Salvation to the Ends of the Earth, Second Edition: A Biblical Theology Of Mission (New Studies in Biblical Theology, vol. 11 | NSBT)
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 Salvation to the Ends of the Earth emphasizes the way in which the Bible presents a continuing narrative of the story 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, importantly, it provides a robust historical and chronological backbone to the unfolding of the early Christian mission.
With regard to the latter, Paul and the General Epistles are incorporated with the Gospel with which they have the closest and most natural canonical and historical affinity: James and Hebrews with Matthew; 1–2 Peter and Jude with Mark; Paul’s letters with Luke–Acts; and 1–3 John and the Apocalypse with John. The chapter on the second-temple period has been moved to an appendix so as not to interrupt the flow of the presentation of the biblical story-line and theology of mission.
- Traces the theme of mission across the Bible’s storyline
- Provides a robust historical and chronological backbone to the unfolding of the early Christian mission
- Emphasizes the continuing narrative of the story of God’s mission
- Introduction
- The Old Testament
- The Gospel according to Matthew, the letters of James and Hebrews
- The Gospel according to Mark, the letters of Peter and Jude
- The Gospel according to Luke, the book of Acts and Paul’s letters
- The Gospel according to John, John’s letters and the Apocalypse
- Conclusion
Top Highlights
“The present work seeks to follow a third path, combining a commitment to a biblical-theological method and a salvation-historical approach with an openness to examining the various portions of Scripture regarding their respective contributions to the biblical theme of ‘mission’.” (Page 2)
“At the heart of the biblical metanarrative is ‘the story of God’s mission through God’s people in their engagement with God’s world for the sake of the whole of God’s creation’.4 Rightly, the emphasis falls here on what God does; it is the missio Dei that shapes and permeates the whole of Scripture.” (Page 12)
“Between Eden and the eternal state, between Abraham and Armageddon, between Babel and the beast’s confinement to the lake of fire, few biblical topics are as important as mission. This is because mission, while purposed by God prior to sin, is inextricably linked to human sinfulness and need for redemption and God’s provision of salvation in the person and work of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. This ‘good news’ of salvation in Jesus, however, must be made known. Thus, mission is the ingredient that both precedes Christian existence and constitutes a major motivation for Christian living: the saving mission of Jesus forms the foundation for Christian mission, and the gospel is the message of this mission, a mission that is not optional but mandatory.” (Page 1)
“A biblical-theological approach may indeed reveal a certain amount of diversity in the scriptural teaching on mission. Since Scripture, however, is ultimately God’s Word, we may legitimately expect to see an underlying logic and unity in the biblical message on this subject.3 For Scripture is united by one primary pervading purpose: the tracing of God’s unfolding plan of redemption. It everywhere assumes that this God acts coherently and purposefully in history.” (Page 2)
Hard as it is to believe, two decades have elapsed since the publication of the first edition of this biblical theology of mission. The second edition aims, no less than the first, to trace the theme of mission across the Bible’s story-line. Instead of envisaging mission as a late post-resurrection afterthought, it teases out the organic wholeness of the theme from Genesis to the Apocalypse. Nevertheless, most of the book has been re-written and updated, and some of it has been re-cast. For example, instead of outlining Paul’s contribution to the theme of mission on its own (certainly a worthy goal), this second edition examines Paul’s letters in tandem with the developments in the Book of Acts—a more complicated but highly illuminating procedure. If this volume contributes to enriching preachers and Bible teachers around the world with a renewed vision of God as a missionary God, the authors and editor will be profoundly grateful.
—D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, USA
- Title: Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission (Second Edition)
- Authors: Andreas J. Köstenberger, T. Desmond Alexander
- Edition: Second Edition
- Series: New Studies in Biblical Theology
- Volume: 53
- Publishers: Apollos, IVP Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2020
- Logos Release Date: 2020
- Pages: 375
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Mission of the church; Missions › Biblical teaching; Theology, doctrinal
- ISBNs: 9781783595891, 9781783595907, 9780830825363, 9780830825493, 1783595892, 1783595906, 0830825363, 0830825495
- Resource ID: LLS:NSBT112ED
- Resource Type: text.monograph.biblical-theology
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T01:53:47Z
Andreas J. Köstenberger is Research Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology and Director of the Center for Biblical Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, Missouri, USA. He is the author or co-author of numerous books including John (BECNT), The Theology of John's Gospel and Letters, Father, Son and Spirit (NSBT), The Heresy of Orthodoxy, God, Marriage and Family, and Invitation to Biblical Interpretation.
T. Desmond Alexander is Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies at Union Theological College, Belfast. He is the author of From Paradise to the Promised Land, From Eden to the New Jerusalem, The Servant King, Discovering Jesus and Exodus (AOTC), and co-editor of the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology and the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch.