Stephen J. Chester

An Elegant Ending

Theology

“Samuel Cocar leaves behind Left Behind and forges an alternative approach to biblical eschatology. Through accessible but rigorous expositions of key texts, he sketches a different understanding of Scripture’s teachings about the last things. This book will help those convinced that the Bible teaches the truth but unsure if dominant strands of North American Evangelicalism in the twentieth century heard rightly what it says about eschatology.”

As It Is Written and Intended

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“To read Scripture as centered on Christ is not to force him into the details of texts from which he is ostensibly absent. Instead, it is to see how Scripture reveals God’s character, the plight of sinful humanity, and the role of God’s people in such a way that the texts themselves establish trajectories culminating in Christ. As it is Written and Intended is a helpful, practical guide to interpreting biblical narratives in this way, leading us deeper into the witness of all of Scripture to Christ.”

Calvin's Theology of Piety in the Institutes

Theology

“Calvin is all too easily misunderstood if part of his theology is analyzed in isolation from the whole, or if his doctrine is treated separately from his concern for practical piety and the life of the church. In Calvin’s Theology of Piety in the Institutes Ngien provides an effective antidote to these ills, offering a wonderfully clear account of the overall shape of Calvin’s theology in the Institutes while recognizing that for Calvin doctrine and life are one. The reformer’s deep desire for our entire existence to be transformed by Christ leaps from the page. Rarely in scholarship has the passionately devotional nature of Calvin’s theology been communicated so clearly.”

Grace and Law in Galatians

Theology

“Grace and Law in Galatians does something original and significant. It is not primarily a study of how Luther and Calvin handled exegetical issues in the text, nor is it primarily a study of how Galatians shaped particular themes in their theology. Rather, it shows us how Paul’s letter was an indispensable basis for their understanding and application of the gospel itself. Ngien offers an important resource to all those attempting to understand and apply the gospel.”

Preaching Through Time

Preaching & Worship

“How confident are we in preaching that the Spirit speaks now through ancient texts? Without marginalizing the need for careful exegesis, Barton denies that historical distance between ourselves and the biblical texts is an ugly ditch to be bridged. He compellingly calls us instead to homiletical practices consistent with the truth: by divine wisdom Scripture is inherently suited to empower the church in mission through time as we participate in the fulfillment of God’s eschatological purposes.”

Romans

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Like the tip of the proverbial iceberg, compelling exegesis is the visible portion of a much larger body of learning. Here we get a glimpse of that larger learning as Stephen Westerholm discusses the text of Romans, the identity of its first readers, and a gallery of its interpreters down two millennia. The lucid writing and crisp analysis not only whet the appetite for the author’s own forthcoming commentary on the letter but also provide essential preparation for any serious attempt to interpret Romans.”

You Are Israel

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Teram gives us a stimulating and insightful study of intertextuality in two major books of the Hebrew Bible. Yet he also does more than that. He not only shows us how Isaiah’s use of Genesis works but also the work that it does. Isaiah uses material drawn from Genesis to articulate an identity for fragile exilic and post-exilic Jewish communities. Everyone interested in how the identity of communities as the people of God is constructed, expressed, and sustained should read this book.”