Bible Commentary

During His life and ministry, Christ assured the apostles that He would one day return for His people. But how should this future event affect our lives today? In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he reveals that the promise of Christ’s return is more than a doctrine of our faith. It is a remarkable truth that can shape how we live, how we connect, and how we view ministry. Part of Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe’s best-selling “BE” commentary series, Be Ready has now been updated with study questions and a new introduction by Ken Baugh.

What was it like to be a woman in the biblical period? It depended, in part, on who you were: a queen, a judge, a primary wife, a secondary wife, a widow, a slave, or some other kind of "ordinary woman". In Women in the Bible, Jaime Clark-Soles investigates how women are presented in Scripture, taking into account cultural views of both ancient societies as well as our own. Most of Christendom still excludes women from religious leadership, and many Christians invoke the Bible to circumscribe women's leadership in the public square and in the home as well.

Throughout much of human history, our most important stories were passed down orally - including the stories about Jesus before they became written down in the Gospels. In this fascinating and deeply researched work, leading Bible scholar Bart D. Erhman investigates the role oral history has played in the New Testament - how the telling of these stories not only spread Jesus' message but helped shape it.

Best-selling author Warren Wiersbe unwraps the book of Nehemiah in his study Be Determined to show a servant so selfless, a mission so humbling, and a perseverance so admirable that Christians are drawn to a new awe of God. As the leader God calls to mobilize and equip His people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah was a man who didn't know the word no when it came to God's economy.

Two thousand years ago, the church at Colossae faced similar challenges. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter outlining the only way we can live complete lives: Christ. What can we learn today from this ancient church? Called by many scholars the "most profound letter Paul ever wrote," Colossians warrants a careful, faithful study. In this short, but exciting letter, Paul makes the case for the supremacy of Christ in all things. Best selling author and teacher Warren Wiersbe calls your attention to Paul's essential thoughts on living a complete life—Christ alone—in this easy-to-use commentary.

Under close examination, the Book of Joshua seems to be a precursor to the book of Revelation: another Yehoshua, as Commander-in-Chief, will dispossess the Planet Earth of its usurpers - first sending in two witnesses, then with a series of judgments of sevens, finally defeating the kings with signs in the sun and moon while the kings of the Earth all hide in caves. What does the name "Joshua" mean?

The gospel of Mark comes alive in N. T. Wright's updated, listener-friendly translation and insightful commentary. He guides the listener through the world of the New Testament, explaining the ideas and events that shaped the gospel writer's account of the life of Jesus. Breaking down the gospel of Mark into brief, easy-to-study segments, Wright shows how the message of this ancient book speaks powerfully to the spiritual longings of contemporary listeners. New Christians and longtime followers of Jesus alike will find inspiration and practical wisdom for their journey within this book.

How can we persevere through persecution? First-century Christians wrestled with this question. They were often harassed, slandered, beaten, and ostracized for their faith. As they endured these difficult circumstances, we can imagine their joy upon receiving two encouraging letters from the Apostle Peter. No stranger to suffering, Peter likely penned these letters while in a Roman prison just before his martyrdom. In this volume, Dr. R.C. Sproul takes us through Peter’s epistles line by line.

Reading Revelation Responsibly is for those who are confused by, afraid of, and or preoccupied with the book of Revelation. In rescuing the Apocalypse from those who either completely misinterpret it or completely ignore it, Michael Gorman has given us both a guide to reading Revelation in a responsible way and a theological engagement with the text itself. He takes interpreting the book as a serious and sacred responsibility, believing how one reads, teaches, and preaches Revelation can have a powerful impact on one's own—and other people's—well-being.

The book of Revelation stands out as one of the most intriguing, yet least understood books of the Bible. From the sobering letters to the seven churches to the amazing visions and epic battles, millions of Christians have toiled to understand the meaning of this mysterious book. Trust Dr. Warren Wiersbe, pastor and Bible teacher for over forty years, to take you chapter-by-chapter through the various topics in this important book, all the while, keeping a steady eye on the main message of the book: Christ is the victor, and in Christ, we are also victorious.

These two volumes on the Minor Prophets offer more of James Montgomery Boice's informative and practical commentary. Volume 1 surveys Hosea through Jonah, and volume 2 covers Micah through Malachi. Both volumes offer thorough interpretation of the text in a clearly written manner that will inform and help a wide range of listeners, from serious Bible students to interested laypersons. Based on messages Boice preached, these expositional commentaries explain the meaning of the text verse by verse and section by section.

Jesus said that the psalms spoke about him (Lk 24:44). Christ's birth, betrayal, agony, death, resurrection, ascension, coming again in glory, and his worldwide reign - all are pictured in inspired vividness. They constitute irrefutable testimony to the divine inspiration of the Scripture.

The Secrets of the Eternal Book decodes some of the Bible’s most enigmatic, yet oft-cited epochs. The author’s lively and easygoing style makes for a smooth entrance into the depths of perception, where one changes one’s world simply by contemplation and desire. While listening, you will gently rise beyond the level of physical events as they are described in the Bible, and you will find Pharaoh, Moses, Adam, and Eve that lie within you.

Few, if any, thinkers and writers today would have the imagination, the breadth of knowledge, and the literary skill to conceive of a powerful secular alternative to the Bible. But that is exactly what A. C. Grayling has done, creating a nonreligious bible drawn from the wealth of secular literature and philosophy in both Western and Eastern traditions, using the same techniques of editing, redaction, and adaptation that produced the holy books of the Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions.

The book of Acts bursts with the passion of early Christians embracing God's work and spreading Jesus's message worldwide. It also lays bare the challenges churches face, demonstrating that 'normal church life' has never been plain sailing. Acts is a dynamic narrative of journeys, trials, and triumphs, inspiring us in our own spiritual journeys. Acts, Part 1 spans from Luke's introduction to Herod's death in chapter 12.

What is this book good for? It establishes a clear linear understanding of biblical text in its purpose of driving the listener to see how faithfully God executes His purpose in creation. The covenantal framework from Adam to Christ, and from creation to consummation, is a most apt way of seeing the flow of the entire biblical text. One is lifted in the journey and is able to see the entire scope of Divine Providence work out the divine decree from generation to generation, book to book, event to event, person to person.

Prepared to be awed by our God. The books of Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Malachi are viewed by Biblical scholars as the Minor Prophets. Yet the insights and messages contained within these books are anything but minor. These prophets offer a unique, firsthand view of an all-powerful God who longs to intimately connect with His people. This study examines their personal stories to discover how He interacts with our world in truly amazing ways.

A respected pastor and a man whose study series has sold over 4 million copies, Wiersbe affectionately calls the apostle Luke "Dr. Luke" as he shows how Dr. Luke recorded Paul's missionary journeys. Listeners travel through dungeon prisons, see the ancient world as if it were today, and witness the marvelous work God can do through a few souls fully surrendered to His purposes. They witness Paul's conversion and spot his imperfections, yet still they enter his successes as the Lord uses Him to preach Good News to the lost and dying.

If you could spend a few minutes with the giants of faith in the Old Testament in person, what lessons would they share with you? In Learning from the Giants, John C. Maxwell draws on 50 years of studying the Bible to share the stories of Elijah, Elisha, Job, Jacob, Deborah, Isaiah, Jonah, Joshua and Daniel. These people fought and won epic battles, served kings, and endured great hardships for God to come out on the other side transformed through His grace.

At every moment the author brings deep insight, conviction, and clarity about what God's Kingdom work is all about.