Now on Pre-Pub: Baker Academic Bible Interpretation Collection

  |  Thu, June 21, 2012   |  Products   5

Logos recently put the Baker Academic Interpretation Collection (10 vols.) on Pre-Pub. Included in this collection is Greg Beale’s A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New. Weighing in at 962 pages—not counting indexes or bibliography—Beale’s book is a New Testament tour de force.

Beale argues that the story of the Bible must be understood through the lens of an already/not yet eschatology, with a specific emphasis on the new creational reign of God through the death and resurrection of the Messiah. From Genesis’ Eden all the way to the New Eden in Revelation 21–22, Beale masterfully connects the eschatological dots. To give you a taste of what A New Testament Biblical Theology is about, let me highlight a few key points.

Not Your Typical New Testament Theology

While Beale calls his work a “New Testament” theology, it can almost be classified as a biblical theology. Beale himself admits as much when he describes his method as “overlapping in some degree not only with whole-Bible theologies but [. . .] with Old Testament biblical theologies as well.” The beauty of this book is Beale’s Old Testament acumen. He devotes over 100 pages to tracing the storyline of the Old Testament, preparing the reader for the heart of New Testament theology.

Beale first establishes the “canonical storyline of the Old Testament,” then spends the remaining chapters “moving [toward the] eschatological goal.” His discussions of “centers” (i.e., the main themes of the Bible) and “storyline” (i.e., a unified storyline with multiple themes) are helpful for understanding not only his approach, but also the various approaches of Old and New Testament theologies. Because his “storyline” approach doesn’t force him to work within one theme, Beale is free to weave a multifaceted biblical theology.

Inaugurated Eschatology (The Already and Not Yet) and the New Creation

The emphasis on inaugurated eschatology is at the heart of A New Testament Biblical Theology. According to Beale, “we should think of Christ’s life, trials, and especially death and resurrection as the central events that launched the latter days. These pivotal events of Christ’s life, trials, death and resurrection are eschatological in particular because they launched the beginning of the new creation and kingdom.” Beale concludes that “the end-time-new-creational kingdom has not been recognized sufficiently heretofore as of vital importance to a biblical theology of the New Testament, and it is this concept that I believe has the potential to refine significantly the general scholarly view of the eschatological already-not yet.”

Buy and Read This Book

Let me encourage you to go over to Logos and place your pre-order today! Everyone should read this magisterial New Testament theology.  A New Testament Biblical Theology will make you think hard about Scripture as you watch the story progress from Genesis’ Garden to Revelation’s new Garden.

Not only does this Pre-Pub contain Beale’s magnum opus—you get nine more volumes from the likes of

  • W. Randolph Tate
  • Joel B. Green
  • Craig L. Blomberg
  • And others

Don’t wait! This Pre-Pub is going fast. Order now!

Pre-Order Introduction to Bible Study before the Price Goes Up!

  |  Wed, June 20, 2012   |  Products   1

Introduction to Bible Study with Logos Bible Software ships June 25, 2012. You only have a couple more days to get a significant discount on these impressive training materials.

Morris Proctor, creator of Introduction, is Logos  Bible Software’s authorized trainer. Thousands have learned to use Logos Bible software to do better Bible study by attending Morris’ two-day Camp Logos events.

Regular readers of Logos Talk are familiar with Morris Proctor. Every Monday, his tips help thousands of Bible study aficionados save valuable time and effort!  There aren’t many people who know Logos 4 as intimately as Morris Proctor.

But what if  you have as many questions about Bible study as you do about Logos 4? That’s where Introduction to Bible Study with Logos Bible Software comes in. This training doesn’t assume prior familiarity with the Bible or the tools associated with Bible study.

With Introduction to Bible Study you’ll learn:

  • Where the Scriptures came from
  • Why we have different translations
  • The value of commentaries, Bible dictionaries, and topical Bibles
  • And so much more

Then you’ll learn about various Bible study methods, including:

  • Passage study
  • Word study
  • Topic study
  • Devotional study
  • Book study

Once you have a  grasp of these tools and principles, Morris teaches you how to incorporate Logos features into your Bible study. You will learn not only learn what Bible study is but how Logos can help you do it faster and more efficiently.

If you’re new to Bible study and Logos Bible Software (or know someone who is), Introduction to Bible Study with Logos Bible Software offers you hours of invaluable training at an incredible price. Order Introduction to Bible Study with Logos Bible Software today—before the price goes up!

The Council of Nicaea Convenes on This Day in 325

  |  Tue, June 19, 2012   |  Products   0

If you were to ask an impartial observer, “what do Christians believe about God?” his best answer would be a recitation of the Nicene Creed. And if you were to reduce the Nicene Creed to its essence, it would be the affirmation of God’s Trinitarian reality. This creedal affirmation of the Trinity is a point of unity for most Protestants, Anglicans, Orthodox believers, Assyrians, and Roman Catholics. It is therefore of central importance for all Christians.

While it’s named after the AD 325 Council of Nicaea, the creed as we know it today is actually a product of long historical development. Its propositions originate in the baptism rites of the Apostolic Era, in which the newly baptized affirmed their faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—the baptism formula itself of the Trinity. The act of baptism and the confession of the Trinity were therefore united. While belief in the Trinity is clear in these very early sources, the theology of the Trinity developed over time as Christians meditated upon the life of Christ and the nature of God.

In the late third century, an Alexandrian presbyter named Arius advanced a theory of the Trinity that suggested a Christ created by the Father. This theology was accepted by many as a possible solution to the seeming paradox of God’s three personalities. It was in response to Arianism that the Council of Nicaea was called in 325 and the first iteration of the creed agreed to. This formulation focused on the divine, uncreated nature of Christ, and it only briefly mentioned belief in the Holy Spirit. However, in 381 at the Council of Constantinople, the assembled fathers not only sought to confirm the condemnation of Arianism, but were forced to deal with a new heresy known as Macedonianism. The Macedonians denied the divine nature of the Holy Spirit. In response, the fathers emphasized Christ’s divinity and his humanity and added the propositions dealing with the Holy Spirit and his action in the world through the Church; with this development, the creed as it continues to be recited in the East was born.

In the West, however, the Nicene creed was not done developing. Arianism was alive and well among the Germanic tribes that had advanced into the crumbling Roman Empire. In response, orthodox theologians in the Latin church emphasized the common patristic doctrine that the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son: ex Patre Filioque procedit. The clause was added to the Nicene Creed in 589 in Visigothic Spain, and Charlemagne, the emperor in the West after 800, adopted this form. It spread slowly through the Latin church—the filioque was not finally accepted in Rome until the eleventh century. With the addition of this clause, the Nicene Creed as it is generally known in the West came into its final form.

From beginning to end, the creed’s concern is the Trinitarian reality of God and the dual natures of Christ, and it is these doctrines that form the fundamental agreement between Christians. Christians’ shared assent to the Nicene Creed is a testament to its profound subtlety and insight. The Nicene Creed, the common patrimony of all Christians, is one of the most important creations of Church history. You can read more about this fascinating history in the Early Church Fathers series, Historic Creeds and Confessions, The Apostles’ Creed, and Creeds, Councils and Controversies.

 

Logos 4: New Bible Search Ranges

  |  Mon, June 18, 2012   |  Training   6

mp|seminars Tips

Today’s post is from Morris Proctor, certified and authorized trainer for Logos Bible Software. Morris, who has trained thousands of Logos users at his two-day Camp Logos seminars, provides many training materials.

When performing a Logos Bible search, we have the option of adjusting the range of biblical text searched. Logos provides a few broad ranges, such as Old Testament and New Testament. It’s a good idea, however, to create special ranges for specific searches. Here’s how to do just that:

  • Click the Search icon to open the Search panel.
  • Select Bible as the search type. (1)
  • Click the search range drop-down list above the Find box. (2)
  • Notice the New reference range (3) and Range title (4) boxes 

New-Bible-Search-Ranges1.jpg

The New reference range box, receives all the Bible abbreviations we’re accustomed to using throughout Logos. In this box the comma ( , ) means and, while the hyphen ( - ) means through. Ge-Dt covers the range Genesis through Deuteronomy. Ps,Pr includes both Psalms and Proverbs.

The Range title box is an optional label for the range. If you leave this box blank, the new reference range itself becomes the title. 

  • Enter an optional name such as Gospels in the Range title box if desired.
  • Enter a Bible range such as Mt-Jn in the New reference range box.
  • Click Save.
  • Notice the new range is added to the drop-down list.
  • Rest the cursor on a new range in the list and click the X that appears to the right of it to delete it.

New-Bible-Search-Ranges2.jpg

New-Bible-Search-Ranges3.jpg

If you do a lot of pinpoint Bible searching, these new ranges will often save you valuable time as you go directly to what a specific author or biblical section said about a subject. Here are a few suggested ranges to get you started:

Pentateuch Ge-Dt

OT History Jos-Es

Poetry Jb-So

Major Prophets Is-Da

Minor Prophets Ho-Mal

Gospels Mt-Jn

NT History Ac

Paul’s Epistles Ro-Pm

General Epistles He-Jd

Apocalypse Re

Luke’s Writings Lk,Ac

John’s Writings Jn,1Jn-3Jn,Re

Peter’s Letters 1P-2P

Prophetic Da,Re

What are some other Bible search ranges you would suggest? Leave a comment and let us know!

Logos Is Looking for a Few Awesome People

  |  Sat, June 16, 2012   |  Company   0

One of the Best Christian Workplaces. A two-time Washington’s Best Workplaces nominee. Sound like somewhere you’d like to work? Does the idea of working in one of the country’s most beautiful cities (okay, we’re biased) appeal to you?  Would you thrive in an atmosphere where working hard and playing hard aren’t mutually exclusive?

Logos is growing, and we are looking for passionate, intelligent, and talented people to help us serve the church by creating amazing resources for Bible study.

Check Out These Jobs!

Here are a few currently open positions. For the complete list, see our Careers page.

We’re looking for a few awesome people. If you love creating amazing things and finding elegant solutions to complex problems in a fast-paced environment, we might be looking for you.

Go to our Careers page and see how you can join us in achieving great things.

A Discussion with Lotus Keeper Author K. R. Dial

  |  Fri, June 15, 2012   |  Products   0

What do Oliver Twist, The Jungle, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and The Grapes of Wrath all have in common? They’re all examples of literature that wrestle with important social ills. First-time author K. R. Dial joins this tradition with The Lotus Keeper a new ebook from Kirkdale Press.

Written as part of Dial’s ongoing ministry to rescue the victims of child prostitution, The Lotus Keeper tackles the atrocious epidemic of sex trafficking. Dial led corporate intercessory prayer for the International Justice Mission, helped form the Atlanta Justice Coalition, and served as a volunteer guardian ad litem for abused and neglected kids, receiving her district’s top honor as Rookie of the Year for her courtroom advocacy of a local teenage prostitute. She wrote The Lotus Keeper after a trip to Thailand spent researching the issue of child sex trafficking and getting to know the victims personally.

I was able to talk to Dial about her book and her passion for advocacy. What follows is only part of that conversation; you can follow the rest of the discussion on Vyrso Voice.

Logos: Human trafficking (specifically child sex trafficking) is one of the twenty-first century’s gravest human rights issues. Why do you think the West has been so quiet about the severity of this problem?

K. R. Dial: I believe the root of our apathy lies in our lack of moral judgment, our unwillingness to take a stand. If we begin to condemn child prostitution, we then have to take a stand on the global sex industry; if we do that, we must then consider pornography’s role in feeding this beast, and now we are in the face of countless Westerners, including many church-goers, who simply want no moral law imposed upon themselves—or their laptops.

Logos: As you were researching the book in Thailand, what stood out as the most dramatic, eye-opening moment?

K. R. Dial: At the end of our team’s prayer-filled journey, walking the streets of Bangkok, encouraging Christian workers who minister to prostitutes, and asking pastors to speak out against their country’s sex industry, I was tired and overwhelmed by the scope of the crisis.

It was one of our last nights. I was worshipping in a rural church in northern Thailand filled with young Thai students. One teenage girl befriended me and taught me how to sway my hands to the music in the traditional Thai way. Her smile was electric. We mostly giggled together in the joy of worship, she speaking in broken English and I understanding every other word. She gave me a picture of herself and I gave her a necklace, put it around her neck and told her she was beautiful. After we said our goodbyes, I was walking to the truck with our team leader, and he said to me, “She used to be a prostitute.” God did not want me to leave Thailand without a personal encounter with a life redeemed.

The point is, no one is beyond the saving hand of our mighty God. There is no smile that can’t be restored by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Logos: What role do the governments of countries like Thailand play in these atrocities? Are they ill equipped to combat such problems? Do they turn a blind eye?

K. R. Dial: Police corruption is essential for a thriving sex industry. And a thriving sex industry whether it be in Bangkok, Mumbai, or Atlanta, is an open door for child prostitution. So any government must keep its own ranks clean, while battling the international mafia that fuels its particular industry. I believe any government that will not declare war on its own sex industry is choosing to turn a blind eye, with the excuse that it’s ill equipped to fight an industry with such high demand. In this way, the sex industry is just like the illegal drug industry.

Logos: What made you decide to use a fictional story to generate more awareness of sex trafficking?

K. R. Dial: Gary Haugen, director of the International Justice Mission, spoke at our church. I had been scribbling notes for a painfully boring memoir when I heard him speak. I knew that the book was to be about his work but did not know which injustice to focus on; then, after church, I asked Gary what the greatest injustice in the world was today. He said child prostitution. That became the premise of my book.

The central theme of my novel comes from a quote of Gary Haugen’s. In a paraphrase, “When confronted with evil in the world, I stopped asking ‘where is God’ and started asking ‘where are His people.’” This one thought changed me as a believer forever and prompted me to write a book about what happens when God’s people show up.

I chose to write a work of fiction because fiction speaks to us on an emotional level. It is the perfect vehicle to show ordinary people fighting evil. It allows us to say, “I can do that.” I believe we all long to be brave. Heroic fiction will always have a place in our human story. Also, I wanted to write a story that inspires but does not frighten. In other words, there is no description in my book of what it really means to purchase a child. What is described is how angry good people get when they know children are being hurt.

You can find the rest of this incredible discussion on Vyrso Voice.

The Lotus Keeper is available right now from Vyrso for only $4.49. Download it today!

Free Father’s Day Templates from Proclaim

  |  Thu, June 14, 2012   |  Misc   0

Father’s Day is right around the corner. Why not use Proclaim’s free Father’s Day templates to give your service some continuity?

Proclaim has uploaded a new collection of 6 free Father’s Day templates to bring continuity to this Sunday’s service. With the free Father’s Day collection, you’ll get the following slides:

  • Welcome
  • Happy Father’s Day (pictured)
  • Bible —lay out your verses on custom-made Scripture slides
  • Sermon title
  • Song—perfect template for your worship songs
  • Standard Father’s Day background—ideal for announcements, tithes, prayer time, or anything else you need to communicate

This new Father’s Day series is just one of 13 free templates available in Proclaim. You can also upload your own art or subscribe to Graceway Media and choose from more than 10,000 breathtaking backgrounds. With Proclaim, your Sunday morning presentations will look amazing—and come together seamlessly.

To try this content out for your church service, simply download Proclaim and log in with your Logos account details. Select NEW to start a new presentation and grab the Father’s Day template to customize for your own service.

You’ll need an On Air license to use Proclaim with your church, but with prices starting at only $10 a month, there has never been a better time to get started!

Win the $20,000 Haddon Robinson Scholarship!

  |  Thu, June 14, 2012   |  Misc   1

Last month you heard about the groundbreaking new Doctor of Ministry in Preaching and Teaching from Knox Theological Seminary and all the reasons why it’s the best DMin out there (world-class theological training, Logos-based curriculum, and low monthly payments, to name a few). Now there’s one more reason to check it out: you could get your doctorate for free.

Logos and Knox have launched the Haddon Robinson Scholarship, which covers your entire DMin. If you were to add up all the individual things the scholarship covers, you’d have a total value of over $20,000, but that’s just the big picture. Here’s a look at everything the scholarship entails.

Your Tuition ($12,750)

The three-year Knox DMin in Preaching and Teaching will train you to study theology as both a science and an art. You’ll learn from some of the world’s finest biblical scholars, including NIV and NASB translator Dr. Bruce Waltke and, of course, Dr. Haddon Robinson, one of Christianity Today’s “Top 25 Most Influential Preachers.” Here’s a look at just some of the courses the Haddon Robinson Scholarship will cover.

  • Enriching Preaching through Logos Bible Software
    You’ll become a Logos expert. This course teaches you to use Logos Bible Software to access thousands of illustrations and sermon texts and craft structured, powerful messages.
  • The Art of Exegetical Theology in Preaching
    You’ll learn how the Bible speaks—not simply what it speaks. This course develops an awareness of themes that span the entire Bible.
  • Preaching Christ in All the Scriptures
    You’ll hone your skills in preaching the message of the Messiah from the Old and New Testaments alike.

Your Own Portfolio Library ($4,290)

Each Logos base package gives you a library of resources and high-tech tools for better Bible study. Logos 4: Portfolio Edition is the biggest base package we’ve got. Every student’s Portfolio is included in the DMin program price, so with the Haddon Robinson Scholarship, it’s free. If you win the scholarship, you’ll get an enormous theological library (more than 1,600 books worth over $35,000 in print) at no cost!

  • 47 Bibles and interlinears
  • 482 commentaries
  • 48 preaching and teaching resources
  • 232 theological books
  • 86 original language grammars and tools
  • Hundreds and hundreds more resources!

Fees ($2,750)

This is the boring stuff: graduation fees, transcript fees, etc. You don’t have to worry about them, though; the Haddon Robinson Scholarship covers all these, too.

Logos Book Credit ($1,000)

Most of the books for this program are included in the massive Portfolio library, but you might need to pick up a few handy reference books or biographies for further research. That’s why Logos includes a $1,000 book credit in the program cost. With your academic discount, you can stretch this credit out to get far more than $1,000 worth of Logos resources. It’s already a fine deal for students, but the Haddon Robinson Scholarship waives the cost entirely.

Win the Haddon Robinson Scholarship

You’ve got the opportunity to earn your doctorate for free—don’t let it pass you by. Enter to win the scholarship before June 28. On August 17, a winner will be selected to receive the entire DMin in Preaching and Teaching from Knox at no cost.

So enter to win the Haddon Robinson Scholarship—you could earn your DMin for free!

Check Out These ECPA Winners from Logos and Vyrso

  |  Wed, June 13, 2012   |  Products   0

Every year, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) recognizes the best in Christian literature with the ECPA Christian Book Awards (formerly known as the Gold Medallion).  These awards, chosen and judged by ECPA members, have been given to stellar Christian books, in a number of categories since 1978.

Many ECPA award-winners are available from both Logos and Vyrso. If you’re looking for new books and resources, why not check out these recent winners?

Christian Book of the Year Winners

New Author (New Category for 2012)

Reference and Study

Christian Life

Ministry

Devotional

Family and Parenting

Fiction

Have a favorite ECPA award-winning book here? Leave us a comment to tell us which one and why!

Vote for Logos in the Social Madness Challenge!

  |  Tue, June 12, 2012   |  Company   1

Logos Bible Software was nominated in the medium business category of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s (PSBJ) Social Madness competition. You can help us win by going to the #socialmadness page, clicking on the “Medium companies” tab, and voting now*.

Vote Now!

Logos’ Secret Weapon

This competition showcases the business world’s best social media growth strategies in a tournament-style challenge. What the PSBJ doesn’t realize is that Logos has a secret weapon. We have some of the most socially engaged fans on the planet! Just look at these numbers:

Not only are our fans engaged—they are incredibly involved. Thanks to you, we have repeatedly launched successful campaigns like:

It’s your invaluable engagement that helped us get nominated in the first place. If the PSBJ knew what a social media juggernaut our fans were, they might have had second thoughts about nominating us. We’re currently about 7,000 votes shy of first place. Let’s get mobilized and show them how social media is done!

Go to the #socialmadness page, click on the “Medium companies” tab, and vote now. Then tweet it, post it, and share it with your friends. Let’s get the word out!

Vote Now!

*Please note that scores are updated every morning.

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