James C. Vanderkam has written An Introduction to Early Judaism. I caught up with James recently to discuss his book. Enjoy! What provoked you to write this book? Since the first edition of An Introduction to Early Judaism was published in 2001, my memory of the circumstances in which it arose is somewhat faded.  I do recall that two gentlemen from the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company suggested I write an introduction to the period, an introduction that would resemble... Read more

The ESV Clarion Reference Bible is an amazing premium Bible. The look and feel of this Bible is remarkable. The goatskin leather cover is top-shelf. The Bible is compact, but not terribly small. It’s short and stout. The pages are durable, the text is elegant, and super easy to read. The Bible opens flat, and the font leaps off the page on the creamy hue paper. The cross-references are placed perfectly in the outer margins. Cambridge does a wonderful job... Read more

Recently, David deSilva recommended that I obtain the Lexham Geographic Commentaries for the research on my total rewrite and expansion of The Untold Story of the New Testament Church. There are two volumes in the set. Lexham Geographic Commentary on Acts Through Revelation Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospels Both are edited by Barry J. Beitzel. I’m monumentally impressed with these volumes. They provide all the current data and research on the geography of each city and village mentioned in... Read more

One of the top New Testament scholars of our time is David deSilva. David is a friend. He’s helped answer numerous questions that I’ve pelted him with for the research on my rewrite of The Untold Story of the New Testament Church. David’s book A Week in the Life of Ephesus is superb. Most scholars have no capacity for writing novels, but David excels here. In this regard, he’s a switch hitter (hitting both fiction and non-fiction). A rarity in... Read more

Here are my three podcasts. If any of them are a blessing to you, we would appreciate if you recommended them to your friends. We don’t pay for ads (like most podcasters do today) so we rely on word-of-mouth from our listeners. This is from the podcast page over at Beyond Evangelical. — The Insurgence Podcast features conversations with Frank and his partners on the explosive gospel of the kingdom.             The Christ is ALL... Read more

Bruce Gore has written a thick book called Historical and Chronological Context of the Bible. Since I’m a student of church history and the Scriptures, I asked the publisher for a complimentary copy (to see what the book was like and how it was written and arranged) in exchange for an interview with the author. The interview is below. What provoked you to write this book? The book was originally written as a textbook for a class in the historical... Read more

The NIV wide margin side-column reference Bible, premium goatskin leather is one of the loveliest Bibles I’ve come across. In fact, it’s the most elegant NIV edition I own. It’s nearly perfect. The layout is amazing. The single column is great for readability. The references in the margin are awesome. The cover is brown and made of goatskin, which is a mark of a premium Bible. The thick paper is excellent. The design and construction is flawless. The opaque paper... Read more

Jeffrey Weima is the author of 1 & 2 Thessalonians: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. This commentary, hands down, is the best treatment of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians in print. I caught up with Jeffrey recently to discuss his commentary. Enjoy! How long did it take you to write this commentary from beginning to end? The truth is that I am scared to figure this out with precision, since the number will be unbelievably high! I worked... Read more

The CSB Verse-by-Verse Reference Bible, Holman Handcrafted Collection, Premium Goatskin is an elegant Bible. This is a high-end beautiful, well-crafted Bible. The goatskin cover is durable and super soft. The paper, the font, and the format is classic. The verse-by-verse format makes it easy for reading and preaching/teaching. It lays perfectly flat from beginning to end. The cross references and footnotes are located at the right hand and to the bottom of the pages. No pages stuck together, as is... Read more

The ESV Topaz Reference Bible Goatskin Leather, Dark Blue edition published by Cambridge is an amazing Bible. This premium Bible is not only elegant, but the craftsman quality of both the goatskin cover and the construction and printing is peerless. Hands down, this is in the top 3 of all the premium Bibles I own. High quality marks every aspect of it. The typesetting is spaced perfectly, the pages are not too thin but crisp and smooth, and the font... Read more