Demonstrates the reliability of the canonical gospels by exploring the genre of ancient biography

The canonical gospels are ancient biographies, narratives of Jesus’s life. The authors of these gospels were intentional in how they handled historical information and sources.

Building on recent work in the study of ancient biographies, Craig Keener argues that the writers of the canonical gospels followed the literary practices of other biographers in their day. In Christobiography he explores the character of ancient biography and urges students and scholars to appreciate the gospel writers’ method and degree of accuracy in recounting the ministry of Jesus. Keener’s Christobiography has far-reaching implications for the study of the canonical gospels and historical-Jesus research.

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Part 1. Biographies about Jesus
            2. Not a Novel Proposal
            3. Examples and Development of Ancient Biography
            4. What Sort of Biographies Are the Gospels?
            5. What Did First-Century Audiences Expect of Biographies?
Part 2 Biographies and History
            6. Biographies and Historical Information
            7. What Historical Interests Meant in Antiquity
            8. Luke-Acts as Biohistory
            9. Sources Close to the Events
Part 3. Testing the Range of Deviation
            10. Case Studies: Biographies of Recent Characters Use Prior Information
            11. Flex Room: Literary Techniques in Ancient Biographies
Part 4. Two Objections to Gospels as Historical Biographies
            12. What about Miracles?
            13. What about John?
Part 5. Memories about Jesus: Memories before Memoirs
            14. Memory Studies
            15. Jesus Was a Teacher
            16. Oral Tradition, Oral History
            17. The Implications of This Study

What does the Bible say about women’s roles in the church? With pros and cons on either side of a heated, ongoing debate, no definitive conclusions have emerged. This book furnishes you with a clear and thorough presentation of the two primary views on women in ministry so you can better understand each one’s strengths, weaknesses, and complexities. Each view—egalitarian (equal ministry opportunity for both genders) and complementarian (ministry roles differentiated by gender)—is represented by two contributors. This revised edition of the book brings the exchange of ideas and perspectives into the traditional Counterpoints format. Each author states his or her case and is then critiqued by the other contributors. The fair-minded, interactive Counterpoints forum allows you to compare and contrast the two different positions, and to form your own opinion concerning the practical and often deeply personal issue of women in ministry. The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians. Counterpoints books address two categories: Church Life and Bible and Theology. Complete your library with other books in the Counterpoints series.

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context.

What can we know about the book of Revelation? What should we make of its visions of apocalyptic horsemen, horns with faces, flying angels, and fantastic beasts? Most important, what meaning does it hold for us here and now, and how can we apply it to our lives? Craig S. Keener shares perspectives on Revelation and helps us strengthen our hope in the future while living out our faith wisely in the present.

To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's context, each passage is treated in three sections:

• Original Meaning. Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context.
• Bridging Contexts. A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible.
• Contemporary Significance. This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved.

This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

Discover new dimensions of insight with a behind-the-scenes tour of the ancient world

You’ve heard many Bible stories hundreds of times, but how many details are you missing? Sometimes a little context is all you need to discover the rich meaning behind even the most familiar stories of Scripture. That’s what the NKJV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible provides. Every page of this NKJV Bible is packed with expert insight into the customs, culture, and literature of biblical times. These fascinating explanations will serve to clarify your study of the Scriptures, reinforcing your confidence and bringing difficult passages of Scripture into sharp focus.

The Bible was originally written to an ancient people removed from us by thousands of years and thousands of miles. The Scriptures include subtle culturally based nuances, undertones, and references to ancient events, literature and customs that were intuitively understood by those who first heard the texts read. For us to truly understand the Scriptures as they did, we need a window into their world and language.

The NKJV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, with notes from Dr. John H. Walton (Wheaton College) in the Old Testament and Dr. Craig S. Keener (Asbury Theological Seminary) in the New Testament, brings the ancient world of Scripture to life for modern readers.

 Features:

• Complete text of the New King James Version (NKJV)
• 2017 ECPA Bible of the Year Recipient
• Targeted book introductions explain the context in which each book of the Bible was written
• Insightful and informative verse-by-verse study notes reveal new dimensions of insight to even the most familiar passages
• Key Old Testament (Hebrew) and New Testament terms are explained and expanded upon in two helpful reference features
• Over 300 in-depth articles on key contextual topics
• 375 full-color photos, illustrations, and images from around the world
• Dozens of charts, maps, and diagrams in vivid color
• Words of Jesus in red
• Cross references, a concordance, indexes and other helps for Bible study