Believe The Unbelievable A Study In Habakkuk Book in PDF, ePub and Kindle version is available to download in english. Read online anytime anywhere directly from your device. Click on the download button below to get a free pdf file of Believe The Unbelievable A Study In Habakkuk book. This book definitely worth reading, it is an incredibly well-written.
Believe the Unbelievable: A Study in Habakkuk by J. Alexander Rutherford Pdf
What do we do when God's actions or words contradict our understanding, contradict what we have believed? The book of Habakkuk answers this question in the face of the Babylonian invasion of Judah. Habakkuk is a book of discipleship, a book written to bring its reader to a deeper faith in Yahweh in the presence of His unthinkable deeds.
It is all to common to find commentaries that miss the forest for the trees, commentaries that get so caught up in the minutiae of scholarly controversies that they miss what God is saying for His church today. This is especially evident when it comes to the book of Habakkuk. The Teleioteti Old Testament Commentaries series is an attempt to attain theological depth, to pay attention to the forest, without neglecting the details of the text, without missing the trees. To do this, a Teleioteti Old Testament Commentary seeks to bring scholarly rigour and thoughfulness together with faithful attention to the purpose and significance of each book for God's people today. It strikes a balance between technicality, working through the Hebrew text and its difficulties, and practicality, applying each major section of the text to contemporary needs. Habakkuk is a book that especially needs such an approach. After an extensive introduction discussing the significant issues and laying the groundwork for interpreting Habakkuk, this commentary walks through the text stanza by stanza and line by line. With a balance of theological reflection and exegetical depth, a wide variety of readers will find something to take away. Habakkuk is a book of discipleship, a book written to bring its reader to a deeper faith in Yahweh in the presence of His unthinkable deeds. In the midst of oppressive evil at the hands of their Judahite brothers, the righteous of Judah cry out to God for salvation. His response is the invasion of fearsome Chaldea. What appears to be horrid judgment is actually His plan to save those who trust in Him. All His people are called to extraordinary faith, to believe HIm when HIs deeds are unbelievable. In this way, and only this way, will they be delivered from their oppressors and enjoy God's blessings: only by faith can they have life.
Portraits of the King by J. Alexander Rutherford Pdf
Yahweh, the God of the Bible is no bigger, better human: he is the creator of not just humans, but everything. He has no creator and needs nothing from no one. He will not and cannot cease to exist. He never makes mistakes; he is never caught off guard; he never fails. On the other hand, he has made himself known. He is not the ineffable "One" of Plotinus and the philosophers, indescribable and unknowable, met only in mystical encounters. God is not only great in his vast distance over us, but he is also simultaneously close in his tender, kind presence with us. In Yahweh alone is inexhaustible greatness; in him alone is true greatness made known. When we read about God in the Bible, we are not given universal statements about God's attributes (though these have their place); we are shown portraits of the Great God as he relates to us, his creatures. From these portraits we not only come to know God truly and deeply (as we come to truly know our spouse or friends by witnessing what they do and say), but we are forced to respond to the God we come to know. As we are struck with awe-even despair-in the presence of the natural wonders, beholding God's greatness in Scripture must move us. We ought to be (and often are) led to trembling worship before the God who is truly Great. Read this short book, delight in the God you meet there, and then set yourself to the lifelong task of discovering once again the living, true God, the great God, Yahweh.
The Gift of Reading — Part 1 by J. Alexander Rutherford Pdf
If the Word of God is our anchor in the chaos of this world, if it is our assurance that we can know the world and God its creator, we need confidence that we can understand this Word. Reading and applying the Bible is essential to every facet of Christian life and ministry, yet our ability to do so is under attack from a myriad of directions. In Postmodern philosophy, the possibility of communication is dismissed, let alone communication from God. In Biblical studies, the amount of knowledge required to come to firm conclusions concerning the meaning and application of the Bible grows every day. However, the BIble is not so pessimistic about its accesibility. Instead, it presents itself as a clear word, sufficient to guide and encourage Christians in every area of life.Beginning with the Bible's own claims to clarity and sufficiency, The Gift of Reading Part 1 outlines the practice of reading the Bible in order to understand and apply it. The Gift of Reading Part 2 will go further into the theory that lies beneath the methodology unpacked in Part 1.
God's Gifts for the Christian Life — Part 1 by J. Alexander Rutherford Pdf
How are Christians to think about the intellectual tasks that make up everyday life in the modern world? It is clear we are not to do so as the "world" does, but what does it look like to engage Christianly in our thinking? In the first part of the series, God's Gifts for the Christian Life, J. Alexander Rutherford shows how the Bible equips us to confidently engage in the interpretation of and engagement with the Word of God and the world he has created. In God's rich mercy, he has enabled us to know him, his word, and his world. In a world where it is preposterous and arrogant to claim to know anything certainly, we are in desperate need of renewed foundations. In God's Gifts for the Christian Life, see some of the ways that God through his limitless power has made available to us everything necessary for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
The Gift of Purpose by J. Alexander Rutherford Pdf
Many writers and commentators are convinced that Western culture and society are unravelling. Who can blame them! As I write this, violent protests rage across the USA in response to senseless murders. The political sphere has never seemed to virulent, and a deadly epidemic has affected all our lives. Many are agreed that there are serious problems working themselves out in Western society, yet among Christians, there is little agreement over the approach we should take to the West and its problems. This issue, how Christians should approach engagement with culture, is not a new one, nor is it a uniquely Western issue. Christians in every age and in every culture are confronted with this question. In response to many today who see it as the Christian responsibility to save the West, to preserve its unique cultural heritage and achievements, this author argues that our lives in this world need to be governed by three theological themes, ecclesiology, soteriology, and eschatology. That is, we must prioritize the local church, engage with society with the understanding that earthly kingdoms are manifestations of Satan’s kingdom, and live in light of Christ’s imminent return.
Revelation, Retribution, and Reminder by J. Alexander Rutherford Pdf
No doctrine appears more horrid to Christians and non-Christians alike as the doctrine of Hell, the belief in eternal, conscious punishment against sin. However, despite the efforts of many to dismiss the doctrine, the Biblical testimony is clear. Why is Hell so common in the Bible? Why does Jesus talk about Hell so often? In this short book, we will take a stark look at what the Bible says about Hell as retribution--punishment against sin. More importantly, we will see why this doctrine matters. It matters because only in light of Hell do we understand the Cross of Christ. Hell is a revelation of God--of His mercy, love, and justice. Finally, Hell reminds us that we are surrounded by many who will die and face Hell if they do not believe in Jesus Christ and receive the mercy of God offered through Him.
Throughout the history of the Church, Christian theology has been waged on the battlefield of ontology. Ontology touches on nearly every aspect of intellectual engagement, and so our conclusions in this area are far-reaching. Ontology, is usually considered the study of "being" or "reality." Yet even this definition presupposes a non-Christian view of reality. Rather, ontology investigates the connection between our thoughts and reality, between what we believe and truth, and between language and the things to which it refers. The Bible has much to say on these topics; retrieving a Biblical perspective on these matters is essential if we are going to rightly understand theology, the Bible, and the world we live in. We will see that only the Bible can offer a coherent vision of reality and a way of appropriately understanding God, history, and the world around us.
The Gift of Reading - Part 2 by J. Alexander Rutherford Pdf
If the Word of God is our anchor in the chaos of this world, if it is our assurance that we can know the world and God its Creator, we need confidence that we can understand this Word. Reading and applying the Bible is essential to every facet of Christian life and ministry, yet our ability to do so is under attack from a myriad of directions. In Postmodern philosophy, the possibility of communication is dismissed, let alone communication from God. In Biblical studies, the amount of knowledge required to come to firm conclusions concerning the meaning and application of the Bible grows every day. However, the Bible is not so pessimistic about its accessibility. Instead, it presents itself as a clear word, sufficient to guide and encourage Christians in every area of life. Having outlined in Part 1 a method for reading the Bible in order to understand it, The Gift of Reading Part 2 addresses the issues of hermeneutics or the theory of reading. After briefly surveying the major approaches to reading the Bible throughout the history of the Church, The Gift of Reading Part 2 argues for an understanding of the role of the text, read, and author based on a Biblical epistemology and theology.
The Gift of Revelation by J. Alexander Rutherford Pdf
The Bible stands near the heart of the Christian faith. It has been read, sung, and taught for over 3000 years. Its stories have moved us, its songs shaped us, and its epistles taught us. But what is the Bible? Christians believe that it is the very words of God. But we could go further, is the Bible a novel, dictionary, textbook, historical collection of documents? It is in this sense of the question that we are interested in what the Bible is. Answering this question, what is the Bible, is essential if we are to understand its function in the life of Christians and their Churches. It is essential if we are to understand how the Bible addresses the crises of contemporary society and how it addresses the human heart across the ages. In this short book, we will look at this question from several perspectives, looking at how the Bible came to be, what it is, and the implications for how we read the Bible.
God's Kingdom through His Priest-King by J. Alexander Rutherford Pdf
Though many studies have probed the significance of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7:1-17) within the biblical canon, few have endeavoured to explore its significance within the narrative of Samuel. This thesis argues that by weaving references to God's promises made to David (collectively known as the Davidic Covenant) throughout his narrative, that author of Samuel reveals God's will to strip away all human pretension by bringing His promises to fulfillment through the lowly David, whose acension to kingship and endurance therein is owing all to God. In this way, the author fulfills his purpose to demonstrate God's sovereign working in history to establish His kingdom on earth through His chosen priest-king, a descendant of David, in fulfillment of the promises He made beforehand. Engaging in a literary close-reading of the text of Samuel, the author shows how the narrative of Samuel is shaped towards this end.
The Trinity and the Bible by J. Alexander Rutherford Pdf
To write on the Trinity is to enter a minefield of presuppositions-presuppositions of theology, exegesis, grammar, logic, philosophy, etc. However, at the heart of Godʹs self-revelation in the Bible is God's tri-unity, that God is three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Confessional Christians would identify this claim, that God is Triune, as a necessary condition of true Christian faith. To be Christian is to follow Christ who is the 2nd person of the Trinity. Yet, does following this Christ mean following the 2nd hypostasis who is eternally begotten of the Father, sharing with him his ousia? That is a more difficult question, isn't it? Indeed, many faithful men and women in my life could not make heads or tails of the latter claim while worshipping and following the Christ of the former. So, what does it mean to be Trinitarian? This book is about that question, what does it mean to be a Christian who worships a triune God, to be ʺTrinitarianʺ? Is the Trinity a doctrine, arrived at through second-order reflection on the Biblical data several hundred years after the canon closed, or is it something else? Is it, perhaps, a presupposition about the reality of God that has shaped the Christain imagination, that has shaped the framework Christians bring to the world, throughout created history?
The Gift of Knowing by J. Alexander Rutherford Pdf
To any attentive observer, the Western world is in serious trouble. It shows the signs of languishing under a devastating disease. This is clearer nowhere else than in the realm of epistemology, the study of truth and how we attain it. Here, the belief in human autonomy—the freedom of individual men and women to interpret the world and live within it as they see fit—has slowly eroded any foundation for knowledge or morality. The result is a society adrift, floating wherever the tide might take it. If the disease ravaging our society is the belief in human autonomy, the cure is submission once again to the God who created this world, at least that is the argument of the Gift of Knowing. The author argues that apart from submission to God as He has revealed Himself in the Christian Bible, there is no firm foundation for truth or a trustworthy way of attaining it. However, through His revelation in Scripture, God has given His people a foundation for knowing the world He has created and living within it.
The Triumph of Faith in Habakkuk by Donald E. Gowan Pdf
Donald E. Gowan offers new insights into what may be the Old Testament's earliest treatment of the problem of suffering: the book of Habakkuk. That small, obscure part of the Old Testament tucked away somewhere in the middle of the minor prophets,--as Gowan put it--Habakkuk has been a middle child of too many Bible students' non-attention. Yet Gowan makes no claim that this book should be more central than it has been. Instead, he shows his own personal, pastoral, and scholarly involvement with this powerful tract. After an introductory chapter, the author examines each of Habakkuk's three sections. Gowan offers his own translation of the text, applying a critical approach, and providing a decisive commentary. Gowan compares the first section's dialogue between the prophet and God (Habakkuk 1:1--2:4) with other Old Testament dialogues about God's justice. He also discusses God's response, But the just shall live by faith, as a meaningful answer to Habakkuk's questions. While the woe-oracles of the second section (Habakkuk 2:5-20) have not seemed very important in the past, Gowan shows how they form a mock funeral dirge sung in advance of a great tyrant's death. He then applies this insight to the problems of tyranny and liberty today. The psalm (Habakkuk 3) which concludes the book is discussed in terms of Israelite traditions, theophany, faith, and history. The central focus is placed on Habakkuk's striking personal statement concerning the ability of the man of faith to live through suffering joyfully. Recognizing the relationship of our suffering to that of Christ, Gowan concludes The Triumph of Faith in Habakkuk by drawing together relevant themes from Habakkuk's time and Jesus's experience.
