Christian Archy

By David Alan Black

What is the Kingdom of God? What does it mean to be part of the kingdom? These are questions that should occupy the mind of every Christian. But we frequently shy away from the full meaning of God's rule.

In Christian Archy, Dr. David Alan Black examines the New Testament to find the truly radical and all-encompassing claims of God's kingdom. In doing so, he discovers that the character of this kingdom is widely different from what is commonly contemplated today. Its glory is revealed only through suffering - a point that Jesus' disciples, then and now, have been slow to understand. This truth has tremendous implications for church life. The kingdom of God is in no way imperialistic. It has no political ambitions. It conquers not by force but by love. It is this humble characteristic of the kingdom that is a stumbling block to so many today. Christ's claim to our total allegiance is one we seek to avoid at all costs. But there is only one way to victory and peace, and that way is the way of the Lamb.

This is the first volume in the new Areopagus Critical Christian Issues Series from Energion Publications. We believe it is an appropriate way to begin that series by addressing this foundational question of who we are as part of the Christian church, and why it is important for us to immerse ourselves in God's word.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Energion Publications
• Release date: Oct 29, 2009
• ISBN: 9781938434181

David Alan Black

David Alan Black (ThD, University of Basel) is Professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. His recent publications include Perspectives on the Ending of Mark, Why Four Gospels?, and The Jesus Paradigm. He and his wife live on a 123-acre working farm in southern Virginia and are self-supporting missionaries to Ethiopia.

Book preview

Christian Archy

David Alan Black

Energion Publications

P. O. Box 841

Gonzalez, FL 32560

http://energionpubs.com

[e-mail]

Copyright © 2009, David Alan Black

All Rights Reserved

Cover Design: Jason Neufeld, jasonneufelddesign.com

Electronic ISBN

978-1-938434-18-1

Print ISBNs:

ISBN-10: 1-893729-77-X

ISBN-13: 978-1-893729-77-3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009939435

Dedication

To the memory of Jacques Ellul

From the Editors

The Areopagus is a hill in Athens that was once the meeting place of a Greek council. Paul preached on that hill while visiting Athens, presenting the Gospel to the Athenian council and converting one of them (Acts 17). It thus provides an excellent name for this series of booklets that examines important issues in understanding Christian beliefs and developing sound Christian practice. Each booklet is intentionally short — less than 80 pages in length — and provides an academically sound and biblically rooted examination of a particular question about doctrine or practice or an area of basic Christian belief.

The Areopagus series is orthodox in doctrine but not bound to the doctrinal statements of any denomination. It is both firm in conviction and irenic in tone. Authors have been chosen for their ability to understand a topic in depth and present it clearly.

Each book is rigorous in scholarship because we believe the church deserves no less. Yet the volumes are accessible in style as we also believe that there are many pastors and laypersons in the church who desire to think deeply and critically about the issues that confront the church today in its life and mission in the world.

In keeping with these convictions, the authors in this series are either professors who are also actively involved in ministry, pastors who have not only thought through the issues but whose ministry has been guided by their convictions, or laypersons whose faith and commitment to the lordship of Jesus Christ and his church have contributed to the Great Commission Jesus gave to all of his followers (Matt. 28:18-20).

The Areopagus Critical Christian Issues series is not only meant to help the church think differently. We hope that those who read its volumes will be different, for the Gospel is about the transformation of the whole person — mind, heart, and soul.

We take the words of the apostle Paul seriously when he says to the Athenians that God has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead (Acts 17:31).

Allan R. Bevere

David Alan Black

Preface

The older I get,