Bearing God's Name - by Carmen Joy Imes (Paperback)

About the Book

What does the Old Testament--especially the law--have to do with your Christian life? In this warm, accessible volume, Carmen Joy Imes takes readers back to Sinai, arguing that we've misunderstood the command about "taking the Lord's name in vain." Instead, Imes says that this command is really about "bearing God's name," a theme that continues throughout the rest of Scripture.

Book Synopsis

Have We Misunderstood the Ten Commandments?

Have you ever wondered what the Old Testament--especially the Old Testament law--has to do with your Christian life? You are not alone. Some Christian leaders believe we should cast off the Old Testament now that we have the New. Carmen Joy Imes disagrees.

In this warm, accessible volume, Imes takes readers back to Sinai, the ancient mountain where Israel met their God, and explains the meaning of events there. She argues that we've misunderstood the command about "taking the Lord's name in vain." Instead, Imes says that this command is about "bearing God's name," a theme that continues throughout the rest of Scripture. The story of Israel turns out to be our story too, and you'll discover why Sinai still matters as you follow Jesus today.

Bearing God's Name offers:

• An opportunity for readers to revisit the story of Israel as they trudge through the wilderness from a grueling past to a promising future,
• An appendix with resources from The Bible Project, and
• Discussion questions for individual reflection or group conversation.

Review Quotes

"Carmen Joy Imes is helping us to relish once again the wondrous depths of truth and challenge that are there for us Christians in that great epic narrative of Old Testament Israel--whether those stories are familiar to us already or not. . . . I trust that reading this book will give you a deeper and more biblical understanding of what it ought to mean to bear God's name, and not to bear it in vain."

--From the foreword by Christopher J. H. Wright, author of The Mission of God

"Carmen Joy Imes's Bearing God's Name is a marvel. Imagine a scholar who writes for the church, a member of the academy who cares deeply for the parish. However you phrase it, Imes has done it--given the gift of both accessibility and accuracy to the church. I learned much in this text and look forward to returning to it again and again. I suspect your experience will be the same."

--Talbot Davis, pastor of Good Shepherd UMC in Charlotte, North Carolina, and author of Simplify the Message: Multiply the Impact

"Did Old Testament law apply to Christians in the New Testament? Are they still relevant today? With a writing style that is straightforward and recurrently witty, Imes answers those questions and more. Not only does the author demonstrate a solid understanding of biblical history, but she also introduces and explains concepts that the non-expert can appreciate. . . . Highly recommended for all students of biblical history, and especially for Christians who want to understand the connection between the Old and New Testaments."

--Chad Clark, Library Journal, November 2019

"If you are ready to be transformed by a book, read this one! Like Lucy and Edmund in C. S. Lewis's The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Carmen Imes plunges her reader deep into the world of the Old Testament (and the New). The journey will reshape what you know about God's name, Israel's law, and our identity as Christians who bear God's name."

--Beth Stovell, associate professor of Old Testament at Ambrose University and national catalyst for theological and spiritual formation, Vineyard Canada

About the Author

Carmen Joy Imes (PhD, Wheaton College) is associate professor of Old Testament at Prairie College in Three Hills, Alberta. A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, she is the author of Bearing YHWH's Name at Sinai. She is also a regular contributor to The Well and serves on the board of directors of the Institute for Biblical Research. She is also a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature.