This Christmas, Logos Bible Software is encouraging Christians around the world to look closer at the Bible.

The transformative power of Scripture is central to the mission of Lexham Press, too. We’ve been deeply transformed by the Bible, and publishing allows us to accomplish change through the world of words and ideas.

Are you looking for ways to share the wonder of God’s word with your friends and family this season? It can be difficult to give a digital book as a gift so we’ve placed the print editions of some of our best books on sale. Give the gift of Bible study this Christmas and help your friends and family focus on Scripture.

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For the past 25 years, debate regarding the nature of tense and aspect in the Koine Greek verb has held New Testament studies at an impasse. Originally presented during a conference on the Greek verb supported by and held at Tyndale House and sponsored by the Faculty of Divinity of Cambridge University, the papers included in The Greek Verb Revisited represent the culmination of scholarly collaboration. The outcome is a practical and accessible overview of the Greek verb that moves beyond the current impasse by taking into account the latest scholarship from the fields of linguistics, Classics, and New Testament studies.

Scholars have recognized the importance of this collaborative effort. Constantine Campbell has said, “This is an important volume that deserves careful consideration. It will no doubt occupy a significant position within modern discussions of the Greek verbal system, and rightly so.” The Greek Verb Revisited not only offers a rare glimpse into the background of the debate over the Greek verb, but also explains the significance of this discussion and provides a linguistically-sound way forward.

Here’s an excerpt from the foreword by Andreas Köstenberger:

This is the critical juncture of the debate as it presents itself at the moment. What is more, this new paradigm needs more than one or two doctoral dissertations arguing it. It needs a broader consensus undergirding it by a critical mass of scholars who use a collaborative approach that focuses, not on personalities, but on issues, and that keeps trying to find solutions until the new paradigm has coalesced and is ready to be tested and validated by the data as they present themselves in the available Koine Greek literature, including the New Testament.

The Greek Verb Revisited represents the product of years of such collaborative efforts to move past the stalemate of previous debates and to make real progress in understanding how the Greek verb works. I will not go into detail here, because I want the contributions of the authors of the various essays included in this volume to speak for themselves.

What I will do, however, is commend this volume to you as a new way forward beyond the impasse in New Testament Greek studies, particularly with regard to verbal aspect. If you’re like me, and you’ve tuned out of the debate surrounding the use of the Greek verb for a while, or even if you’ve never been a part of the debate at all, now is the time to tune back in and to listen and learn from this team of scholars who, I’m convinced, have managed to arrive at a deeper level of understanding of how the Greek verb was used by first-century New Testament Greek writers, in a balanced and cogent way.

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Readers of The Greek Verb Revisited will find an accessible introduction to the foundational issues, and more importantly, they will discover a way forward through the debate over the Greek verb. This important volume is now available in print and digital formats.

“How can God be three and one? How can God take on a human nature? If God planned everything, how can I be responsible? Do my prayers make any difference in God’s plan? Will we finally know everything when we get to heaven?

“These are questions that recognize some of the mysterious tensions that Scripture presents to us. They are good questions, but wrong answers to good questions can rob us of a full and fulfilled Christian life, and they rob God of his proper glory. Proper answers—answers that allow the mystery of God and His ways to shine brightly—will evoke in us proper worship.”

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Imagine if you could peer inside the mind of a young theologian, before he penned his most influential works. What would we find? Would his later works be illuminated further by an understanding of his foundational thoughts? What connections could you draw between these two periods? For Geerhardus Vos, the “Father of Reformed Theology,” we now have a chance to address these “what if” questions.

With the release of the final volume of Vos’ Reformed Dogmatics, English readers can explore the relationship between Vos’ early thought and his subsequent work in biblical theology. Whatever differences such comparisons may bring to light, the end result will confirm a deep, pervasive and cordial continuity between his work in systematic theology and in biblical theology.
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The fifth and final volume of Geerhardus Vos’ Reformed Dogmatics is now available! For over five years, Richard B. Gaffin Jr. has been diligently working to bring this classic work into English for the first time ever. The first four volumes were extremely well received, with Michael Horton likening them to “a lost Shakespeare play recently discovered.”

This last volume presents Vos’ views on Ecclesiology, the Sacraments, and Eschatology. First, he deals with the essence and organization of the Church and its purpose. Then, Vos moves the discussion to the Means of Grace, going beyond merely the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist into issues of the Word of God and Gospel Proclamation as well. Lastly, he concludes with his examination of eschatology both in the sense of “things to come” and also in the sense of the current state of the Church as existing in the “already, but not yet.”
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God’s Word is transformative. It is this conviction which gives the Transformative Word series its name and its unique character. Series Editor Craig G. Bartholomew has worked alongside authors from around the world to identify a key theme in each book of the Bible, and each volume provides careful Biblical exegesis centered on that gripping theme. The result is an engaging, accessible thematic exploration of a biblical book, poised to offer you new and refreshing insights.
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We recently had the chance to talk with two authors from the Transformative Word series to get their take on what makes this series valuable. Matthew Emerson wrote the volume on Revelation and Heath Thomas wrote the volume on Habakkuk.

What makes the Transformative Word series unique?

Matthew Emerson

Matthew Emerson: In my experience writing my Revelation volume and perusing the others published so far, Transformative Word is unique in a few ways. First, the series is unique in its aim. Each volume is an overview of a particular biblical book. While some commentaries provide overviews in their introductions, these titles seek to do so in a way that is directly applicable to the reader. Second, Transformative Word is unique in its audience. Many publishers go for the “scholarly but for lay people” market, but I think Lexham has actually pulled it off with this series. These volumes are written by those with scholarly ability who nevertheless are deeply connected to and involved in the church, perhaps even vocationally. The authors thus bring both academic ability and pastoral sensitivity to their writing.

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Commentaries are a beloved and vital resource for modern students of the Bible. They give us expert insight into each verse of each chapter of each book of the Bible, and are often a great starting point for deeper research. But one thing the standard commentary typically doesn’t include is an emphasis on the themes of the given book. That’s where a thematic Bible study series truly shines.

Thematic studies center their exegesis around a specific theme or topic found in scripture, providing a unique, often narrative-driven perspective on the biblical book. This allows our theology to be shaped by the grand exegesis of scripture as opposed to having a single verse attempt to explain a theme or inform our theology. And our understanding of the Bible, as a whole, is enhanced when we’re able to properly grasp the themes and topics woven within Scripture.

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Last month, we announced the Osborne New Testament Commentaries written by respected biblical scholar Grant R. Osborne. As a culmination of his life’s ministry, he’s bringing his academic acumen to an accessible, application-focused commentary. Osborne highlights the riches of the New Testament, making each book valuable for pastors and all who consider themselves students of Scripture.

Decades of research, writing, and teaching has earned Osborne immense respect from his peers. Richard E. Averbeck declares him one of the “premier New Testament commentators of our day.” and George H. Guthrie calls him a “first-tier biblical scholar.” With such glowing affirmations, it’s no wonder the endorsements for his new commentary series have been flowing in.

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