Romans and the Mission of God


Book Description

Romans is a missional document. Yet, strangely, while many recognize the missional aspects of Romans, few monographs are totally devoted to unpacking Romans from a missional perspective. Romans and the Mission of God does this very thing. Part one explores the background of the letter with an eye to positioning Romans in the story of the mission of God, the apostle, the Roman world, and the early church. Part two considers how Romans is a contextually shaped presentation of the gospel. A range of other aspects of the way in which Paul shapes his message for the Romans are explored including salvation history, metaphors and rhetorical techniques, and aspects of the letter including elements opposed to God, salvation ideas, human response, ethics and Christian living, and the eschaton. Part three delves into issues that arise in Romans that are important for contemporary mission. These include such things as the cosmic scope of the mission, the gospel as the power of salvation, who does evangelism, the miraculous, social justice, ecology, social transformation, generosity and hospitality, God’s sovereignty and human volition, prayer, the State, culture, Israel, apologetics, and theological thinking. This is a must-read for those serious about Paul, Romans, and God’s mission.




The Care of Souls


Book Description

Drawing on a lifetime of pastoral experience, The Care of Souls is a beautifully written treasury of proven wisdom which pastors will find themselves turning to again and again. Harold Senkbeil helps remind pastors of the essential calling of the ministry: preaching and living out the Word of God while orienting others in the same direction. And he offers practical and fruitful adviceâ€"born out of his five decades as a pastorâ€"that will benefit both new pastors and those with years in the pulpit. In a time when many churches have lost sight of the real purpose of the church, The Care of Souls invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.




Romans


Book Description

With a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart, Tom Wright walks you through Romans in this guide designed especially with everyday readers in mind. Perfect for group use or daily personal reflection, this study uses the popular inductive method combined with Wright's thoughtful insights to bring contemporary application of Scripture to life.




The Future of the People of God


Book Description

At a time when the Western church is having to come to terms--painfully and often reluctantly--with its diminished social and intellectual status in the world following the collapse of Christendom, we find ourselves, as interpreters of Paul, increasingly impressed by the need to relocate his writings in their historical context. That is not a coincidence. The Future of the People of God is an attempt to make sense of Paul's letter to the Romans at the intersection of these two developments. It puts forward the argument that we must first have the courage of our historical convictions and read the text before Christendom, from the limited, shortsighted perspective of an emerging community that dared to defy the gods of the ancient world. This act of imaginative, critical engagement with the text will challenge many of our assumptions about Paul's "gospel of God," but it will also put us in a position to reconstruct an identity and purpose for the people of God after Christendom that is both biblically and historically coherent




Mission in the New Testament


Book Description

This book presents a comprehensive articulation of New Testament teachings on mission from a contemporary American evangelical standpoint. Mission in the New Testament contributes a fresh statement of the biblical foundations of mission, serving as a catalyst for completion of the church's universal mission in this generation.After investigating the historical background of the idea of mission in the Hebrew Scriptures, inter-testamental Judaism, the life of Jesus and the beginnings of the church, the book proceeds in a roughly canonical order through the New Testament. Essays analyze the works of Paul, the Synoptic gospels, Acts of the Apostles, the General Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. Well-versed in the historical-critical method of biblical interpretation, editors and contributors alike offer a cogent argument for recovering the "missional horizon" of the New Testament.




Romans


Book Description

The Knowing the Bible series is a new resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God's Word. Each 12-week study leads participants through one book of the Bible and is made up of four basic components: (1) Reflection questions designed to help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) "Gospel Glimpses" highlighting the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) "Whole-Bible Connections" showing how any given passage connects to the Bible's overarching story of redemption culminating in Christ; and (4) "Theological Soundings" identifying how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture. With contributions from a wide array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God's grace on each and every page of the Bible. The book of Romans was Paul's greatest literary achievement, a majestic letter in which the apostle expounds on crucial doctrines such as original sin, election, substitutionary atonement, the role of the law, and justification by faith alone. Plumbing the theological depths, Jared Wilson writes with a pastor's eye toward understanding and application as he explains the biblical text with clarity and passion, helping readers follow along as Paul recounts the history of salvation and illuminates the glories of the cross of Christ.




The Mission of God's People


Book Description

Author Chris Wright offers a sweeping biblical survey of the holistic mission of the church, providing practical insight for today's church leaders. Wright gives special emphasis to theological trajectories of the Old Testament that not only illuminate God's mission but also suggest priorities for Christians engaged in God's world-changing work.




The Story of Romans


Book Description

A. Katherine Grieb insightfully traces the argument of Paul's letter to the Romans and shows how it is grounded in the story of God's faithfulness to Israel. She draws together a number of crucial insights: the narrative character of Paul's thought, the apocalyptic message of his gospel, the depth of his engagement with Israel's Scripture, and the practical and political impact of his theology. She demonstrates the letter's relevance today and invites contemporary readers to locate their own stories within Paul's account of God's righteousness. Informed by recent Pauline scholarship, this book will be useful to scholars, students, and pastors.




Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes


Book Description

According to Brad Vaughn, some traditional East Asian cultural values are closer to those of the first-century biblical world than common Western cultural values. In this work Vaughn demonstrates how paying attention to East Asian culture provides a helpful lens for interpreting Paul's most complex letter, and we see how honor and shame shape so much of Paul's message and mission.




Unlocking Romans


Book Description

"If the God of Israel has acted to save his people through Christ, but Israel is not participating in that salvation, how then can this God be considered righteous? Unlocking Romans is directed in large extent toward answering this question in order to illuminate the righteousness of God as revealed in the book of Romans." "The answer here, J. R. Daniel Kirk claims, comes mainly in terms of resurrection. Even if only the most obvious references in Romans are considered - and Kirk certainly delves more deeply than that - the theme of resurrection appears not only in every section of the letter but also at climactic moments of Paul's argument. The network of connections among Jesus' resurrection, Israel's Scriptures, and redefining the people of God serves to affirm God's fidelity to Israel. This, in turn, demonstrates Paul's gospel message to be a witness to the revelation of the righteousness of God."--BOOK JACKET.