How the Bible Defines: Election It is not uncommon to find the word election defined in a Bible dictionary as “chosen by God for salvation” or something similar. Many dictionaries and lexicons include an alternate definition: “choice, select, best in its class.” A close look at the New Testament will reveal a number of passages where this word occurs without a clear indication of the intended definition. In these passages, how are we to determine which was the intended meaning? The Greek Old Testament is an often-overlooked resource that provides rich scriptural contexts from which to derive the meaning of key biblical words. You are cordially invited to embark on an exploration of Old Testament stories and passages that contain “election.” Along the way, you will see what the inspired writers meant when they used the word in certain stories, such as that of Korah’s rebellion and of the remnant in Isaiah’s prophecy. By the end, you just might find that one of the above definitions has no basis within the pages of scripture.

Offering not only state-of-the-art introductions from Biblical, historical, and constructive theologians, this volume also fosters an inter-disciplinary and cross-confessional conversation, reclaiming the idea of election as a central notion for any retelling of the biblical narrative. Several essays explore the variety of ways in which election is spoken about in the Scripture, drawing on research from the last twenty years that offers a more sophisticated framework than the traditionally theological categories of “elect” and “reject”. The historical part of the volume covers new analyses of Medieval and post-Reformation Catholic and Protestant debates on predestination, while the book's constructive part contributes to contemporary conversations on the relationship between Trinity, Christology, and election, the development of a post-supersessionist understanding of Israel's chosenness, as well as voices from contextual struggles in South America, Palestine, and South Africa.

The church has been entrusted with God's revelation—and to steward the word of truth, we must confess the Bible's teaching with clarity and conviction. Adam Harwood's Christian Theology is both biblically faithful and historically informed, providing a fresh synthesis of the essential doctrines of the faith. Writing from a Baptist perspective, Harwood brings fresh insights that many systematic theologies lack. With readable prose, suggestions for further study, and discussion questions, Christian Theology will equip students and pastors to clarify and articulate what they believe and why.

This election season promises to be among the most contentious ever. In addition to a presidential campaign featuring no incumbents, this election will turn on a handful of pivotal issues presently confronting American voters, the consequences of which likely will influence the direction of our nation for decades to come. Each of the major issues that is likely to form the basis of the national debate in this election season is explained here in a style that is easy to access and understand. This anthology of present-day issues will fortify you with the biblical perspective on which to base your decisions. With the Bible as the ultimate source of answers, you can be sure that your decisions will be grounded in faithful stewardship and godly obedience. This book is not about being a Republican or Democrat; it's not about endorsing candidates or telling you how to cast your vote. It simply provides a biblical foundation upon which to make voting decisions that will both honor God and best serve our country in 2008 and beyond.

Arminianism is rife within the modern evangelical church, with vocal proponents attacking the orthodox teaching of Calvinism. One such critic is Leighton Flowers, the director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists who leads the Soteriology 101 ministry. His book The Potter’s Promise has influenced many against Calvinism. An overview of Flowers’s theology is given in this book, chapter by chapter, and is exposed as an erroneous view of salvation. In these chapters the reader gets a historical overview of Calvinist thought. The reader will see how it is free-will theology that can be associated more with a heretical Gnostic ideology called Manichaeism as well as works-based Pelagianism. The various doctrines of Calvinism are supported from Scripture. This book also deals with common misrepresentations of Calvinism (i.e., that prayer is not necessary or that Calvinists don’t feel the need to evangelize) and provides the reader with a biblical basis for the several associated teachings of Calvinism in the appendix.

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context. To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's world, each passage is treated in three sections: Original Meaning. Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context. Bridging Contexts. A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible. Contemporary Significance. This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved. This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

For over a thousand years Britain was defined by Christianity, with monarchs dedicating the country to God and national days of prayer that saved the nation in its darkest hours. Discover the continuing legacy of the Bible in Britain, how faith defined its nationhood and the challenges from the 1960s to the present day. 2020 edition.

This festschrift honours Chris Wright on the occasion of his 70th birthday. The theologians and leaders who have contributed to it have all benefitted from his friendship, scholarship, and partnership in the gospel. These essays demonstrate how preachers, scholars and writers from around the world are fleshing out the mission of God and breathing new life into the bones of Chris’s thinking. Contributions include: • A Life Devoted to the Mission of God • A Seed Bears Fruit in Latin America • Mission as Making (and Wearing) New Clothes • Election, Ethics, Mission and the Church in India • Preaching to Impress or to Save CHRISTOPHER J. H. WRIGHT, the International Ministries Director of Langham Partnership, has had a long connection to the global church. Born in Belfast to missionary parents, he has taught at Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, India, and at All Nations Christian College in Ware, England. In his PhD studies at Cambridge, he focused on the ethics of land, family, economics, debt and slavery. He has authored twenty-eight books, including The Mission of God, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God, Sweeter than Honey, and Knowing God – The Trilogy. Recognizing Chris’s commitment to scholarship, preaching and the global church, John Stott welcomed him as a friend and as his successor as head of Langham Partnership. Contributors: • Mark Hunt, USA • Jonathan Lamb, UK • Ian J. Shaw, UK • Igor Améstegui, Bolivia • Qaiser Julius, Pakistan • Collium Banda, Zimbabwe • Danut Manastireanu, Romania • Peter Penner, Germany • Brian Wintle, India • Frew Tamrat, Ethiopia • Las Newman, Jamaica • C. Rosalee Velloso Ewell, Brazil • Paul Swarup, India • Andrea Z. Stephanous, Egypt • Dwi Handayani, Indonesia • Athena E. Gorospe, Philippines • Gail Atiencia, Colombia • Riad A. Kassis, Lebanon • Mark Meynell, UK • Greg R. Scharf, USA • Pieter Kwant, Netherlands

Election, Atonement, and the Holy Spirit' is an examination of the doctrines of election and atonement in Karl Barth's 'Church Dogmatics', taking up Barth's own challenge to his reader to surpass his argument and offer a better typological interpretationof the cultic texts. Barth's radical re-working of Calvin's doctrine of election is one of the most important developments in twentieth-century theology. Christ synthesizes for Barth a particular dialectic: the binary structure of God's Yes of election and God's No of rejection. The book's central question - how can Jesus simultaneously be both the elected and the rejected (CD II/2), acting as both the judge and the judged (CD IV/1)? - is followed by an exploration of the roles of the Holy Spirit and human freedom in God's electing and saving action. Although commentators acknowledge Barth's innovation in this area but also identify problems with his approach, few have offered what David Ford has called a correction 'from within' Barth, using Barth's ownmethod. Using the concept of Existenzstellvertretung, this critique of Barth's exegetical justification for the doctrines offers an alternative exegesis that not only provides this much-needed correction, but also immerses the reader in a fresh engagement with Scripture itself.

Christians strongly disagree about the extent of the atonement. Some believe that the atonement only extends to the elect, those whom God chose to save before the foundation of the world. Others believe the atonement is unlimited, that Jesus died for all people whether they ever believe in him or not. Despite the differences in these two traditional understandings they share one thing in common: both believe that Jesus died for a single, intended purpose. But what if God's intentions in the atonement are multiple, not single? The Bible teaches exactly this, that Jesus died both to pay for the sins of all people and to secure the salvation of those God chose to believe in him before time began. This book explains and defends a multi-intentioned view of the extent of the atonement, asserting that this view does the best job of understanding all of what the Bible says about the extent of the atonement, is more theologically comprehensive than the traditional views, and has the best potential for consensus on who exactly Jesus Christ died for when he was crucified for our sins.