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What is the ultimate purpose of pastoral ministry? What emphases and priorities should take precedence? In the day-to-day emphasis on various pastoral roles and pragmatic concerns, what can sometimes get lost is the theological foundation for understanding pastoral ministry. James Thompson is a New Testament scholar with a concern for relating biblical studies to practical ministry. Here he does a careful study of several of Paul's epistles in order to see what Paul's vision and purpose were for his own ministry. He finds that Paul's aim was an ethical transformation of the communities (not just individuals) with which he worked, so that they would live lives worthy of the gospel until Christ's return. Using this as a framework, Thompson offers suggestions for practical application to contemporary ministry.
A leading biblical scholar shows that Paul offers a coherent moral vision based on both the story of Christ and the norms of the law.
In contrast with the widely popular interest in narrative styles, Professor Thompson believes Paul's letters offer a different and valid model for preaching today. He clearly demonstrates how the manner of preaching used in the pre-Christian culture of Paul is both appropriate and effective in our contemporary post-Christian culture. Unlike most books on preaching, this book does not focus on homiletic technique, but on the goal of preaching - a needed missing component in contemporary homiletic discussion.
This book is the culmination of a career of researching and teaching Paul's letters. Highly respected senior New Testament scholar James Thompson offers a unique approach to Pauline theology, focusing on Paul's attempts to persuade his audience toward moral formation. Thompson recognizes Paul as a pastor who brought together theology and rhetoric to encourage spiritual formation in his communities. Attempts to find total consistency in Paul's writings fail, says Thompson, because Paul's persuasive tactics changed depending on the situation he was addressing.
This fresh and readable commentary exposes theological meaning in Hebrews by tracing its use of rhetorical strategies from the ancient cultural and educational context.
Contrary to what we might imagine from its title, the Epistle to the Hebrews is immersed in Hellenistic thought. Its author demonstrates an acquaintance with Greco-Roman rhetoric, and often supports his arguments with the assumptions of Hellenistic philosophy. While he shares the apocalyptic worldview of other Jews in this period, he recasts it with the language of Middle Platonism.
New in the Acclaimed Paideia Commentary Series Two respected senior New Testament scholars examine cultural context and theological meaning in Philippians and Philemon in this addition to the well-received Paideia series. Paideia commentaries explore how New Testament texts form Christian readers by attending to the ancient narrative and rhetorical strategies the text employs, showing how the text shapes theological convictions and moral habits, and making judicious use of maps, photos, and sidebars in a reader-friendly format. Students, pastors, and other readers will appreciate the historical, literary, and theological insight offered in this practical commentary.
Because commentaries are increasingly complex, preachers face the challenge of mastering the results of critical scholarship and merging the horizons between exegesis and a living word for the congregation. In this volume, Thompson offers a guide for preachers, using the results of current scholarship on Hebrews and 1 Peter to enrich the preaching task. He demonstrates that these ancient letters, which speak to believers whose faith has made them aliens and exiles in their own land, offer insights that speak to believers who are aliens and exiles in a post-Christian culture. While the standard commentaries analyze the historical and grammatical issues in detail, this book demonstrates the focus and rhetorical effect of each section, making it accessible for preaching. He focuses on the argument of each letter and its pastoral dimension for the ancient and contemporary audience. Thompson also demonstrates the path from exegetical insight to the focus and function of each pericope for the sermon. Brief sermon sketches demonstrate the relationship between the focus of the text and the focus of the sermon.
Beginning as a marginal group in Galilee, the movement initiated by Jesus of Nazareth became a world religion within 100 years. Why, among various religious movements, did Christianity succeed? This major work by internationally renowned scholar Udo Schnelle traces the historical, cultural, and theological influences and developments of the early years of the Christian movement. It shows how Christianity provided an intellectual framework, a literature, and socialization among converts that led to its enduring influence. Senior New Testament scholar James Thompson offers a clear, fluent English translation of the successful German edition.
This monograph, which includes in unchanged or slightly revised form material which has previously appeared in theological journals and elsewhere, defends the thesis that the beginnings of Christian philosophy (represented in the second century by Justin Martyr and Clement of Alexandria) are found in the epistle to the Hebrews. Christian philosophy, in this sense, involves the presentation of Christian teaching in the categories of classical philosophy.