Paul and the Mission of the Church: Philippians in Ancient Jewish Context
"This excellent book makes a strong and convincing case that Paul expected his converts to engage in mission. Along the way it sheds very important light on Jewish attitudes toward gentile conversion and offers some outstanding exegetical treatments of the Letter to the Philippians. This is a first-class contribution to scholarship that will delight all researchers in the field."--John M. G. Barclay, Durham University"This important study is thorough and insightful. Although Paul's missionary activity is unprecedented in Judaism, his concern for the gentiles is completely in keeping with God's ultimate purposes. The difference is that for Paul the eschatological future has arrived and is arriving. This book will be essential for discussions about the biblical and theological roots of Christian mission."--Kent Brower,Journal for the Study of the New Testament"The author of this well-researched and engaging volume presents here an extensive study of the role of Paul's churches in his mission commitment. . . . [Ware] suggests that in his letter to the Philippians Paul reveals an unusual level of interest in the preaching and promotion of the gospel by his communities. . . . Both missiology students . . . and New Testament scholars should find this volume worthy of reading and further discussion."--Torrey Seland,Review of Biblical Literature"In this fine book, James Ware presents one of the most helpful biblical-theological studies related to mission that has been published in recent decades. The work is clearly written, cogently argued, and helpfully summarized. For persons interested in a biblical theology of mission, the bibliographic material alone makes this book worth consulting. . . . [It] would make a nice supplementary text for an upper-level biblical theology or missiology class."--Robert L. Plummer,Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society"Against the important background of eschatology and mission in the Old Testament, Ware amply demonstrates the centrality of mission for Paul and the Philippian church in a time when the eschatological future of Isaiah has arrived. This book is fine biblical scholarship in the service of the missional church."--Michael W. Goheen, Trinity Western UniversityOriginally published in Supplements to Novum Testamentum.