Thomas R. Schreiner

Scripture's commands to persevere, and warnings of the consequences if we fail, have been met with apathy by some, and led others to doubt the state of their salvation. The fearful and eternal nature of these issues warrants careful examination of what the Bible says about perseverance. Thomas Schreiner once again tackles this difficult topic in Run to Win the Prize. Clarifying misunderstandings stemming from his more detailed treatment in The Race Set Before Us (IVP 2001), Schreiner draws together an illuminating overview of biblical teaching on the doctrine of perseverance. Schreiner details how God directs the collective warnings and exhortations of Scripture toward believers as a means of preservation. We are to think of the call to persevere in light of the initial call to faith, both agents by which God leads us to final salvation. Those looking for a general treatment of the doctrine of perseverance will profit from the challenges and assurances in Run to Win the Prize.

Capitol Hill Baptist Church associate pastor Michael Lawrence contributes to the IXMarks series as he centers on the practical importance of biblical theology to ministry. He begins with an examination of a pastor's tools of the trade: exegesis and biblical and systematic theology. The book distinguishes between the power of narrative in biblical theology and the power of application in systematic theology, but also emphasizes the importance of their collaboration in ministry. Having laid the foundation for pastoral ministry, Lawrence uses the three tools to build a biblical theology, telling the entire story of the Bible from five different angles. He puts biblical theology to work in four areas: counseling, missions, caring for the poor, and church/state relations. Rich in application and practical insight, this book will equip pastors and church leaders to think, preach, and do ministry through the framework of biblical theology.

Thomas Schreiner's substantial New Testament Theology examined the unifying themes that emerge from a detailed reading of the New Testament canon. This student-level digest of Schreiner's massive work explores the key themes and teachings of the New Testament in a more accessible and concise way. The book summarizes the findings of Schreiner's larger work and provides answers to the "so what?" question of New Testament theology. Comprehensive and up to date, this survey is arranged thematically and includes careful exegesis of key passages. It offers students, pastors, and lay readers a big picture view of what the New Testament is all about.

The Christian life is like a marathon race set out before us. There is a reward in running well, but particularly in finishing. Christians agree that this is a consistent pattern of New Testament teaching. However, is the prize a reward for having finished well? Or is the prize salvation itself - and can it be lost? Is everyone who started the race guaranteed a share in the prize? Do the warnings in Scripture tell believers that it is up to them to succeed or fail in the race? If so, is there no assurance of salvation? Or can we affirm that 'once saved, always saved', and that only a difference in rewards awaits us? Thomas R. Schreiner's study, based on his lectures at the Twelfth Oak Hill Annual School of Theology, explores the nature of admonitions and warnings in New Testament theology, their role in relation to perseverance and assurance in practical Christian living, and their pastoral implications. He offers clarification of some controversial issues, and responds to misunderstandings

In this substantial volume, Thomas Schreiner takes up the study of New Testament theology, looking for the themes that emerge from a detailed reading of the whole rather than considering the individual writings separately. Two themes in particular emerge. The first concerns redemptive history and the kingdom of God. The New Testament writers adopt the Old Testament vision of God's reign and affirm that it has come in Jesus Christ, although final fulfillment is yet to come. Second, the ultimate goal of the kingdom is God's glory. Schreiner goes on to relate these themes to the life of the believer and the community of faith. Pastors and students will find this a comprehensive and illuminating survey of the unifying themes found throughout the New Testament.

THE NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY is for the minister or Bible student who wants to understand and expound the Scriptures. Notable features include: * commentary based on THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION;* the NIV text printed in the body of the commentary;* sound scholarly methodology that reflects capable research in the original languages;* interpretation that emphasizes the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole;* readable and applicable exposition.

Discipline. Endurance. Perseverance. The Christian life is like a racecourse, a marathon, set out before us. There is a reward in running well but particularly in finishing. Christians agree that this is a consistent pattern of New Testament teaching. But is the prize an extra bonus, a reward for having finished well? Or is the prize salvation itself? And if the prize is salvation, can it be lost? Or is everyone who has signed up and started the race guaranteed a share in the prize - even if they quit before the end or follow a different course? Do the warnings in Scripture tell us that it's up to us to succeed or fail in the race? If so, is there no assurance of our salvation? Or can we be assured that 'once saved, always saved,' and only a difference in rewards awaits us? Are there other ways of looking at these issues? These questions of perseverance in the Christian life and assurance of salvation have puzzled Christians for generations. In this exploration of biblical theology of perseverance and assurance, Thomas Schreiner and Ardel Caneday weigh and consider all of the relevant New Testament texts. Applying sound principles of biblical interpretation and conversing with recent evangelical thought, they give us a foundational study with profound spiritual implications for Christian living and pastoral ministry.

Discipline. Endurance. Perseverance. The New Testament often describes the Christian life as a marathon, a race set before us. But what exactly is the prize? Do all those completing the race share in it? And can the prize be lost? Tackling these and other vexing questions, Thomas Schreiner and Ardel Caneday offer in this book a serious, exegetical wrestling with the biblical understanding of the nature of saving faith and its implications for the people of God. Here is a foundational study that considers all of the relevant New Testament texts and that weighs the meaning of those texts for both Christian living and pastoral ministry.

The relationship between divine sovereignty and the human will is a topic of perennial theological dispute and one that is gaining increased attention among contemporary evangelicals. In Still Sovereign, thirteen scholars write to defend the classical view of God's sovereignty. According to the editors, "Ours is a culture in which the tendency is to exalt what is human and diminish what is divine. Even in evangelical circles, we find increasingly attractive a view of God in which God is one of us, as it were, a partner in the unfolding drama of life. . . . In contrast, the vision of God affirmed in these pages is of one who reigns supreme over all, whose purposes are accomplished without fail, and who directs the course of human affairs, including the central drama of saving a people for the honor of his name, all with perfect holiness and matchless grace." The fourteen chapters of Still Sovereign (originally part of the two-volume, The Grace of God, the Bondage of the Will) are divided into three parts. Part 1 offers fresh exegesis of the biblical texts that bear most directly on the doctrines of election, foreknowledge, and perseverance of the saints. Part 2 explores theological and philosophical issues related to effectual calling, prevenient grace, assurance of salvation, and the nature of God's love. The final section applies the doctrines of election and divine sovereignty to Christian living, prayers, evangelism, and preaching.

No single area of Paul's theology has occupied more scholarly attention in the last twenty years than 'Paul and the Law,'" notes Craig Blomberg. "Schreiner's The Law and Its Fulfillment remains an excellent evangelical synthesis and critique of the issues." Now this important contribution to Pauline studies is available in a paperback edition. The major purpose of The Law and Its Fulfillment is to build an accurate, relevant understanding of Pauline theology for students, pastors preaching on Paul's letters, and others who want to understand how to relate God's holiness and mercy in greater depth. Schreiner explains, "Grasping Paul's theology [of the law] is essential for understanding his soteriology, the death of Jesus, Christian ethics, the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the new community, and the continuity and discontinuity between the Testaments.