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The church is in disarray. Theologians and commentators speak of the demise of evangelicalism. Are they alarmists? Is Christianity as we know it in the process of dying? Writer, scholar, teacher, and missionary Dr. David Alan Black thinks that the answer does not lie in the politics of the left or the right. In fact, he doesn't think that Jesus tells us what our politics should be. He doesn't see answers in Christian nationalism. But even further, he sees serious flaws in the very structure of our churches and denominations that prevent us from truly being obedient to the gospel. The solution lies, not in renewal, revival, or even in reformation, but rather in restoration-a restoration of the church organized as Jesus intended it and according to the example provided by the earliest church sources in the New Testament. To make the church and its members true servants of Jesus Christ again, we need to change our entire paradigm-to The Jesus Paradigm .

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Why do we have four gospels in the New Testament? How were they written, preserved, and chosen? In Why Four Gospels? noted Greek and New Testament scholar David Alan Black concisely and clearly presents the case for the early development of the gospels, beginning with Matthew, rather than Mark. This is much more than a discussion of the order in which the gospels were written. Using both internal data from the gospels themselves and an exhaustive and careful examination of the statements of the early church fathers, Dr. Black places each gospel in the context of the early development of Christianity. Though Markan priority is the dominant position still in Biblical scholarship, Dr. Black argues that this position is not based on the best evidence available, that the internal evidence is often given more weight than it deserves and alternative explanations are dismissed or ignored. If you would like an outline of the basis for accepting both early authorship of the gospels and the priority of Matthew, this book is for you.

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This book is the story of my existence — a meandering spiritual voyage through the beautiful loud crazy called life. – Dr. David Alan Black With his usual frank but gentleman-farmer honesty, Dave Black shares his reflections on his life, as he has shared it with hundreds every day through daveblackonline. Since November 2013 when his beloved Becky Lynn, wife of 37 years, went on to Heaven, Dave has been traveling a journey of grief but also a time of reflection with the immediate question of «What's next?» What does it mean to be running 5K races and climbing mountains in Europe? What do you do when the silence is deafening at 3 a.m. and you can't sleep? What has the professor learned in 40 years of teaching? These and other questions are addressed and dissected and shared as Dave gets on with living and learning more in this loud crazy called life.

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If you've been looking for a way to go from that surfboard to the Greek classroom, this is the book for you! That's not your goal? Then how about following God's leading wherever it takes you?
Dave Black believes it's all about mission, and living for God means just that. Your mission may be right in your own home, or it may take you on a journey into danger. Coming back alive may not be assured.
But adventure is!

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¿Qué es la iglesia? ¿Cómo se ve? ¿Cómo debería ser? Para obtener respuestas a estas preguntas David Alan Black mira a la iglesia del primer siglo y nuestros documentos fundacionales en el Nuevo Testamento. ¿Cuáles eran las características de una asamblea cristiana en el primer siglo? En su estudio encuentra siete marcas que definieron a la iglesia: Predicación evangelística, bautismo cristiano, enseñanza apostólica, relaciones genuinas, reuniones centradas en Cristo, oración ferviente, y vida sacrificial. Según Black, cada una de estas marcas debería caracterizar nuestras iglesias del siglo XXI también. Y ese es el desafío. ¿Cómo podemos aplicar estos principios en nuestras propias vidas y congregaciones? Este breve libro no responderá a todas sus preguntas. Lo que hará es señalar hacia el camino correcto para encontrar las respuestas. Ultimadamente, Black cree que “cuanto más entendemos las Escrituras, más comprendemos la responsabilidad que tenemos de someter nuestras vidas y nuestros futuros a sus enseñanzas radicales.” Este es el reto. ¿Listo?

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In this practical book every occurrence of astheneia and its cognates in the Pauline Epistles is examined, both in its immediate context and in its relation to Pauline thought as a whole. The analysis begins, first, by examining both secular and Septuagintal Greek usages of astheneia as well as its usage in the non-Pauline New Testament writings. It then proceeds, secondly, by defining Paul's astheneia termini from letter to letter and context to context. All the passages in the Pauline literature where the words appear undergo a detailed exegetical examination. The Pauline weakness motif is then summarized, with the conclusion that the concept of weakness is foundational to Paul's anthropology, Christology, and ethics.

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The church in America has come to depend on professionals to «do ministry.» In many churches, the pastor, paid to do the job, is the one who is expected to carry out all functions of the church. But it was not always this way. Jesus came as God-in-the-flesh. The pattern portrayed in the New Testament is that every Christian is part of the body of Christ, and the function of Christ's body is to be incarnational, to be Jesus Christ for the world (John 20:21). Author David Alan Black takes on this attitude of outsourcing our mission in his shortest book, yet one he has said might be the most important that he has written: Will You Join the Cause of Global Missions? If you expect here a call to go to seminary and become a professional missionary, you will be sorely disappointed. Instead, Dave calls for us to replace outsourcing with insourcing. Instead of looking for professionals to do the ministry while the rest of us fill the pews, he is pointing us back to the Gospel Commission and the call on every Christian life to fulfill that Commission. It is not enough in the 21st century to put a little bit of money into the church and expect the pastor and paid staff to do the work. Each one of us is called to also give of our time and talents. This little book might be dangerous. You may not be able to put it down without seeing your life radically changed. In fact, the book ends with a call to make precisely that promise. So will you join the cause of global missions?

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What is the Kingdom of God? What does it mean to be part of the kingdom? These are questions that should occupy the mind of every Christian. But we frequently shy away from the full meaning of God's rule. In Christian Archy , Dr. David Alan Black examines the New Testament to find the truly radical and all-encompassing claims of God's kingdom. In doing so, he discovers that the character of this kingdom is widely different from what is commonly contemplated today. Its glory is revealed only through suffering – a point that Jesus' disciples, then and now, have been slow to understand. This truth has tremendous implications for church life. The kingdom of God is in no way imperialistic. It has no political ambitions. It conquers not by force but by love. It is this humble characteristic of the kingdom that is a stumbling block to so many today. Christ's claim to our total allegiance is one we seek to avoid at all costs. But there is only one way to victory and peace, and that way is the way of the Lamb. This is the first volume in the new Areopagus Critical Christian Issues Series from Energion Publications. We believe it is an appropriate way to begin that series by addressing this foundational question of who we are as part of the Christian church, and why it is important for us to immerse ourselves in God's word.

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What is the church? What does it look like? What should it look like? For answers to these questions David Alan Black looks to the first century church and our founding documents in the New Testament. What were the characteristics of a Christian assembly in the first century? In his study he finds seven things that defined the church then: Evangelistic Preaching, Christian Baptism, Apostolic Teaching, Genuine Relationships, Christ-Centered Gatherings, Fervent Prayer, and Sacrificial Living. Dr. Black believes each of these things should characterize our twenty-first century churches as well. And that is the challenge. How can we apply these principles in our own lives and church congregations? This brief book won't answer all your questions. What it will do is point you toward the right way to find the answers. Ultimately, Dave Black believes that «the more we understand the Scriptures, the more we understand our responsibility to submit our lives and our futures to its radical teachings.» This is the challenge. Will you answer it?

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