Darrell L. Bock

In Luke, Jesus proclaims "good news to the poor...freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind." More than any other, this Gospel shows Jesus' concern for the downtrodden, the oppressed and the marginalized. Darrell Bock shows why Luke's Gospel is "tailor made" for our world--a world divided along ethnic, religious, economic and political lines.

New York Times bestselling author Dr. Darrell Bock teams up with Dr. Daniel Wallace to help you separate fact from fiction among constant attacks on Christianity from popular culture and bogus scholars. There is a quest going on to reduce Jesus to a mythic legend or to nothing more than a mere man. Scholars such as Elaine Pagels and James Tabor are using recent discoveries like the Gospel of Judas and the Gospel of Thomas to argue that the Christ of Christianity is a contrived figure and that a different Christ—one human and not divine—is the "true" Christ. Both research professors, Bock and Wallace set out a vigorous defense of Christianity against a popular trend that they dub "Jesusanity", where Christ was simply a human teacher. In their trademark, easy-to-understand style, the authors take on attempts to redefine Jesus in a convincing way that will help you understand that the orthodox understanding of Christ and his divinity is as trustworthy and sure as it ever was. This book:Refutes the six main claims that represent a large part of skepticism about Jesus todayProvides credible answers to attacks on the traditional textsDefends against the interpretations of bogus scholars and the arguments of biased scholarsConstructs a positive case for the Jesus of faithIf you’re exhausted by the constant attempts to dethrone Jesus, renew the security of your knowledge of who Jesus really is: the Son of God.

In Luke's vivid narrative, Jesus comes into Galilee proclaiming "good news to the poor ... freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind." More than any other Gospel, the Gospel of Luke shows Jesus' great concern for the downtrodden, the oppressed and the marginalized--including women and children and even those outside the house of Israel. Darrell Bock shows why Luke's Gospel is "tailor-made" for the world we live in - a world often divided along ethnic, religious, economic and political lines. After all, the Jesus portrayed by Luke is a source of unity for his disciples and for believers from every walk of life. Tax collectors, Roman soldiers, prostitutes, city officials, religious leaders, widows and fishermen were among the diverse group brought together in the early Christian church. Bock's dual focus on understanding what Luke wanted to communicate to his original readers and on how that message is relevant for today makes this an excellent resource.

Based upon the biblical mandate to take the gospel "to the Jew first," there has been a renewed effort among Christians to bring the gospel of Jesus to the Jewish community. This comprehensive resource looks at the historical, theological, and biblical context for doing so, and provides encouragement for Christians and Messianic Jews engaged in evangelism. To the Jew First includes contributions by Richard A. Averbeck, Craig A. Blaising, Walter C. Kaiser, Richard L. Pratt Jr., and ten other evangelical scholars.

IS JESUS WHO YOU THINK HE IS? Perhaps you've heard the recent buzz about "alternative Christianities" and "new gospels." Speculations have shown up in magazines, documentaries, popular fiction, and even on the big screen. Much of the controversy stems from a library of ancient texts found at Nag Hammadi, Egypt. Now revolutionary questions about the Christian faith are being raised as a result of these findings:Is Jesus truly a divine Savior or just a teacher of wisdom? Is orthodoxy a by-product of third-century or fourth-century theologians? Did Judas betray Jesus because of evil intent or a request by Jesus? Does salvation include the physical body or just the soul? Darrell L. Bock takes you on a tour of the new claims as well as the controversial writings, examining their origins and comparing them with traditional sources. With discussion questions for group or individual study at the end of each chapter, The Missing Gospels will help you understand the messages of all of these writings so you can form your own opinion. This provocative work could even change what you believe!

Find academic sophistication, pastoral sensitivity, and accessibility in the award-winning BECNT seriesRespected New Testament scholar Darrell L. Bock provides a substantive yet highly accessible commentary on Acts in this latest addition to the acclaimed BECNT series. Bock leads readers through all aspects of the book of Acts--sociological, historical, and theological. The result is a guide that clearly and meaningfully brings this important New Testament book to life for contemporary readers. As with all BECNT volumes, this informative, balanced commentary features:? Detailed interaction with the Greek text? Extensive research? Chapter-by-chapter exegesis? A blend of scholarly depth and readability? An acclaimed, user-friendly designThe BECNT series aims for academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility, making it a useful tool for pastors, church leaders, students, and teachers.

There are some questions you can't avoid, no matter what you believe. The Bible is held up by many as the Word of God, but to make such an assertion is to invite a greater scrutiny than we assign to other literature. Are the documents that make it up reliable sources of history? Where did they come from? What's been left out, and why? This Critical Questions Discussion Guide provides a forum for exploring this question in a group or individually, guided by the engaging insights of world-class philosophers and theologians. Session titles: 1. How did we get the canon? 2. What are our sources? 3. What do we mean by inspiration? 4. What is the history behind our Bible? 5. What does archaeology teach us? 6. Why should we obey the Bible?

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Interest in the historical Jesus continues to occupy much of today's discussion of the Bible. The vexing question is how the Jesus presented in the Gospels relates to the Jesus that actually walked this earth. Studying the Historical Jesus is an introductory guide to how one might go about answering that question by doing historical inquiry into the material found in the Gospels. Darrell Bock introduces the sources of our knowledge about Jesus, both biblical and extra-biblical. He then surveys the history and culture of the world of Jesus. The final chapters introduce some of the methods used to study the Gospels, including historical, redaction, and narrative criticisms. Darell Bock, a well respected author, provides an informed evangelical alternative to radical projects like the Jesus Seminar. His audience, however, is not limited only to evangelicals. This book, written for college and seminary courses, offers an informed scholarly approach that takes the Gospels seriously as a source of historical information.

Introduces the sources of our knowledge about Jesus, surveying the history and culture of his times, and presents some of the methods used to study the Gospels, including historical, redaction, and narrative criticism.

Thoughtful and accessible. An up-to-date, comprehensive overview of the most important issues in dispensationalism, underpinned with accurate scholarship and summarized with clarity.

Darrell L. Bock examines the historical-cultural background to one of the most significant moments in religious history, the final Jewish examination of Jesus as presented in Mark 14:61-64. He traces the history of interpretive debate surrounding this controversial text and notes that a consensus is emerging that the key statement is the discussion of exaltation using Ps. 110:1 and Dan 7:13. So the author engages in two detailed treatments of the themes of blasphemy and exaltation within Judaism. He works from the Hebrew Scriptures all the way through the rabbinic materials, including both Talmuds and the Midrashim. The study represents the first thorough treatment of blasphemy from this material and examines over 150 texts on this theme. Particular attention is given to whether blasphemy is merely verbal misuse of the divine name or can include the presence of certain statements or acts that are deemed offensive to God's honor. It is noted that these additional categories exist in the culture and are present in a variety of texts that are contemporaneous to the period with examples from Josephus and Philo being predominant. Then the attention turns to the theme of exaltation. A specific concern here is who gets to go directly into God's presence. What do they do? How long are they there? Are there obstacles to their presence? Is there opposition to these kinds of portrayals? Here the key texts include the Exagoge of Moses, the Enoch-Son of Man portrait of 1 Enoch and the Metatron portrait of 3 Enoch. This background is then applied to the study of Mark 14, first as an expression of Mark's message and then to the historical portrait of the scene.

Luke is here presented as contributing to New Testament Christology through his treatment of Old Testament Christological texts. This redaction-critical study argues that Luke's use of the Old Testament is not so much a 'proof from prophecy' as a 'proclamation' that draws both upon prophecies and upon patterns. This proclamation as it is developed in Luke-Acts serves to turn the reader's attention from seeing Jesus as Messiah to seeing him eventually as Lord.

Find academic sophistication, pastoral sensitivity, and accessibility in the award-winning BECNT seriesIn the second of two volumes on the Gospel of Luke, Darrell L. Bock offers students of the New Testament a substantive yet highly accessible commentary. Bock leads readers through all aspects of the third Gospel--sociological, historical, and theological. The result is a guide that clearly and meaningfully brings the second part of this important New Testament book to life for contemporary readers. As with all BECNT volumes, this informative, balanced commentary features:? Detailed interaction with the Greek text? Extensive research? Chapter-by-chapter exegesis? A blend of scholarly depth and readability? An acclaimed, user-friendly designThe BECNT series aims for academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility, making it a useful tool for pastors, church leaders, students, and teachers.

Find academic sophistication, pastoral sensitivity, and accessibility in the award-winning BECNT seriesIn the first of two volumes on the Gospel of Luke, Darrell L. Bock offers students of the New Testament a substantive yet highly accessible commentary. Bock leads readers through all aspects of the third Gospel--sociological, historical, and theological. The result is a guide that clearly and meaningfully brings the first part of this important New Testament book to life for contemporary readers. As with all BECNT volumes, this informative, balanced commentary features:? Detailed interaction with the Greek text? Extensive research? Chapter-by-chapter exegesis? A blend of scholarly depth and readability? An acclaimed, user-friendly designThe BECNT series aims for academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility, making it a useful tool for pastors, church leaders, students, and teachers.

This exegetical study examines the continuities and discontinuities regarding Israel and the church and also provides a look at changes in dispensational thought that have developed over the last twenty years. This is a Lightning Source, Inc. print-on-demand title and can be ordered only from Spring Arbor Distributors by calling 800-395-5599. International Customers please call 615-793-5000 ext. 24882 or fax at 615-213-5720.