The Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus - New Studies in Biblical Theology by Alan J Thompson Paperback

About the Book

Instead of using Acts as a prooftext for contemporary debates about speaking in tongues or church government, this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume offers a biblical-theological framework meant to expose Luke's own purposes and themes. We find that Luke wanted to be read in light of both the Old Testament promises and the reign of Christ in the inaugurated kingdom of God.

Book Synopsis

When the book of Acts is mentioned, a cluster of issues spring to mind, including speaking in tongues and baptism with the Holy Spirit, church government and practice, and missionary methods and strategies. At the popular level, Acts is more often mined for answers to contemporary debates than heard for its natural inflections.Instead of using Acts as a prooftext, this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume brings a biblical-theological framework to the account to expose Luke's major themes as they relate to the book as a whole. With this framework in place, Alan Thompson argues that Acts is an account of the 'continuing story' of God's saving purposes. Consequently we find that Luke wants to be read in light of the Old Testament promises and the continuing reign of Christ in the inaugurated kingdom. Read in this way as a snapshot of God's dynamic, unfolding kingdom, the book of Acts begins to regain the deep relevance it had in the first century.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.

Review Quotes

". . . a first-class discussion and explanation of the theology of the Acts that is thoroughly biblical, abreast of the latest scholarship and written in a way that is accessible to those who teach and preach the Bible."

". . . an accessible, lucidly written, biblically faithful treatment of the theology of Acts. . . . Thompson establishes a unifying theological framework for Acts and clearly ties each chapter into this framework. . . . This is perhaps the most accessible book-length treatment of the theology of Acts, relevant to a broad academic and church readership."

"My favorite book of 2012-2013."

"No one should teach or preach from the Acts of the Apostles again without first reading this book."

"This book will help readers further appreciate the organic and progressive nature of revelation and understand the narrative flow and canonical function of the book of Acts. The connections made with previous revelation . . . are very illuminating and will stimulate much thought whether one agrees or disagrees with Thompson's conclusions. I recommend the book highly."

"This is a very helpful book which I have read with great appreciation. Thompson provides exactly what he sets out to do: a clear framework for reading Acts which takes careful account of many major themes and issues, and a framework which equips his readers to explore further themselves."

"We can be grateful to Thompson for a profound, convincing, and delightful work on the theology of Acts. It is a much needed work, for there are few theologies of Acts written, and I can't think of one that is more accessible and faithful."

About the Author

Alan J. Thompson is lecturer in New Testament at Sydney Missionary and Bible College, Croydon, New South Wales, Australia. He is the author of One Lord, One People: The Unity of the Church in Acts in Its Literary Setting.