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SPECIAL SALE

Posted on by Kim

Now is the time to stock up on gifts for the upcoming holidays. Grab these great books at great prices while you can!

Anointed with the Spirit and Power: The Holy Spirit’s Empowering Presence by JOHN D. HARVEY

Traces the theme of Holy Spirit empowerment from Genesis to Revelation, giving special attention to the Spirit’s involvement in the life, ministry, and mission of Jesus Christ.

#017-2, paperback, $14.99, SALE $3.00

B. B. Warfield: Essays on His Life and Thought edited by GARY L. W. JOHNSON

A multicontributor work with chapters covering Warfi eld’s life, his view of biblical inspiration, relations to Machen and the fundamentalists, his supposed rationalism, racial attitudes, and the Briggs trial.

#037-0, paperback, $19.99, SALE $4.00

The Piety of John Calvin edited by FORD LEWIS BATTLES

An anthology that promotes “a warm personal grasp” of Calvin. Collectively shows the Christian life as Calvin understood it by including his prayers, poetry, prose, and music for his psalms.

#059-9, paperback, $19.99, SALE $4.00

Christic Baptism and Patristic Baptism: An Inquiry into the Meaning of the Word as Determined by the Usage of the Holy Scriptures and Patristic Writings by JAMES W. DALE

An inquiry into the meaning of ‘baptizo’ in the holy Scriptures and patristic writings.

#234-0, paperback, $19.99, SALE $3.00

Come, Let Us Reason Together: The Unity of Jews and Gentiles in the Church by BARUCH MAOZ

Baruch Maoz offers a better way to retain Jewish cultural identity without losing fellowship with other Christians.

#406-4, paperback, $19.99, SALE $4.00

Consider the Lilies: A Plea for Creational Theology by T. M. MOORE

An artful introduction to creational theology, the discovery and celebration of God’s glory through what he has made. Helps us to develop skills for doing theology with the world around us.

#716-1, paperback, $16.99, SALE $2.00

Dictionary of the Presbyterian & Reformed Tradition in America by D. G. HART

Over 375 entries cover the ideas, events, people, movements, practices, institutions, and denominations that have made up this tradition from the earliest days to now.

#021-9, paperback, $16.99, SALE $4.00

Discovering the Joy of a Clear Conscience by CHRISTOPHER ASH

Ash examines what the conscience is, what a guilty conscience tells us, the choice our conscience presents us, and the conscience’s role as a guide, to offer us the pure joy of a clear conscience day after day.

#703-4, paperback, $12.99, SALE $2.00

Divided We Fall: Overcoming a History of Christian Disunity by LUDER G. WHITLOCK JR.

Whitlock explores God’s desire for Christian unity—a true ecumenism. He overviews the history of Christianity, particularly its schisms and agreements, and points us toward the necessity of God-honoring fellowship.

#192-6, paperback, $14.99, SALE $4.00

Domesticated Jesus by HARRY L. KRAUS JR.

We all “domesticate” Jesus by letting him into our lives only until we feel threatened. Kraus provides a hard-hitting look at this atrocity, challenging us to see Jesus as the treasure he truly is.

#185-8, paperback, $11.99, SALE $2.00

The Essential Trinity: New Testament Foundations and Practical Relevance edited by BRANDON D. CROWE and CARL R. TRUEMAN

With a special focus on the New Testament corpus, The Essential Trinity explores this vital doctrine and shows how it leads to useful, practical application in life and ministry.

#298-7, paperback, $19.99, SALE $4.00

Eyes to See, Ears to Hear: Essays in Memory of J. Alan Groves by PETER ENNS, DOUGLAS J. GREEN, & MICHAEL B. KELLY

J. Alan Groves was a pioneer of modern biblical studies who used computers to analyze the Hebrew Old Testament. Th ese articles have been collected to honor his work.

#122-3, paperback, $24.99, SALE $3.00

A Faith Once Delivered: Essays in Honor of Dr. Wayne R. Spear edited by ANTHONY T. SELVAGGIO

Covers theological topics at the core of the Westminster Confession’s theology, such as justification, adoption, the kingship of Christ, the doctrine of Scripture, covenant theology, the atonement, and Christian liberty.

#020-2, paperback, $22.99, SALE $3.00 

Finding a Vision for Your Church: Assembly Required by MICHAEL A. MILTON

Tested, biblical ideas to get everyone in the church involved in helping the congregation to grow. Each chapter develops an awareness, provides questions for review, and includes prayers by elders and ministers.

#438-5, paperback, $14.99, SALE $2.00 

Fools Rush In Where Monkeys Fear to Tread: Taking Aim at Everyone by CARL R. TRUEMAN

A collection of the best of Carl Trueman’s articles on church and culture. This is a compelling, challenging, and sometimes uproarious look at how the world and the church intersect.

#405-7, paperback, $14.99, SALE $3.00

For the World: Essays in Honor of Richard L. Pratt Jr. edited by JUSTIN S. HOLCOMB & GLENN LUCKE

This volume in honor of Richard broadly covers his lifelong themes of biblical studies, theological studies, hermeneutics, the kingdom of God, ministry training, missions, evangelism, and biblical education for the world.

#728-7, paperback, $17.99, SALE $4.00

George Whitefield: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought by JAMES L. SCHWENK

A concise overview of the life and writings of preacher and missionary George Whitefield. Includes excerpts from Whitefield’s personal correspondence with John Wesley as well as three full-length sermons. 

#521-4, paperback, $14.99, SALE $3.00

God’s Lyrics: Rediscovering Worship through Old Testament Songs by DOUGLAS SEAN O’DONNELL

O’Donnell examines the significance of Old Testament songs and shows, through the person and work of Jesus Christ, how the lyrics of God’s Word apply to congregational singing today.

#172-8, paperback, $15.99, SALE $4.00 

God’s Servant Job: A Poem with a Promise by DOUGLAS BOND

God’s Servant Job tells the story of God’s faithful servant Job in verse. This beautifully illustrated book explains foundational theology for younger children as it points to a glorious Redeemer.

#734-8, paperback, $9.99, SALE $2.00

God the Real Superpower: Rethinking Our Role in Missions by J. NELSON JENNINGS

Jennings analyzes our multifaceted assumptions about missions, suggesting constructive perspectives of God, ourselves, and others.

#023-3, paperback, $21.99, SALE $2.00

Gospel-Powered Humility by WILLIAM P. FARLEY

Humility, while essential for conversion and sanctification, may be the least emphasized virtue. Farley shows how ours is a humbling gospel, stressing the need for a ministry that promotes humility.

#240-4, paperback, $12.99, SALE $2.00 

Grace Works! (And Ways We Think It Doesn’t) by DOUGLAS BOND

When the church downplays the gospel, it breeds its own assassins: moralists who yawn at the notion of free grace in Christ alone. Sounding the alarm, Bond offers encouragement and biblical solutions.

#743-0, paperback, $12.99, SALE $4.00

The Great Escape: 40 Faith-Building Lessons from History by CHRISTINE FARENHORST

Educational devotionals based on historical people and events, with insightful questions at the end of each. They encourage families to talk about what God has done in their lives and in the lives of historical Christians.

#729-1, paperback, $9.99, SALE $2.00

The Hope Fulfilled: Essays in Honor of O. Palmer Robertson edited by ROBERT L. PENNY

Does the gospel of Christ have a future in our increasingly secular world? J. Gresham Machen pondered that question in the writings that comprise this thought-provoking booklet.

#115-5, paperback, $29.99, SALE $2.00 

The Huddle: Becoming a Champion for Life by SHAWN BROWER

The Huddle comprehensively prepares and equips high-school and college-level athletes to be successful on the field and, using the metaphor of a team huddle, in their relationships and all of life.

#668-6, paperback, $14.99, SALE $2.00

The Imitation of Christ in the Gospel of Luke: Growing in Christlike Love for God and Neighbor by C. D. “JIMMY” AGAN III

Using Luke’s Gospel, Jimmy Agan demonstrates that we can—and must—follow Christ’s example if we embrace him as savior, and anchors this teaching to a sound, Reformed, biblical interpretation.

#216-9, paperback, $17.99, SALE $3.00

I Will Be Your God: How God’s Covenant Enriches Our Lives by T. M. MOORE

Provides a clear, compelling look at God’s covenant and encourages a more covenantal outlook and lifestyle on the part of Christian men and women.

#558-7, paperback, $13.99, SALE $3.00

Jesus and His Enemies by PAUL YEULETT

Paul Yeulett examines the opposition Jesus encountered—demonic, political, religious, emotional, physical, and spiritual—and helps us understand why it faced him and continues to face us today.

#832-1, paperback, $12.99, SALE $3.00

Johannic Baptism: An Inquiry into the Meaning of the Word as Determined by the Usage of the Holy Scriptures by JAMES W. DALE

An inquiry into the meaning of ‘baptizo’ in the Holy Scriptures.

#232-6, paperback, $19.99, SALE $3.00

John Frame’s Selected Shorter Writings, Vol. 1 by JOHN M. FRAME

A collection of short, pointed essays from John Frame stating some of his teachings in theological method, apologetics, and the Christian life. Includes an introduction to his signature concept of “perspectivalism.”

#731-7, paperback, $16.99, SALE $4.00

John Frame’s Selected Shorter Writings, Volume 3 by JOHN FRAME

Frame’s short, pointed essays give insights into battles within the Reformed camp, clarify theological concepts, and introduce some of his main ideas in theological method, apologetics, and the Christian life.

#189-8, paperback, $22.99, SALE $4.00

Keep Going: Overcoming Doubts about Your Faith by NEIL MARTIN

Keep Going offers practical help to Christians struggling with their beliefs. It deals frankly, thoroughly, sympathetically, and biblically with questions about assurance, judgment, biblical authenticity, and the existence of God.

#087-5, paperback, $16.99, SALE $3.00 

Kingdoms Apart: Engaging the Two Kingdoms Perspective by RYAN C. MCILHENNY

This project focuses on the two competing positions rooted in the Reformed tradition: neo-Calvinism, a nineteenth-century school of thought associated with the Calvinist polymath Abraham Kuyper, and the Two Kingdoms perspective.

#435-4, paperback, $24.99, SALE $4.00

Letters from the Front: J. Gresham Machen’s Correspondence from World War I transcribed and edited by BARRY WAUGH

In World War I, J. Gresham Machen left his teaching position to work with the YMCA behind the trenches. Read transcriptions of his correspondence with family.

#479-8, paperback, $24.99, SALE $5.00

Letters of Geerhardus Vos edited by JAMES T. DENNISON JR.

Geerhardus Vos was a pioneer in biblical theology. Dennison, a well-known Vos scholar, collects for the first time all of Vos’s extant letters, many written to such luminaries as Abraham Kuyper, Herman Bavinck, B. B. Warfield, and J. Gresham Machen.

#187-9, hardcover, $29.99, SALE $5.00

Let the Earth Hear His Voice: Strategies for Overcoming Bottlenecks in Preaching God’s Word by GREG R. SCHARF

Preachers speak for God. Do they do so faithfully and clearly? Scharf gives diagnoses, strategies, and exercises for overcoming eight common bottlenecks that (humanly speaking) can clog a sermon’s message.

#042-6, paperback, $17.99, SALE $3.00 

Life Everlasting: The Unfolding Story of Heaven by DAN C. BARBER & ROBERT A. PETERSON

Life Everlasting is about heaven—our final salvation. In looking forward to our participation in the new heavens and new earth, we often seek information in the wrong places, so what does the Bible actually say?

#165-0, paperback, $17.99, SALE $3.00

Living Story Series by ELIZABETH REYNOLDS TURNAGE 

A meaningful and encouraging study of God’s grand story of grace helps you to see where your own story fits. Engaging questions allow you to apply not only the study, but the entire story itself, to your own life. Unique sections help you to engage Scripture and live out the gospel in your own story.

Learning God’s Story of Grace, Vol. 1

#243-5, spiral, $12.99, SALE $2.00

Living God’s Story of Grace, Vol. 2

#439-2, spiral, $12.99, SALE $2.00

Loving in God’s Story of Grace, Vol. 3

#847-5, spiral, $12.99, SALE $2.00

The Nearness of God: His Presence with His People by J. LANIER BURNS

Christianity is unique because of the intimate nature of the relationship between God and his people. Develops the Christ-centeredness throughout Scripture by keynoting the Son’s incarnation in John’s gospel. 

#056-1, paperback, $17.99, SALE $3.00

On the Brink: Grace for the Burned-Out Pastor by CLAY WERNER

Pastors and church leaders, are you physically exhausted and mentally and spiritually spent? Are you ready to throw in the towel and sit on the sidelines?

#898-7, paperback, $12.99, SALE $2.00

Our Creed: For Every Culture and for Every Generation by MARK G. JOHNSTON

Presents the Apostles’ Creed in a fresh and appealing manner that speaks to our postmodern culture. The perfect tool for membership classes, small groups, and Sunday school.

#448-4, paperback, $11.99, SALE $3.00

The Prayer of Jehoshaphat: Seeing beyond Life’s Storms by STANLEY D. GALE

Develops King Jehoshaphat’s prayer in 2 Chronicles 20 to give us focus, stability, strength, courage, and direction in times of great distress.

#062-2, paperback, $12.99, SALE $2.00 

Prayer PathWay: Journeying in a Life of Prayer by KATHI LAMBRIDES WESTLUND

Do you lack a personal prayer routine? Structured around the mnemonic PRAYERS, Westlund’s guide uses eternal biblical truth, timeless wisdom from sages, and practical tools to inspire you to succeed.

#242-0, hardcover, $22.99, SALE $5.00

The Problem of Good: When the World Seems Fine without God edited by D. MARION CLARK

These essays tackle questions raised by God’s common grace: Do moral non-Christians really need the gospel? How do we respond to impressive non-Christian contributions to culture and society?

#870-3, paperback, $14.99, SALE $5.00

Prodigal Press: Confronting the Anti-Christian Bias of the American News Media, Revised and Updated by MARVIN OLASKY & WARREN COLE SMITH

This book reveals how the American news media shifted from a Christian worldview to secular humanism, radically altering what the media covers and how it is reported.

#597-9, paperback, $17.99, SALE $3.00

Psalms of Promise: Celebrating the Majesty and Faithfulness of God, 2nd Ed. by E. CALVIN BEISNER

In this devotional exposition of nineteen select psalms. Beisner explores what the Psalms tell us about the character of God and his relationship with his people—his covenant of grace.

#107-7, paperback, $10.99, SALE $2.00

Redeeming Pop Culture: A Kingdom Approach by T. M. MOORE

Helps us understand popular culture, which confronts and challenges us daily. Fosters an appreciation of this phenomenon without compromising our calling to seek first the kingdom of God.

#576-1, paperback, $11.99, SALE $2.00

“Right Reason” and the Princeton Mind: An Unorthodox Proposal by PAUL K. HELSETH

Examination of the Old Princetonians’ writings, showing what Alexander, Hodge, Warfield, and others actually believed regarding the power of reason.

#143-8, paperback, $21.99, SALE $2.00 

Sermons That Shaped America: Reformed Preaching from 1630 to 2001 edited by WILLIAM S. BARKER & SAMUEL T. LOGAN JR.

An anthology of 18 sermons preached in American pulpits between 1630 and 2001 from Cotton to Keller. These sermons possess historical signifi cance and spiritual power.

#003-2, paperback, $19.99, SALE $5.00

Should We Leave Our Churches?: A Biblical Response to Harold Camping by J. LIGON DUNCAN III & MARK R. TALBOT

A concise critique of the view that the institutional church, guilty of apostasy, should disband, ceasing its clerical ministries and its administration of the sacraments.

#788-8, paperback, $5.99, SALE $2.00

Small Things, Big Things: Inspiring Stories of Everyday Grace by MICHAEL A. MILTON

Milton takes you on a journey through experiences, events, relationships, and private recollections—all pursuing the goal of finding God’s grace at work in everyday life.

#145-2, paperback, $12.99, SALE $3.00

Songs in the Night: How God Transforms Our Pain to Praise by MICHAEL A. MILTON

A warm, pastoral, and personal guide to seeking the God of all comfort in the midst of our pain. Learn how painful experiences can bring us hope, togetherness, and salvation.

#221-3, paperback, $14.99, SALE $3.00

Speaking the Truth in Love: The Theology of John M. Frame edited by JOHN J. HUGHES

A festschrift honoring Frame’s career in seminary teaching that analyzes his work in the fields of theology, apologetics, ethics, worship, the church, and others.

#164-3, hardcover, $59.99, SALE $10.00

Teaching for a Change: A Transformational Approach to Education by NORMAN DE JONG

Reveals the need for a more biblical, Christian philosophy of education in a country that has become secular. A look at the basic truths that should mold our educational endeavors.

#176-3, paperback, $14.99, SALE $3.00

Treasures of Faith: Living Boldly in View of God’s Promises by CHUCK & SHARON BETTERS

Chuck and Sharon Betters have learned to let go of attachments to this life and, in faith, serve God in a broken world.

#096-4, paperback, $12.99, SALE $3.00

Leader’s Guide (Treasures of Faith)

#094-0, paperback, $11.99, SALE $2.00

Waiting for the Land: The Story Line of the Pentateuch by ARIE C. LEDER

Leder demonstrates how the Israelites’ waiting for their Promised Land should reshape our reading of the Pentateuch as a coherent and progressive story and should aff ect our waiting for heaven.

#196-1, paperback, $17.99, SALE $3.00 

What My Golden Retriever Taught Me about God by RHONDA MCRAE

Does God care about his creatures? Does he care about you? Sadie, a golden retriever, gives us a hint in this beautiful story of dog and master.

#163-6, hardcover, $11.99, SALE $2.00

What Is Your Church’s Personality?: Discovering and Developing the Ministry Style of Your Church by PHILIP D. DOUGLASS

Th is book examines how churches differ in their size, structure, and purpose, but they also differ in ministry style. They differ in the same way that two people do.

#022-6, paperback, $19.99, SALE $2.00

Where Is God in All of This?: Finding God’s Purpose in Our Suffering by DEBORAH HOWARD

Take a biblical look at the ways God uses suffering to mold us into who he intends us to be. Shows us how to see suff ering through a spiritual lens.

#124-7, paperback, $9.99, SALE $2.00

*Free domestic USPS shipping on orders over $49 is only applicable for individual customers. It is also not applicable to orders containing Super Bargain Books.

 

Author Interview with Raymond Johnson

Posted on by Kim

This week’s author interview is with Raymond Johnson. He is the author of the new Reformed Academic Dissertations, I See Dead People: The Function of the Resurrection of the Saints in Matthew 27:51–54.

  • Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I tell people I grew up in LA – Lower Alabama. My wife’s name is Meghan and we have five children – Abigail Renee, Charlotte Patricia, Emily Elizabeth, Michael Lee, and Eleanor Ruth. I’m the Senior Pastor of Christ Church West Chester in West Chester, Pennsylvania. In this season of our family’s life, there is not a lot of spare time, so my personal interests and hobbies are filled with things like: dancing to “Baby Shark,” playing Legos and cars, teaching my kids Latin, reading Harry Potter out loud, and riding bikes.

 

  • Which writers inspire you?

C.S. Lewis and Saint Augustine

 

  • What inspired you to write this book, about this topic?

Intrigue with this difficult Matthean pericope came while reflecting on how I would preach this particular text meaningfully as an M.Div. student in a Matthew Exegesis course with what would become my Ph.D. Supervisor, Jonathan Pennington, in the Fall of 2010 at Southern Seminary.  As I perused commentaries on Matthew and consulted major works on the resurrection, I realized that there was a vast interpretive chasm that existed between exegetes and homileticians on how this text functioned within Matthew’s narrative as well as to what this particular pericope meant for readers of Matthew’s Gospel.  After realizing that few preachers sought to explicate the meaning of this Matthean pericope in their homiletical endeavors and that there was neither much scholarly consensus nor any expert help in relation to this Matthean pericope, I desired to seek interpretive clarity in relation to Matthew’s use of this scene in his Gospel.

It became apparent that many contemporary interpreters relied on a translation of the Matthean pericope that argued for a full stop punctuation in the middle of Matthew 27:52.  The full stop, for these interpreters, conveyed a temporal lapse between the time when the tombs opened as a result of the earthquake in Matthew 27:51 and the subsequent resurrection of the sleeping saints in Matthew 27:52-53.  Further, for these interpreters, this temporal gap enables them to reconcile Matthew’s pericope with the subsequent teaching in the epistles that Jesus is the firstborn from the dead (1 Cor 15:20; cf. Col 1:18; Rev. 1:5).  This interpretation, it seemed, was helpful in dealing with a “pesky” text, but was too convenient.  It seems to be more concerned with reading the conclusion to Matthew’s Gospel in light of the epistles rather than in light of Matthew; it presumes that Matthew’s crafting of the conclusion to his Gospel was haphazard in that he “misplaced” a resurrection account.  Consequently, it seems to force a reading of the pericope in Matthew 27:45-28:20 that is foreign to Matthew’s literary intentions.  On the other hand, however, other interpreters argued that the passage should not be understood historically since the imagery in Matthew 27:45-54 has apocalyptic overtones—darkness over the land (27:45), a revelatory earthquake (25:51), a zombie-esque resurrection (27:52-53), the metaphorical destruction of temple (27:51).  Though the passage definitely has apocalyptic connotations and cosmic significance, it is certainly not ahistorical.  Thus, again, I found this interpretation hermeneutically and homiletically unsatisfying.  When it came time for these hermeneutical readings to positively inform my homiletical endeavors, there seemed to be much lacking.  Specifically, there is a lack of clarification and consensus on the literary structure of Matthew 27:45-28:16.  Moreover, both the homiletical implications of the passage as well as hermeneutical understanding as to the type of resurrection these “saints” participated in were unclear when following these readings of the text.  I could, therefore, come to no satisfactory conclusions.

After composing the paper, the text was brought to attention in the evangelical world due to a debate over Michael Licona’s work, The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach. The controversy surrounding Licona’s work, along with the plethora of ways that the passage had been appropriated by interpreters, further peaked my interest in ascertaining the meaning(s) of this Matthean pericope.

In my homiletical struggling with the text, I stumbled upon the idea of reading the conclusion to Matthew’s Gospel narratologically, or as “story.”  Rather than falling on either side of the interpretive chasm, it seems that a narratological reading informed by reception history provides a more in-depth analysis and meaning to this Matthean pericope.  Leveraging historical appropriations and exegetical study have shown that Matthew has carefully crafted this portion of his Gospel as he has the entirety of the rest of his Gospel.

 

  • What book are you reading now?
    • Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David Blight
    • Wise Counsel: John Newton’s Letters to John Ryland Jr. edited by Grant Gordon
    • Loosing the Lion: Proclaiming the Gospel of Mark by Leroy Huizenga
    • The Cross of Christ by John R. W. Stott
    • The Preacher’s Catechism by Lewis Allen

 

  • Favorite sport to watch? 

College Football. I grew up watching it with my dad. My favorite team is the Alabama Crimson Tide.

 

  • The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia?

Both. I have a map of Middle Earth and Narnia hanging on the wall in my study. A good story, like good preaching, invites investment. It moves people. Both of these stories encourage readers to respond with a variety of emotions to the characters and their situations as the fiction molds the character of readers.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

 

Paul E. Engle — Five Ways Corporate Worship Benefits Christians

Posted on by Kim

When God Draws Near: Exploring Worship from Seven Summits by Paul E. Engle

Releasing October 1st. Pre-order from:

“A handbook for worshippers . . . a mountain map to teach them what it means to gather for worship and the impact that worship can have on their lives.”

—Scott M. Gibson, David E. Garland Chair of Preaching, Baylor University’s Truett Seminary

“An imaginative journey through the Bible. . . . Because worship is central to Christian life, a book like this . . . is most welcome. Fresh breezes blow through its pages.”

—David F. Wells, Distinguished Senior Research Professor, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

“Dr. Engle leads us on a mountain-climbing expedition that shows us how God calls us to worship. . . . We are shown the centrality of God in worship and how this can enhance our present earthly worship.”

—Dominic A. Aquila, President, New Geneva Theological Seminary

“Engle uses the stories of seven mountains in Scripture to remind us of the trinitarian God who is what worship is all about.”

—Douglas J. Moo, Wessner Chair of Biblical Studies, Wheaton College

 

Two New Releases Today!

Posted on by Kim

We have 2 new releases today!

Contentment: Joy That Lasts by Robert D. Jones

40 pages | $3.99 | Resources for Changing Lives series | SAMPLE PAGES

About

Are you in financial trouble or a dead-end job? Single and wishing you were married? Married and wishing it was better? Longing for more security? When life gets tough, contentment is hard to find.

Contentment isn’t found, however—it’s learned, argues biblical counselor Robert Jones. In this pocket-sized exposition and application of Philippians 4:11–13, Jones draws parallels between the reader’s life and the various forms of hardship that the apostle Paul faced. Amid these, we too can experience what Paul experienced: inner satisfaction, peace, and confidence in God’s ability to care and provide.

Quick fixes fail, but Jones shows how, through the gospel, we can learn God-centered contentment each day.

The Author

Robert D. Jones

Robert D. Jones (MDiv, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; DMin, Westminster Theological Seminary; DTheol, University of South Africa) is associate professor of biblical counseling at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville and has served in pastoral ministry for over thirty years.

Beyond Authority and Submission: Women and Men in Marriage, Church, and Society by Rachel Green Miller

280 pages | $17.99 | SAMPLE CHAPTER

Rachel Green Miller argues that what the Bible teaches about women, men, and gender is both simpler and more difficult than we’re often told. Although modern discussions have focused on authority and submission, there is much more to the biblical picture. Examining common beliefs in the light of Scripture, she draws out important biblical themes that will strengthen our relationship as co-laborers in the kingdom of God and for the good of this world.

Endorsements

“There is a very real danger in our current cultural moment that the polarization that characterizes the political landscape might well come to exert an unfortunate influence on both the rhetoric and the content of discussions among Christians on a number of controversial topics. The temptation to respond to one extreme error by adopting its mirror image is strong but rarely, if ever, correct. And there are few topics in the public square that are more divisive than the relationship between the sexes. It is therefore a pleasure to commend this book by Rachel Miller, which eschews the cheap extremism and bombastic rhetoric that characterize conservative Christian responses to feminism and plots not a middle way but a biblical way through the subjects of authority, submission, masculinity, and the like. She is not interested in making the Bible fit 1950s ideals of what men and women should be; rather, she wants to help the reader to think about what the Bible actually means in the present. This is a refreshingly sane read.”

—Carl Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College

“Most of the Christians I know want to be the men and women of God. But what does that mean, exactly? Who’s in charge? Who gets the final say? What does it mean to be masculine or feminine? Enter Rachel G. Miller and her new book, Beyond Authority and Submission. Between these pages, you’ll find a compelling vision for how men and women can work together, unfettered by social and historical expectations. Tracing the broader themes of Scripture, with careful attention to theology and the text, Miller calls men and women alike to live in the fullness of all that God has made us to be.”

—Hannah Anderson, Author, Made for More

“Rachel Miller writes as a conservative who loves Scripture and happily sits under its authority. She calls us to examine ourselves against Scripture, not to remove ourselves from its authority in our lives, and gives us diagnostic tools from the Word to renovate our understanding of men and women in the church, in the home, and in society at large.

Rachel teaches the history of views on sex and gender in secular cultures and then shows us the ways some evangelical teaching on the sexes is built more on secular philosophy than biblical truth. In the end, while historical context sheds great light on the Scriptures, Rachel wins us with Scripture itself. She offers us a well-researched survey of Scripture on biological sex and gender that will inspire and aid readers toward a biblical vision of men and women working in unity and interdependence in God’s kingdom.”

—Wendy Alsup, Author, Is the Bible Good for Women?

“Rachel Miller writes with her characteristic verve and wisdom as she addresses the vexed subject of women and men, a subject where often there is more heat than light. If we are to follow the Bible when it says we are to be slow to speak and quick to listen, then this is one such occasion where we would be wise to listen well. She has made a valuable contribution to the discussion of how we negotiate between the extremes of patriarchy and feminism in the church today. Her arguments deserve to be taken seriously and weighed well as we seek to be faithful to Scripture in our generation.”

—Liam Goligher, Senior Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia

“Rachel Miller has done an excellent job in bringing clarity and discernment to a discussion that is often emotionally charged and contentious. Biblically reasoned, confessionally informed, and drawing from the resources of church history, Miller’s work cuts through rhetoric and assumptions to show us that sometimes ideas labeled ‘biblical’ can in fact be loaded with cultural notions. While much of the contemporary discussion about ‘gender roles’ focuses primarily on authority and submission—who is allowed to do what?—Miller shows that there is a need to go beyond this narrow focus to promoting unity, interdependence, and service. Miller invites readers not to ignore or dismiss Scripture but to go deeper in their understanding of its meaning and implications. In Beyond Authority and Submission, many Apolloses have the opportunity to listen and learn from a wise Priscilla.”

—Jacob Denhollander, PhD student, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

The Author

Rachel Green MillerRachel Green Miller is a researcher and popular blogger who is passionate about elevating the dignity of women, improving the cultural conversation about gender relations, and defending orthodox Christianity. A member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, she lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, Matt, and their three sons.