Christianity Today 5-Star Review Publishers Weekly Review Foreword Reviews Indie Awards Finalist Gain a greater understanding of gender in the Bible through the eyes of a diverse group of evangelical scholars who assert that Christians have missed the point of some scriptural stories by assuming the women in them were "bad girls." Did the Samaritan woman really divorce five husbands in a world where women rarely divorced even one? Did Bathsheba seduce King David by bathing in the nude? Was Mary Magdalene really a reformed prostitute? While many have written studies of the women in the Bible, this is a new kind of book--one in which an international team of male and female scholars look afresh at vilified and neglected women in the Bible. The result is a new glimpse into God's heart for anyone, male or female, who has limited social power.

Discover the storyline of Scripture as you follow people, places, or things in the Bible. Maybe you are practiced in dissecting a passage and pulling things out of the text to apply to your life. But now you may feel as though your faith is fragmented. The Storyline Bible Studies help you put the pieces back together. You'll discover cohesive, thematic storylines with literary elements and appreciate the Bible as the literary masterpiece that it is. In Sinners, we will discover God's tender compassion on anyone--regardless of their social status, troubled past, or the labels placed upon them. And we are going to notice the counterintuitive ways "sinful" people respond to Jesus in righteous acts of faith. You'll start to see a theme unfold: The people considered sinful often act with greater faith than the most religious people of Jesus' day. In the Sinners Bible study, we will explore Luke 7: the sinful woman who anointed Jesus with the perfume from her alabaster jar and whose faith saved her; Luke 7: the Roman centurion who advocated for his sick servant and whose faith saved the servant's life; Matthew 9: the former tax collector and disciple named Matthew who had left his tollbooth to follow Jesus and whose faith confused the religious; Matthew 15: the Canaanite mom who begged Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter and whose faith led to her daughter's healing; and John 4: the Samaritan woman at the well who was approached by Jesus and whose faith started revival in her town.

LifeChange Bible studies train you in good Bible study practices as you enjoy a robust and engaging topical study. Learn the skill as you study the Word. Your study of the Scriptures will never be the same! Women are everywhere in the New Testament. They follow and serve Jesus, seek Him for healing, and play creative and essential roles in the early church. For much of our history, however, their stories have been mediated and interpreted through a male-centric lens. This may mean that you will be surprised when you see what an active and courageous role women played in the days when Jesus and His apostles announced the arrival of the Kingdom of God and the role Jesus continues to invite all of His disciples into today. In this LifeChange study guide, we will study how Jesus welcomes marginalized and culturally neglected people as disciples, publicly affirms their faith as examples for others, and empowers them to lead and use their gifts. Over the course of 8 sessions, we will learn about . . . Mary and Elizabeth The Samaritan Woman The Bleeding Woman The Canaanite Woman Martha Mary of Bethany Mary Magdalene The Women of Romans The LifeChange studies are optimized for small group use. Every study is broken down into 8-9 sessions of about 45 minutes. Each session includes: Questions, interpretation, and application of a passage to the topic Personally focused "Your Response" question "For Further Study" section that gives readers another passage to explore around the topic Callouts that include language study, historical context, and illuminating quotes from commentaries

A method of interpretation--a hermeneutic--is indispensable for understanding Scripture, constructing theology, and living the Christian life, but most contemporary hermeneutical systems fail to acknowledge the principles and practices of the biblical writers themselves. Christians today cannot employ a truly biblical view of the Bible unless they understand why the prophets and apostles interpreted Scripture the way they did. To this end, Abner Chou proposes a "hermeneutic of obedience," in which believers learn to interpret Scripture the way the biblical authors did--including understanding the New Testament's use of the Old Testament. Chou first unfolds the "prophetic hermeneutic" of the Old Testament authors, and demonstrates the continuity of this approach with the "apostolic hermeneutic" of the New Testament authors.

These studies guide you through the storyline of Scripture-each following a person, place, or thing in the Bible. Maybe you are practiced in dissecting a passage and pulling things out of the text to apply to your life. But now you may feel as though your faith is fragmented. The Storyline Bible studies help you put the pieces back together. You’ll discover cohesive, thematic storylines with literary elements and appreciate the Bible as the masterpiece that it is. Each study is five weeks long and can be paired with its thematic partner for a seamless ten-week study to fit in a church semester. Every study features: Gospel presentation at the beginning of each Bible study Full Scripture passages included in the study so that you can mark up the text and keep your notes in one place Insights from female scholars and scholars of color Free resources for preaching and leading small groups Every tree, bush, or vine in the Bible is deeply embedded in an ancient, symbolic-driven world where imagery of the story didn’t just matter—it had meaning. The Sticks Bible study will guide you through five Bible stories where trees point us to how we can seek godly wisdom and make hard choices that honor God. In Sticks, we’re going to explore Genesis 2–3, where the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil show us how to choose wisely and not to take matters into our own hands; Exodus 3, where the Burning Bush helps us choose to notice when God is trying to get our attention; Isaiah 1, 6, 11, 53, where the Messiah Tree helps us choose to branch out from our shady family trees; John 15, where the True Vine teaches us how to choose to stay connected to Jesus for a fruitful life; and Revelation 22, where the Tree of Life helps us to choose to reframe our views from the treetops.

40 Questions About Women in Ministry charts a course for understanding differing views on the topic regarding the ministries of women. The accessible question-and-answer format guides readers to specific areas of confusion, and authors helpfully zero in on the foundations of varied beliefs and practices. Edwards and Mathews cover interpretive, theological, historical, and practical matters such as: -What did God mean by the woman as man's "helper"? -How is it that Christians reach different conclusions about 1 Timothy 2:11-15? -How did Western culture influence the role of women in society and the church? Combining a strong adherence to Scripture, vast academic and ministry experiences, and a commitment to Christ-honoring dialogue, 40 Questions About Women in Ministry is a valuable guide to pastors, ministry leaders, church groups, and seminarians. "Based on extensive research, the authors present various viewpoints fairly and clearly, and offer concise explanations to equip readers to draw their own conclusions on these pressing questions." --Lynn Cohick, Provost/Dean of Academic Affairs, Professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary "Raise the topic of women in the church and the roles they have and you better be prepared to have your blood pressure checked along with the person you are talking to about the topic. Here is a book that calmly lays out the view's pro and con for the array of options the topic yields. It does so evenhandedly." --Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Executive Director for Cultural Engagement for The Hendricks Center, Dallas Theological Seminary