Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission

New Studies in Biblical Theology #11

by Andreas J. Köstenberger, T. Desmond Alexander, D.A. Carson (Series Editor)

Few biblical topics are as important as mission. Mission is linked inextricably to humanity's sinfulness and need for redemption, and to God's provision of salvation in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This 'good news' of salvation must be made known. The saving mission of Jesus constitutes the foundation for Christian mission, and the Christian gospel is its message.

This second edition of Salvation to the Ends of the Earth emphasizes the way in which the Bible presents a continuing narrative of the story of God’s mission – ranging from the story of Israel to the story of Jesus and that of the early Christians. At the same time, importantly, it provides a robust historical and chronological backbone to the unfolding of the early Christian mission.

With regard to the latter, Paul and the General Epistles are incorporated with the Gospel with which they have the closest and most natural canonical and historical affinity: James and Hebrews with Matthew; 1 – 2 Peter and Jude with Mark; Paul’s letters with Luke–Acts; and 1 – 3 John and the Apocalypse with John. The chapter on the second-temple period has been moved to an appendix so as not to interrupt the flow of the presentation of the biblical story-line and theology of mission.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Biblical Studies, Evangelism, Christianity, Academic, Nonfiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Thomas Creedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tour de force and I can't wait to see the marketing roll out, finish my own review, and see what others think.

Kostenberger and Alexander have done the church a great service, in just 250ish pages, by unpacking and describing how mission is such a key theme in biblical theology.

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

[Tim Sheppard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ambitious. Faithful. But ultimately disappointing.

I really wanted to like this, but I struggled with it. It contains so much sound theology, but there was much a 'biblical theology of mission' could have included which this didn't, much which this included which didn't seem related to a 'biblical theology of mission', and all of it structured in a way I found too baffling.

I don't want to be unreasonably negative. The book had a really helpful definition of mission. Not everything is 'mission', and the author's conception of mission was biblically informed and consistently applied. The single chapter on the Old Testament also contained a helpful grounding in mission, especially from Genesis. But with so little attention on the rest of the Old Testament, we were left with a disappointingly sparse sense of mission's increasingly important place in God's cumulative revelation. The prophets got only a cursory mention. Joel 2:28-32 surely has enormous significance in a biblical theology of global mission - see how it is used at Pentecost (Acts 2), or how the apostle to the Gentiles uses it in Romans 10 - but it was completely absent from the discussion of the Old Testament - how disappointing!

The New Testament material was, in contrast, thorough ... but to a confusing degree. The comprehensive tour through every book of the New Testament felt exhaustive, but it was tricky to work out the relevance of the data gathered until the conclusions at the end of each chapter, and epistles that potentially have a lot to say about mission (Philippians?) were given little more prominence than books that had relatively little to say on the subject (e.g. John's epistles). The conclusions, when they did arrive, were drawn together briefly at the end of each chapter and again in a final chapter, but the huge implications of the lessons were given little room to breathe, let alone fly.

Structuring the NT tour by connecting epistles to a gospel (Matthew / Hebrews + James; Mark/1-2 Peter, Jude; Luke-Acts / Paul's epistles; John / John's other writings) was a nice idea, but it didn't work. Matthew is not saying the same thing as James, nor Mark / 2 Peter. Though it had the potential to work with Acts/Paul, drawing out connections geographically meant the discussion of some epistles lacked helpful context which could have been brought out if more attention had been paid to the chronology of Acts.

The appendix (which was apparently a chapter in the middle of this book's first edition) was poorly edited, twice referring to the "upcoming material" on the New Testament - material which was already contained within the body of the book. Had it been placed in its original location (between the discussion of the OT and NT), it may have provided a useful step in a building argument through the book, suggesting that centrifugal mission is ultimately a result of Christ having come. At least, that's the argument I think they would have made. But it was pushed to an appendix, and that meant the book lacked that step in its developing argument.

In short, it was ambitious and faithful, but not selective enough and (despite considerable thought) insensibly structured. I haven't read the first edition, but it feels like whatever clear 'biblical theology of mission' it contained has (in this second edition) been buried by a confusing shuffling of material. So why three stars? Because Kostenberger is a sound theologian who has done some excellent work unpacking the theology of the New Testament, touring lots of material and giving some useful insights along the way. My trouble with this book is not what it says, but how it selects and organises it. As a hunt for a 'biblical theology of mission', this could be a great step forward, but it feels like we've not yet arrived - or perhaps we've overshot.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. This book presents a (nearly, they don't quite manage to evaluate more than half of the bible) biblical theology of mission considering how holy scripture presents mission, grouping the thoughts by sections such as the old testament, separate gospels, Paul, etc. The writing style is straightforward and has helpful conclusion or application paragraphs at the end of each chapter. It has a kind of clunky style that, though repetitive, would serve as a very helpful reference for each of the new testament books. A great read!

Matthew had the first instance of one of my favorite recurring themes, “the mission entails the nurturing of converts into the full obedience of faith, not merely the proclamation of the gospel” (ps 105). Also “The making of disciples entails the bringing of a person into the relationship of student to teacher in order to take the teacher's yoke upon himself and learn from him (11:29). In effect, successful disciple-making therefore presupposes the committed discipleship of the disciple-makers themselves. Moreover, in the context of Matthew's Gospel, pursuing the road of discipleship 'means above all to follow after righteousness as articulated in the teaching of Jesus'.” in which case 2 Timothy 2:2 only restates the Matthean example in Paul's own words. Mission is framed in terms of discipleship, not mere gospel proclamation, and discipleship is obedience not just believing (pg 107).

Luke/Acts: I appreciated that Luke/Acts received joint consideration. That Christ comes in Luke to his people, and comes to the nations through his people was a wonderful theme to bring out. Jesus' ministry on earth is followed by his ministry from heaven. The mission of the church, the apostles, is one of participation as “witnesses'' (pg 147). Pg 135 presents the congregation as a restored community that is a model of God's purposes for the world; this elevates the example and witness of the church.

Paul’s missionary commission is summarized as 1) preaching Christ's riches, 2) bringing light for all to see God's purposes (pg 167). Again Kostenberger emphasized one of my favorite points in this book: Paul saw his missionary task as one of producing mature believers and churches, evangelism and helping churches: “Paul's goal of winning Jews, Gentiles, and weak Christians has to do with their full maturity in Christ and thus signifies winning them completely. To be brought to perfection in Christ on the final day. Nothing short of this will fulfill Paul's ambitions for them. Similarly, his goal of winning 'weak' Christians has to do with their full maturity and blamelessness at the second coming” (pg 181). Also, that Paul's missionary task was linked to churches and that Paul envisioned his task as serving and building up Christ's bride.

The book of John focuses on what Christ did and what Christ's mission was as less emphasis is placed on the disciples and their works or signs. Christ's ultimate objective is to bring glory to his father. John's theology of the cross is one of glory. I was very happy to see Kostenberger draw out this theme as it applies to missions. In John, there is no transfiguration and the crucifixion is presented as the crowning and enthronement of Christ. “John's Gospel portrays the works of the messianic community as the continued work of the exalted Messiah, 'greater works' even than the signs performed during Jesus' earthly ministry. In a real sense, these 'greater works' are works of the exalted Christ through believers.” (pg 219)

The publisher must have chosen the subtitle as there is nothing close to a whole Bible survey of the OT. The lack of engagement with the OT despite using the language of the OT in evaluating the NT was confusing to me. Also, I think the lack of a settled or argued understanding of the term mission meant that it was difficult to evaluate the author's perspective. on pg. 21 re recognizes that scripture doesn't offer a definition, and by the end of the book on pg. 254 the term is still presented in cautious terms.

The book's concluding paragraphs helpfully summarize some of my favorite parts of this book. Here are a few quotes:

“The divine plan of extending salvation to the ends of the earth is the major thrust of the Scriptures from beginning to end…. The Lord of the Scriptures is a missionary God who reaches out to the lost, and sends his servants, and particularly his beloved Son, to achieve his gracious purposes of salvation” (263)

“Conversion to Christ meant incorporation into a Christian community” (266)

“If the apostolic model is to be followed by missionaries in the contemporary scene, then the initial proclamation of the gospel and the winning of converts does not conclude the missionary task. Forming believers into mature Christian congregations, providing theological and pastoral counsel against dangers arising from inside and outside churches, strengthening believers both individually and corporately as they face suffering and persecution, so that they will stand fast in the Lord, all fall within the scope of what is involved in continuing the mission of the exalted Lord Jesus Christ.” (268)

[Edwin David · Rating 4 out of 5]

IVP has just released a second and updated edition of the excellent Salvation to the Ends of the Earth by Andreas Kostenberger and T.D. Alexander. This is going to be a somewhat confusing review, because while I think that this book is very good indeed, I also have a significant reservation about it – more or that later.

The book is a medium format paperback and around 340 pages long. The style is academic and there are enough references and footnotes to keep anyone happy. The paperback will set you back about £17 at Amazon and the Kindle version is about half that price. Other bookshops are available. I read it as a pdf file kindly provided by the publishers.

The book is subtitled “A Biblical Theology of Mission” and this gives a clue as to the contents. In the words of the series editor, D. A. Carson:

The second edition, which you are holding in your hand, aims, no less than the first, to trace the theme of mission across the Bible’s storyline. Instead of envisaging mission as a late post-resurrection afterthought, it teases out the organic wholeness of the theme from Genesis to the Apocalypse.

p. xi
The authors fill out their approach further:

Rather than unilat- erally focusing on Jesus’ messianic or Paul’s apostolic consciousness, therefore, without denying the seminal impact of these key leaders, we have chosen in the present work also to pay closer attention to the various major and minor voices across biblical history and to trace as closely as possible their underlying convictions as they are attested in the multi- faceted writings they produced and that are included in the canon of Scripture.

p. 6
At the heart of the biblical metanarrative is ‘the story of God’s mission through God’s people in their engagement with God’s world for the sake of the whole of God’s creation’.4 Rightly, the emphasis falls here on what God does; it is the missio Dei that shapes and permeates the whole of Scripture.

p.12
After an introductory chapter, the book divides into two sections; the first which consists of one chapter, tells the story of Israel and then section two addresses the story of Jesus and the Early Christians in five chapters. There is also an appendix which considers the context of second-temple Judaism.

I found myself facing somewhat of a dilemma reading this book. To capture the whole sweep of the developing theme it is necessary to read it relatively rapidly. However, to capture the detail, you need to slow down and savour the individual arguments. It says a lot for a book that it has such a gripping central theme, backed by thorough detail.

If you want to trace the story of God’s plan of salvation as it works through the whole of the canon, you can’t really do much better. This is an excellent book.

The way in which the story of salvation is traced is both fascinating and helpful. The OT chapter follows the story of the woman’s offspring (see Gen. 3), the Abrahamic blessing, the Davidic king and the prophetic servant all of which point to the coming Messiah. The NT books are grouped together around the Gospels. Chapter 3 looks at Matthew and other writings which were aimed primarily at a Jewish audience; Hebrews and James. Chapter four brings together Mark and the letters of Peter and Jude. The fifth chapter is the longest and most fascinating; it is based around Luke’s two-volume work Luke-Acts. However, once the authors get into the story of Acts, they introduce the letters of Paul at appropriate points in the narrative. This brings home the message that Paul’s letters were not isolated theological writings, but they emerged from a missional context and deal with real-world issues. Chapter six looks at John’s writings; the Gospel, the letters and the Apocalypse.

The concluding, summary chapter brings together the arguments from earlier in the book.

It should be noted that this second edition is a significant revision. It’s many years since I read the first edition, so I didn’t notice the updates, but they are mentioned in the introduction.

Now, about that reservation that I mentioned earlier. The subtitle calls this book a Biblical Theology of Mission. The problem with a statement like that is that there is no universally accepted definition of mission. The authors clearly have adopted one which focuses on the proclamation of the Gospel and which often ignores other aspects of what most scholars internationally would consider to be mission. As a result, the book The thing is, when you decide what mission is, you then choose the Scriptures which fit your framework. This means that the book gives very little space to the Old Testament and pays relatively little attention to Jesus’ ethical teaching. That being said, I don’t think this is a problem. The book does an excellent job of tracing one aspect of mission through the Bible and it is well worth a read. I just don’t think that the subtitle is accurate. This is a small complaint, but it did need to be mentioned.

As always, a selection of quotes to pique your interest:

From the opening chapters of Genesis onwards, the orientation of the missio Dei is towards the future, culminating in God’s dwelling in a new Jerusalem that is coterminous with a new earth. In the light of the goal of God’s redemptive activity, it is hardly surprising that the ‘the ingathering of the Gentiles’ is an important component of Old Testament eschato- logical expectations.

p.37
Pervading the Matthean mission discourse are references to the prospect of rejection of the gospel message (10:11–16; cf. 40–42), issuing in perse- cution of the messengers (10:17–20, 23–33) and division even among a person’s own family (10:21–22, 34–39). Even such division, however, is shown to fulfil Old Testament Scripture (10:35–36, par. Luke 12:53, citing Mic. 7:6).

p.51
‘all’ dominates the entire ‘Great Commission’ passage: Jesus has ‘all authority’ (v. 18); his followers are to go and make disciples of ‘all nations’ (v. 19); and Jesus will be with them ‘always’ (lit. ‘all the days’; v. 20).

p.61
Finally, at the climax of Mark’s Gospel, the Roman centurion exclaims at the foot of the cross, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’ (15:39 niv), indicating that now the messianic secret has been lifted even for the (Roman) Gentiles, so that the missionary power of Jesus’ suffering and death has been extended also to non-Jews.54 If there is a genuinely Markan equivalent to the Matthean ‘Great Commission’, the centurion’s confession would certainly qualify. Indeed, the fact that it is not a Jew but a Gentile who confesses Jesus at the end of Mark is highly significant for the Gospel’s narrative thrust.

p.85
While Matthew and Mark provide significant accounts of Jesus’ mission and his vision for the discipling of the nations following his ascension through his new messianic community, it is Luke who raises the New Testament’s mission theology to new heights.

p.101
…the stages of the apostolic witness should be conceived ethnically as well as geographically: (1) In Jerusalem, Jesus completed his mission and Israel was restored in the form of the Jewish remnant of believers in Jesus as Messiah (the nucleus being the twelve). (2) Next came Judea-Samaria – significantly, these two locations are connected with a single article in Greek – designating the area of the previous kingdoms of Judah and Israel and fulfilling the expectation of a restored house of Israel under one royal head (e.g. Ezek. 37:15–22).86 (3) The apostolic witness will spread to ‘the ends of the earth’ (cf. Isa. 49:6, cited at Acts 13:47), which makes clear that God’s salvation through the Messiah is intended for all nations. Geographically, the expression refers to the end of the world in a general sense. Ethnically, it pertains to the Gentiles, indicating that while the gospel is first for the Jews, it is also for the Gentiles (cf. Rom. 1:16–17).

p.124
If Rome, therefore, is not to be identified with ‘the ends of the earth’, the endings of the book of Acts is intentionally open-ended: ‘The ends of the earth are never reached in Acts. The mission goal is never completed. It remains open . . .’. The church’s mission to the ends of the earth thus remains an unfinished task.

p.125
Thus, the church’s persecution in Jerusalem provided an important impetus for the gospel to reach the ends of the earth (not, one might add, the result of brilliant apostolic strategizing or human missiological engineering).

p.133
The Fourth Gospel’s primary focus is the mission of Jesus: (1) he is the one who comes into the world, accomplishes his work and returns to the Father; (2) he is the one who descended from heaven and ascends again; (3) he is the Sent One, who, in complete dependence and perfect obedience to his sender, fulfils the purpose for which the Father sent him.7 He is also (4) the shepherd-teacher who calls followers to help gather his eschatological harvest. The mission of Jesus’ followers is presented within this framework.

p.200
As I noted earlier, I was provided with a review copy of this book by the publishers. I have not allowed this generosity to influence my review.It’s a very good book and if it were a stinker, I would have said so.

[Colin Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

“All mission has come to an end, and it becomes clear that mission is in fact a means to an end, the end being a total focus on the worship and glory of God in our Lord Jesus Christ” -239

[Shaun Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title is targeted at intermediate and advanced readers, for the deep theological content is difficult to skim through quickly without engaging into time to digest and reflect. For the tens of books I utilised for a research paper on the biblical theological perspective on missions, this was the one I found the most insightful. It was also really easy to read and its thickness is due to the breadth of issues discussed. It is a pity that this book is out of print (and I did notice many ideas from various other authors being quoted without acknowledgement).

Nevertheless, I recommend obtaining a copy because of its usefulness. It would still be a good investment for sermon or bible study preparation, especially for the last chapter (concluding synthesis) provides a "light" and easily comprehensible summary of the topic. If you find that a certain subsection in the concluding summary that seems potentially useful, you can tend leaf your way into the in-depth corresponding chapter.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful and thorough unpacking of the theme of mission as it's developed in Scripture. The authors work through the significant OT texts dealing with mission. For many, this work will help open up the OT as a rich and surprising source for the mission theme. They work through much of the NT documents showing how each book develops a theology of mission.The authors also helpfully point out issues of continuity and discontinuity between the testaments as it relates to mission. An important and accessible work.

[Chris Armer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could. The book is a scholarly theological study and therefore very dry. It is not a quick read. But the content was good and helped affirm a few ideas about the theology of mission in the Scriptures.

[G. A. Dietrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is likely one of the best books I've ever read on the topic of missions. Kostenberger and O'Brien are very detailed and gospel minded in this book.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great biblical theological overview of Scripture that would be of great use to the local church.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Gives an overview of Scripture's teaching on mission, one chapter on the OT, one on 2nd Temple Judaism, and then one on every section of the NT.

[Levi Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kostenberger's small discussion on the Old Testament was really well thought through! That and his discussion on John's works were by far my favorite parts of the book. However, I was surprised by how little he discussed the Old Testament. For a book on biblical theology, the Old Testament is key. He especially neglects the prophets. He looks at them as basically an extension of his discussion on the Davidic Servant-King who is to come. Super great discussion, but there's more we could learn from the prophets which help us understand the New Testament mission.

One big piece missing is the mission of the prophets to Israel. The focus of this book is on Israel's mission to the nations, but Israel started as the missionary ground of God and continued to be the missionary ground of God till they rejected him and he rejected them as a whole but accepted them in his faithful remnant. If we take the bringing in of the gentiles to be an Old Testament expectation fulfilled in the New Testament through mission, we have to catch at least some glimpses of this mission in the Old Testament. I think the primary place we find it is in the prophets being given a mission by God to his own people. They have to go to his people who are scattered. This is what Jesus picks up on and which the church takes up to the ends of the earth. The major distinction is that it's no longer divided along ethnic lines but divided along believing and unbelieving. So, yes, the mission to the gentiles remains an eschatological expectation, it's all right there modeled in Jesus through the foreshadow of the prophets.

His discussion on the New Testament, which is most of the book, was really good! He allowed Matthew, Mark, Luke-Acts, and John to each speak for themselves while highlighting they all hold to Jewish salvation-historical priority but hint at the bringing in of the nations. His discussion on John was particularly good, it helps when you're a Johannine scholar. He helps us understand that the mission of the New Testament is God's mission which Jesus fulfills and in which we are invited to participate. Because it's Jesus' mission and he's already fulfilled it, it's not our mission, meaning it doesn't rise or fall on us. It's dependent on Jesus' faithfulness and his ability to make his Father's name glorified to the ends of the earth. This gives us confidence to go out and proclaim the message of salvation. We don't have to do anything else. Go and proclaim and then live it out.

The only other critique that I have is of myself/my Professor. Since this is a scholarly work, Kostenberger is interacting with other scholars regularly to defend his position. I am grateful for this, we need more of it in seminary reading. However it did leave me a bit lost sometimes because he would switch from explaining his view to critiquing a scholar I've never heard of or interacted with and so I often felt like I was reading one side of a two-sided conversation. That's exactly how I'm supposed to feel, so there's nothing wrong with it, but without being assigned the other sides for this class, I am a bit lost. It's a book that needs to be read in conversation with the ideas Kostenberger is critiquing.

[Jeffrey Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does the Old Testament contain the concept of mission, and if so, is it the same or different than the New Testament's? How does Paul's view differ from Peter's and John's?

As far as I know, only one book of the New Studies in Biblical Theology series has two editions and two different numbers in the series. This one is Andreas Kostenberger's "Salvation to the Ends of the Earth." I have not seen the first edition, but the intro points out that T. Desmond Alexander added a section on the Old Testament. By the way, I'm writing my review on the second editon (#53 in the series) while this page is for #11; I don't know why Good Reads doesn't have an entry for the more current version.

Kostenberger divides the views of the New Testament into four groups. One would expect one of the groups to be the four Gospels, but no - each group includes one of the Gospels together. He combines the writings of John in one section and combines Matthew with the Jewish mindset of the epistles of James and to the Hebrews. Mark is linked with Peter and Jude, and you might want to bring a lunch when you tackle the 100 page chapter focused on Luke, Acts, and the epistles of Paul.

This is a very insightful book, pointing how there is a unified message through Scripture of God's desire to save the lost through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. As the others I've read in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series, I recommend this volume.

[C.J. Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE standard when it comes to a biblical theology of mission. The authors cover the whole of Scripture with a particular and more intense focus on Matthew, Luke-Acts, and Paul, as expected. From the start, they acknowledge that the Christian mission is rooted in the missio dei, which leads them to an open advocation of God's sovereignty over mission (something I greatly appreciated).

The two main things missing from the book, and the authors readily admit this, are missiological and practical implications. The reader will have to make most of these conclusions himself/herself, though the authors do it for us from time to time.

Another sad thing is that the book is out of publication now due to plagiarism on O'Brien's part (which makes it hard to come by and highly expensive when you do find a copy). I'm thankful to have heard recently, however, that Köstenberger is finishing up a sole-authored second/revised edition of this book. Look for it in 2020 and add it to your shelves. I can't wait to check out the new edition.

[Michael Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors identify and trace the mission of God toward humanity by tracing the presence and meaning of mission in the Bible. The goal remains constant; the objects of the mission expand until finally salvation is to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth to all ethnic groups. The mission is not only conversion but includes the maturing of disciples within community. Evangelism is a key component, but so are community and self discipline I found it an informative and thought provoking, though sometimes tedious to read, book.

[Ethan Preston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has much to commend about it: the first chapter considering the question of mission in the OT, the chapter exploring whether Second-Temple Judaism was a missionary religion, the chapter on Paul. Yet, there was also much of it that felt unnecessary and lengthy. The authors go nearly paragraph by paragraph through the gospels considering the topic of missions. It would have been much more effective to topically summarize their findings in the gospels. Overall, I agreed with the content, yet the book felt much longer than it needed to be and was difficult to get through at many points.

[Phil Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Helpful

This is a very helpful overview of the theme of mission in the Bible. The authors do not find mission “everywhere” in the Bible. Instead, they legitimately demonstrate that “mission is the ingredient that both precedes Christian existence and constitutes a major motivation for Christian living.”

[Sarah Hyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn’t choose this book, but glad to have read it! Something to think about - “there will be a time with no more mission. The choices will have been made. All that will remain to be done is for history to be concluded. Mission is a means to an end, the end being a total focus on the worship and glory of God in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

[Phillip Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

-Hard to read. Very academic, but also not one clear definition provided.

+Thorough treatment of the mission of God throughout each book of the Bible. Great as a topical resource when doing a particular book study

[Brit · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent biblical theology of missions. A tad dry in some places, but engaging overall. It is certainly academic, so I would not recommend the book for most people; however, anyone truly interested in knowing what the Bible says about missions would benefit from this book.

[Neil Kruger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tremendous book. Mission is tied to God's salvation plan as revealed in Scripture and throughout salvation history. The church today is exhorted not to think of missions as a personal endeavour, but as participating in the mission of Christ. This book is very informative and readable despite its academic style. The authors consistently seek to make applications for the contemporary church. These are the kinds of books that get you excited about biblical theology. When it is done well it enhances your ability to read Scripture well and to identify patterns. Different emphases and nuances from various parts of the Bible are identified and yet in such a way that the revelation concerning missions is consistent.

[Zachary Horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent treatment of the comprehensive biblical theology of missions.

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theology of mission in the old testament and new testament. How the concept of mission and evangelism according to the Bible.

[Nate Cure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid overview of the mission of God in Christ, and Christ in the Church, for those who are unfamiliar with this thread throughout Scripture.

[Garrett Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.6 Very academic, but shows how the Missio Dei (Mission of God) is so clearly seen from beginning to the end in God’s good word.