Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus

Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus
Author: David Bivin
Publisher: Destiny Image Publishers
Total Pages: 131
Release: 1994-10-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0768492084

Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus“This book will stir the pot of biblical scholarship for years to come. It will force many to rethink the origin of the Gospels and the Jewishness of Jesus. Some may disagree with Bivin and Blizzard at certain points. No one, however, can ignore the soundness of their conclusion: Jesus is a Hebrew...

The Difficult Words of Jesus

The Difficult Words of Jesus
Author: Amy-Jill Levine
Publisher: Canterbury Press
Total Pages: 97
Release: 2022-10-31
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1786224755

As well as telling parables and stories, giving teachings on how to discern questions of ethics and human nature, and offering beatitudes for comfort and encouragement, Jesus also spoke words and flung insults that followers then and now have found difficult, to say the least. He instructs disciples to hate members of their own families (Luke 14:26), warns that unending fire awaits some people, says body parts should be cut off if they offend. He calls a foreign woman a ‘dog’, the Jews ‘offspring of vipers’ and his closest disciple ‘Satan’. Preachers often gloss over these or avoid them altogether as they are still so shocking. In The Difficult Words of Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine sheds vital light on understanding these by exploring how these sayings sounded to those who first heard them. She reveals Jewish modes of expression, humour and the long tradition of Jewish insults and what they mean, and how we might interpret these sayings today within a gospel of love and reconciliation.

Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus

Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus
Author: Lois Tverberg
Publisher: Baker Books
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2018-01-02
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1493412671

What would it be like for modern readers to sit down beside Jesus as he explained the Bible to them? What life-changing insights might emerge from such a transformative encounter? Lois Tverberg knows the treasures that await readers willing to learn how to read the Bible through Jewish eyes. By helping them understand the Bible as Jesus and his first-century listeners would have, she bridges the gaps of time and culture in order to open the Bible to readers today. Combining careful research with engaging prose, Tverberg leads us on a journey back in time to shed light on how this Middle Eastern people approached life, God, and each other. She explains age-old imagery that we often misinterpret, allowing us to approach God and the stories and teachings of Scripture with new eyes. By helping readers grasp the perspective of its original audience, she equips them to read the Bible in ways that will enrich their lives and deepen their understanding.

God's Shalom Project

God's Shalom Project
Author: Bernhard Ott
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 147
Release: 2005-02-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1680992384

The author sees God as a gracious parent, intent on a restored relationship with humans. It is that ongoing effort which Ott calls the Shalom Project. Ott believes that "God wants a Shalom people," a community of the faithful who together love God and each other, and then live in the world within that strength.

Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus

Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus
Author: Lois Tverberg
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2012-03-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 031041220X

In this ebook download of Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, Lois Tverberg challenges readers to follow their Rabbi more closely by reexamining his words in the light of their Jewish context. Doing so will provide a richer, deeper understanding of his ministry, compelling us to live differently, to become more Christ-like. We'll begin to understand why his first Jewish disciples abandoned everything to follow him, to live out his commands. Our modern society, with its individualism and materialism, is very different than the tight-knit, family-oriented setting Jesus lived and taught in. What wisdom can we glean from his Eastern, biblical attitude toward life? How can knowing Jesus within this context shed light on his teachings for us today? In Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus we'll journey back in time to eavesdrop on the conversations that arose among the rabbis of Jesus' day, and consider how hearing Rabbi Jesus with the ears of a first-century disciple can bring new meaning to our faith. And we'll listen to Jewish thinkers through the ages, discovering how ideas that germinated in Jesus' time have borne fruit. Doing so will yield fresh, practical insights for following our Rabbi's teachings from a Jewish point of view.

Jesus: The Way, the Truth, and the Life

Jesus: The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Author: Marcellino D’Ambrosio
Publisher: Ascension Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2020-01-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

“In this book, Marcellino D’Ambrosio has painted a rich picture that brings Jesus and his world to life. Clear, concise, and compelling, Jesus: The Way, the Truth, and the Life is a must-read for every Catholic.” – Edward Sri Jesus: The Way, the Truth, and the Life by Marcellino D’Ambrosio is an ebook that stands alone but also accompanies the 10-week video study program presented by Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Jeff Cavins, and Edward Sri. In this book, Catholics walk step by step with Jesus from his infancy to the Ascension. Anchored in the life of Christ as presented in the Gospels, it explores the entirety of Jesus’ life—who he is, what he is really like, what he taught, what he did for our salvation, and what this means for us as Catholics today. This study shows, in a simple way, how Jesus, the Incarnate God, is both fully divine and fully human—his intimacy with the Father, his revelation of the Father’s love, and his extraordinary influence on his disciples, his followers, and even his enemies. Most importantly, this encounter with Christ will inspire and empower you to center your entire life in him as you come to know and love him in an ever-deeper and more intimate way. In this book, Catholics will learn... Who Jesus is and how he answers the longings of the human heart. Why Jesus was baptized. The significance of the Transfiguration. The essentials of Christology explained in a way the average Catholic can understand. The mystery and meaning of the Resurrection, Christ’s triumph over death. The nature of Jesus’ mission and the redemption of humanity. Our role today as Catholics in the Great Commission. Paperback, 280 pages Nihil obstat: Rev. Robert A. Pesarchik Censor deputatus January 21, 2020 Imprimatur: +Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput Archbishop of Philadelphia November 21, 2020

Jesus Rabbi and Lord

Jesus Rabbi and Lord
Author: Robert L. Lindsey
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2017-08-29
Genre:
ISBN: 9781548824495

In 1945, Robert Lisle Lindsey from Norman, Oklahoma, found himself the pastor of a small Baptist congregation in Jerusalem, Israel. With his Hebrew-speaking congregants in mind, he began a translation of the Greek texts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke and soon concluded there must lie behind these Gospels--even if distantly--an early Hebrew story of Jesus. To his surprise, he also found that Luke almost always showed Greek texts which could easily be translated literally to Hebrew. The same was true of Matthew, wherever he was not copying Mark's Gospel.In 1962, Lindsey met Professor David Flusser of Hebrew University and the two pursued the question of whether we can get back to the earliest semitic story and words of Jesus. "It is clear," say Lindsey and Flusser, "that our synoptic texts originated mainly in one Greek translation of a Hebrew biography of Jesus, probably written by the Matthew of tradition. The materials are too Hebraic to have originated in Greek, as many scholars mistakenly think today. Happily, if we use the right tools we can still hear Jesus speak as his fellow Jews of the first-century heard Him.''Lindsey tells here the warm, personal account of how he and Flusser struggled over many years to discover the earliest form of Jesus' words and narratives of His life. They believe that the records, when properly analyzed and studied, show us an authentic picture of Jesus interacting with the people of Jerusalem and Galilee. Jesus clearly heads a movement, the ''Kingdom of Heaven, '' and is a Divine Figure whose actions and words are fully Messianic.

Sermon on the Mount Leader Guide

Sermon on the Mount Leader Guide
Author: Amy-Jill Levine
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Total Pages: 74
Release: 2020-08-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1501899929

How is the follower of Jesus to understand the words of the Old Testament? How are those words relevant to the New Covenant he is establishing? What might the words of the Lord’s Prayer have conveyed to his initial followers, and why is that historical information essential to the prayer two millennia later? In Sermon on the Mount, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine takes a detailed and colorful overview of Matthew 5-7, collectively known as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Through Dr. Levine’s engaging method of biblical interpretation, readers will come away with a solid understanding of the Sermon on the Mount in its historical and theological context. Chapters include: The Beatitudes The Extensions Practicing Piety Our Father Finding Your Treasure Living into the Kingdom Explore the major topics in the most popular sermon ever delivered and unpack how Jesus makes his points using a solid knowledge of Hebrew Scriptures and moral teachings. The Leader Guide includes session outline for each group meeting with Scripture, prayer, opening activity, discussion questions, activity, and ending call to action.

Understanding Jesus

Understanding Jesus
Author: Joe Amaral
Publisher: FaithWords
Total Pages: 118
Release: 2011-09-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1455512494

Modern-day Christians often bring their own presuppositions and assumptions to the reading of the Bible, not realizing how deeply their understanding of Christ's life and teachings is affected by a 21st-century worldview. In Understanding Jesus, author Joe Amaral delves deep into Jewish history, societal mores, and cultural traditions, closing the gap created by geographical distance and over two thousand years of history. Using a chronological approach to the life of Christ, he guides the reader through significant events such as Jesus' birth, baptism, and crucifixion, pointing out illuminating details that that the Western mind would normally miss. Amaral's premise is that to understand Jesus, we must understand the time and place in which he was born, the background from which he drew his illustrations, and the audience he spoke to. Throughout the book he explores specific terms, places, and events for their significance and shows how they add richness and meaning to the text. Topics include the connection between Jesus and John the Baptist, the annual Feasts and why they are important to modern Christianity, Jewish customs such as foot-washing, clean and unclean foods, paying tribute to political governments, and the significance of various miracles. In Understanding Jesus, Amaral draws back the curtain on a way of life that existed during the reign of the Caesars, and in doing so, reveals truths about the way we live more than two thousand years later, half a world away.