New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ

by Thomas R. Schreiner

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.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, New Testament, Christianity, Reference, Christian, Religion

992 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Thomas R. Schreiner (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including New Testament Theology; Magnifying God in Christ; Apostle of God's Glory in Christ; and Romans in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Schreiner is becoming one of my new favorite theologians. He is one of the top Pauline scholars in many evangelical circles, yet he is very readable. One of the unique aspects of his New Testament Theology is that it is God-centered. Many Biblical-theological books take this central theme for granted, moving on quickly to the more controversal, technical issues. Schreiner, however, goes to great lengths to exposit the God-centeredness of the New Testament. To name a few other significant themes, his Already-Not-Yet focus is truly eye-opening and will help any student of the Bible understand the meaning of Scripture in a deeper way. Additionally, the sections on the New Perspective on Paul and the current state of New Testament Theology are worth the price of the book themselves.

[Marc Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

900 pages of exegetical gold; an incredible resource to have.

[Collin Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive. Schreiner, as always, shows academic rigor and clarity. He displays that the NT is the climax of the story of the OT in which God is magnified through Christ.

I love this quote to close the book:

“There is a new world coming, a new creation, a new heavens and a new earth. In that coming world God will be all in all, and Jesus Christ will be honored forever and ever. And the paradise that was lost will be regained—and more than regained, it will be surpassed. And we will see his face (Rev. 22:4), and his glory will be magnified through Christ forever and ever.”

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Schreiner scholasticism. I'm especially thankful for his emphasis on the NT as being the culmination of the OT and his holistic view of the entire canon. Also, even though this is not quite a page turner and clocks in at a pretty lengthy page number (around 900 excluding notes, bibliography, etc.), it's surprisingly readable and doesn't too often use language that the typical lay person (e.g.: me) could not understand.

I originally was going to give this 4 stars, but relented after I thought about how well he fulfilled his task (scholastic) while at the same time being accessible to the average Christian readership. Well done.

Thankful for an excellent resource that I'm sure to reference for years to come!

[Daniel Arter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I read this book as part of a PhD seminar in New Testament Theology at Midwestern Seminary. Also, biblical theology isn’t my primary field of study.

This book is well written, well researched, and worth reading for anyone seeking to understand the NT from a thematic standpoint. Schreiner provides a treasure trove of truth in a humble, but astute manner and this book is worth reading for anyone looking to grow in their knowledge of the overarching storyline of the NT.

Well worth the read (even at its massive length).

[Landon Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man.. this was quite the journey. It’s good. Really good. Always thankful for Schreiner’s scholarship

[Stuart Houghton · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 888 pages + bibliography and indexes, this is a long read. Schreiner spends a lot of space in assembling the New Testament data and then summarising it. I feel there is a lot of describing and not as much theologising as I had hoped for. Nevertheless, Schreiner excels at highlighting the Old Testament context for understanding the New Testament. There is no doubt that the NT is a continuation of the OT and presents the wonderful and creative resolution to the story: Jesus Christ certainly magnifies God's glory. I think Schreiner's choices of major topics in the NT is right on the money. I also appreciate that he highlights that the NT authors apprehended the reality of the Trinity but did not attempt to resolve the apparent difficulties this posed for people brought up in a strict monotheism. As Shreiner says, the full theological and philosophical implications were left for the later Church to work through.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Tom Schreiner is a seasoned scholar which lends an evident depth to this volume. I would highly recommend this as a book to help grasp the overall contours and themes of the New Testament while at the same time setting the NT within the larger overall storyline of Scripture.

Also read in June 2012.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book that will help me much with weekly teaching and preaching. I feel like I have a more full and rounded understanding of the New Testament. If I were to read this book again though, I would space it out over a whole year.

[Phillip Howell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s very good, but there were way too many sections of surface level interaction with the biblical texts. Part of what makes this book so good is the way he approached the project, namely, he wrote the whole book first with only one source, the Bible. That alone makes this book amazing. He later revised and added footnotes based on other theology books and commentaries. However, his interaction with the texts are often brief and quick summaries because he goes through every possible text for each point he is making. I think this is a great resource, but I read it cover to cover in a short time and it was not that enjoyable to read. If I’m going to read 867 pages of theology, then I’m hoping to get a lot more stimulation than I did from this book. I love Schreiner and I agree with the vast majority of this book but I’m glad to be done with it.

[John Paul Arceno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Majestic work of Dr. Schreiner. Read this as a requirement under his class. Need to give summary and reflection on each chapters. It was edifying. Many of my vague ideas was clarified after reading this. Very scholarly and confident.

He maintained the theme of already-not yet kingdom of God and how God is magnified in Christ. He dedicated a chapter on the Holy Spirit and ended with relevant topics for contemporart readers.

Anyone can read it even if you're not a seminary student. Praise God for this work. Truly amazing.

[Joshua Reichard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though the book took me two months to get through I was greatly encouraged by this detailed NT theology! Sch Reiner has this way of making the most complicating things simple and easy to understand. He writes with smoothness and grace! This is NT theology done at its finest! I found each topic addressed handled with care and each controversial topic viewed from multiple sides. If you are branching into biblical or NT theology this is a great place to start!

[Cole Brandon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to qualify my 1 Star rating by saying first, if I had to chose one theologian to represent myself theologically, it would be Dr. Schreiner. In fact, Schreiner is so faithful to the Biblical text in this work, as opposed to many NT scholars, that much of the book does not come far enough from the text to warrant reading it. In other words his biblical theology is so biblical, better to just read the New Testament.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some academic insights into the text

Let me say as a former SBTS student, Dr. Schriener is literally one of the most accommodating, approachable, gracious men I've ever met.

This book is a pretty good academic work, he's not aiming for spiritual revelation, just some observations about the themes that run across the new testament's various authors. If you need help finding some of the stands that are woven across the NT, this is a decent place to go.

[Braley Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Portions of this book were amazing. Other parts, however, were extraordinarily repetitive and contained information that is patently obvious from simply reading the next of the New Testament.
Overall it’s a good read. I didn’t like the thematic approach at all—others may love that aspect of the book. I found that oftentimes it forced Schreiner to interact with confusing texts too quickly.

[Eric Fults · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good NT theology text. Great overview, thoroughly Biblical and orthodox. At times the read is very refreshing, but at the end of the day it is hard to be refreshed by a 900 page book. Good, thorough, but very long.

[Michael Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magnum opus! Schreiner is always worth your time, but this is some of his best, most comprehensive thinking put into one volume. While I may not agree with everything in this book, it is always worth my time to consult what Schreiner thinks about any New Testament topic or verse.

[Purshia Gambles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think I have ever had to lightening read a book this big or this dense. But Dr. Schreiner is rightly a leading authority on NT theology and this book proved it. Great reference for writing or research. But best read at a much slower pace for retention. 😂��

[Josiah Durfee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading his other book, "The King and His Beauty," and I can honestly say the same about this one as well. A great introduction to the New Testament.

[Nathan Nadeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

Decent

[Daniel Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't agree with all of Schreiner's theological conclusions, but this is an excellent resource for understanding the New Testament.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the best single volume new testament theology. It's thematic arrangement I like less than a canonical approach, but he does an excellent job synthesizing major themes of the N.T. according to "distinctive" collections. I.e. Pauline, Synoptic, Johnannine, Hebrews, Revelation, etc... Highly Recommended!

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schreiner’s NT theology is an impressive synthesis of the NT that certainly points one to the glory of God in Christ. Schreiner presents material in careful, nuanced way while also being straightforward. He mainly interacts with the NT texts but also engages other scholarly opinions. What impressed me the most is that he wrote the first three drafts without consulting any secondary resources.

[JR Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! The feast has been consumed! About 75% of this book was assigned to be read last semester for my Biblical Theology II class at RBC, but I read the rest on my own time and finished today. Solid work by Dr. Schreiner.

[Andy]

0372

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have it, want to read it, maybe will wait to take this class from Schreiner.

[Jeffrey]

Tom Schreiner, though a Baptist, is a solid exegete and this volume will undoubtedly be very fruitful for my better appreciation of the NT.

[Shadreck.]

How do I go about reading it?

[Joseph Pieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good for referencing NT themes and easy to read. Deals with many fundamental NT questions. Great work to have.