"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. . . . And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem. . . . And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man." (Revelation 21:1-3, ESV). In this comprehensive study, a New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, G. K. Beale argues that the Old Testament tabernacle and temples were symbolically designed to point to the end-time reality that God's presence, formerly limited to the Holy of Holies, would be extended throughout the cosmos. Hence, John's vision in Revelation 21 is best understood as picturing the new heavens and earth as the eschatological temple. Beale's stimulating exposition traces the theme of the tabernacle and temple across the Bible's story-line, illuminating many texts and closely-related themes along the way. He shows how the significance and symbolism of the temple can be better understood in the context of ancient Near Eastern assumptions, and offers new insights into the meaning of the temple in both Old and New Testaments. Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.

The days of cultural Christianity are fading. It's time to rethink normal. Suffering and exclusion are normal in a believer's life. At least they should be. This was certainly Jesus's experience. And it's the experience of countless Christians around the world today. No matter your social location or set of experiences, the biblical letter of 1 Peter wants to redefine your expectations and reinvigorate your hope. Drawing on years of ministry in a Muslim-majority nation, Elliot Clark guides us through Peter's letter with striking insights for today. Whether we're in positions of power or weakness, influence or marginalization, all of us are called to live and witness as exiles in a world that's not our home. This is our job description. This is our mission. This is our opportunity. A church in exile doesn't have to be a church in retreat.

"Original copyright 1956"--Title page verso.

Few biblical topics are as important as mission. Mission is linked inextricably to humanity's sinfulness and need for redemption, and to God's provision of salvation in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This "good news" of salvation must be made known! The saving mission of Jesus constitutes the foundation for Christian mission, and the Christian gospel is its message. According to Andreas Köstenberger and Peter O'Brien, this significant theme has rarely been given its due attention in biblical theology. Motivated by their passion to see God's mission carried out in today's world, they offer a comprehensive study of the theme of mission. In Salvation to the Ends of the Earth they explore the entire sweep of biblical history, including the Old Testament, the second-temple period, each New Testament Gospel, Paul and his writings, and the General Epistles and Revelation. Among other questions, Köstenberger and O'Brien examine whether or not Old Testament Israel was called to mission, whether second-temple Judaism should be characterized as a missionary religion, whether Jesus limited his earthly mission to Israel or also embarked on a Gentile mission, and whether or not there is continuity between the missions of Israel and the missions of Jesus and the early church. They write, "It is our sincere hope that our Christian mission, which is first of all God's, will be founded on a biblical theology that takes its cue from the scriptural revelation as a whole." To that end, they offer this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume as a service to the worldwide church. Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.

This book is a compilation of several of Dr. Bahnsen's published works on Christian apologetics, including his Apologetics syllabus, articles on practical apologetic problems (like the problem of evil, the problem of miracles, etc.), and an exposition of Acts 17. (paper)

"The most comprehensive and thorough study of the Christian mission done in this generation, if not this century".........Alan Neely.

What does the Bible say about God's purpose for us, the witness of the church, and our mission to spread the message of the gospel?Chris Wright's pioneering 2006 book, The Mission of God, revealed that the typical Christian understanding of "missions" encompasses only a small part of God's overarching mission for the world. God is relentlessly reclaiming the whole of creation for himself, and each of us fit into that big-picture plan.In The Mission of God's People, Wright argues that having a strong biblical theology that shapes our thinking and behavior must be in place before answering the call of the Great Commission. Wright first steps back and answers some of the biggest questions of God's story and our place within it: Who are the people of God? What kind of people are we? What are the priorities and limits of our mission? What exactly is the gospel that lies at the core of our mission? What was it that made Christianity a missionary faith from the very start?While answering these essential questions, Wright thoroughly details what the Old and New Testaments teach Christians about being God's people. He addresses questions of both ecclesiology (the theology of the church) and missiology (the practice and methodology of missions) with topics like "called to care for creation," "called to bless the nations," "sending and being sent, and "rejecting false gods."____________Part of the Biblical Theology for Life series, this practical and robust book will help you and your church ground your witness-bearing purpose and worship on the solid foundation of biblical understanding and reflection.

In Spiritual Warfare in the Storyline of Scripture, authors Bill Cook and Chuck Lawless provide a comprehensive study of a topic that is of key importance in the life of every believer. Surveying and analyzing incidents of spiritual warfare from Genesis through Revelation, the authors create a biblical framework for understanding the reality of Satan’s on-going assault on humankind. Building on that framework, Spiritual Warfare in the Storyline of Scripture also offers practical insights into some of Satan’s most common attacks on believers, and strategies for how we might stand against his onslaught. Readers of this book will gain a more complete understanding of what the Bible teaches about spiritual warfare in order to live in victory, confident that Satan is an enemy who has already been defeated.

The mission of the church to the Jews is a unique one. The biblical, theological and practical issues differ from those with other groups because Israel was, and is, the people to whom God gave his promises. However, the unbelief of many Jewish people and the persecution of Jewish people in the name of Jesus makes mission to the Jews uniquely difficult, requiring considerable sensitivity. But it is also full of hope, for there is promise of both a remnant and a fullness coming to faith in Jesus the Messiah. The lectures in this book were part of a series organized by Christian Witness to Israel in Australia to explore this unique challenge and to encourage an intelligent, heartfelt, and persevering interest in mission to the Jewish people. The studies focus on Biblical, theological, historical, and current issues. They were named the Edersheim Lectures after Alfred Edersheim, the well-known nineteenth-century Jewish Christian scholar and author who served in Romania as a missionary and in the United Kingdom as a pastor. Following in his example, The Gospel and Israel engages in an in-depth examination of themes relating to the Jewish people and the Christian faith.

J. I. Packer's Classic Resource on EvangelismIf God is in control of everything, can Christians sit back and not bother to evangelize? Or does active evangelism imply that God is not really sovereign at all?J. I. Packer shows in this new edition to the popular IVP Classics how both of these attitudes are false. In Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, readers will find: A careful review of the biblical evidence, Packer's explication of how a right understanding of God's sovereignty is not so much a barrier to evangelism as an incentive and powerful support for it, and Powerful illustrations and applications that bring biblical wisdom into everyday life.With over 100,000 copies in print, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God is truly a classic that should be read by every Christian.

"Picture a gigantic cruise ship filled with happy people. "It's the S.S. Evangelical Gospel. In the midst of their fun and excitement, passengers have not noticed holes in the ship's side under the water line. Well-meaning leaders are attempting to plug these holes with new methods, technology, social activism and cultural savvy. All these are important, yet the structure of the ship remains compromised by years of neglect." In this thoroughly revised fourth edition of the now classic Tell the Truth, Will Metzger reinstates the truth framework necessary for the survival of evangelicalism. Biblical illiteracy among evangelicals is on the rise. Theological discernment between truth and error is increasingly elusive. We need to be recalibrated not to the changing times but to the changeless gospel. As useful as it is passionate, Tell the Truth will refocus and re-energize a whole new generation to communicate the whole gospel, wholly by grace, truthfully and lovingly. Includes a study guide and new training materials for personal witnessing!

The first detailed exegetical treatment of Paul’s letters from the emerging discipline of missional hermeneutics, Michael Gorman’s Becoming the Gospel argues that Paul’s letters invite Christian communities both then and now to not merely believe the gospel but to become the gospel and, in doing so, to participate in the life and mission of God.Showing that Pauline churches were active public participants in and witnesses to the gospel, Gorman reveals the missional significance of various themes in Paul’s letters. He also identifies select contemporary examples of mission in the spirit of Paul, inviting all Christians to practice Paul-inspired imagination in their own contexts.

This revised edition of Dr. David Hesselgrave's great work Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally updates the original edition and interacts with the most recent literature on this increasingly important topic. The original edition went through fifteen printings and, very deservedly, has come to be one of the most widely used textbooks on Christian cross-cultural communications. The revisions in this new edition are extensive and carry on the high level of discussion maintained throughout the original edition, taking into account, for example, the current discussion on the relationship between form and function and the enormous body of literature that has sprung up recently on contextualization. To enhance the volume's usefulness for students, Dr. Hesselgrave has added an extensive bibliography of twenty-five pages on various aspects of cross-cultural communications. This revision of Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally is superb. It raises a great book into a unique category, undoubtedly the finest book on this topic available today.

When Helping Hurts is a paradigm-forming contemporary classic on the subject of poverty alleviation with over 300,000 copies in print. This stand-alone resource applies the principles of that book specifically to short-term missions.Helping Without Hurting in Short-Term Missions: Participant’s Guide aims to train and debrief team members, preparing them to do short-term missions as effectively as possible. To do this, it provides practical examples and guidelines for team members, and it creates interaction and reflection opportunities through questions and journaling.With eight units, six of which are built around free online video content, this book equips teams to avoid harming materially poor communities and to translate their experience into lasting and mutual engagement with missions and poverty alleviation. In conjunction with the separately available Leader’s Guide, it is an ideal resource for churches, Christian colleges, mission agencies, and missionaries.

Together on God’s Mission investigates Southern Baptist history, showing how and why the Southern Baptist Convention came to embrace the vision of a cooperative denomination. It also explores how this vision has shaped denominational identity and structure. This historical study is followed by a discussion of the biblical description of how the mission of God determines the mission of the church. This study shows that God’s mission is not simply furthered by churches working together, but rather that cooperation between churches makes up a key component of God’s mission. Finally, the study concludes that the Southern Baptist Convention is uniquely positioned to enable churches to fully participate in God’s mission to redeem the nations and restore creation from the effects of the Fall.

With this book, Yaakov Ariel offers the first comprehensive history of Protestant evangelization of Jews in America to the present day. Based on unprecedented research in missionary archives as well as Jewish writings, the book analyzes the theology and activities of both the missions and the converts and describes the reactions of the Jewish community, which in turn helped to shape the evangelical activity directed toward it.Ariel delineates three successive waves of evangelism, the first directed toward poor Jewish immigrants, the second toward American-born Jews trying to assimilate, and the third toward Jewish baby boomers influenced by the counterculture of the Vietnam War era. After World War II, the missionary impulse became almost exclusively the realm of conservative evangelicals, as the more liberal segments of American Christianity took the path of interfaith dialogue.As Ariel shows, these missionary efforts have profoundly influenced Christian-Jewish relations. Jews have seen the missionary movement as a continuation of attempts to delegitimize Judaism and to do away with Jews through assimilation or annihilation. But to conservative evangelical Christians, who support the State of Israel, evangelizing Jews is a manifestation of goodwill toward them.

This new edition of a bestselling textbook (over 185,000 copies sold) draws on key biblical texts to demonstrate that worship is the ultimate goal of the church and that proper worship fuels missionary outreach. John Piper offers a biblical defense of God's supremacy in all things, providing readers with a sound theological foundation for missions. He examines whether Jesus is the only way to salvation and issues a passionate plea for God-centeredness in the missionary enterprise, seeking to define the scope of the task and the means for reaching "all nations." The third edition has been revised and expanded throughout and includes new material on the prosperity gospel. The book is essential reading for those involved in or preparing for missions work. It also offers enlightenment for college and seminary students, pastors, youth workers, campus ministers, and all who want to connect their labors to God's global purposes.

Hope for the World represents a new resolve and commitment to the global context for the ministry of the church. Missions, evangelism, and theological education too often seem ill prepared to face the despair commonly shared by both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The older patterns of ministry, still unwittingly triumphalistic, cannot cope with the deeply rooted spiritual crisis that is manifested economically, politically, and militarily in the globalization of wealth. The essays in this volume, by respecting the specific contexts of doing ministry, hold out hope as an evangelical antidote to despair. The theologies of hope mapped out here demand that the church live out a vulnerability shaped by the truth of the cross.

Cuando te das cuenta de que, antes de hacer una crítica, los estadounidenses se hartan a halagos mientras que los alemanes no se andan con rodeos; o que los asiáticos muestran reverencia por la jerarquía, mientras que para los suecos cualquiera puede ser jefe, caes en que nos regimos por un contexto cultural que es imprescindible entender antes de pensar en relacionarse con alguien de otro país.La comunicación entre culturas es el gran reto de la economía global, y disponer de las claves necesarias para facilitar la comprensión puede ser la diferencia entre el éxito y el fracaso.La experta reconocida Erin Meyer desgrana los 8 puntos diferenciales de nuestros rasgos culturales y nos facilita las herramientas para afrontar de manera eficaz los retos comunicativos más comunes en el mundo de las relaciones internacionales. El mapa cultural se ha convertido en la obra de referencia para cualquier lector que quiera desenvolverse de la forma más consciente y cómoda en este terreno sutil, y a veces traicionero, en el que se espera que personas de orígenes distintos trabajen juntas en armonía.

The mission of the apostle Paul, to proclaim the gospel to the nations, continues to be of vital relevance for the Christian church at the beginning of the twenty-first century. By Paul's own testimony, the gospel he was set apart to preach focused on Jesus Christ - crucified and risen - as the fulfilment of God's promises (Romans 1:1-3). If we are to be true to the apostle, we must seek to understand his mission and message from the perspective of biblical theology. This impressive collection of essays explores facets of such a perspective, under four broad headings: the Old Testament background to Paul's mission, New Testament studies, the wider context of the world in which Paul's message was proclaimed, and the use of that message in history and contemporary thought. The essays offer fresh and important contributions to Pauline studies. They were commissioned in honour of Peter T. O'Brien (Vice Principal, Moore Theological College, Sydney), who has made Paul's concerns his own through distinguished scholarship and personal ministry.

Providing a stimulating look at mission in the early church, this text looks at both the Christian and Jewish background to the idea of mission. It argues that the concept was not strongly perceived in either the Hebrew Bible of the sayings of Jesus.'

When Jesus commissioned his followers, he was not just inaugurating the historical church, he was founding a missionary movement.Originally released by Missional Press and now revised and expanded to include a multi-session discussion guide, Steve Addison's Movements That Change the World draws from biblical, historical and contemporary case studies to isolate the essential elements of a dynamic missionary movement. The church fulfills its mission today to the extent that it honors these essential elements, modelled perfectly in Jesus? missionary enterprise: white-hot faith commitment to the cause contagious relationships rapid mobilization adaptive methodsThroughout the ages Jesus' followers have been called to continue his movement in the power of the Holy Spirit. Like many such movements, it changed the world. Unlike most movements, which have their historical moment and then fade away, Christianity is actively, continually changing the world for the better.

Operation World, the definitive global prayer handbook, has been used by more than a million Christians to pray for the nations. Now in its 7th edition, it has been completely updated and revised by Jason Mandryk with a team of missionaries and researchers, and it covers the entire populated world. Included in this updated and revised 7th edition: All the countries of the world featured Maps of each country Geographic information People groups within each country Economic information Political information Religious make-up of each country Daily Prayer Calendar Answers to prayer Challenges for prayerWhether you are an intercessor praying behind the scenes for world change, a missionary abroad or simply curious about the world, Operation World will give you the information necessary to play a vital role in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Authoritative account of the Jesus movement's Greco-Roman and Jewish matrix and its development into the second century In this book Sean Freyne explores the rise and expansion of early Christianity within the context of the Greco-Roman world -- the living, dynamic matrix of Jesus and his followers. In addition to offering fresh insights into Jesus' Jewish upbringing and the possible impact of Greco-Roman lifestyles on him and his followers, Freyne delves into the mission and expansion of the Jesus movement in Palestine and beyond during the first hundred years of its development. To give readers a full picture of the context in which the Jesus movement developed, Freyne includes pictures, maps, and timelines throughout the book. Freyne's interdisciplinary approach, combining historical, archaeological, and literary methods, makes The Jesus Movement and Its Expansion both comprehensive and accessible.

How did Christian missions happen in the early church from AD 100 to 750? Beginning with a brief look at the social, political, cultural, and religious contexts, Mission in the Early Church tells the story of early Christian missionaries, their methods, and their missiology. This book explores some of the most prominent themes of mission in early Christianity, including suffering, evangelism, Bible translation, contextualization, ministry in Word and deed, and the church. Based on this survey, modern readers are invited to a conversation that considers how early Christian mission might inform global mission thought and practice today.

Few biblical topics are as important as mission. Mission is linked inextricably to humanity's sinfulness and need for redemption and to God's provision of salvation in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This good news of salvation must be made known. The saving mission of Jesus constitutes the foundation for Christian mission, and the Christian gospel is its message.This second edition of New Studies in Biblical Theology volume Salvation to the Ends of the Earth emphasizes the way in which the Bible presents a continuing narrative of God's mission―ranging from the story of Israel to the story of Jesus and that of the early Christians. At the same time, it provides a robust historical and chronological backbone to the unfolding of the early Christian mission. The apostle Paul's writings and the General Epistles are incorporated with the Gospel with which they have the closest and most natural canonical and historical affinity.Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.

In an age of deconstruction and rethinking, the Church should not be surprised to find itself confused by words like mission, missions, and missionary. Some struggle to redefine these categories and some seek to reclaim them, while others reject them outright, with or without providing new terms to guide us forward.But words and their meaning matter; our confusion has a cost. Competing priorities pressure us to stretch our mission definitions as wide as they can go, releasing our people to creatively engage in service of every description. Some churches turn away from traditional mission efforts all together, giving preference to local service and evangelism while outsourcing any cross-cultural effort to those who surely must be more effective than we would be.As an unfortunate result of these tendencies, many of our churches lack a coherent, compelling sense of what we're all about as we engage with the world. And if we lose our scriptural moorings, how far will our missions efforts drift?Matthew Ellison and Denny Spitters call us to refocus our gaze on the gospel and the Great Commission. They assert that thinking must come before doing and shape our world mission practices and priorities. When Everything Is Missions is for church and ministry leaders and all who look to clarify their own answers to questions like these: What is the mission of God? What is the mission of the Church? Is every Christian a missionary?

Missions is the work of the church to reach and teach the peoples of the world for Christ’s sake. The missionary call is a vital part of the life of every follower of Jesus Christ and, therefore, the church. But the effective discipleship of all nations requires a solid biblical, historical, and practical foundation. Therefore, the study of missiology demands the effective application of biblical studies, theology, and history. This text brings the rich heritage of evangelical missiology founded on conservative theology to a twenty-first century audience passionate for the proclamation of the gospel. Introduction to Global Missions brings the authors’ decades of combined missionary and teaching experience to a survey text appropriate for college or seminary classroom. The book is divided into four sections and thirteen chapters. The text begins with the biblical and theological foundations of Christian missions, including a biblical theology of missions. Before moving to the practical and strategic issues of twenty-first century missions, the authors consider the historical development of missions with a view toward providing a basis for contemporary strategies. A final foundational set of chapters addresses the impact of cultures on the communication of the gospel. The remainder of the text deals with key issues and opportunities in missions, including church planting, missions in the local church, and strategies for disciple-making. Introduction to Global Missions provides a foundation for readers to consider their own missionary call, whether as a full-time field missionary or a church member on short-term projects. No matter their role, Great Commission Christians need a framework for doing missions well.

Christians today define mission more broadly and variably than ever before. Are we, as the body of Christ, headed in the same direction or are we on divergent missions?Some argue that the mission of the Church is to confront injustice and alleviate suffering, doing more to express God’s love for the world. Others are concerned that the church is in danger of losing its God-centeredness and thereby emphasize the proclamation of the gospel. It appears as though misunderstanding of mission persists.Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert believe there is a lot that evangelicals can agree on if only we employ the right categories and build our theology of mission from the same biblical building blocks. Explaining key concepts like kingdom, gospel, and social justice, DeYoung and Gilbert help us to get on the same page―united by a common cause―and launch us forward into the true mission of the church.

Best Texts of Missiology, Hearts and Minds BookstoreMission--a driving force in the long Christian story--today is often cast as the embarrassing relative of tall-steeple religiosity.In our wider culture it's now tucked in the endnotes of book-club histories or forms the ghostlike ellipses in the six o'clock news. But in Introducing Christian Mission Today, Michael Goheen brings the vibrant history, motivation and challenges of Christian mission to the fore.Through the centuries Christian mission has always been recalibrating, retooling and reevangelizing. It has repeatedly taken surprising turns as it is carried along by the Spirit of God. Goheen's introduction to mission's biblical, theological and historical dimensions engages the present and anticipates the future. As he unfolds the major issues of the global and urban, the pluralistic and wholistic contexts of mission today, he lays the ground for engaging in God's great kingdom enterprise.This full-scale text incorporates the keen missional insights of Lesslie Newbigin, David Bosch and other formative thinkers. It will be a valued resource not only for those in crosscultural contexts but also for those engaged in reevangelizing the West.

Bill Wallace served as a medical missionary in China for nearly twenty years before dying as a martyr for his faith. His story has inspired Christians throughout the world. Dr. Wallace was buried in an unmarked grave by the Communist Army to cover their crime. Chinese Christians later would risk their own lives to place a simple marker where he was laid to rest that read, "To live is Christ." Rarely has a grave marker so accurately summarized a life. But then, rarely has a person's life so exemplified the principle expressed in Philippians 1:21, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Bill Wallace was an ordinary man who, in the providence of God, lived an extraordinary life. He was willing to forgo marriage and family; a prominent career; and a comfortable future in America for the sake of ministering to people in need. His service brought physical and spiritual healing to countless people. Dr. Wallace lived a life worth examining and emulating. His story will challeng

\nLogos Bookstores' 2015 Best Book in Christianity and Culture\nHonorable Mention, 2014 Best Book of the Year from Byron Borger, Hearts and Minds Bookstore\n We live in dark times. Christians wonder: Are the best days of the Christian faith behind us? Has modernity made Christian thought irrelevant and impotent? Is society beyond all hope of redemption and renewal? In Renaissance, Os Guinness declares no. Throughout history, the Christian faith has transformed entire cultures and civilizations, building cathedrals and universities, proclaiming God's goodness, beauty and truth through art and literature, science and medicine. The Christian faith may similarly change the world again today. The church can be revived to become a renewing power in our society―if we answer the call to a new Christian renaissance that challenges darkness with the hope of Christian faith. In this hopeful appeal for cultural transformation, Guinness shares opportunities for Christians, on both local and global levels, to win back the West and to contribute constructively to the human future. Hearkening back to similar pivotal points in history, Guinness encourages Christians in the quest for societal change. Each chapter closes with thought-provoking discussion questions and a brief, heart-felt prayer that challenges and motivates us to take action in our lives today.

Again and again it happens. Bombs fall in a nearby shopping district. Enemy soldiers terrorize neighboring homes. Crossfire decimates civilian cars at a roadblock. War infuses every quarter of Vietnam. Most Americans long ago have left for safety. The James family remains. Sam James and his wife, Rachel, and their four children sit tight in ravaged South Vietnam to share Jesus when the Vietnamese most need ministry--as the country falls to communism. Even during the frightening Tet Offensive, Sam communicates Christ's love and peace as he helps Vietnamese believers start churches and gird up spiritually for the dark days ahead. What makes one man willing to stare death in the face to obey God's call to serve the Vietnamese? And what becomes of all the seeds planted among these fledgling Christians as communism oppression advances? Servant on the Edge of History describes the Vietnam War from a perspective seldom heard: from a missionary who loved the Vietnamese people, who refused to become an American spy, but who also loved his own country. James offers insights into where and how God was at work in this war-ravanged country, where he risked all for the sake of the Gospel. About the author: Sam James for 43 years has served with the International Mission Board in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. He has been a church planter, administrator and missionary statesman in troubled areas as well as speaker for retreats and conferences in 100 countries. Sam and his wife, Rachel, are parents of four grown children, two of whom are on the mission field. Today, they reside in Richmond, Virginia.

An Award-Winning Challenge to Popular Ideas of the KingdomAccording to Scot McKnight, "kingdom" is the biblical term most misused by Christians today. It has taken on meanings that are completely at odds with what the Bible says and has become a buzzword for both social justice and redemption. In Kingdom Conspiracy, McKnight offers a sizzling biblical corrective and a fiercely radical vision for the role of the local church in the kingdom of God. Now in paper.Praise for Kingdom Conspiracy2015 Outreach Resources of the Year Award WinnerOne of Leadership Journal's Best Books for Church Leaders in 2014"This is a must-read for church leaders today."--Publishers Weekly"A timely resource for the missional church to reexamine some basic assumptions that impact church practice in the everyday."--Outreach

Invitation to World Missions combines a strong biblical anchor with practical suggestions. This unique text is arranged in three parts according to the Trinity’s roles, relationships, and activity. Tennent questions whether missions as currently conceptualized is adequate and he challenges the reader by building the book around key theological foundations such as “mission dei” and the “new creation” vision for the global church. This volume will call and enable the reader to understand how missions is biblically and theologically basic to Christianity, and how missions is essential to living out an abundant and impassioned life.

Essential guidance for a lifestyle of sharing God's good news with a lost world. What exactly does it mean to "evangelize" in a Christian sense? And how is such "evangelizing" supposed to be done? Longtime pastor, evangelist, and professor of evangelism Timothy K. Beougher answers these questions and more from theological, historical, and practical perspectives. Beougher demonstrates God's goodness in evangelism through relatable anecdotes, Bible teaching, and encouraging instruction. Invitation to Evangelism welcomes believers into the experience of stepping out in faith of behalf of people God loves. Most Christians know that they should be sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with nonbelievers, and most also know they aren't witnessing very well, or even at all. They need help internalizing the content of gospel proclamation and identifying the best way to go about making evangelism a natural part of their lives. Introduction to Evangelismguides readers through the essential issues of the gospel message, evangelism methods, and witnessing models so they are ready and excited to move out in faith as everyday evangelists. Beougher's biblical, theological, historical, and practical teaching revolves around following essential aspects of being an evangelist: Having compassion as the motivation for evangelism Understanding the good news of Jesus Christ Seeing lost people as persons God loves Relying on the power of the Holy Spirit Paving the way for new believers to share their faith eagerly with others

This engaging study provides a new way of looking at Scripture--one that takes seriously the biblical idea of mission. Richard Bauckham shows how God identifies himself with particular individuals or people in human history in order to be known by all. He is the God of Abraham, Israel, and David and, finally, the one who acts through Jesus Christ. Bauckham applies these insights to the contemporary scene, encouraging those involved in mission to be sensitive to postmodern concerns about globalization while at the same time emphasizing the uniqueness of Christian faith. In doing so, he demonstrates the diversity of Christian faith around the world. This book will be rewarding reading for pastors, lay readers, and students of Scripture, mission, and postmodernism.

In this pathbreaking book, award-winning author Douglas Jacobsen describes global Christianity and provides a framework for understanding the varied experiences of Christians around the world. Focusing on the five big continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America, Jacobsen recounts their differing histories, contemporary experiences, and cultural theologies. In the current era of massive and dynamic global challenges, this accessible and fair-minded volume sets the stage for Christians worldwide to engage the gospel--and each other--more deeply. Global Gospel contains numerous maps, charts, and illustrations that aid comprehension. Accompanying videos can be found on YouTube's "Global Christianity" channel (www.youtube.com/globalchristianity).

Thoroughly updated and revised—with half of the chapters new to the second edition—Missiology equips the reader with a vast resource on contemporary missions. This graduate-level introduction is divided into five sections (Introduction to the Study of Missiology, Biblical Basis of Missions, Theology of Missions, and Applied Missiology) and offers essays on modern missions issues and methods such as contextualization, spiritual warfare, and orality, as well as chapters on major world religions and cults in North America. A retired missionary and long-time professor of missions, editor John Mark Terry enlists a wide range of evangelical authors, most with significant experience in international or North American missions. Pastors will find helpful information on church planting in North America and on developing a missions-minded church. Students will benefit from the chapters on understanding the call to missions and the current status of world evangelization. All readers will profit from a valuable one-volume reference work on missions.

The "new perspective" on Paul, an approach that seeks to reinterpret the apostle Paul and his letters against the backdrop of first-century Judaism, has been criticized by some as not having value for ordinary Christians living ordinary lives. In this volume, world-renowned scholars explore the implications of the new perspective on Paul for the Christian life and church. James D. G. Dunn, N. T. Wright, Bruce Longenecker, Scot McKnight, and other leading New Testament scholars offer a response to this question: How does the apostle Paul understand the Christian life? The book makes a fresh contribution to the new perspective on Paul conversation and offers important new insights into the orientation of the Christian life.

For centuries, Christians sought to rescue people from this world. Today, we're trying to fix it. While this shift is helpful in some ways, in other ways it can be quite dangerous. Endangered Gospel flips the script on this conversation by stressing the core gospel truth that rather than ushering in a new world through social activism, God's people already are the new world in Christ. It's not our job to make this world a better place, but to be the better place God has already made in this world. That's good news! If we let go of this truth, we become servants of the world and not God. We also lose the great joy and abundant life that God intended us to have in community. Jesus himself said that the world will know we are Christians by our love for one another--not the fervor of our activism. Social action makes us feel relevant and alive, but it can't be the center of our new life in Christ. Endangered Gospel explores how we might enthusiastically embrace the social dimensions of the gospel without divorcing them from the church or forcing them on the world. Read this book, hear the gospel story afresh, and embrace the good news of God's kingdom!

While all have reason to celebrate the greening of Christian-Jewish relations since the Shoah and the promulgation of Nostra Aetate (4), few will deny that much work remains to be done by Christians and Jews seeking the best way forward that they might best serve God's purposes in the world, the mission of God. This book addresses that need by first surveying how each community has historically conceived of its own mission and from that stance assigned an identity to the other. The text illuminates how such construals have often impeded progress and therefore need to be upgraded and supplemented. But how shall this be done? Converging Destinies proposes an eschatological vision and practical suggestions to summon Jews and Christians to prepare for that day when each will be both commended and reproved by the judge of all, sounding a call for more determined action, greater humility, and cooperative effort as together Jews and Christians serve the mission of God, accountable to him for how they have served him and each other in the world that he has created according to his will.

There has been heightened interest and prolific publication by missiologists about contextualization since the term was first coined in 1972. There has been ongoing debate, particularly amongst evangelicals themselves regarding which of these meanings, methods, and models of contextualization are acceptable to use. Much of the debate has been carried out by academics and practitioners whose observations and conclusions have been largely shaped by the social sciences and practical theology. In contrast, the disciplines of biblical studies and Christian thought have not featured significantly in the debate. The purpose of this research is to establish that biblical studies and Christian thought in general (and Scripture and the church fathers in particular) have an essential contribution to make in the contextualization debate and should form part of an evangelical approach to contextualization of the gospel alongside the social sciences and practical theology. Following a review of the literature on contextualization over the past forty years, the research examines the book of Acts as representative of Scripture, and the work of John Chrysostom as a representative church father. Contextual principles that are consistent with an evangelical approach to contextualization of the gospel are drawn from each work, establishing the value of biblical studies and Christian thought in contextualization.

The sixteenth-century Reformation in all its forms and expressions sought nothing less than the transformation of the Christian faith. Five hundred years later, in today's context of world Christianity, the transformation continues. In this volume, editor Dale Irvin draws together a variety of international Christian perspectives that open up new understandings of the Reformation. In six chapters, contributors offer general discussions and case studies of the effects of the Protestant Reformation on global communities from the sixteenth century to the present. Together, these essays encourage a reading and interpretation of the Reformation that will aid in the further transformation of Christianity today.CONTENTS: Introduction 1. Jews and Muslims in Europe: Exorcising Prejudice against the Other Charles Amjad-Ali 2. Spaniards in the Americas: Las Casas among the Reformers Joel Morales Cruz 3. Women from Then to Now: A Commitment to Mutuality and Literacy Rebecca A. Giselbrecht 4. The Global South: The Synod of Dort on Baptizing the "Ethnics" David D. Daniels 5. The Protestant Reformations in Asia: A Blessing or a Curse? Peter C. Phan 6. The Modern Era: Contemporary Challenges in Light of the Reformation Vladimir Latinovic

This book articulates various evangelical views regarding the church's mission and provides a healthy, vigorous, and gracious debate on this controversial topic. In a helpful Counterpoints format, this volume demonstrates the unique theological frameworks, doctrinal convictions, and missiological conclusions that inform and distinguish the views:\n\nSoteriological Mission: Jonathan Leeman\nParticipatory Mission: Christopher Wright\nContextual Mission: John Franke\nEcumenical-Political Mission: Peter Leithart\n\nEach of the four contributors is to answer the same key questions based on their biblical interpretations and theological convictions. What is your biblical-theological framework for mission? How does your definition of mission inform your understanding of the church's mission? How does the Mission of God and Kingdom of God relate to the mission of the church? What is the gospel? How does your view on the gospel inform the mission of the church? How do verbal proclamation of the gospel, discipleship, corporate worship, caring for the poor, social justice, restoring shalom, developing culture, and international missions fit into the church's mission?\nThe interaction between the contributors will help readers get a clearer picture of where the differences lie and why different conclusions are drawn and provide a fresh starting point for discussion and debate of the church's mission.

In light of our increasingly post-Christian Western contexts, David Gustafson offers a mission-oriented ecclesiology that moves from missional theory to practices of missional engagement. Introducing “God’s human drama” as a way to explain the gospel within God’s redemptive story, he outlines specific ways for pastors and church leaders to shape a “gospeling” culture within their congregations. Gustafson expertly lays the foundations of and approaches to evangelism that are seminal and apt for the church today.