Book Review
New Testament Theology – Magnifying God In Christ
by Thomas R. Schreiner

I am an ordinary pastor with ordinary gifting; therefore, I need significant resources available to help in my pastoral tasks. Thomas Schreiner’s recent work, New Testament Theology, is one of those resources. This is a big, impressive book you will be glad to have sitting on your bookshelf, not because of its immensity, but because of its thoroughgoing and God-exalting approach.

Thomas R. Schreiner is the James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation and the Associate Dean of Scripture and Interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Schreiner has written a number of other helpful books including: The Baker Exegetical Commentary on Romans and Paul, Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology. As a result of reading these works I have come to appreciate Schreiner’s careful exegesis and eye for issues germane to contemporary theology. One of his rare gifts is the ability to take knotty theological matters, boil them down, and provide insights that draw the reader’s mind to Christ in both a biblical and God-honoring manner. His books are theologically and devotionally rich.

New Testament Theology has not been met without controversy as he directly addresses the following two issues: 1) the premise of a unifying theme in the New Testament; and, 2) the premise that the purpose of the theology of the New Testament is God’s glory being magnified through the person and work of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Schreiner himself says of the work: ‘I argue in this book that magnifying God in Christ is the foundation or goal of New Testament theology, and God works out his purpose in salvation history to reach that goal’ (p. 880).¹ Rather than an accumulation of disconnected and disjointed parts, the N. T. Scriptures are of one piece, and this with an ever-increasing unfolding of revelation that culminates in Christ’s life, death, resurrection, ascension, and in the giving of the Spirit by the ascended Christ.

Schreiner divides his work into four parts –

1. The Fulfillment of God’s Saving Promises: The Already – Not Yet
2. The God of Promise: The Saving Work of the Father, Son, and Spirit
3. Experiencing the Promise: Believing and Obeying
4. The People of the Promise and the Future of the Promise

In each of these sections, from Old Testament through the eschaton, Schreiner points us to the glory of God in Christ. There is an extensive discussion of how the parts fit the whole and a short discussion of the New Testament books as they contribute to the singular testimony of this same theme. Schreiner calls this attempt a ‘bridge’ between exegesis and systematic theology; yet, this is an immensely readable volume. Those like me, with a limited theological education, will not be deterred by unnecessary and unhelpful technicalities, though there are copious footnotes and language helps. Schreiner’s intention for this book was that it be written with pastors and students in mind.

During Easter week I used this work extensively as I preached on 1 Co 15, examining the implications of the resurrection. Schreiner helped me consider the resurrection from a biblically holistic perspective. It is one thing to look at the resurrection from a single passage and quite another to hover over the New Testament and look at multiple passages to examine its far-reaching effects. As I thought about the resurrection I found myself asking the ‘big picture’ questions and Schreiner’s work was invaluable to my studies.

If you appreciate the works of Geerhardus Vos, Herman Ridderbos, Edmund Clowney, Dennis Johnson, D. A. Carson, and Graeme Goldsworthy, this book is for you.  And if you are on a limited book-buying budget this volume could serve several purposes. Rather than buying several New Testament theologies this volume may suffice. Schreiner engages contemporary issues and helps the reader to understand what is at stake. He has done the hard work of producing an extensive bibliography, and the Scripture index alone is over 33 pages. It is not an inexpensive book, but one you will turn to again and again.

If you want to fill out your understanding of the New Testament in broad thematic strokes you will find this book an invaluable resource. In a readable and accessible style, and with an overtly pastoral and devotional tenor, Schreiner has served his readers well.

Dan Morse serves as Pastor of Christ Our Redeemer Church in Vancouver, WA and as a member of The Spurgeon Fellowship Advisory Council.