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Is 'newer' really 'better'? We often assume so, but if we do treat the past as inferior we will ignore the legacy of history, and thus will find ourselves stranded on the tiny desert island of our own moment in time. In particular, this applies to Christian theology, which should be thought, and lived, corporately by the church down through the ages. The remedy to 'chronological snobbery' is, as C.S. Lewis put it, 'to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds'. Such is the motivation behind Michael Reeves' introduction to a selection of influential or significant Christian theologians. This accessible and informative volume covers the Apostolic Fathers, Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm and Thomas Aquinas. Each chapter begins with a brief biography and some background, then surveys each theologian's major work or works, gives a timeline for historical context, and ends with guidance for further reading. 'Full of interest and totally scintillating.' Greg Haslam, Westminster Chapel 'An important book, wonderfully written.' Steve Holmes, University of St Andrews 'A very readable introduction to many of the key figures and works of the early church.' Tony Lane, London School of Theology

Perhaps no other doctrine has more tangible impact on Christians than their doctrine of the church. In a cultural climate where the very word 'church' sounds a tone of dull irrelevance, the 'doctrine of the church' has suffered studied neglect. The persistent demands to market and grow the church threaten to quench serious theological reflection on its abiding nature and mission. But few activities bear greater promise for renewing and reshaping the church than the work of theology. Edmund Clowney addresses these issues from decades of thinking and teaching. Biblical, historical, systematic and Reformed, 'The Church' is a timely reflection on the life, order and purpose of the household of God.

The Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther. These five Old Testament books, traditionally known simply as The Scrolls, are among the most neglected parts of the Christian Bible. Each raises particular difficulties with regard to how it relates to the rest of Scripture, and the manner in which it should be understood and used as the Word of God for us today. In Judaism, these books were adopted as lectionary readings for five of the major festivals - but no comparable solution has emerged in Christianity. Barry Webb explores Christian interpretation of these problematic writings. Each book is allowed to set its own agenda, and is then examined in relation to the wider Old Testament context and to the New Testament gospel with its basic structure of promise and fulfilment. In this way, Dr Webb offers fresh and illuminating perspectives on these 'festival garments' of love, kindness, suffering, vexation and deliverance.

Why should Christians think about the future? Graham Beynon offers fresh teaching on this topic and shows how what is to come should shape practical Christian living now. God has a plan for where he is taking this world, and his people are called to live in the light of that future.

Find freedom from porn - be captured by the better vision of Jesus' beauty and grace

Many of us have felt the temptation to opt for a domesticated version of the gospel. We want enough to make us happy and secure, but not so much that it really affects our lives. We want ecstasy not repentance, security not selfless love and service. We may not like to admit it, but the temptation is there. It is nothing new, but perhaps it is especially strong today. Many changes in society and increasing self-indulgence all put pressure on believers to water down the gospel and its impact on our lives. The apostle Paul saw the insidious evil of similar influences in the Roman Empire of his day, and recognized that these pressures could harm the fledgling Christian community in Philippi. He couldn't visit them, but he wrote to encourage them to maintain basic Christian commitments and to be on guard against an array of dangers: temptations from within and seduction and opposition from without. In 'Basics for Believers', Don Carson opens up the life-transforming lessons of Philippians, showing us how we can put the whole gospel first, learn to live as disciples of Christ, and never give up the Christian walk.

When we hear the word 'idol' we tend to think of football players or pop stars. We may even remember that some people's religion meant worshipping idols: little or large statues that represented a god. But what has this to do with us today? Julian Hardyman is increasingly convinced that idolatry putting anything else in the place that is rightfully God's explains us and our problems: Why we get so angry about traffic jams. What drives us to work so hard our marriage hits the rocks. What lies behind that compulsion to look at pornography. He has also found that God is engaged in a war to win back our hearts.

This Apollos Old Testament Commentary volume by Daniel J. Estes expounds the books of Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs in a scholarly manner, and it shows the relevance of these important books to today's readers. Edited by David W. Baker and Gordon J. Wenham, the series is intended to serve the needs of those who preach from the Old Testament.

Under that hoodie, behind that eye make-up, there frequently lurks a human being of immense charm, affection and wit.'Ann Benton admits that, when her children were teenagers, she enjoyed 'the very best of parenting years'. Yet, from her experience and that of others, she is all too well aware of the frustrations, pitfalls and difficulties that parenting teens can bring.The Bible book of Proverbs points to wisdom as the key to health, happiness and prosperity. The author points out that the job of parents is not first and foremost to make their teens successful, but to make them wise.With honesty and wit, Ann shows how Proverbs can speak directly into real life, however messy, today.

God speaks. By his Spirit. Through the Bible. About his Son. This is one of the most crucial things for any Christian to get to grips with. If we understand how God speaks, then we can truly know him. Everything else slots into place. We see Jesus clearly. We fall in love with him more deeply. We make sense of our world. But get this wrong and we lose it all. This book covers the whole sweep of the subject from start to finish. It puts all the parts of the jigsaw in their proper place. Yet, mixing our metaphors, it's also an appetizer, whetting your palate for more...

Theological and critical engagement with John Calvin's life, ministry and theological legacy.

This unique volume edited by Wheaton professors Noah J. Toly and Daniel I. Block teams up scientists with biblical scholars to help us discern what are our environmental obligations as Christians.

A straightforward, user-friendly guide to how to read the Bible - dig deep into God's word for yourself.

There are many biographies of John Calvin, the theologian - some vilifying him and others extolling his virtues - but few that reveal John Calvin, the man.Professor and renowned Reformation historian Herman Selderhuis has written this book to bring Calvin near to the reader, showing him as a man who had an impressive impact on the development of the Western world, but who was first of all a believer struggling with God and with the way God governed both the world and his own life.Selderhuis draws on Calvin's own publications and commentary on the biblical figures with whom he strongly identified to describe his theology in the context of his personal development. Throughout we see a person who found himself alone at many of the decisive moments of his life - a fact that echoed through Calvin's subsequent sermons and commentaries. Selderhuis's unique and compelling look at John Calvin, with all of his merits and foibles, ultimately discloses a man who could not find himself at home in the world in which he lived.

Eckhard Schnabel's two-volume Early Christian Mission is widely recognized as the most complete and authoritative contemporary study of the first-century Christian missionary movement. Now in Paul the Missionary Schnabel draws on his research and provides a manageable study for students of Paul as well as students and practitioners of Christian mission today. Schnabel first focuses the spotlight on Paul's missionary work - the realities he faced, and the strategies and methods he employed. Applying his grasp of the wide range of ancient sources and of contemporary scholarship, he clarifies our understanding, expands our knowledge and corrects our misconceptions of Paul the missionary. In a final chapter Schnabel shines the recovered light of Paul's missionary methods and practices on Christian mission today. Much like Roland Allen's classic Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours? of nearly a century ago, Schnabel offers both praise and criticism. For those who take the time to immerse themselves in the world of Paul's missionary endeavour, this final chapter will be both rewarding and searching.

Edited by Scott J. Hafemann, this comprehensive text addresses the state of the discipline of biblical theology, analyzes the history and future of methodological issues, tackles specific problems in the separate disciplines of Old and New Testament theology, and outlines a way forward.

Since Jesus lived so long ago, we assume that we know little about his life story. In fact, we know more about him than many famous people closer to our own time. We have twenty-seven New Testament texts focused on him written by nine different authors; and, although hostile to him, non-Christian writers from the same era corroborate the basic facts about Jesus and the character of early Christianity.The first Christians worshipped Jesus the exalted Messiah as a divinity, as witnessed by Pliny's observation that they sang hymns to Christ 'as if to a god' - and yet many dismiss the pre-crucifixion Jesus as something infinitely less, a mere rabbi or prophet.In response, Paul Barnett offers this accessible exploration of Jesus as Messiah, beginning with a survey of Old Testament prophecies and then working through Messiah's birth, mission, message, miracles, resurrection, etc. in the New Testament.Barnett demonstrates that, as Messiah, Jesus is the centre of the Bible's story, which is the story of God's salvation of the human race. As the fulfilment of the promises in the Old Testament, the Messiah is the end of the beginning. At the same time, as the herald and inaugurator of the kingdom of God, he is the beginning of the end. So Messiah is the centre of all things that matter, both for humanity and for individuals.

The heart of the Biblical understanding of idolatry, argues Gregory Beale, is that we become like what we worship. Employing Isaiah 6 as his interpretive lens, Beale demonstrates that this understanding of idolatry permeates the whole canon, from Genesis to Revelation.

When Faith Flickers, Stoke the FireNo one sins out of duty. We sin because it offers some promise of happiness. That promise enslaves us - until we believe that God is more desirable than life itself (Psalm 63:3). Only the power of God's superior promises in the gospel can emancipate our hearts from servitude to the shallow promises and fleeting pleasures of sin. John Piper shows how to sever the clinging roots of sin that ensnare us, including anxiety, pride, shame, impatience, covetousness, bitterness, despondency, and lust. Delighting in the bounty of God's glorious gospel promises will free us for a less sin-encumbered life, to the glory of Christ. Rooted in solid biblical reflection, this book aims to help guide you through the battles to the joys of victory by the power of the gospel and its superior pleasure.