The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross (Short Studies in Biblical Theology)

by Patrick Schreiner

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2018

Overview

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” —Matthew 13:31–32

When Jesus began his ministry, he announced that the kingdom of God was at hand. But many modern-day Christians don’t really understand what the kingdom of God is or how it relates to the message of the gospel.

Defining kingdom as the King’s power over the King’s people in the King’s place, Patrick Schreiner investigates the key events, prophecies, and passages of Scripture that highlight the important theme of kingdom across the storyline of the Bible—helping readers see how the mission of Jesus and the coming of the kingdom fit together.

Key Features

• Clarifies the biblical definition and importance of the term kingdom
• Traces the development of the kingdom through Scripture
• Connects the study of the kingdom back to the king who rules over it

Contents

• Introduction: The Importance of the Kingdom

Part 1: Kingdom in the Old Testament

• The Law: Reviving Hope in the Kingdom
• The Prophets: Foreshadowing the Kingdom
• The Writings: Life in the Kingdom

Part 2: Kingdom in the New Testament

• The Gospels: Embodying the Kingdom
• Acts and the Epistles: Kingdom Community
• Revelation: Achieving the Kingdom Goal

• Conclusion: Kingdom through Cross

Top Highlights

“The Bible is most fundamentally a narrative, and the kingdom of God is the thematic framework for that narrative.” (Page 14)

“My aim in this chapter is to show you that Jesus did not invent the concept of kingdom. Rather, it started in the garden and has always concerned people, place, and power. The earth was divinely designed to serve as the place of the kingdom for the people of the kingdom.” (Page 30)

“Second, the tree usually has some relationship or connection with people” (Page 17)

“Third, the image of the tree always implies the idea of place.” (Page 17)

“Power and sovereignty in the Scriptures are linked to creation, protection, and the flourishing of people.” (Page 19)

Praise for the Print Edition

The kingdom of God is central to the biblical storyline and should become central in our theology. A clear, faithful, and solid portrayal of the kingdom, this volume helps us both understand the biblical teaching on the kingdom and view the Bible through the vantage point of the kingdom of God.

—Christopher W. Morgan, Dean and Professor of Theology, California Baptist University

Patrick Schreiner’s biblical theology of the kingdom of God is exactly what the church needs to help her pursue God’s justice on earth: a lucid, precise, and concise book about the kingdom of God that’s grounded in accessible biblical exegesis and provides keen theological insights, while keeping the cross of Jesus at the center of the analysis. Highly recommended!

—Jarvis J. Williams, Associate Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Patrick Schreiner has given a wonderful gift to the church through this book on the kingdom of God. It’s a creatively written and accessible entryway into this essential biblical theme. Schreiner honors the unified narrative shape of the Old and New Testaments, and he shows how every part of the Bible (including the Wisdom Literature!) contributes to the developing portrait of God’s kingdom over creation and new creation. If you’ve ever struggled to understand this complex biblical theme or tried to communicate it to others, you’ve now found the place to start.

—Tim Mackie, Cofounder, The Bible Project; Adjunct Professor of Biblical Literature, Western Seminary

Product Details

• Title: The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross
• Author: Patrick Schreiner
• Series: Short Studies in Biblical Theology
• Series Editors: Dane C. Ortlund and Miles V. Van Pelt
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2018
• Pages: 160
• Resource Type: Introduction
• Topic: Biblical Theology

About Patrick Schreiner

Patrick Schreiner (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is assistant professor of New Testament language and literature at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is also an elder at Christ Church Sellwood in Portland. Schreiner is the author of The Body of Jesus: A Spatial Analysis of the Kingdom in Matthew and The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross.