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Formula of Concord (1577) is an authoritative Lutheran statement of faith (called a confession, creed, or symbol) that, in its two parts (Epitome and Solid Declaration), makes up the final section of the Lutheran Corpus Doctrinae or Body of Doctrine, known as the Book of Concord. The Epitome is a brief and concise presentation of the Formula's twelve articles....

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The Book of Obadiah is found in both the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, where it is the shortest book, only one chapter long. Its authorship is generally attributed to a person named Obadiah, which means “servant (or worshipper) of the Lord”. Obadiah is classified as a minor prophet in the Christian Bible due to the brevity of the writing (only 21 verses) and the content (prophetic material). An Old Testament prophet was (professedly) not only a person who was given divine insight into future events, but a person whom the Lord used to declare his word. The first nine verses in the book foretell total destruction in the land of Edom at the hand of the Lord. Obadiah writes that this destruction will be so complete that it will be even worse than a thief who comes at night, for not even a thief would destroy everything. The Lord will allow all allies of Edom to turn away and help chase Edom out of its land. What is the reason for such a harsh punishment? Verses ten through fourteen explain that when Israel (the Lord’s chosen people) was attacked, Edom refused to help them, thus acting like an enemy. What is ...

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The Gospel of Matthew (Greek: Κατά Μαθθαίον or Κατά Ματθαίον, Kata Maththaion or Kata Matthaion; literally, according to Matthew) is a synoptic gospel in the New Testament, one of four canonical gospels. It narrates an account of the life and ministry of Jesus. It describes his genealogy, his miraculous birth and childhood, his baptism and temptation, his ministry of healing and preaching, and finally his crucifixion and resurrection. The resurrected Jesus commissions his Apostles to go and make disciples of all nations. (Summary from Wikipedia)...

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The Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan is a Christian pseudepigraphical work found in Ge'ez, translated from an Arabic original and thought to date from the 5th or 6th century AD. It was first translated from the Ethiopic version into German by August Dillmann. It was first translated into English by S. C. Malan from the German of Ernest Trumpp. The first half of Malan's translation is included as the First Book of Adam and Eve and the Second Book of Adam and Eve in The Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden. Books 1 and 2 begin immediately after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden and end with the testament and translation of Enoch. Great emphasis is placed in Book 1 on Adam's sorrow and helplessness in the world outside the garden....

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This appendix to the 1580 edition of the Book of Concord is a compilation of Scripture passages together with citations from the fathers of the ancient Christian Church. They are intended to show that the Christology of the Formula of Concord differs neither in substance nor in terminology from Christian Orthodoxy. (Introduction by Jonathan Lange)...

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The Song of Songs is the twenty-second book of The Bible and was authored by Solomon. In some translations, this book is entitled The Song of Solomon . It is also known as The Best Song . Replete with metaphor, this book is a love song that describes the wooing and wedding of a lowly but very comely shepherdess to the great king Solomon. It speaks of the joys of love as well as its heartaches. Although this reading was performed by a single male voice, the book has three main speakers: the Shulamite shepherdess, King Solomon and a chorus by the daughters of Jerusalem. Biblical scholars also note the allegorical depictions of God as King and the bride as Israel. In New Testament doctrine, the bride is thought of as the Church and Christ as King. The Song of Songs is one of the Wisdom Books. This reading comes from the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Holy Bible. (Summary by http://climber53.com Robert Garrison )...

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A summary of Lutheran doctrine, written by Martin Luther in 1537 for a meeting of the Schmalkaldic League in preparation for an intended ecumenical Council of the Church. Luther's patron, Elector John Frederick of Saxony, asked him to prepare these articles for the League's meeting in 1537, held again in Schmalkalden. Though they were not adopted at the meeting of the Schmalkaldic League in 1537, they were widely used and were incorporated into the Book of Concord in 1580 as one of the Lutheran Confessions of the faith. (from Wikipedia)...

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The Book of Daniel (דניאל), originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a book in both the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and the Christian Old Testament. The book is set during the Babylonian Captivity, a period when Jews were deported and exiled to Babylon following the Siege of Jerusalem of 597 BC. The book revolves around the figure of Daniel, an Israelite who becomes an adviser to Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of Babylon from 605 BC - 562 BC. The book has two distinct parts: a series of six narratives (chapters one to six) and four apocalyptic visions (chapters seven to twelve). The narratives take the form of court stories which focus on tests of religious fidelity involving Daniel and his friends (chapters one, three and six), and Daniel's interpretation of royal dreams and visions (chapters two, four and five). In the second part of the book, Daniel recounts his reception of dreams, visions and angelic interpretations in the first person. (Summary by Wikipedia)...

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The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It was written by Paul. (Summary from Wikipedia)...

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The Second Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament of the Bible. According to the epistle itself, it was written by the apostle Peter, an eyewitness to Jesus' ministry. He criticizes false teachers who distort the authentic, apostolic tradition, and predicts judgement for them. He explains that God has delayed the Second Coming so that more people will have the chance to reject evil and find salvation. He calls on Christians to wait patiently for the parousia and to study scripture. (Summary from Wikipedia)...

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The superscription of the Book of Zephaniah attributes its authorship to “Zephaniah son of Cushi son of Gedaliah son of Amariah son of Hezekiah, in the days of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah” (1:1, NRSV). All that is known of Zephaniah comes from the text. The superscription of the book is lengthier than most and contains two features. The name Cushi, Zephaniah’s father, means ‘Ethiopian’. In a society where genealogy was considered extremely important because of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants, the author may have felt compelled to establish his Hebrew lineage. In fact, this lineage is traced back to Hezekiah, who was king of Judah. The author of Zephaniah does not shrink from condemning the Cushites or Ethiopians. Chapter 2:12 contains a succinct but unequivocal message: “You also, O Ethiopians, / Shall be killed by my sword.” Zephaniah’s familial connection with King Hezekiah may have also legitimized his harsh indictment of the royal city in 3:1-7....

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In the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Jonah is the fifth book in a series of books called the Minor Prophets. Unlike other prophetic books however, this book is not a record of a prophet’s words toward Israel. Instead of the poetry and prophetic prose of Isaiah or Lamentations, this book tells the story of a reluctant prophet who arguably becomes one of the most effective prophets in the entire Bible. (Summary by Wikipedia)...

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The Books of Chronicles (Hebrew Divrei Hayyamim, דברי הימים, Greek Paralipomenon, Παραλειπομένων) are part of the Hebrew Bible (Jewish Tanakh and Christian Old Testament). In the Masoretic Text, it appears as the first or last book of the Ketuvim (the latter arrangement also making it the final book of the Jewish bible). Chronicles largely parallels the Davidic narratives in the Books of Samuel and the Books of Kings. It appears in two parts (I & II Chronicles), immediately following 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings as a summary of them with minor details sometimes added. The division of Chronicles and its place in the Christian canon of the Old Testament are based upon the Septuagint. The author of Chronicles, termed the Chronicler, may also have written Ezra and Nehemiah. His work is an important source of information about Israel after the Babylonian exile....

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Father Jean Guibert of the Society of St. Sulpice served as superior of the Catholic Institute of Paris. He wrote this short book, which bears an imprimatur, for both those who practice piety and those who disdain it. As noted in the preface to this book, the practice of piety has many advantages. The pious person is drawn into closer contact with God, his heart is purified and made glad, his mind is enlightened, his will is strengthened, and his zeal to love God and neighbor is enkindled. In Part I (Chapters 1-11), Father Guibert discusses the nature of piety, and in Part II (Chapters 12-18), he enumerates its fruits. The sequel to On Piety is Guibert's On the Exercises of Piety, which illustrates how piety is practiced in various ways. (Summary by dave7)...

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The First Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the First Letter to the Thessalonians, is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It was written by Paul. (Summary from Wikipedia)...

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The World English Bible is a translation of the Bible into modern English. Work on the project began in 1997, but the translation has been released directly into the public domain, free of copyright. It is largely an update of the American Standard Version of 1901, and is intended to be both readable and non-denominational. (Summary by Leon Mire)...

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The Second Epistle to Timothy is one of the three Pastoral Epistles, written by Paul, and is part of the canonical New Testament. It may have been written sometime in 67 A.D. during Paul's second Roman imprisonment. In his letter, the writer urges Timothy to not have a spirit of timidity and to not be ashamed to testify about our Lord (1:7-8). The writer also entreats Timothy to come to him before winter, and to bring Mark with him (cf. Philippians 2:22). He was anticipating that the time of his departure was at hand (4:6), and he exhorts his son Timothy to all diligence and steadfastness in the face of false teachings, with advice about combatting them with reference to the teachings of the past, and to patience under persecution (1:6–15), and to a faithful discharge of all the duties of his office (4:1–5), with all the solemnity of one who was about to appear before the Judge of the quick and the dead. (Summary from Wikipedia)...

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A book on the all importance of humility, how Jesus was humble, and how we also can become humble. Murray wrote Without humility, there can be no true abiding in God's presence or experience of His favor and the power of His spirit. Without it there can be no abiding faith or love or joy or strength. Summary by ekaitz...

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Psalms is a book of the Hebrew Bible included in the collected works known as the Writings. Psalms were written by various writers, including Israel's King David. The Book of Psalms is divided into five books: Book 1 -- Psa. 1-41; Book 2 -- Psa. 42-72; Book 3 -- Psa. 73-89; Book 4 -- Psa. 90-106; and Book 5 -- Psa. 107-150. The collection includes the following types of psalm, among others: Psalms for praise, guidance, consolation, recognition of God's creation, the need for repentance. Certain Psalms, such as Psa. 22 and Psa. 110 are accepted by Christians and certain Jews as messianic or containing messianic prophecies. (From Wikipedia, modified by Sam Stinson)...

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Andrew Murray describes the necessity and benefits of absolute obedience to God. He goes on to explain the way to achieve this level of obedience, which is required of all believers, and attainable through God's provision. (Summary by Joy Chan)...

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