Welcoming Gifts

Sacrifice in the Bible and Christian Life

By: Jeremy Davis

Narrated by: Jeremy Davis

In modern parlance, the word "sacrifice" conjures images of suffering, loss, and even martyrdom. But sacrifice, as practiced in the Old Testament and throughout the ancient world, was most often the occasion of joyous celebration—a way of drawing near to God and to the other members of the community.

Welcoming Gifts explores the history of sacrifice, the meaning of Christ's sacrifice, and what the concept should mean for Christians today—a way of expressing and cementing our relationship with God.

©2022 Jeremy Davis (P)2022 Jeremy Davis

A theological tidal wave of enlightenment.

If your a student of scripture, this book will help you put together some of the seemingly disconnected themes of the old and new covenant’s; removing the fog of Old Testament worship to reveal a much closer kinship to our fellow son’s of Abraham from the BC era.

Great connections between OT NT and Liturgical practice

The strength of this book is in its thorough explanation of how BEST to understand the Old Testament sacrificial system, its connection and fulfillment in Christ and then how the same is extended in Eastern Orthodox Christian practices today. It leaves no part of sacrifice unexamined and will absolutely fill in the gaps for Christians of any kind who wonder “what’s going on with that particular command or practice regarding sacrifice”. Read this book and it will make sense. Thank you Fr Jeremy!

Profound and Accessible Overview

Fr. Jeremy Davis' book provides a refreshing look into an aspect of Orthodox Christian doctrine that many often struggle to grasp. By reexamining sacrifice in its original context, as a relational meal between God and man, "Welcoming Gifts" explains how Old Testament ritual practice perfectly aligns with our New Testament understanding of the eucharist.

I was impressed by the text's accessible tone, often unpacking complex theological rationale in succinct laymen's terms. The book is broken into chapters detailing particular aspects of sacrifice, any or all of which would make a good topic for church discussion groups. I look forward to recommending this book to those seeking a deeper understanding of Orthodox liturgical practice, as well as those struggling to mesh Old Testament offerings requiring blood with the Divine Liturgy's rational and bloodless worship.

Incredible book that expanded and clarified my understanding of this critical topic!

It never occurred to me that my understanding of sacrifice has been shaped more by modern interpretations and less by what ancient people (and thus Scripture) actually understood about the topic.

This is a must-read for anyone who wants to actually understand what the Bible is saying as a whole about the topic of sacrifice, from the Old Testament to the Gospels and Epistles.

From a sound quality perspective, the audio is a little echoey at times, it doesn’t detract at all from the book as a whole, and I’m already starting to re-listen - it’s just that meaty of a read. (Note that the depth of the read shouldn’t dissuade you at all - it’s not a hard read, just incredibly thought provoking.)

It was like a private retreat.

I didn’t know what to expect from an audiobook but I was not disappointed! Fr Jeremy’s delivery was solid and i loved that he made references to pop culture to help the reader/listener more easily understand the weighty subject of sacrifice. I found this to be a consuming subject, I will be sharing the book with many friends and family. The subject was treated thoroughly, what a comprehensive and fascinating book! It was like a private retreat!