
Lois Tverberg has been speaking and writing about the Jewish background of Christianity for the past twenty years. Her passion is to translate the Bible’s ancient setting into fresh insights that deepen and strengthen Christian faith. Lois grew up with plenty of Sunday school knowledge, but it wasn’t until after she had earned a PhD in biology and was teaching as a college professor that her fascination for biblical study was ignited by a seminar at her church. She has since studied several times in Israel, taking courses in biblical Hebrew, Koine Greek, and in the physical and cultural context of the Bible. In 2009 Lois partnered with Ann Spangler to write the bestselling Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus (Zondervan). Together they explored his first-century world of rabbis and disciples, festivals, prayers and the Torah, and discovered how restoring Jesus to his Jewish reality sheds light on his life and ministry. Later Lois followed up with Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus (Zondervan, 2012), where she challenged her audience to follow their Rabbi more closely by hearing his teachings in light of Jewish thought. She released her latest book in 2018: Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus (Baker). By showing how the Bible communicated ideas within a Middle Eastern, Jewish cultural context, it equips its audience to read the Scriptures more like first-century disciples and give them tools to explore it more deeply. Lois brings to her writing a surprising set of tools from her training as a scientist. She received her BA in physics at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and her PhD in Molecular Physiology from the University of Iowa. She has published several scientific papers and holds a patent from her PhD research. For several years she taught biology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. In 2001 she cofounded the En-Gedi Resource Center (EnGediResourceCenter.com), an educational ministry with a goal of deepening Christian understanding of the Bible in its context. There she published her first book, Listening to the Language of the Bible (En-Gedi Resource Center, 2004), a devotional guide to Hebrew words and ideas. Lois currently writes from her home in Holland, Michigan. Along with writing, she speaks at churches, conferences, and retreats. Her current news and articles are available on her website, Our Rabbi Jesus: His Jewish Life and Teaching, at http://OurRabbiJesus.com.
by Lois Tverberg
Rating: 4.5 ⭐
• 2 recommendations ❤️
What difference does it make that Jesus was Jewish?In Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus , Lois Tverberg challenges readers to follow their Rabbi more closely by re-examining his words in the light of their Jewish context. Doing so will provide a richer, deeper understanding of his ministry, compelling us to live differently, to become more Christ-like. We'll begin to understand why his first Jewish disciples abandoned everything to follow him, to live out his commands.Our modern society, with its individualism and materialism, is very different than the tight-knit, family-oriented setting Jesus lived and taught in. What wisdom can we glean from his Eastern, biblical attitude toward life? How can knowing Jesus within this context shed light on his teachings for us today?In Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus we'll journey back in time to eavesdrop on the conversations that arose among the rabbis of Jesus' day, and consider how hearing Rabbi Jesus with the ears of a first-century disciple can bring new meaning to our faith. And we'll listen to Jewish thinkers through the ages, discovering how ideas that germinated in Jesus' time have borne fruit. Doing so will yield fresh, practical insights for following our Rabbi's teachings from a Jewish point of view.
by Lois Tverberg
Rating: 4.5 ⭐
Bestselling author and an expert in the Jewish context of Scripture illuminates the language, culture, and imagery of the Bible, revealing new insights and helping us grasp the perspective of its original audience.
Listening to the Language of the Bible is a guide for discovering the richness of the Scriptures in their Hebraic setting. The book contains more than 60 brief, illustrated devotional articles that unpack the meaning of biblical words and phrases for life today. By examining the Hebrew and Jewish cultural context of some of the Bible’s seemingly odd phrases, it shares insights that clarify reading and deepen Bible study. Listening looks at many topics from the perspective of the ancient writers, including prayer, family and the promised Messiah. It also looks at the words of Jesus in light of first-century Jewish culture. The book can be read by itself for a brief overview, or with the Companion Bible Study as a guide to explore the Scriptures from a Hebraic perspective.
by Lois Tverberg
Rating: 4.6 ⭐
A friendly, bite-sized Bible study of five flavorful Hebrew words. In this introductory word study, readers get a taste of the ancient wisdom of Hebrew, the Bible’s heart-language, and see how useful it can be for reading both Old and New Testaments. Along the way they’ll uncover delightful word-plays that simply don’t translate into English, and find out how Hebrew unlocks mysteries like… …how people can have ears but not “hear” …how (or if) God can “forget” a person …how sins can be “visited” upon someone The ebook format allows readers to link to Bible verses in multiple translations online. With a bit of guided comparison of verses and translations, readers can get a sense of a word’s range of meaning and see why translators made the choices they did. Through the book’s brief lessons, 5 Hebrew Words broadly introduces the idea that Bible study is far richer when the Scriptures are read in light of their original language and culture.
This Bible study is intended to be a helpful expansion of Listening to the Language of the Bible (above). It will allow you to explore each concept more fully in other passages, and consider how it changes the way you read the scriptures. Often, this study discusses other nuances of meaning than were mentioned in the book chapter, so you have an even deeper knowledge by the end of the lesson. Ultimately, you'll be given tools to grasp the Bible's cultural perspective and examine what the Scriptures are saying about how you should live. This book works very well for a group Bible study. The last question of each lesson is written especially to stimulate discussion, and you will be greatly blessed by hearing how others have found modern meaning and personal application.
De Bijbel is geschreven in woorden en gezegden uit een heel andere cultuur, plaats en tijd. Zodoende vinden we in de Bijbel diverse uitdrukkingen die ons in eerste instantie vreemd voorkomen, of die we vanuit onze hedendaagse invulling verkeerd uitleggen.In Luisteren naar de taal van de Bijbel tonen Lois Tverberg en Bruce Okkema ons de rijkheid van de geschriften in hun oorspronkelijke, Hebreeuwse setting.De auteurs verklaren in dit boek 61 verschillende woorden en gezegden en leggen deze naast de hedendaagse invulling. Zo bedoelt Hosea met 'kennis van God' (Hosea 6:6, NBV) volgens de auteurs bijvoorbeeld niet dat we weten dat God bestaat of dat we een theologisch model van hem hebben, maar dat we leven in relatie met God. Dat komt namelijk veel meer overeen met de Hebreeuwse grondtekst en de Joodse vertalingen van dezelfde boeken.Dit boek is door zijn opbouw en heldere uitleg en de vragen per hoofdstuk uitermate geschikt voor Bijbelstudiegroepen.
Luister met de Emmaüsgangers naar wat er in de Schriften staat over de MessiasIn haar vierde boek over de Joodse wereld in de eerste eeuw legt Lois Tverberg uit hoe groot de verschillen in cultuur zijn tussen onze industriële westerse maatschappij en de oosterse cultuur in de Bijbelse tijden:Onze manier van redeneren sluit aan bij de oude Griekse cultuur en niet bij Hebreeuwse erfenis en de wereld van Jezus. Wij denken in abstracties en vinden logische argumenten veel overtuigender dan de gelijkenissen die Jezus vertelde. We zijn kinderen van de Verlichting.Evenals in haar eerdere boeken geeft Tverberg schatten aan inzicht gebaseerd op grondig onderzoek.
by Lois Tverberg
La Bible est un livre oriental. Nous la lisons à travers les verres teintés de la culture occidentale. La perte est considérable. Nous passons à côté d'un humour subtil et de nombreux sous-entendus. […] Ce qui est écrit entre les lignes, ce qui tient du ressenti, mais n'est pas exprimé, relève de la plus haute importance. Kenneth Bailey Que se passerait-il si vous aviez la possibilité de vous asseoir à côté de Jésus et de l'écouter vous expliquer la Bible ? Quelles révélations bouleversantes pourraient alors émerger ? De grands trésors nous attendent quand nous lisons les Écritures à la manière d'un Juif de l'époque, à travers les yeux d'un disciple de Jésus du premier siècle. Combinant une recherche minutieuse à une prose engageante, Lois Tverberg, en guide chevronnée, nous fait traverser le fossé culturel qui sépare notre monde de celui de la Bible. À mesure que nous comprenons « comment pense la Bible », notre propre façon de raisonner se transforme à son tour et nous sommes à même d'aborder Dieu, les récits et les enseignements des Écritures sous un éclairage nouveau. Lois Tverberg nous aide à ouvrir les yeux sur la manière dont les hommes du Moyen-Orient auraient compris Jésus et à approfondir l'amour que nous avons pour ce Livre imprégné de culture juive.
Excellent Book
by Lois Tverberg
In this unabridged audio download of Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus , Lois Tverberg challenges readers to follow their Rabbi more closely by reexamining his words in the light of their Jewish context. Doing so will provide a richer, deeper understanding of his ministry, compelling us to live differently, to become more Christ-like. We'll begin to understand why his first Jewish disciples abandoned everything to follow him, to live out his commands. Our modern society, with its individualism and materialism, is very different than the tight-knit, family-oriented setting Jesus lived and taught in. What wisdom can we glean from his Eastern, biblical attitude toward life? How can knowing Jesus within this context shed light on his teachings for us today? In Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus we'll journey back in time to eavesdrop on the conversations that arose among the rabbis of Jesus' day, and consider how hearing Rabbi Jesus with the ears of a first-century disciple can bring new meaning to our faith. And we'll listen to Jewish thinkers through the ages, discovering how ideas that germinated in Jesus' time have borne fruit. Doing so will yield fresh, practical insights for following our Rabbi's teachings from a Jewish point of view.
by Lois Tverberg
La Bible est un livre oriental. Nous la lisons à travers les verres teintés de la culture occidentale. La perte est considérable. Nous passons à côté d’un humour subtil et de nombreux sous-entendus. [...] Ce qui est écrit entre les lignes, ce qui tient du ressenti, mais n’est pas exprimé, relève de la plus haute importance. Kenneth Bailey Que se passerait-il si vous aviez la possibilité de vous asseoir à côté de Jésus et de l’écouter vous expliquer la Bible ? Quelles révélations bouleversantes pourraient alors émerger ? De grands trésors nous attendent quand nous lisons les Écritures à la manière d’un Juif de l’époque, à travers les yeux d’un disciple de Jésus du premier siècle. Combinant une recherche minutieuse à une prose engageante, Lois Tverberg, en guide chevronnée, nous fait traverser le fossé culturel qui sépare notre monde de celui de la Bible. À mesure que nous comprenons « comment pense la Bible », notre propre façon de raisonner se transforme à son tour et nous sommes à même d’aborder Dieu, les récits et les enseignements des Écritures sous un éclairage nouveau. Lois Tverberg nous aide à ouvrir les yeux sur la manière dont les hommes du Moyen-Orient auraient compris Jésus et à approfondir l’amour que nous avons pour ce Livre imprégné de culture juive.
by Lois Tverberg
What would it be like for modern listeners to sit down beside Jesus as he explained the Bible to them? What life-changing insights might emerge from such a transformative encounter?Lois Tverberg knows the treasures that await listeners willing to learn how to see the Bible through Jewish eyes. By helping them understand the Bible as Jesus and his first-century listeners would have, she bridges the gaps of time and culture in order to open the Bible to listeners today.Combining careful research with engaging prose, Tverberg leads us on a journey back in time to shed light on how this Middle Eastern people approached life, God, and each other. She explains age-old imagery that we often misinterpret, allowing us to approach God and the stories and teachings of Scripture with new eyes. By helping listeners grasp the perspective of its original audience, she equips them to hear the Bible in ways that will enrich their lives and deepen their understanding.