Joshua/Judges/Ruth (Understanding the Books of the Bible) - Softcover

Smith, Christopher R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0830858059 ISBN 13: 9780830858057

Publisher: IVP, 2011

Synopsis

Did you know you could read and study the Bible without using any chapters or verses? The books of the Bible are real "books." They're meant to be experienced the same way other books are: as exciting, interesting works that keep you turning pages right to the end and then make you want to go back and savor each part. The Understanding the Books of the Bible series of study guides will help you do that with the Bible. While you can use these guides with any version or translation, they're especially designed to be used with The Books of The Bible, an edition of the Scriptures from Biblica that takes out the chapter and verse numbers and presents the biblical books in their natural form.  Written with careful attention to the original language, historical setting and literary structure of each book, these guides are great for individual study, Sunday School classes, and small group Bible studies. They make a great next step for churches and other groups that have done a Community Bible Experience with Biblica.

About this title

About the Author

The Rev. Dr. Christopher R. Smith is a writer and biblical scholar who lives in East Lansing, Michigan. He pastored local churches for nearly twenty years and was a consulting editor to the International Bible Society (now Biblica) for The Books of the Bible, an edition of the Scriptures that presents the biblical books according to their natural literary outlines, without chapters and verses. He is also the author of After Chapters and Verses: Engaging the Bible in the Coming Generations and of the other volumes in the Understanding the Books of the Bible study guide series. He is a volunteer campus staff worker with Graduate InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Michigan State University. He has a B.A. in literature from Harvard, a master's degree in theological studies from Gordon-Conwell, and a Ph.D. in historical theology and Bible from Boston College. He has published articles in journals such as New Testament Studies, Novum Testamentum, and The Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. He answers questions from users of these study guides on his Wordpress blog, "Understanding the Books of the Bible."

From the Back Cover

Joshua, Judges, and Ruth are central to the Bible's history of the nation of Israel. These books reveal how God used people with vastly different backgrounds, personalities, strengths, and flaws to bring the tribes of Israel victoriously into the land of Canaan. In these studies you'll see how these people said "yes" to God and helped mold and shape their young nation through wild and desperate times so that one day they would become a blessing to every nation.

The Understanding the Books of the Bible series moves groups away from a typical Bible study format into a new approach to experiencing the Bible together. Instead of following artificial chapter and verse divisions, these study guides lead groups through whole books following their natural outlines and flow. They pose engaging questions for discussion with personal implications all along the way, leading to a community Bible experience.

From the Inside Flap

Joshua attacks the fortress city of Jericho, whose imposing walls tower above him. Barak brings his army down from the safety of the mountains to face Sisera's iron chariots on the plains. Gideon leads a band of 300 men against a horde of Midianites that's "as thick as locusts." Ruth leaves the security of her family and nation to help Naomi, not knowing how they're going to survive. The books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth are filled with stories of faith and courage like these that provide us with great hope and inspiration.

But these books also tell some very troubling stories. Individuals suffer violence and atrocities; whole populations are destroyed. And so Joshua, Judges, and Ruth also pose deep questions about suffering in the world and how God relates to it. The stories of faith and courage they tell don't take place in unreal settings, removed from what life is really like. Rather, they show how, in the face of violence, suffering, and uncertainty, people whose struggles are as real as ours meet the challenges of their day with courage and trust in God.

If you want to find inspiration and hope for your own challenges, and you're willing to face the issues of suffering and violence head-on, get together with some friends to read and discuss these books together. The next story of faith and courage may be your own.

Edition details

• Publisher: IVP
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0830858059
• ISBN 13: 9780830858057
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 130