To Understand the Christian Faith we must understand the Gospel. Why did Jesus die and for Whom. J.C.Ryle provides an excellent commentary which is brief and very easy to read whether by yourself or in the company of others. In his commentary on John he gives his notes for almost all the words in the Gospel

The Bishop JC Ryle probably wrote these expository thoughts over a 100 years ago. But his comments on the text are timeless and very practical. He has a wonderful gift of being able to glean the messages and the points in each scripture. And he is a master at applying the scriptures to comtemporary life.

Having said that, like all other expositions of holy writ, you need to use Ryle's work judiciously. Every once in a while, he brings out points in a passage that may not be salient for the needs of your sermon. And he sometimes divides passages into smaller sections when you may choose to preach the larger section. But these are minor points. I can think of a number of times when my brain was fried and Ryle provoked my thinking and gave me some seminal expository thoughts. And that's exactly what the preacher needs.

Having very carefully reviewed J.C. Ryle's commentary on St. Matthew's Gospel...and I do mean carefully, I have found him to be matchless for simplicity and depth of insight. I have begun St. John's Gospel and am unsurprised by this classical, pan-Protestant exposition of the Gospels. Here and there is an evangelical Anglican note or two. He appears to be arguing against the ritualist and Oxfordian movement in the Church of England at points, but in no way does this mar or obtrude into the exposition. Their are Puritan elements in the exposition as Ryle explores the soul and its responses to the claims of a sovereign Redeemer. He is an old-school, evangelical, Calvinistic Anglican. I would travel far and wide to hear him, were he alive today. Fortunately, we have his expositions of the Gospels. I look forward to giving the same careful analysis to John's Gospel (already begun) that I did with his exposition of Matthew's Gospel. What a beacon of clarity and poignancy not often heard in American pulpits.

To my surprise this is not a popularisation but the editio princeps of the text, and a piece of sound textual scholarship. Speculation is kept to a minimum, Christian-baiting is omitted, and the emphasis is on providing the data to the scholarly community. The introduction, transcription and translation are by Prof. Hedrick; the commentary by Dr. Mirecki, but both take responsibility for each other's contribution, and the 'join' is not really visible. Full monochrome photographs are provided, and a critical apparatus. There is a distinct tendency to avoid making judgements on points of detail. The editors are clearly aware that any such discussion would render their book obsolete within a year or two as the issues are thrashed out. There is an excellent section on the codicology. It is difficult not to be impressed at the skill with which the jigsaw puzzle has been put together. Interestingly some of the fragments bear Coptic page numbers - 99, 100, etc - which indicates the text comes from a larger volume. The translation is literalist, which is very welcome, and the text and translation laid out opposite each other in the diplomatic manner. The commentary attempts to elucidate the meaning of the fragments, and likewise avoids large and loose conclusions.

Issues of dating are addressed very tentatively. The book is parchment, in quires, written in a polished Sahidic Coptic, and displays some skill in codex making. Analysis of letter forms suggests a date between the 4th-7th centuries - perhaps most likely somewhere in the middle. The book has suffered damage by fire, but no comment is made about this. The text seems to make use of both Matthew and John, with an occasional echo of Luke, and reflects the Coptic text of these works. There is a reference to 'Aeons', the 'Pleroma', and other general Gnostic indicators, e.g. 'Do not let matter rule over you' (p.98 line 44 of the codex/p.31). The editors feel that the 'latest date for its original composition is probably in the late second century' (p.2), although they fail to make quite clear why. However a second century date for the work seems quite reasonable, in view of the definite but unfocused nature of the Gnosticism in the surviving fragments, which I suspect is the basis for their statement. There is a general smattering of Greek words throughout the codex. A very careful paragraph (pp.12-13) discusses evidence for one Coptic word being a too literal mistranslation of a Greek idiom and so 'implies that the Gospel of the Savior is based on an earlier Greek original subsequently translated into Coptic'. The scholarly refusal here to say too more than the evidence demands, combined with the solid scholarship underlying it, makes very pleasant reading.

There are full references to other ancient texts, probable or otherwise. Curiously there are two references in the fragments which could relate to the long ending of Mark, (e.g. 'sitting at the right hand of the father upon your (sg.) throne', 17H 4-6, p71 = Mark 14:6, Mark 16:19 and many other refs). One of the statements of the 'saviour' is also found in the Coptic Gospel of Thomas - 'he that is near me is near to the fire; he that is far from me is far from life' (107.43-48, CGoT 82). It is pleasing to see an awareness that some of the elements used may have no connection with any organised group but may simply be part of the general pagan religious climate of antiquity (p.24). The pseudo-Christian title given to this document by the editors is unfortunate, in that it acts as a barrier to understanding, as M.R.James long ago pointed out in the preface to his edition of the 'New Testament Apocrypha'. To call this work a gospel forces the editors to define a 'gospel' to mean nothing more specific than a work containing sayings or perhaps narrative about someone who may be called Jesus or is in some way based on the historical figure (p.1). This ties the work too closely to some sort of pseudo-Christian context. Few would doubt that in antiquity the extra-canonical works formed a broad spectrum, shading from orthodox works like the Acts of Paul right the way down to basically pagan texts which added some nominal 'Jesus' into the syncretist stew. It would seem that the word 'gospel' has really outlived its usefulness if it prevents us from recognising and working with this continuum. Doubtless the difficulty of finding another word has something to do with the continued popularity of the word 'gospel'. To call the codex the 'Gospel of the Savior' also seems unwise, in view of the inferences that those ignorant of the subject will infallibly draw from it. It would have been better to give it a neutral name like the Berlin Gospel.

The work consists of dialogue between a central figure and his hearers, and an ascension by them all in 'to the [fourth] heaven'(p.113 line 16 of the codex - p.45 in the edition), scattering the discomfited 'watchers' and cherubim. The central figure is referred to only as the 'saviour' and the words 'for us apostles' (113.3/p.45) and mention of Andrew and John suggest that the unknown 'author' is supposed to be an apostle, although I do not recall that this point is made anywhere. The manner in which the saviour does his saving is unclear, due to the fragmentary nature of the text. But he does do a lot of direct talking to the cross - 'A little longer, O Cross, and all the pleroma is perfected'(5F.30-32/p.55) etc, which may yet inspire some satire, perhaps about a previously unrecognised 'ecological Jesus', who talked a lot to trees!

The focus of the book is the data, rather than the ludicrous theories that appeared in some of the press releases, and for that we owe them a debt of gratitude. Recommended.

The collaboration of biblical scholars Charles W. Hedrick and Paul A. Mirecki, Gospel Of The Savior: A New Ancient Gospel is the first publication and translation of a long-lost Christian gospel written in the Coptic language of Christian Egypt. Carefully pieced together from parchment pieces found in the Berlin Egyptian Museum, this long-lost gospel presents dialogues and discourse of a figure called "the savior" by his apostles. Extensive commentary upon the text fragments rounds out this fascinating, meticulously researched, painstakingly translated, and superbly presented reference. Fascinating reading for Christian history, theology, and scholarship, this edition of the Gospel Of The Savior is an essential, core addition to any serious, comprehensive New Testament Studies academic reference collection.

Mirecki and Hedrick team up to present a coherent and comprehensive text on an ancient gospel rarely discussed in non-academic circles. The concise, unbiased presentation is a must for any library of early Christianity.

I'm ordering the script because I just saw " ...Fabulous..." on stage at the Trustus Theatre in Columbia SC and haven't laughed so hard in ages -- gotta have the lines in front of me now. Maybe it's because I'm in the religion "business" that the lines fascinate me - I don't think Rudnick intends for us to get overly theological about all this - but his extraordinary wit pokes fun at, challenges, debases and denigrates, a plethora of idiotic crap we have to put up with everyday in the name of religion. Blasphemy and sacrilige are not subjects he can be called guilty of. Humor, rhythm and flow of language he's guilty of, and it makes super theatre.
GO SEE IT somewhere - or convince your local theatre enterprise to book it. It sold out a dozen or more performances here (yes, in the Bible belt...)

This book is completely readable and accessible as literature, even if you don't like theatre. Witty, funny, incisive and insightful, this is an excellent work that takes religion and turns it on its ear. While somewhat superficial, it's superficial in the same vein as Jeffrey (Rudnick's masterpiece). Rudnick takes the light and "flitty" stereotype of American homosexuality and uses it as a rapier to skewer his target--in this case, religion in all its forms.

While the subject matter makes it unlikely that the deeply faithful will read it (Adam and Steve? That's a homophobic bumper sticker for Heaven's sake), neither the premise nor the work itself is anti-faith or even anti-Christian. It does not answer the eternal Questions, but it will leave you with a different (and incredibly valuable) new framework in which to ask them.

A delightful read, and I'd love to see it on stage.

Paul Rudnick's amazing new play "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" pokes fun at anything and everything involved with religion. Covering everything from Buddhism to Judiasm to Catholicism to Mormonism to Atheism, Rudnick leaves no stone unturned and spares no expense with his humor.

Divided in two acts, the play covers quite a gamut in religious theology. The first act recounts the "true" Biblicial couple, Adam and Steve, their fall from grace because of Adam's curiosity, and eventually meeting another couple, Jane and Mabel. Together, they survive a hilarious recounting of the Great Flood, and an even more hilarious recounting of a rather effemiente Pharoah refusing to let his "people" go because of his infatuation with the Moses/Brad character. Brilliant.

The second act plucks these people out of the Old Testament, and places them in modern day New York City, at a Christmas party thrown by Adam and Steve. The transition is seemless, due to Rudnick's ability to make it funny and believable. Rudnick leaves no stereotype unturned, from gay Santas to go-go boy elves, to a Public Access wheelchair bound lesbian rabbi (I'm not kidding) who steals the act. I rarely laugh outloud when reading a book, but I had tears in my eyes reading the second act. Excellent comedic writing!

Sometimes reading plays is very difficult because you need to see the action before you to appreciate attemmpts at humor. Not with this story. With Rudnick's copious stage directions, the entire play was acted out in my imagination very easily.

Rudnick's introduction frames the play quite nicely, assuring us everything religious was up for being a target in his play. If you are easily offended by religious humor, I suggest you stay away from this play. But if you believe in a God with a rich sense of humor, or believe in reading a funny, funny play, I cannot recommend this play highly enough!

Provan has done a great deal of work compiling historical references pertinent to birth control. In fact, a huge portion of this book consists simply of quotes from Reformers and other honored historical figures. Regardless of one's theological conclusions on the subject of birth control, the book is worth the money simply for this data.

Unfortunately, when one looks up the original works from which most of the quotes were drawn, one finds that the quotes have been misrepresented or taken out of context. More often than not, the authors quoted were not making the points Provan implies or states they were making. Some few historical quotes do, indeed, support his interpretations of Scripture, but by no means is the case as clear as Provan would like us to believe. In those cases in which the authors do agree with Provan, there are generally clear exegetical errors on the part of the historical figures.

Part of Provan's goal in this book is to demonstrate that Protestants at large have traditionally rejected birth control, which brings us to another shortcoming of the book. Specifically, Provan fails to recognize/admit that the authors he quotes do not speak for the traditions they represent. Rather, they are simply examples of people within those traditions, who may or may not represent the broader views of those traditions, but who in any case do not represent any "official" positions of those traditions. Many Protestant churches are confessional and/or present formal documents of their official stances. No such formal documentation is presented to offer an official stance for any church prior to this century, whether for or against birth control. Other denominations are not confessional and/or present no formal documents on their positions, so that these denominations also lack any official positions on birth control.

Another large portion of Provan's argument depends, of course, upon his exegesis of relevant Scripture. Here he assumes a hermeneutic conducive to his conclusions, but not one that can hold its own against solid biblical scholarship. More careful analysis of the Scriptures in question yields conclusions quite different from Provan's and even from those of many of our traditional heroes. Our heroes were often right about the big things, but they got a number of the details wrong. Then too, they weren't fighting battles over birth control, so they were frequently happy to accept the inherited status quo (i.e. the Roman Catholic position) on such relatively minor issues.

After reading this work carefully and looking up a vast number of the sources quoted, I was confirmed in my belief that the case against birth control is not grounded upon solid exegetical principles, and that the historical case against birth control has not been established.

Provan's book is as fresh and challenging today as when it was first written nearly two decades ago. That the work of Provan and other defenders of Christian tradition has not been in vain is seen in the most recent Open Embrace (by no means pure, however - the Torodes accept the papistic rhythm method, for instance). Provan has moreover inspired an army of Protestant writers who are now keenly aware of the inconsistency of being pro-life when it comes to abortion but pro-choice when it comes to contraception.

Provan's task is to show that both the Scriptures and the Christian tradition are on the side of openness to children. That the first denomination to capitulate on the issue was the Anglican Church (founded on divorce, the religion with more doubts than beliefs, home to Bishop Spong, etc.) and only as recently as 1930 is more grist for Provan's mill.

Provan walks the reader through a careful re-examination of the traditional "prooftexts" against contraception ("Be fruitful and multiply," "Children are an heritage from the Lord," the example of Onan) and finds modern exegesis falling woefully short of the standards set by Luther, Calvin, Chemnitz, et al. As Melanchthon argued in the Apology for the Augsburg Confession (a confessional document, incidentally, Ra McLaughlin), that God's command, "Be fruitful and multiply," applies only to Adam and Eve is akin to saying "Let the land produce vegetation" applies only to the plants in Paradise. The command holds for all who share the nature of Adam and Eve, i.e., all mankind.

And far from making the case for Roman Catholicism, Provan shows that Protestants have historically been more faithful to God's Word on the issue of openness to children than Roman Catholicism - a point which the Roman Catholic historian and jurist John Noonan concedes in his monumental study, "Contraception." Indeed, as John Noonan argues, there is not a little to the conjecture that the pope would have gone the way of Margaret Sanger back in the sixteenth century had it not been for those stalwart Reformers (Jerome had already given the Church the argument that "Be fruitful and multiply" was no longer relevant).

Every Christian should want to live in accordance with the will of Him who sent His son to die and rise for us. That His will includes a true openness to the gift of children rather than a false "stewardship" which commodifies children and views birth control as medicine (what does that make the child whose existence the medicine of contraception is used to prevent?) is a point Provan helps us recognize. In short, a must read for all conscientious Christians.

Provan's book makes a very good case against contraception and the contraceptive mentality. "Very good" is an understatement -- "airtight" is more fitting.

His presentation is excellent and his provision of church leaders to prove that prior to the 20th century *all* Christians new that contraception was sinful.

Unfortunately, I have a hard time getting people to read the book. They will dismiss it apriori by saying that the world "needs" contraception, or that "scripture doesn't specifically forbid it" (which is semantic dancing), or "since contraception didn't exist in biblical times, it can't have said that".

I fear for those who dismiss Provan's arguments based on the thought of the worldly. They may call themselves Christian, but they are not following God or Christ.

Though not entirely scripturally acurate, this is a nice little book. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John first so that you can catch the errors in Dickens story before you read it to your children.

"[A Christmas Carol] is Dickens's widely acclaimed masterpiece of Christmas. But his The Life of Our Lord, written in a very personal way, without adornment or flights of fancy, and written for the children he loved, carries with it not only a beautiful narrative but a compelling admonition: 'Remember!--It is Christianity TO DO GOOD always--even to those who do evil to us.'"

"Such is the simple telling of a beloved author. In his time and during the generations that have followed, his great novels have been read by millions upon millions. But his story of Jesus' life, written with Dickens's own pen, and without editing of any kind, was for 85 years a family treasure and secret. Printed with all of the editorial mistakes of the original writing, it has delighted many others beyond his family."

President Hinckley, Ensign, December 1994

I have heard Pres. Hinckley, world leader of the Church of JEsus Christ of Latter-day Saints, talk about this book, and believing that there is some merit in reading the same books that the president of the Church reads, I picked it up.

This book may be considered a follow-up to his immortal classic "A Christmas Carol," where, instead of an allegory dealing with three spirits working on the Scrooge-of-all-Scrooges, he retells the story of the life of our Lord.

The book was geared for his children, so it is a quite easy read. Having read "A Tale of Two Cities," "Hard Times," and "A Christmas Carol," I was impressed with Dickens's flexibility. In fact, it is almost as if we are reading a transcript of a fireside chat. So this book is very readable for anyone of any age. It would be an ideal gift for a child between five and ten years old, or helpful to someone with a learning/reading disability. You could conceivably kill two Goliaths with one stone: get them familiar with the life of the Savior AND expose them to great literature!

The only drawback with the book is the theology, but that is understandable since we are of different faiths. Dickens focuses mainly on the ethical aspects of Christ's life, which is good, but incomplete. Another presdeint of the Church of Jesus Christ, President Howard W. Hunter, once gave a talk called, "Ethics Alone is not Sufficient." If you remember in "A Christmas Carol," Scrooge makes a conversion to ethical ideal, but not a conversion to Christ. He is going in the right direction, but not far enough. But it is a great book nonetheless.

The cover is stellar! It looks as important as its contents. The internal organizing and lay are also up to the stature of the author. It is nice to see that books are returning to their former glory of being both functional and beautiful. It would makes a great gift book, or a beautiful addition to any Postum table.

This book had been submerged for a long time due to Dickens's desire to keep his beliefs uncommercialized. I am glad that his estate has published this book, so we see the complete man.

This is a wonderful summary of the Gospels by Charles Dickens. Basically he tells the story with a few of his own instructive comments inserted for the benefit of his children's benefit. It was never pulished in his lifetime and he never really intended for it to be published and in part because of this it is quite different from his other works. It is a easy and quick read (very different for his other works). The reader is also given great insight into the character of Charles Dickens particularly his love for the Savior and his children. The work is both touching and warm hearted.

I disagree times change the definitions and stories in the Bible though valid then don't always make sense to us now these are just the truths that fillmore discovered for him self.
on the other hand, their are many beliefs and religions and for anybody to tell anybody else that they are wrong is just wrong in my mind(again that doesnt make them wrong). to me their is no wrong or right.

Metaphysical Bible Dictionary

Charles Fillmore's books in my library include the "Metaphysical Bible Dictionary," "Atom Smashing Power of Mind," "Teach Us to Pray," and "The Revealing Word." Before the time of Anthony Robbins, Zig Zigler, Napoleon Hill or other motivational facilitators, Fillmore's words excited my imagination and stirred my soul. Let's not discuss how long ago that was.

Does a vein of independence in religious thought run through the American psyche? Our freedom sparks revelations and spiritual enlightenment. I have not made a major study of the development of various religious sects, but reviewing this book made me look up some of the folks living during the 19th century who took religious and philosophical theories and pursued them to their metaphysical ends, the nature of ultimate reality.

Is there a certain liberalism in American religion, pulling away from the restrictions of the European models, both catholic and protestant? Without researching more than ten minutes, I found nearly a dozen founders of spiritual groups. I cannot say they influenced each other, since everyone walked a lone path. Just think of these names, all within a hundred years of each other: William Miller (Adventist), Phineas Quimby (New Thought), Mary Baker Eddy (Christian Science), Joseph Smith (Mormon), Charles Fillmore (Unity), Charles Russell (Jehovah's Witness), Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau (Transcendentalism), Helena Blavatsky (Theosophy), and I am sure I have not done justice to many others. What was going on?

Regarding the Dictionary itself, except where the etymology has become lost, the definitions have been traced back to their prototypical root ideas. This nontraditional feature gives us greater clarity for a profound understanding of the Scriptures. Charles Fillmore explained that proper names in Hebrew derive from abstract ideas with connotations that may be good or bad. The MBD explains this in the preface using the example of the word, "Cain." The root means "centralized power or accumulation." So it could mean benign rulership, lawful possession, or it could stand for despotism and extreme selfishness. Both the Hebrew and Egyptian tongues have been a source of confusion. (See Rosemary Clark's "Sacred Tradition in Ancient Egypt.") The idea in the Dictionary is to clarify as much as possible, even offering alternative meanings and spellings. It does not claim to be the final authority, but a stepping stone to a higher realm of spiritual consciousness, toward attainment of the mind "which was also in Christ Jesus."

This book is intended for those that belong to the Unity Church or those initerested in learning more about it. The review that compared it to "mind control" does not understand the book or the research behind it. The interpretations come from the Quaballah, and Aramanic texts. Unity Church is not for everyone and will probably offend those of the fundamentalist denominations.

If you're looking for a work full of footnotes with lots of commentary on ancient cultures and details on the ancient texts, this isn't it. What it is is a great devotional Bible, plus very good book introductions and some good articles about Bible characters. Such articles are not academic: they're expository, very obviously the work of a preacher, and I mean that in a good way. Chuck's great at helping us realize that the Bible, which sometimes feels so distant and ancient, is about real people and real situations which can be of help to us in world in which we live.

I have one hesitation: there's a short article on the importance of accepting dispensational theology if you're going to understand the Bible. I hate to see that, since, well, mostly since I'm not much of a dispensationalist. I can see people running into that article, realizing they don't concur, and tossing out the rest of the notes. That would be a shame, because there's lots that's good here.

We've given away a number of copies of this Bible, and it's the one I use the most often for study, teaching, and occasional preaching. It's nicely printed and easy to read (though the pages are a little thinner & more fragile than I'd prefer).

Highly recommended.

My girlfriend had this bible once. We loved the glossy pages which weren't the usual flimsy kind used for most bibles, so highlighter-markings won't seep through. It has a very readable, easy-to-the-eyes font color which wouldn't give a strain even if you were to spend long hours poring over it. Also, the articles in it are beautifully written in Swindoll-style humor and wit. The extra info given with each book in the bible is also useful and relevant for today's reader. Almost made it to 5 stars for us---pity it only comes in NIV (I think). Would have been extra good if it came in NAS.

This study Bible has been invaluable to me. Chuck uses his unique gift to add personal applications to passages, and encourages the reader to experience what God has for him/her through the scriptures.

A good book for the layman. Has a pre-millennial bias. Nice glossary at the end.

I found "Growing Deep in the Christian Life" to be a thought provoking book. Though it is easy to read and understand. Charles Swindoll is a man with a passion to know and do Gods will and it show in his writings.

Swindoll did a great job of making doctrine easy to understand and interesting. It is a great book to read to get back to the basics of your faith and (re)establish a good foundation. This book is on my 'read again' list.

This Christian ethics books offers a perspective on the moral dillemas we face today from a Christian point of view. The book is a concise chapter-by-chapter survey of various contemporary issues, including: abortion; euthanasia; genetic engineering; sexual promiscuity; crime and punishment; drug abuse; the family; pornography; homosexuality; technology issues; environmentalism; the media; and other issues. This book is hard-hitting and is resounding reply to those secularists who ask that Christians sit on sidelines of the political realm. If you like this book you'll probably like Understanding the Times by David Noebel and The Trouble with Democracy by William Gairdner.

I found this book to be singular in tackleing such difficult issues with a Christian perspective. The general idea behind this book is both well needed and a long time coming. However, i felt mislead by the title, as i thought it would contain more of a presective of how Christians SHOULD think about such dilemmas. Also, i found this book to be poorly written at times. The grammar and proofreading was not on a "published book level." Yet, it's attempt to discuss such issues from a Christian perspective were some what redeeming.

This is a wonderful Biblical source for many life issues that are not only a harm to society, but that affect Christians

Here is a solid, basic theology coupled with a Study Bible that cannot lead you astray. Simple enough for new Christians, yet the Expanded Edition has enough meaty notes to satisfy the advanced believer. Most of the bottom page notes are brief and to the point, with some exception. Lucid, pointed, full of facts, occasionally Ryrie shows his theological position in such places as not listing Jehovah-Rapha (God is my healer) as one of the Jehovah titles in his notes, when nearly all other Jehovah titles are listed from the Hebrew. Basic bottom line: Baptist theology,pleasantly Dispensational,great for salvation orientation and facts on books/authors, satisfying for mainstream readers.

I used the Ryrie Study bible for a quite a while when I first got saved. This is an excellent study bible. Very nice.

Steve Mays Pastor, Laurens, SC.

Dr. Charles Ryrie is is well known for his unusal ability to explain Bible truth so clearly and logically. The thousands of notes in this Bible are a vertual Bible Institue. It is chuck full of clear and simple explanations of very difficult passages. These notes are written by an esteemed scholar with impeccable degrees and qualifications. The very latest information through archeology and history make the notes as up to date as you can find. Dr. Ryrie has such a vast knowlege of the culture of the Bible times that he explains so many things that are not understood without that background of knowledge. His outlines of books of the Bible are extremely well done and helpful. This is one of the best helps of Bible notes available. It is a must for a hungry Bible student who wants not just truth but truth that is from a warmed heart of God's servant.