Peter J. Williams

Is there evidence to believe the Gospels?The Gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, John--are four accounts of Jesus's life and teachings while on earth. But should we accept them as historically accurate? What evidence is there that the recorded events actually happened?Presenting a case for the historical reliability of the Gospels, New Testament scholar Peter Williams examines evidence from non-Christian sources, assesses how accurately the four biblical accounts reflect the cultural context of their day, compares different accounts of the same events, and looks at how these texts were handed down throughout the centuries. Everyone from the skeptic to the scholar will find powerful arguments in favor of trusting the Gospels as trustworthy accounts of Jesus's earthly life.

How the Story of the Prodigal Son Illuminates Jesus’s Genius When someone thinks of Jesus, “genius” is not likely the first word that comes to mind. But when studied in detail, Jesus’s teachings and interactions with others combined high levels of knowledge and insight, verbal skill, and simplicity—showing his genius. In The Surprising Genius of Jesus, Peter J. Williams examines the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 to show the genius, creativity, and wisdom of Jesus’s teachings. He used simple but powerful stories to confront the Pharisees and scribes of the day, drawing on his knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures to teach his audience through complex layers and themes. Williams challenges those who question whether Jesus really was the source of the parables recorded in the Gospels, pointing readers to the truth of who Jesus is and why that matters for them today. Clear and Accessible for general readers with in-depth footnotes for those wanting to learn more Comprehensive, interscriptural analysis of the story of the prodigal son Written by Peter J. Author of Can We Trust the Gospels? and principal of Tyndale House, Cambridge

Det nye testamentes evangelier er fire fortellinger om hva Jesus sa og gjorde da han levde. Mange i dag er usikre på hva de skal tenke om disse skriftene. Er de historisk pålitelige? Er det grunner til å tro at hendelsene de beskriver faktisk fant sted? I denne boken argumenterer Williams for at vi kan anse evangeliene som historisk troverdige. Dr. Peter J. Williams er leder av Tyndale House, et senter for bibelforskning i Cambridge, England. Han har undervist i hebraisk og aramaisk, og har bibelske språk og tekstkritikk blant sine spesialfelt.

On an almost daily basis new discoveries are made that shed light on the New Testament. As these discoveries are published and old material is reevaluated, we get clearer glimpses into real life as it was at the time that the New Testament was written. "The New Testament in Its First Century Setting" brings together an international group of scholars responsible for much of this cutting-edge research. In opening a window on the world of the New Testament, the authors draw on a wide range of disciplines: ancient history, archaeology, sociology, papyrology, and linguistics alongside copious treatment of ancient literature and rigorous theological reflection. These twenty-one studies cover every major part of the New Testament corpus — the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation — and deal with subjects ranging from the linguistic background to Jesus' dereliction cry on the cross to the relationship between Rome and the seven churches of Revelation 2-3. In addition, each essay uses material from outside of the New Testament to make an original contribution to our knowledge of the biblical texts themselves. Presenting the state of the art in New Testament studies, "The New Testament in Its First Century Setting" is a fitting tribute to Bruce W. Winter, warden of Tyndale House in Cambridge, England. The volume includes a foreword by John B. Taylor, chairman of the Tyndale House Council, and a list of Bruce Winter's publications. Contributors: Paul Barnett, D. A. Carson, Andrew D. Clarke, Conrad Gempf, David W. J. Gill, Peter M. Head, David Instone-Brewer, E. A. Judge, Andreas J. Köstenberger, Irina Levinskaya, Bruce W. Longenecker, I. Howard Marshall, Alan Millard, Alanna Nobbs, Peter T. O'Brien, David Peterson, Brian S. Rosner, Peter Walker, Steve Walton, Rikki Watts, P. J. Williams.

The book of Ezra, tucked away in the Old Testament, is often overlooked, yet it is remarkable for its relevance to the modern world. Ezra the scribe is a warm hearted man who exercised a powerful ministry of spiritual, practical leadership to the Jews who had returned to Israel after the exile in Babylon. Love for Gods word is a hallmark of his life, and he stands as a powerful example in establishing reformation and revival in the life of the nation. This easy-to-use guide to the book of Ezra may be used for group or individual study.

What makes the book of Haggai especially interesting is that he is one of the three last prophets of the Old Testament period to receive God's revelation before the coming of Christ. He was a man with a single message for the people of his day, and he preached it with unparalleled persuasive force and power. That message was concentrated on the need to rebuild the temple, which had been neglected for many years. But by the time Haggai appeared on the scene the people had become dispirited and had lost interest in the rebuilding project. But he knew that its restoration was essential as the outward sign of the covenant, and of the Lord's presence with his people. We know hardly anything about Haggai as an individual, but he was surely an inspiring preacher, succeededing in getting the people enthused for the work, and having the temple completed and dedicated in 516 B.C.

Os Evangelhos são quatro relatos da vida e dos ensinos de Jesus enquanto ele esteve aqui na Terra. Só por causa disso devemos aceitá-los como historicamente precisos? Que evidências temos de que os eventos registrados realmente aconteceram? Peter Williams, um dos maiores especialistas do Novo Testamento, ao apresentar uma defesa da confiabilidade histórica dos Evangelhos, examina evidências de fontes não cristãs, avalia a precisão com a qual as quatro narrativas bíblicas refletem o contexto cultural de seus dias, compara diferentes relatos dos mesmos eventos e analisa a forma que esses textos foram transmitidos ao longo dos séculos. Podemos confiar nos Evangelhos? é um livro escrito para todos. Do cético ao crente, do leigo ao erudito, todos encontrarão argumentos poderosos para confiar nos Evangelhos como relatos seguros da vida terrena de Jesus.

Although scholars have often made inferences about the Greek texts that lay behind the Old Syriac and Peshitta versions of the Gospels, very few have ever attempted to formulate rules for how such inferences might be made. Scholars have tended to assume that translators worked fairly literally and also had access to many Greek readings which now no longer survive. In the most extensive study of its kind, Williams systematically investigates a wide range of textual phenomena and formulates clear and simple rules for the use of Syriac texts as witnesses to the underlying Greek. With these rules it is possible to uncover a large number of errors that have grown up during the long evolution of the textual apparatus of the Greek New Testament. These errors generally consist of the use of Syriac witnesses where we cannot really know what Greek text lay before the translators. The recommended deletion of the Syriac witness from the apparatus can shift the weight of evidence, sometimes leaving the support for a variant drastically reduced or, occasionally, non-existent. versions of the New Testament, it also casts fresh light on the relationship between the Syriac Gospels and the famous Greek manuscript Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis. Though some sort of relationship between Codex Bezae and the Syriac is undeniable, the assumption that an agreement could only result if the Syriac were translated from a base with a Bezan reading is shown in dozens of cases to be false. TEXTS AND STUDIES is a series of monographs devoted to the study of Biblical and patristic texts. Maintaining the highest scholarly standards, the series includes critical editions, studies of primary sources, and analyses of textual traditions. P.J. Williams is author of Studies in the Syntax of the Peshitta of 1 Kings (Leiden: Brill, 2001). For five years he was Affiliated Lecturer in Hebrew and Aramaic in Cambridge University and Research Fellow in Old Testament at Tyndale House, Cambridge. He is now Lecturer in New Testament in Aberdeen University.

Como a Parábola do Filho Pródigo lança luz sobre a genialidade de Jesus. Quando alguém pensa em Jesus, "gênio" não é a primeira palavra que vem à mente. Quando, porém, estudados em detalhes, os ensinamentos e as interações de Jesus apresentam elevados níveis de conhecimento e raciocínio, habilidade verbal e simplicidade, revelando sua genialidade. Em A surpreendente genialidade de Jesus, Peter Williams examina a história dos dois filhos em Lucas 15, a fim de mostrar a genialidade, criatividade e sabedoria dos ensinamentos de Jesus. Com histórias simples, ainda assim contundentes, Jesus confronta os fariseus e escribas de sua época, aproveitando seu conhecimento das Escrituras judaicas para ensinar seu público, por meio de camadas e temas complexos. Williams desafia os que duvidam que Jesus realmente seja a fonte das parábolas registradas nos Evangelhos, indicando aos leitores a verdade de Jesus e por que isso é importante hoje.

From Eden to Exploring the Genesis Themes

I Vangeli di Matteo, Marco, Luca e Giovanni sono quattro resoconti della vita e degli insegnamenti di Gesù di Nazaret.• Possono essere accettati come testi accurati?• Quali prove ci sono che gli eventi riportati siano realmente accaduti?• Come possiamo essere certi che non siano stati manipolati?Il dottor Peter Williams esamina le prove contenute in fonti non cristiane, valuta quanto accuratamente i quattro resoconti biblici riflettano il contesto culturale del loro tempo, confronta i diversi resoconti degli stessi eventi e analizza come questi testi siano stati tramandati attraverso i secoli.Tutti, dallo scettico allo studioso, troveranno argomentazioni chiare, coerenti e convincenti per poter fare affidamento sui Vangeli.PETER J. WILLIAMS insegna all’Università di Cambridge, dove ha conseguito un dottorato in Lingue Antiche. È il direttore della Tyndale House, un centro internazionale di ricerca specializzato nelle lingue, nella storia e nel contesto culturale della Bibbia. Ha diretto la Scuola di Teologia, Storia e Filosofia dell’Università di Aberdeen e ha coordinato la traduzione di testi biblici dalla lingua originale.

2 Timothy is the last letter the apostle Paul ever wrote, and it contains his final counsel to Christian believers. From his opening wordsGrace, mercy and peaceto his closing blessingGrace be with youhis letter tersely counsels young Timothy what to do in the light of influences and pressures believers face as they live for God in difficult times. This easy-to-read guide to Paul's letter may be used for group or individual study.

Although Jonah was a prophet, the book named after him is not a prophecy, but a biographical narrative involving his prophetic mission to the Ninevites. Author Peter Williams began writing this book with less than a high opinion of Jonah, but his view changed as the writing process continued. Starting from the basis that this was an historicalnot fictionalaccount, the author discovered Jonah to be an honest person, prepared to put down in writing his own faults and prejudices so that we might learn from them. The real importance of this little biblical book is its place in Gods plan to embrace both Jew and Gentile in his saving purpose, culminating in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Peshitta is probably the earliest translation of the whole Old Testament into a Semitic idiom. It displays an impressive balance between fidelity to the structure and sense of the Hebrew original and sensitivity to the preferences of the receptor language.This book considers ten key topics in Syriac syntax and exhaustively considers their patterns as they occur in the Peshitta of 1 Kings. Old rules of grammar are refined, new rules formulated, and wider issues of translation method considered.This study is relevant to Syriac specialists, textual critics and biblical scholars alike. It argues that many features in the Peshitta that have previously been attributed to a translator's whim, or to a Vorlage varying from the Masoretic Text, are in fact determined by factors internal to Syriac.

How the Story of the Prodigal Son Illuminates Jesus’s GeniusWhen someone thinks of Jesus, “genius” is not likely the first word that comes to mind. But when studied in detail, Jesus’s teachings and interactions with others combined high levels of knowledge and insight, verbal skill, and simplicity—showing his genius.In The Surprising Genius of Jesus, Peter J. Williams examines the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 to show the genius, creativity, and wisdom of Jesus’s teachings. He used simple but powerful stories to confront the Pharisees and scribes of the day, drawing on his knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures to teach his audience through complex layers and themes. Williams challenges those who question whether Jesus really was the source of the parables recorded in the Gospels, pointing readers to the truth of who Jesus is and why that matters for them today.Clear and Accessible for general listeners with in-depth footnotes for those wanting to learn more Comprehensive, interscriptural analysis of the story of the prodigal sonWritten by Peter J. Author of Can We Trust the Gospels? and principal of Tyndale House, Cambridge

Como a Parábola do Filho Pródigo lança luz sobre a genialidade de Jesus. Quando alguém pensa em Jesus, “gênio” não é a primeira palavra que vem à mente. Quando, porém, estudados em detalhes, os ensinamentos e as interações de Jesus apresentam elevados níveis de conhecimento e raciocínio, habilidade verbal e simplicidade, revelando sua genialidade. Em A surpreendente genialidade de Jesus, Peter Williams examina a história dos dois filhos em Lucas 15, a fim de mostrar a genialidade, criatividade e sabedoria dos ensinamentos de Jesus. Com histórias simples, ainda assim contundentes, Jesus confronta os fariseus e escribas de sua época, aproveitando seu conhecimento das Escrituras judaicas para ensinar seu público, por meio de camadas e temas complexos. Williams desafia os que duvidam que Jesus realmente seja a fonte das parábolas registradas nos Evangelhos, indicando aos leitores a verdade de Jesus e por que isso é importante hoje.

LHM-0917-XD1323

Lectures & Short Films with online Study Guide by experts from Tyndale House and Cambridge University

The early church really was a church on the move. It was dynamic and exhilarating and there really was a sense of things happening. There were, undoubtedly, dangerous and challenging times for the early Christians, but they were exciting times as Gods Holy Spirit was at work amongst the leaders and the ordinary people. While we may look back with longing to such days, God has called us to serve him with the gospel of his grace in our own day, and we may do so with the help of such instruction as is to be found in this book.

Book by Williams, Peter