testament scholars team up-both of whom have written commentaries on Job-we have a matchless guide to reading and appreciating the book. From their analysis of its place in the wisdom literature of the Bible and the ancient Near East to their discussions of its literary features and relationship to history, Walton and Longman give us the best of their expertise. They explore the theology of Job, placing it within Israelite religion and Old Testament theology. And they coach us in how to read Job as Christians. When it turns out the book is not what we thought it was, our reading is richly layered and more satisfying.
Whether you are preparing to preach or teach, leading a Bible study, studying for a class or for personal enrichment, How to Read Job is your starting point.
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Lost World Of Adam And Eve
$22.00Add to cartThe Lost World of Adam and Eve enters into the debate over the Bible and human origins. Adam and Eve emerge as archetypal but real individuals chosen for roles and functions. The details of the Genesis story take on sharper definition as they are backlit by ancient Near Eastern thinking, and invite our full engagement with the science.
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Lost World Of Scripture
$32.00Add to cartWalton and Sandy summarize what we know of orality and oral tradition as well as the composition and transmission of texts in the ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman world, and how this shapes our understanding of the Old and New Testaments. The authors provide a helpful model for understanding the reliability of Scripture
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Lost World Of Genesis One
$22.00Add to cartIn this astute mix of cultural critique and biblical studies, John H. Walton presents and defends twenty propositions supporting a literary and theological understanding of Genesis 1 within the context of the ancient Near Eastern world and unpacks its implications for our modern scientific understanding of origins.
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Old Testament : IVP Bible Background Commentary
$50.00Add to cartWhat was the significance of serpents in biblical times? Why was pork considered unclean? Drawing from various ancient texts and resources, this unique commentary clarifies historical references, social and cultural backgrounds, and archaeological discoveries in an accessible and lucid style that sparkles with interest and enlarges your understanding of Scripture.
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Chronological And Background Charts Of The Old Testament
$21.99Add to cart1. The Ancient Church
2. The Medieval
3. The Reformation
4. The Modern European Church
5. The American Church84 Charts
Additional Info
Charts provide a synthesis and visual overview of information that helps in teaching, learning, and review. Facts, relationships, parallels, and contrasts are grasped easily and quickly.The 84 charts in Chronological and Background Charts of Church History provide a summary of key persons, events, dates, and ideas throughout church history-from ancient to modern European and American.
