Arranged as a series of sermons, the book of Deuteronomy represents the final major segment of the biography of Moses. The sermons review events described in earlier books and challenges Israel to faithful living in the future. The theological significance of Deuteronomy cannot be overestimated. Few books in the Bible proclaim such a relevant word of grace a… Read more…
The title character of the book of Job suffers terribly, but we should not mistakenly think that this book is just about Job. It is about all of us, and ultimately about God. Many have thought that the book simply restates the perennial questions that plague humankind in a world full of suffering. But often our questions are too limited, and we must learn to… Read more…
These letters to the church in Thessalonica are historically enlightening and comparatively unique when it comes to Paul’s writings as a whole. In them he addresses his eschatological views, or how people ought to live in light of Christ’s eventual second coming. Michael W. Holmes (Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary) gives us an excellent foundation o… Read more…
Like the other prophets, Isaiah’s writings are full of judgment, hope, and encouragement. Israel is a nation that knows God’s truth but, rather than living it, is hardened to it. Though God’s interactions with His people seem beyond understanding, or even altogether missing, His identity as redeemer is emphasized above all else. Isaiah is sharply aware… Read more…
This letter by Peter is full of encouragement and exhortation to live in right relationship both with God and with each other. The letter contains practical advice on what exactly putting others first looks like, even if it means accepting suffering for a time. This volume of the NIV Application Commentary series by Scot McKnight helps us to understand how P… Read more…
Find freedom from life’s hurts, hang-ups, and habits
If you long to break free from life’s hurts, hang-ups, and habits, the Celebrate Recovery Bible Notes are a powerful and positive ally. These Bible Notes are based on eight recovery principles found in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and on the underlying Christ-centered twelve steps of… Read more…
These two books, which chronicle the beginning of Israel’s period as a unified kingdom, contain themes that are universally applicable. The characters who populate the stories in the book are so fundamentally human that they are easy to relate to. Saul and David, despite their power and influence as kings, were ultimately flawed individuals. Bathsheba an… Read more…
Many people, when reading the books of Kings, treat them merely as a chronology of Israel’s history after the death of David. The books cover the reign of Solomon, division of the kingdom, and the spiritual decline of the kingdoms as a whole through the reigns of the ensuing kings. However, behind this historical account there are other figures who have … Read more…
Psalms, Volume 2, which is part of the NIV Application Commentary Series, helps readers learn how the message of the Psalms can have the same powerful impact today that it did when they were first written.
The majority of Bible commentaries take readers on a one-way trip to the world of the Bible. But they leave them there, assuming that t… Read more…
The epistles of John betray the continuing challenges the early church faced. In this volume of the NIV Application Commentary series, Gary M. Burge (Ph.D., King’s College, Aberdeen University) leads us through John’s letters, connecting them to John’s Gospel as he goes, and illuminates their original messages and how we can apply them here and now.… Read more…