Series preface
Series preface
New Studies in Biblical Theology is a series of monographs that address key issues in the discipline of biblical theology.
Contributions to the series focus on one or more of three areas: (1) the nature and status of biblical theology, including its relations with other disciplines (e.g. historical theology, exegesis, systematic theology, historical criticism, narrative theology); (2) the articulation and exposition of the structure of thought of a particular biblical writer or corpus; and (3) the delineation of a biblical theme across all or part of the biblical corpora.
Above all, these monographs are creative attempts to help thinking Christians understand their Bibles better. The series aims simultaneously to instruct and to edify, to interact with the current literature, and to point the way ahead. In God’s universe, mind and heart should not be divorced: in this series we will try not to separate what God has joined together. While the notes interact with the best of scholarly literature, the text is uncluttered with untransliterated Greek and Hebrew, and tries to avoid too much technical jargon. The volumes are written within the framework of confessional evangelicalism, but there is always an attempt at thoughtful engagement with the sweep of the relevant literature.
Much contemporary theological reflection on Acts seeks primarily to answer questions arising from our own disputes: the role of the Spirit in Christian life, the continuity or otherwise of gifts like tongues, the place of prophecy in the life of the church, and so on. One must ask, of course, if those are the dominant concerns of Acts. True, Acts does in some ways address such questions, but the strength of Dr Thompson’s book is that it uncovers the main theological emphases of the book of Acts on the book’s own terms. Moreover, although this volume focuses on Acts, Dr Thompson wisely keeps an eye peeled for theological connections with Luke’s Gospel. This volume will be a treasure trove for all who seek to understand Acts better, not least those who teach and preach the book.
D. A. Carson
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School