Moral Questions of the Bible

Moral Questions of the Bible PDF

Author: David Instone-Brewer

Publisher: Lexham Press

Published: 2019-09-25

Total Pages: 142

ISBN-13: 1683592964

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Are all the moral commands of the Bible meant to be obeyed exactly for all time, or are there some that need to be adapted for our modern world? Scripture contains lots of guidance on ethical issues, including statements about polygamy, slavery, divorce, sex, and other things that sound strange to our modern ears. Even Christians, who believe the Bible is God's word, disagree on whether women should wear head coverings, whether Christians can ever lie, whether women should preach, and whether Christians should drink alcohol. How can we resolve these issues and figure out how to apply the Bible to our lives? David Instone-Brewer helps answer this question by showing how the Bible's moral commands were understood in their ancient cultural context. The more we understand what God and the biblical authors intended to communicate to the original audience, the better we will be able to make sense of how to apply those commands today. In brief chapters that address a wide variety of moral issues, Instone-Brewer equips Bible readers with a paradigm they can use to discern matters for themselves: Is a biblical command timeless or time-bound? If the command itself is time-bound, what is the timeless purpose behind it? And how do we remain faithful to the Bible's commands today even when handling subjects the Bible does not address? The Scripture in Context series is driven by the conviction that there is nothing as exciting, direct, provocative, and spiritually enlightening as the Bible when we read it as it was meant to be read. Each book in the series dives into the ancient cultural context behind Bible passages, examining the effect this context had on what the Bible writers were saying and how we should understand their words today. When we read the Bible in light of its context, it is anything but boring. Instead, God's word can speak to us as powerfully as it did to those who first read it. Chapters are short and informal, so it's easy to read one chapter at a time or the whole book straight through.

In Defense of Biblical Polygyny (Multiple Wives)

In Defense of Biblical Polygyny (Multiple Wives) PDF

Author: Elisha J Israel

Publisher:

Published: 2020-01-29

Total Pages: 64

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In Defense of Biblical Polygyny (Multiple Wives) Elisha J. Israel makes a compelling case for the morality of plural marriage. In this book, Israel explains the prevalence of polygyny among the ancient Israelites. Israel also explains how Christians came to uphold monogamous marriage as the only legitimate marital structure. In Defense of Biblical Polygyny (Multiple Wives) also combats the most popular Biblical arguments against polygynous marriage. This book will undoubtedly challenge your beliefs about marriage. This book is a must read!

Prostitutes and Polygamists

Prostitutes and Polygamists PDF

Author: David T. Lamb

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2015-09-01

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 0310518482

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Jacob and Solomon were polygamists. Tamar and Rahab were prostitutes. What are polygamists and prostitutes doing on the pages of Holy Scripture? And God told the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute. What about Cain—did he really marry his sister? Abraham did, and he was also a polygamist. Lot offered his daughters up for rape, David committed adultery (or rape?) and the Bible calls both men righteous. Love, Old Testament style, was bizarre. As readers of the Old Testament encounter these weird, confusing, and horrific “love” stories they ask, “What’s up with sex in the Old Testament?” The church often ignores the R-rated bits of the Bible, so it’s hard for people to find answers to their disturbing questions about sex in Scripture, which can lead people to give up on God and God’s word. However, these stories were included in the Bible for a reason, to reveal an even more shocking “love” story. When humans behave badly, God behaves graciously. God not only forgives people with sexual baggage, but also redeems their lives and includes them in his mission. God’s word records their story to benefit us. Just as sex was not often ideal in the Old Testament, it’s often not ideal today. Instead of ignoring these stories, Prostitutes and Polygamists engages, discusses, and learns from them.

Fool's Talk

Fool's Talk PDF

Author: Os Guinness

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2015-06-04

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 0830898506

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

2016 Christianity Today Book of the Year in Apologetics/Evangelism One of Desiring God's Top 15 Books of 2015 Hearts Minds Bookstore's Best Books of 2015, Social Criticism and Cultural Engagement In our post-Christian context, public life has become markedly more secular and private life infinitely more diverse. Yet many Christians still rely on cookie-cutter approaches to evangelism and apologetics. Most of these methods assume that people are open, interested and needy for spiritual insight when increasingly most people are not. Our urgent need, then, is the capacity to persuade—to make a convincing case for the gospel to people who are not interested in it. In his magnum opus, Os Guinness offers a comprehensive presentation of the art and power of creative persuasion. Christians have often relied on proclaiming and preaching, protesting and picketing. But we are strikingly weak in persuasion—the ability to talk to people who are closed to what we are saying. Actual persuasion requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Guinness notes, "Jesus never spoke to two people the same way, and neither should we." Following the tradition of Erasmus, Pascal, G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, Malcolm Muggeridge and Peter Berger, Guinness demonstrates how apologetic persuasion requires both the rational and the imaginative. Persuasion is subversive, turning the tables on listeners' assumptions to surprise them with signals of transcendence and the credibility of the gospel. This book is the fruit of forty years of thinking, honed in countless talks and discussions at many of the leading universities and intellectual centers of the world. Discover afresh the persuasive power of Christian witness from one of the leading apologists and thinkers of our era.

Is God a Moral Monster?

Is God a Moral Monster? PDF

Author: Paul Copan

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2011-01-01

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9781441214546

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

A recent string of popular-level books written by the New Atheists have leveled the accusation that the God of the Old Testament is nothing but a bully, a murderer, and a cosmic child abuser. This viewpoint is even making inroads into the church. How are Christians to respond to such accusations? And how are we to reconcile the seemingly disconnected natures of God portrayed in the two testaments? In this timely and readable book, apologist Paul Copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including: God is arrogant and jealous God punishes people too harshly God is guilty of ethnic cleansing God oppresses women God endorses slavery Christianity causes violence and more Copan not only answers God's critics, he also shows how to read both the Old and New Testaments faithfully, seeing an unchanging, righteous, and loving God in both.

The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis

The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis PDF

Author:

Publisher: Grove/Atlantic, Inc.

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 146

ISBN-13: 9780802136107

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Hailed as "the most radical repackaging of the Bible since Gutenberg", these Pocket Canons give an up-close look at each book of the Bible.

The Bible and Polygamy: Does the Bible Sanction Polygamy?

The Bible and Polygamy: Does the Bible Sanction Polygamy? PDF

Author: George Q. Cannon

Publisher: Good Press

Published: 2019-11-25

Total Pages: 143

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This is a series of letters discussing if polygamy is sanctioned in the Bible. It contains exchanges or debates between Reverend Dr J. P. Newman, pastor of the metropolitan Methodist church, Washington, D. C., and Brigham Young, president of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints.