For All Peoples

Given this unique locus of today's church, this book takes us back to the foundational teachings of Jesus on missions: the Great Commission (Gospel of Matthew) and the Messianic Commission (Gospel of John). Although these two passages are universal in grounding Christian mission, Professor Keener wants to assure that the role of the Holy Spirit is central to Christian living and acting as God's witnesses. Wonsuk Ma, PhD Dean, Distinguished Professor of Global Christianity College of Theology and Ministry, Oral Roberts University Craig Keener, one of the finest and most prolific NT scholars of our day, has produced another gem. For All Peoples: A Biblical Theology of Missions in the Gospels and Acts blends together rich scholarly insights, rooted in an unsurpassed knowledge of the first-century world, with an edifying and pastoral eye that is always focused on the radical nature of Jesus' call to follow him in his redemptive mission. Successive chapters illuminate the seminal contributions that Matthew, Luke, John, and Paul make to a biblical theology of missions. The final chapter, rooted in the narrative of Acts, appropriately ties together these themes by describing Paul's Macedonian vision as a call for the Church to take the gospel from its place of origin in Asia to the mission field of Europe. After almost two millennia, Keener reminds us just how relevant this call remains for the growing and vibrant churches of Asia today. Robert P. Menzies, PhD Kunming, China This is Craig Keener at his best--thoroughly expositional and passionately missional. Dave Johnson, DMiss Managing Editor Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies