Matthew W. Bates

Christ and the Created Order

Science & Faith

“If colliding hydrogen atoms produce rock-liquefying energy, what happens when creator fuses with creature? “The Word became flesh and dwelt in our midst.” God says yes to creation and its restoration. This dazzling collection is light and heat. Discover why the Christ matters not just for religion or theology but for all things.”

Christ the Gift and the Giver

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Timely, important, and rewarding. Enoch Okode brings a new coherence to Paul’s logic in Romans by situating the gospel, grace, and loyalty in the context of ideal kingship and benefaction. Our understanding of Paul’s theology of salvation has been greatly enriched.”

Faith in the New Testament

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Faith is one of the most exciting areas of exploration and revision in current biblical scholarship. Yet it is impossible to know our present location or future destination apart from past landmarks. Adolf Schlatter's monumental Faith in the New Testament, freshly translated by Joseph Longarino, is a gift to scholars and the church. When we draw on the best from the past, we can map a truer future.”

Five Things Biblical Scholars Wish Theologians Knew

Theology

“Can't you two get along? The Bible scholar and systematician, fists swinging, are siblings that love to hate each other. Not only does this book show how biblical scholarship and theology serve complementary aims, it also highlights the best of recent integrative scholarship. Scot McKnight has delivered a knockout.”

How the Spirit Became God

Theology

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

In Jesus’ Name

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Too often our prayers are ethereal abstractions that lack theological grounding in a communal ethic. In this helpful study, Scott Adams draws from Scripture to show the church and the academy how to recontextualize prayer so that it is more thoroughly rooted in the cross-and-resurrection ethic of the true king's reign.”

Jesus and Divine Christology

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Finally! By showing from history that Jesus made divine claims about himself, Brant Pitre has compelled the prodigal quest for the historical Jesus to return home. This book should be received with open arms, because it is both necessary and convincing.”

Matthew, Disciple and Scribe

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Does Scripture portray how to be a disciple of Jesus and a student-scholar? By unfolding Matthew's vision of the discipled scribe, Patrick Schreiner shows how Jesus and Matthew bring forth gems both ancient and fresh. Come, sit at the feet of these master teachers.”

Perhaps

Christian Living

“Perhaps a meadow exists between dogmatism and skepticism, a fruitful space for cultivating beautiful truth. Perhaps Origen, Augustine, and Edwards can converse there with Flannery O'Connor and Cormac McCarthy. Perhaps instead of rehearsing or debunking information, we can foster theological imagination. Perhaps Joshua McNall's wit and wisdom has pointed the church toward a better future. Perhaps we should listen.”

Reading Philippians

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Relevant. Entertaining. Accurate. Transforming. Written for everyday Christians by an expert on Philippians, Nijay Gupta’s guide strikes all the right chords.”

Ruining Christmas—Rediscovering Jesus

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“What sort of terrible Grinch wants to ruin Christmas? Carl Toney removes corroded tinsel and reconfigures your favorite nativity set, but his aims are restorative. You’ll find yourself celebrating Jesus in a truer, more beautiful way. Come, let us worship our incarnate God and king.”

Scripting the Son

Theology

“When reading the Old Testament, early Christians identified moments when the Father, Son, and Spirit conversed about salvation history. In Scripting the Son, Kyle Hughes offers a rich and comprehensive theological exploration of these divine dialogues alongside the rule of faith, showing how they contributed to developments in Christology and the doctrine of the Trinity. Highly recommended.”

The Affections of Christ Jesus

Theology

“Love is an emotional knot. Nijay Gupta disentangles love by using Scripture and other resources to tease out its beautiful strands. When we discover the quality of love that is at the heart of the gospel, not only is Paul’s theology clarified, but our affections are changed. Disciples who yearn for a greater love for God and neighbor will rejoice over The Affections of Christ Jesus.”

The God Who Gives

Theology

“God is stingy. He condemns joy and fun. Or, this is what many believe. How far from truth! In this poignant and practical exploration of the Bible's teachings about God, Kelly Kapic shows that Father, Son, and Spirit overflow with generosity. God is always giving. Come and receive.”

The Messianic Theology of the New Testament

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Fantastically productive. ‘Jesus is the Christ’ is the core gospel confession. Yet how should it shape our theology and behavior? By a thematic reading of the New Testament that is creative yet faithful, Joshua Jipp shows that Jesus's messianic identity is theologically generative and integrative in surprising ways. An important scholarly synthesis that feeds the mind, stirs the theological imagination, and encourages transformation into the king's pattern of life.”

The Mosaic of Atonement

Theology

“Competing theories of the atonement jostle uncomfortably alongside one another in contemporary theology. McNall draws on Scripture and church history to creatively recraft each theological tile, showing that they seamlessly interlock. A portrait of the entire atoning Christ emerges—and he is beautiful.”

The Next Christian Faith

Theology

“Even though Scripture offers perfect guidance as we face contemporary challenges, we struggle as everyday Christians to implement its holistic vision. We take a verse, here, as encouragement or, there, as illustrating a biblical principle. But we don’t get to the root. In The Next Christian Faith, Chris Kugler shows how the overarching story of Scripture should change how we think about God, ourselves, and our mission.”

The Second Testament

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Startling. Scot McKnight's translation flips and scatters our settled habits of thought about the New Testament. McKnight's striking prose in The Second Testament compels the reader to un-hear and then re-hear Scripture's message. I highly recommend it, because after the shakedown, you'll find that you've encountered God's Word afresh.”

Why I Am Not a Roman Catholic

Theology

“Wrestling with Catholicism? Jerry Walls shows from Scripture, history, and reason that key Roman Catholic claims are false or incoherent. Why I Am Not a Roman Catholic is a nice yet devastating critique of Catholicism. Nice because it charitably demonstrates that Protestantism is more cogent than Catholicism. Devastating because it shows that Protestants have a greater claim to catholicity than Roman Catholics. Highly recommended.”

You with Your Young Reader

Bible Studies & Devotionals

“We know the Bible provides a life-giving foundation for our children. But when parents attempt to help their kids explore it, the task is overwhelming. You with Your Young Reader empowers parents to walk alongside their kids by providing a wise reading plan, questions, and leader notes. It’s a great stand-alone tool. Or it can be used to help kids transition from a children’s Bible to the Bible.”