Books in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series

'Give thanks to YHWH, for he is good, for his covenant faithfulness endures for ever' (Ps. 136:1; a.t.)There are now numerous models that seek to explain how the biblical covenants relate to one another. In an attempt to evaluate these models, James Hely Hutchinson mines the rich seams of the book of Psalms. After covering the key data on covenant relationships in Books 1-3 of the psalter, Hely Hutchinson considers the perplexity expressed in the pivotal Psalm 89: in the face of the exile, the promises to David appear to be null and void. The building blocks of the response lie with the first five books of the Bible, and chiefly with the inviolable character of the promises to Abraham (Book 4 of the psalter). However, if the Abrahamic covenant is to reach fulfilment, the problem of sin must be dealt with once and for all, and a glorious new-covenant regime must be established in which a host of covenants converge in their fulfilment. Central to this regime, which lies beyond the exile, is the eternal rule of David's superior, righteous seed and son who is also a perpetual priest and a suffering servant (Book 5). Identifying new-covenant newness as 'eschatological satisfaction (fulfilment)' and 'transcendent inauguration', Hely Hutchinson tackles a range of matters that contribute to our understanding of the contours of redemptive history. The overall aim is to enhance readers' grasp of God's breath-taking salvation plan, ability to handle Scripture aright and worship of the Master.

Clive Bowsher provides an exegetical-theological study of oneness and 'in-one-another' relationship with Christ in John's Gospel and letters, a new volume in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series.

A new study of the apostle Paul's theology of divine glory, part of the New Studies in Biblical Theology series.

Fresh study of a key theological issue in the Old Testament book of Job

Now and Not Yet is a new volume in the NSBT series that explores the theology of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Fresh exploration of a key biblical theme

New edition of a widely-appreciated study.

A new biblical-theological study of Jesus' view of the Scriptures

Although relatively few in number, the New Testament's explicit summaries of the Old Testament story of Israel give readers direct access into the way the earliest Christians told this story, which is to say, into the way they did biblical theology. These curiously overlooked summaries are the subject of this stimulating study.

New study of a neglected Old Testament theme

Valuable study of repentance in Scripture, theology and the Christian life

A biblical-theological approach to the book of Revelation as the climax of prophecy

New study of a key subject closely linked to righteousness and faith

From the patristic period until today, John's Gospel has served as a major source for the church's knowledge, doctrine, and worship of the triune God. Among all New Testament documents the Fourth Gospel provides not only the most raw material for the doctrine of the Trinity, but also the most highly developed patterns of reflection on this material particularly patterns that seek to account in some way for the distinct personhood and divinity of Father, Son and Spirit without compromising the unity of God. While there have been recent, fine studies on aspects of John's doctrine of God, it is surprising that none summarizes and synthesizes what John has to say about God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In order to fill this gap, Kostenberger and Swain offer a fresh examination of John's trinitarian vision.

Valuable study of the key biblical texts relating to preaching in the post-apostolic age, with theological and pastoral conclusions

A canonical study of the priesthood of God's people and of Christ

Fresh examination of the Bible's teaching on what lies beyond death

A presentation of what Proverbs 1-9 tells us about learning to live well.

‿This is an exceptional piece of biblical theology ... Preachers will find this work a rich source of sermon material and all who are interested in the Bible will be amazed at its unity.‿ Evangelical TimesWho shall ascend the mountain of the LORD?' (Psalm 24:3). This stimulating study explores the narrative context, literary structure and theology of Leviticus. Morales follows its dramatic movement, examines the tabernacle cult and the Day of Atonement, and tracks the development from Sinai's tabernacle to Zion's temple - and from the earthly to the heavenly Mount Zion in the New Testament. He shows how life with God in the house of God was the original goal of the creation of the cosmos, and became the goal of redemption and the new creation.

'... you received the Spirit of adoption' (Romans 8:15)The relationship between God and his people is understood in various ways by the biblical writers, and it is arguably the apostle Paul who uses the richest vocabulary. Unique to Paul's writings is the term huiothesia, the process or act of being 'adopted as son(s)'. It occurs five times in three of his letters, where it functions as a key theological metaphor. Trevor Burke argues that huiothesia has been misunderstood, misrepresented, or neglected through scholarly preoccupation with its cultural background. He redresses the balance in this comprehensive study, which discusses metaphor theory; explores the background to huiothesia; considers the roles of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; examines the moral implications of adoption, and its relationship with honour; and concludes with the consequences for Christian believers as they live in the tension between the 'now' and the 'not yet' of their adoption into God's new family.

"At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD" (Genesis 4:26 ESV). From this first mention of prayer in the Bible, right through to the end, when the church prays "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20), prayer is intimately linked with the gospel?God's promised and provided solution to the problem of human rebellion against him and its consequences. After defining prayer simply as "calling on the name of the Lord," Gary Millar follows the contours of the Bible's teaching on prayer. His conviction is that even careful readers can often overlook significant material because it is deeply embedded in narrative or poetic passages where the main emphases lie elsewhere. Millar's initial focus is on how "calling on the name of the Lord" to deliver on his covenantal promises is the foundation for all that the Old Testament says about prayer. Moving to the New Testament, he shows how this is redefined by Jesus himself, and how, after his death and resurrection, the apostles understood "praying in the name of Jesus" to be the equivalent new covenant expression. Throughout the Bible, prayer is to be primarily understood as asking God to deliver on what he has already promised?as Calvin expressed it, "through the gospel our hearts are trained to call on God's name" (Institutes 3.20.1). This New Studies in Biblical Theology volume concludes his valuable study with an afterword offering pointers to application to the life of the church today. 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.

Over the last century many sceptical 'lives of Jesus' have been written. Paul Barnett argues that their authors have used wrong historical methodology, ignoring some of the early evidence about Jesus Christ and failing to account for the first Christians' beliefs about him.

An articulation of a vital doctrine for Christianity.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them' (Genesis 1:27). Genesis 1:26-27 has served as the locus of most theological anthropologies in the central Christian tradition. However, Richard Lints observes that too rarely have these verses been understood as conceptually interwoven with the whole of the prologue materials of Genesis 1. The construction of the cosmic temple strongly hints that the 'image of God' language serves liturgical functions. Lints argues that 'idol' language in the Bible is a conceptual inversion of the 'image' language of Genesis 1. These constructs illuminate each other, and clarify the canon's central anthropological concerns. The question of human identity is distinct, though not separate, from the question of human nature; the latter has far too frequently been read into the biblical use of 'image'. Lints shows how the 'narrative' of human identity runs from creation (imago Dei) to fall (the golden calf/idol, Exodus 32) to redemption (Christ as perfect image, Colossians 1:15-20). The biblical-theological use of image/idol is a thread through the canon that highlights the movements of redemptive history. In the concluding chapters, Lints interprets the use of idolatry as it emerges in the secular prophets of the nineteenth century, and examines the recent renaissance of interest in idolatry with its conceptual power to explain the 'culture of desire'.

Perceiving within evangelical studies the lack of a robust canonical biblical-theological treatment of the book of Daniel, James Hamilton explores how it contributes to the Bible's unfolding redemptive-historical storyline. First, he shows how the book's literary structure contributes to its meaning, and then addresses key questions and issues. He argues that the four kingdoms prophesied by Daniel are both historical and symbolic; that the 'one like a son of man' seen by Daniel is identified with, and distinguished from, the Ancient of Days in a way that would be mysterious until Jesus came as both the son of David and God incarnate; that the interpretations of Daniel in early Jewish literature attest to strategies similar to those employed by New Testament authors; that those authors provide a Spirit-inspired interpretation of Daniel that was learned from Jesus; and that the book of Revelation uses Daniel's language, imitates his structure, points to the fulfilment of his prophecies and clarifies the meaning of his 'seventieth week'. Hamilton concludes by examining typological patterns.