A new commentary for today's world, The Story of God Bible Commentary explains and illuminates each passage of Scripture in light of the Bible's grand story. SGBC offers a clear and compelling exposition of biblical texts, guiding everyday readers in how to creatively and faithfully live out the Bible in their own contexts.
Envisioning cruciform community built on resurrection hope After Paul's encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he turned from coercion and violence to a ministry centered on the hope of Christ's resurrection. In earthly terms, Paul had traded power for weakness. But--as he explained in his subsequent letters--this "weakness" was actually the key to flourishing community that is able to experience God's transformation, restoration, and healing. What would it mean for pastors today to take seriously Paul's exhortation in 1 Corinthians 11:1 to "imitate me as I imitate Christ" and lead their congregations in this way? Instead of drawing leadership principles and practices from the worlds of business, education, and politics--which tend to orient churches around institutional power and image maintenance--Timothy Gombis follows Paul in resisting the influence of the "present evil age" by making cruciformity the operating principle of the church. Gombis guides the reader through practices and patterns that can lead a congregation past a focus on individual salvation, toward becoming instead a site of resurrection power on earth.
In Timothy Gombis's dramatic reading of Ephesians we are drawn into a theological and cultural engagement with this epochal story of redemption. The Drama of Ephesians stands in the space between commentaries and specialized studies in Ephesians. Here you will renew your excitement for studying, preaching and teaching this great letter of Paul.