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The Gospel of Luke is the most literary of the four gospels which recount the life and work of Jesus Christ. Although anonymous, the book is generally attributed to Luke, a physician and a missionary companion of the Apostle Paul. His account contains events which are unique in the four gospels including the visits of Gabriel to Mary and Zacharias, the visit of the shepherds to the birth of Jesus, and the story of the young Jesus at the temple. This gospel contains the most references to women and is favorable to the Gentiles for whom it was written. Perhaps the most well-known of all New Testament passages is the second chapter of Luke which tells of the birth of Christ. (Summary by Susan Denny)...

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Robert Hugh Benson, who was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, was ordained an Anglican priest in 1895 by his father, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Eight years later, after weighty consideration, Robert Benson converted to Roman Catholicism. In 1904 he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest and took up residence in Cambridge, where he ministered to Roman Catholic students as their unofficial chaplain. In 1911, he was made a monsignor. Despite the brevity of his earthly life, Benson was a prolific writer whose literary productions span the gamut from devotional works, such as The Friendship of Christ, to sacred drama, children's books, apologetic works, historical fiction, and even science fiction. The Friendship of Christ, which bears an imprimatur, is based on sermons Benson preached in London and Rome in 1910 and 1911. In the first part of this book, he shows how one enters into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the purgative and illuminative ways. In the second part, he discusses several modes in which Christ offers us His friendship here and now, such as in the Eucharist, in the Church, in the...

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The Book of Lamentations is a series of mournful poems written by the Prophet Jeremiah as he saw the destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah laments the desolation of this once great city, as well as the condition of the people, many of whom were once surrounded by great wealth and honor. Jeremiah has been referred to by many as The Weeping Prophet, and this book merely confirms the sense of this title. (Summary by Mark Penfold)...

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Originating in the circumstance of a multicultural church (primarily Jewish and Hellenistic), Ephesians addresses issues appropriate to the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds present in the community. Paul addresses hostility, division, and self-interest more than any other topic in the letter, leading many scholars to believe that his primary concern was not doctrinal, but behavioral. Some theologians agree the main theme of Ephesians is in response to the newly converted Jews who often separated themselves from their Gentile brethren. The unity of the church, especially between Jew and Gentile believers, is the keynote of the book. (Summary from Wikipedia)...

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2 Chronicles was purportedly written by Ezra the scribe. It expounds the history of King Solomon and the kings came after him. It is very similar to 1 and 2 Kings, but centers primarily on the Temple as the Presence of God among the people. It is a history of the Kings of Israel. (Summary by Sundiata)...

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Described by William Barclay as the Queen of the Epistles, the Epistle to the Ephesians is one of the books of the Bible in the New Testament. Paul is traditionally said to have written the letter while he was in prison in Rome (around 63 A.D.). This would be about the same time as the Epistle to the Colossians (which in many points it resembles) and the Epistle to Philemon. (Summary from Wikipedia)...

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Practically nothing is known about Habakkuk's personal history, except for what can be inferred from the text of his book, which consists of five oracles about the Chaldeans (Babylonians) and a song of praise to God. Since the Chaldean rise to power is dated c. 612 BC, it is assumed he was active about that time, making him an early contemporary of Jeremiah and Zephaniah. Jewish sources, however, do not group him with those two prophets, who are often placed together, so it is possible that he was slightly earlier than they. Because the final chapter of his book is a song, it is sometimes assumed in Jewish tradition that he was a member of the tribe of Levi, which served as musicians in Solomon's Temple. According to the Zohar (Volume 1, page 8b) Habakkuk is the boy born to the Shunamite woman through Elisha's blessing. Habakkuk is unique among the prophets in that he openly questions the wisdom of God.[citation needed] In the first part of the first chapter, the Prophet sees the injustice among his people and asks why God does not take action: 1:2 Yahweh, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you 'Violence!' and ...

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The Epistle of Paul to the Romans , often shortened to Romans , is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul, to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is by far the longest of the Pauline epistles, and is considered his most important theological legacy....

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The Epistle of James is a book in the Christian New Testament. The author identifies himself as James (James 1:1), traditionally understood as James the Just, the brother of Jesus, first of the Seventy Disciples and first Bishop of Jerusalem. With no overriding theme, the text condemns various sins and calls on Christians to be patient while awaiting the imminent Second Coming. The epistle has caused controversy: Protestant reformer Martin Luther argued that it was not the work of an apostle. Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Mormonism claim it contradicts Luther's doctrine of justification through faith alone (Sola fide) derived from his translation of Romans 3:28. The Christian debate over Justification is still unsettled, see also Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification and Christian view of the Law. (Summary from Wikipedia)...

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The Chinese Union Version (CUV) (Chinese: 和合本; pinyin: héhé běn; literally harmonized/united version) is the predominant Chinese language translation of the Bible used by Chinese Protestants. It is considered by many to be the Chinese Protestant’s Bible. The CUV in use today is the vernacular Mandarin version, published in two slightly different editions - the Shen Edition (神版) and the Shangti Edition (上帝版) - differing in the way the word “God” is translated. 《聖經和合本》（簡稱和合本；今指國語和合本，舊稱官話和合本），是今日華語人士最普遍使用的《聖經》譯本。此譯本的出版起源自1890年在上海舉行的傳教士大會，會中各差會派代表成立了三個委員會，各自負責翻譯官話、淺文理及深文理（文言文）譯本。 於1904年，《淺文理和合譯本》出版《新約》。《深文理和合譯本》於1906年出版《新約》。1907年大會計劃只譯一部文理譯本，於1919年出版《文理和合譯本》。1906年，官話的翻譯工作完成了《新約》；1919年，《舊約》的翻譯工作完成。在1919年正式出版時，《聖經》譯本名為《官話和合譯本》，從此就成了現今大多數華語教會採用的和合本《聖經》。...

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The Epistle to Galatians is a book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul of Tarsus to a number of early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia. It is principally concerned with the controversy surrounding Gentile Christians and the Mosaic Law within Early Christianity. Along with the Epistle to the Romans, it is the most theologically significant of the Pauline epistles, and has been particularly influential in Protestant thought....

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The Book of Haggai is a book of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and of the Old Testament, written by the prophet Haggai. It was written in 520 BC some 18 years after Cyrus had conquered Babylon and issued a decree in 538 BC allowing the captive Jews to return to Judea. He saw the restoration of the temple as necessary for the restoration of the religious practices and a sense of peoplehood after a long exile. It consists of two brief, comprehensive chapters. The object of the prophet is generally urging the people to proceed with the rebuilding of the second Jerusalem temple in 521 BC after the return of the deportees. Haggai attributes a recent drought to the peoples' refusal to rebuild the temple, which he sees as key to Jerusalem’s glory. The book ends with the prediction of the downfall of kingdoms, with one Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, as the Lord’s chosen leader. The language here is not as finely wrought as in some other books of the minor prophets, yet the intent seems straightforward....

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A tradução feita por João Ferreira de Almeida é considerada um marco na história da Bíblia em português pois foi a primeira tradução do Novo Testamento a partir das línguas originais. O trabalho de João Ferreira de Almeida é para a língua portuguesa o que a Bíblia de Lutero é para alemã e a King James Version para a inglesa. Num trabalho que se estendeu por toda a sua vida, Almeida começou a tradução pelo Novo Testamento, dedicando-se ao Velho Testamento já em idade avançada. A tradução de Almeida é sem dúvida a mais difundida em Língua Portuguesa, mais modernamente em versões corrigidas e revisadas. Este projeto usa uma edição de 1860, reimpressão da segunda edição da Bíblia de Almeida, revista pouco antes da morte do tradutor. Esta é a gravação do primeiro livro do Antigo Testamento, Gênesis. (Introdução escrita por Leni)...

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The Epistle to the Galatians is a book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul of Tarsus to a number of early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia. It is principally concerned with the controversy surrounding Gentile Christians and the Mosaic Law within Early Christianity. Along with the Epistle to the Romans, it is the most theologically significant of the Pauline epistles, and has been particularly influential in Protestant thought. (Summary from Wikipedia)...

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The history of the judges of Israel. (Summary by Joy Chan)

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The Epistle to the Romans is one of the letters of the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. In the words of N.T. Wright, the Book of Romans is neither a systematic theology nor a summary of Paul's lifework, but it is by common consent his masterpiece. It dwarfs most of his other writings, an Alpine peak towering over hills and villages. Not all onlookers have viewed it in the same light or from the same angle, and their snapshots and paintings of it are sometimes remarkably unalike. Not all climbers have taken the same route up its sheer sides, and there is frequent disagreement on the best approach. What nobody doubts is that we are here dealing with a work of massive substance, presenting a formidable intellectual challenge while offering a breathtaking theological and spiritual vision. (Summary from Wikipedia)....

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The Book of James : Supposed to have been written by James the Brother of Jesus and First Leader of the Christian movement in Jerusalem after the death of Jesus Christ. The theme of this book is the importance of Works as the vehicle of Faith . ( Written by Robert Scott )...

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The Book of Martyrs, by John Foxe, is an English Protestant account of the persecutions of Protestants, many of whom had died for their beliefs within the decade immediately preceding its first publication. It was first published by John Day, in 1563. Lavishly illustrated with many woodcuts, it was the largest publishing project undertaken in Britain up to that time. Commonly known as, Foxe's Book of Martyrs, the work's full title begins with Actes and Monuments of these Latter and Perillous Days, Touching Matters of the Church. There were many subsequent editions, by Day, and by other editors down through the years. Foxe's original work was enormous (the second edition filling two heavy folio volumes with a total of 2,300 pages, estimated to be twice as long as Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. This edition is much abridged from Foxe's original. This book was first published shortly after the death of Queen Mary. During Mary's reign, common people of Protestant Christian faith were publicly burned at the stake in an attempt to eliminate dissension from Catholic doctrines. Foxe's account of Mary's reign and its m...

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Galatians is a letter from Paul of Tarsus to a number of Early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia. Paul is principally concerned with the controversy surrounding Gentile Christians and the Mosaic Law within Early Christianity. The main theme of Ephesians is “the Church, the Body of Christ.” The Church is to maintain the unity in practice which Christ has brought about positionally. Another major theme in Ephesians is the keeping of Christ's body (that is, the Church) pure and holy. Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul circa 62 while Paul was in prison. The letter was written to the church at Philippi, one of the earliest churches to be founded in Europe. They were very attached to Paul, just as he was very fond of them. The Philippians had sent Epaphroditus, their messenger, with contributions to meet the needs of Paul; and on his return Paul sent this letter with him. Written in the 50s while Paul was in prison, Colossians is similar to Ephesians, also written at this time. Colossians declares Christ's supremacy over the entire created universe and exhorts Christians to lead godly live...

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Der Kleine Katechismus ist eine kurze Schrift, die Martin Luther 1529 verfasst hat. Er hat in den lutherischen Kirchen Bekenntnis- und Lehrcharakter; behutsam an die heutige Sprache angepasst gilt er nach wie vor. Luther hat den kleinen Katechismus geschrieben, da er auf seinen Visitationsreisen erkennen musste, dass das Kirchenvolk den christlichen Glauben und die reformatorischen Einsichten nur lückenhaft kannte. Sein Ziel war es, den Pfarrherrn eine Hilfe zum Unterricht zu geben. Später ergab sich, dass auch die Hausväter ihre Familienangehörigen (hierzu gehörte damals auch das Gesinde) anhand des Kl. Katechismus im christlichen Glauben unterweisen konnten. Die hier gelesene Fassung ist eine Bearbeitung der Originalausgaben von K. F. Th. Schneider aus dem Jahr 1853; die Abschnitte haben folgende Überschriften: 1. Die Zehen gebot, wie sie ein hausvater seinem gesinde einfeltiglich furhalten sol. 2. Der Glaube, wie ein Hausvater den selbigen seinem gesinde auffs einfeltigest furhalten sol. 3. Das Vater unser, wie ein Hausvater das selbige seinem gesinde auffs einfeltigest furhalten sol. 4. Das Sacrament der heiligen Tauffe, wie das...

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