First-rate scholars and preachers on four interpretive approaches to Paul and Romans

Pauline scholarship is a minefield of differing schools of thought. Those who teach or preach on Paul can quickly get lost in the weeds of the various perspectives. How, then, can pastors today best preach Paul's message?

Scot McKnight and Joseph B. Modica have assembled this stellar one-stop guide exploring four major interpretive perspectives on the apostle Paul: Reformational, New, Apocalyptic, and Participationist. First elucidated by a scholarly essay, each perspective is then illuminated by three sermons expositing various passages from Paul's magisterial letter to the Romans.

Coming from such leading figures as Richard Hays, James Dunn, Fleming Rutledge, and Tom Schreiner, these essays and sermons splendidly demonstrate how each perspective on Paul brings valuable insights for preaching on Romans.

[Table of Contents]

Introduction

Interpretive Perspectives on the Apostle Paul

1. Romans and the "Lutheran" Paul: Stephen Westerholm

2. Romans and the New Perspective: Scot McKnight

3. Romans and the Apocalyptic Reading of Paul: Douglas A. Campbell

4. Romans and the Participationist Perspective: Michael J. Gorman

Preaching Romans: Sermons

Reformational Perspective

5. Romans as Ecclesial Theology: Building Multiethnic Missional Churches: Michael F. Bird

6. God Justifies the Ungodly: Romans 4:1-8: Thomas R. Schreiner

7. The Transforming Reality of Justification by Faith: Romans 5:1-5: Carl R. Trueman

New Perspective

8. The Balance of Already/Not Yet: Romans 8:1-17: James D. G. Dunn

9. This Changes Everything: Romans 5:12-21: Tara Beth Leach

10. Pass the Peace by Faith: Romans 4:1-4, 13-17: Scot McKnight

Apocalyptic Perspective

11. Immortal Combat: Romans 1:16-17 and 5:12-14: Jason Micheli

12. In Celebration of Full Communion: Romans 3:21-24: Fleming Rutledge

13. Old Adam, New Adam; Old World, New World; Old You, New You: Romans 5:12-21: William H. Willimon

Participationist Perspective

14. Death Becomes Her: Romans 6:1-14: Timothy G. Gombis

15. Made New by One Man's Obedience: Romans 5:12-19: Richard B. Hays

16. Breathing Well: Romans 8:12-30: Suzanne Watts Henderson

Conclusion

17. Implications: Joseph B. Modica

A resource to help pastors correctly identify the big idea of a passage and apply it well

Preaching with Accuracy provides preachers with a method for finding the "big idea" in each passage of the Bible, since correctly identifying the main point is key to accurately conveying the essential theology of the passage.

Pelton lays out a reliable, well-informed method for identifying the main point of a preaching passage and understanding that passage well in its context. Numerous examples are given at each step of the way to show how meaning develops throughout the process of interpretation. Pelton then guides the preacher through applying a Christ-centered hermeneutic that will result in biblical sermons that benefit and equip believers.

"People just don't seem to want to listen to good, solid Bible preaching. Yet they crave the things that only the Bible can give them."--from the Introduction

And so the battle rages in the heart of every pastor who longs to teach the deep truths of God's Word to a needy congregation, yet finds them reluctant to listen. Must the pastor sacrifice solid biblical preaching in order to be relevant?

No, says veteran pastor and teacher of pastors, Keith Willhite. The pastor must preach biblically AND relevantly. Relevance is inherent in the text--God took care of that--but clear communication of relevance in contemporary culture is the responsibility of the pastor. Without lowering the standard on exegetical and expository content, Willhite offers ten strategies for crafting and presenting sermons that will help listeners understand the meaning of the passage, affirm the sermon's homiletical message, and apply God's truth.

"If you want to be relevant without being biblical, no problem. Or if you want to be biblical, but not relevant, no problem. But the preacher's task is to be both biblical and relevant. Finally, this book offers strategies on how to do it."

Keith Willhite (Ph.D. in communications, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.; Th.M. Dallas Theological Seminary) is "an ordinary guy who stands up in front of people and tells them where to go," at least according to his daughter when she was three. Keith teaches preaching and communications at Dallas Theological Seminary, where he serves as Chairman and Professor of Pastoral Ministries. Prior to teaching, Keith spent 10 years in the pastorate. He and his wife, Denise, live in Texas with their two children.

Privilege the Text! spans the conceptual gap between biblical text and life application by providing a rigorous theological hermeneutic for preaching.

Kuruvilla describes the theological entity that is the intermediary between ancient text and modern audience, and defines its crucial function in determining valid application. Based on this hermeneutic, he submits a new mode of reading Scripture for preaching: a Christiconic interpretation of the biblical text, a hermeneutically robust way to understand the depiction of the Second Person of the Trinity in Scripture.

In addition, Kuruvilla's work provides a substantive theology of spiritual formation through preaching: what it means to obey God, the Christian's responsibility to undertake "faith-full" obedience to divine demand, and the incentives for such obedience--all integral to understanding the sermonic movement from text to application.

Privilege the Text! promises to be useful not only for preachers, and students and teachers of homiletics, but for all who are interested in the exposition of Scripture that culminates in application for the glory of God.