Paul Speaks to Us Today: Our Culture, Our Churches and Our Salvation

At it s heart, Bob s new book, Paul Speaks To Us Today: Our Culture, Our Churches and Our Salvation is not what one might assume on first picking it up. It is not just another book on Pauline theology. Instead it is really a detective thriller. Through exhaustive research and combining the scriptural text written by the apostle Paul, Bob has managed to bring Paul to life in an astounding way. Not only are the historical settings carefully researched, they are narratively crafted to do three very important things. First, through its pages, dusty, musty history lives. Paul s missionary journeys, conflicts and burdens, teaching and revelation become living things. It is easy to see the passion of Paul s vocation and the possibilities of our own. Second, it is an important book for anyone who wants to make a serious study of Paul. Not many people would have the time or gifts to sift through details and be able to find the gems that are hidden in the Biblical text. To better understand Paul and his life is a great story, but it goes beyond that. It is a magnificent first step in gaining an overview of letters that contain such depth their study can never be finished. What this book does is unlock the door to the setting that surrounded Paul s life, and how God was working in it. It is abundantly helpful in understanding the depth of what God has given us through the Holy Spirit and Paul s hand. The third important thing is that time and again through this book Robert Balfour has served us well in calling us to find the ways in which we are led to live consecrated lives in a way that parallels that of Paul s life. It is history with a point that seeks to help us conform our lives to Christ and make choices to serve Him regardless of the cost. Chapter after chapter closes with a call to consider how we might live for Him. I am not only glad to have read it. I am glad that this book is here.