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The Gospel to the Nations: Perspectives on Paul's Mission

Stimulating - but at a price

THE GOSPEL TO THE NATIONS:
Perspectives on Paul's Mission
Ed. Peter Bolt & Mark Thompson
IVP Apollos. 430 pages. £16.99

Talking with theological students I usually ask them which of their teachers they find most stimulating. Moore College, Sydney students invariably said 'Peter O'Brien'.

This volume of essays was written by friends and colleagues in Peter's honour. He is known in this country for commentaries on Philippians and Colossians and work on Paul's Thanksgivings. Like all such Festschrift essay collections, a few are superbly seminal, and others so esoteric as to seem irrelevant or unintelligible to all except theological literati. It is impossible to comment on all 24 contributors in a short space.

The opening chapter by Peter Jensen, Principal of Moore, and now Archbishop of Sydney, introduces Peter who has taught there since 1974, after doctoral work in Manchester, and teaching at the Union Biblical Seminary, Yeotmal for four years (and two years more later). This relatively brief cross-cultural experience deeply influenced his thinking, and thus the focus of this book on 'Paul's Mission'. Not surprisingly a majority of the contributors are Sydney diocese Anglican theologs, reinforced by heavyweights of international reputation like Ralph Martin, David Wenham, Don Carson, Howard Marshall, and Richard Longenecker. Manifestly their expertise is in New Testament scholarship, but none the less they often throw stimulating light on missiological issues.

Both Wenham and Marshall discuss Luke's portrait of Pauline mission. As an associate of Paul's, we may expect to find affinities between the mission theology of Luke-Acts and the writings of the apostle to the Gentiles. Longenecker's article on Paul's distinction between issues of central significance and matters of relative indifference is relevant in overseas mission and especially in our own churches here! Carson rightly insists that Paul did not, as we so often do, see mission as a discrete ancillary project, but as integrated into the holistic praying and thinking of the whole church.

Kostenberger's thorough article 'Women in the Pauline Mission' makes exegetical points which cannot be ignored objectively, even by those of us in favour of women's ministry, who may disagree with him in some places. Edwin Judge questions whether Paul expected to make an 'impact' in contemporary society, significant where today some are insisting it is biblical to expect to do so. The book is expensive, but a stimulating read for those who love both the biblical gospel and the nations.

Michael Griffiths, Guildford