Called to Be Church: The Book of Acts for a New Day - Softcover

Congregations -Pastors, small groups, and thoughtful individuals will find much that is eye-opening in this worthwhile book. Like the life-changing preaching that it calls for, Called to Be Church is bold and provocative.- International Bulletin of Missionary Research -Brings together biblical theology and fresh practical applications that are vital for God's church in today's world.- Missiology -Called to Church is a unique and timely book in its category. It brings together biblical theology and fresh practical pastoral applications from the book of Acts which are so vital for the life and mission of God's church in today's world.- Review of Biblical Literature -A great resource. . . Robinson and Wall do an excellent job of fulfilling their mission to help those in ministry understand and apply the book of Acts in a new way.- Baptists Today -An excellent resource for small groups desiring in-depth study. It would also provide good background study for preachers and other ministers leading their churches in a sermon series related to self-study and strategic planning.- Missiology -An outstanding feature of the book is having both the interpretation and engagement/application of the text side by side. . . The reader is kept really interested and curious to see what kind of interpretation or biblical exegesis Wall is doing with the text, but at the same time is looking forward to seeing Robinson's application of Acts to the contemporary Christian church. Certainly there is a continuous dialogue between the reader and the text of the book!- Steve Walton -- London School of Theology -This splendid book offers a readable, accessible, stimulating, and engaging reading of Acts for today's students, preachers, and thoughtful laypeople. Anthony Robinson and Robert Wall illuminate passage after passage through the creative interplay between Wall's lucid exegetical discussions and Robinson's fresh reflections on hearing Acts for today's church.- James A. Sanders -- Claremont Graduate University -The authors show the central place that the book of Acts occupies in the New Testament canon. They show that though Acts was originally Luke's second volume, it played a far more important role as the pivot between the four Gospels and Paul's letters. . . Following Irenaeus's understanding of Acts, the authors sketch a view of ecumenism and catholicity that was not a uniformity of belief but a pluriformity of faith that reflected the high diversity among the early churches.- F. Scott Spencer -- Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond -Robinson and Wall's remarkably engaging interpretation of Acts 'for a new day' deftly combines expert scholarly exegesis with astute pastoral insight. Never settling for easy modern applications based on thin biblical analysis, the authors wrestle seriously with the book of Acts as living Scripture for today's church and a prime resource for ecclesial renewal. This work represents a model bridging of biblical and contemporary horizons -- an ideal text for seminary and Christian education classes.- Martin B. Copenhaver -- Senior Pastor, Wellesley Congregational Church -At last! We can put aside the latest book that attempts to analyze what is going on in the contemporary church. Tony Robinson and Rob Wall make the claim that one of the best ways to understand what is happening -- and needs to happen -- in the church today is found in a very old book indeed -- the Acts of the Apostles. . . They amply demonstrate that the old, old story has not lost any of its power to renew us and the church we all care about.- Loveday Alexander -- University of Sheffield -This is a splendid book. The two authors provide a winning combination -- sound, up-to-date biblical scholarship, paying critical attention to hearing the story of Acts in its own time and place, combined with the equally vital task of paying attention to the critical issues that face churches today. . . Called to Be Church is a thought-provoking and insightful must-read for ministers and congregations across denominational and cultural divides.-

Biblical scholar Robert Wall and pastoral leader Anthony Robinson here join forces to bring the "Acts of the Apostles" forward to our time as a resource for congregational renewal and transformation. Featuring both careful exegetical study and exciting contemporary exposition, the fifteen chapters of "Called to Be Church" each first interpret the text of "Acts" as Scripture and then engage "Acts" for today's church. The book dives into many of the most vexing issues faced by the church then and now - such issues as conflict resolution, pluralism and multiculturalism, sexuality, money, church and state, the role of the Holy Spirit, and more. Enhanced by study questions at the end of each chapter, "Called to Be Church" will lend itself especially well to small-group study within congregations. Pastors, lay readers, students, and ordinary believers alike will find the book helpful and inspiring.