Short Studies in Biblical Theology

Work and Our Labor in the Lord

Work has been a part of God’s good creation since before the fall—created to reflect his image and glory to the world. What are we to make of this when work today is all too often characterized by unwanted toil, pain, and futility?

In Work and Our Labor in the Lord, a volume from the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series, pastor, professor, and biblical scholar James Hamilton explores how work fits into the big story of the Bible, revealing the glory that God intended when he gave man work to do, the ruin that came as a result of the fall, and the redemption yet to come, offering hope for flourishing in the midst of fallen futility.

The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross

When Jesus began his ministry, he announced that the kingdom of God was at hand. But many modern-day Christians don’t really understand what the kingdom of God is or how it relates to the message of the gospel.

Defining kingdom as the King’s power over the King’s people in the King’s place, Patrick Schreiner investigates the key events, prophecies, and passages of Scripture that highlight the important theme of kingdom across the storyline of the Bible—helping readers see how the mission of Jesus and the coming of the kingdom fit together.

From Chaos to Cosmos

When God created the world, he brought perfect order out of what was “without form and void.” But with human rebellion against God leading to God’s curse, disorder was introduced into creation—disorder that we still see all around us today. Tracing the chaos to cosmos theme from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, pastor-scholar Sidney Greidanus reveals how God is restoring his creation through Jesus Christ, who has already begun to shine light into the darkness and will one day return to bring peace, order, and restoration once and for all. With discussion questions at the end of each chapter and a fourteen-session reading plan, this book is ideal for small groups as well as individual study.

 Divine Blessing and the Fullness of Life in the Presence of God

As Christians, “blessing” pervades our everyday lives—from testimonies recounting God’s provision, to praise songs, to wishing someone well. The term has been so integrated into our everyday vocabulary that it is rarely considered carefully. Many people think that blessing is described as either physical (Genesis 1:22) or spiritual (Ephesians 1:3), but a fuller biblical-theological approach reveals that God’s blessing has always been physical, spiritual, and—ultimately—relational. Unpacking this pattern throughout redemptive history, William Osborne shows that divine blessing is not just a good gift here or there, but the fullness of all we were created to be, in relationship with our Creator.

Covenant and God’s Purpose for the World

Throughout the Bible, God has related to his people through covenants. It is through these covenant relationships, which collectively serve as the foundation for God’s promise to bring redemption to his people, that we can understand the advancement of his kingdom. This book walks through six covenants from Genesis to Revelation, helping us grasp the overarching narrative of Scripture and see the salvation God has planned for us since the beginning of time—bolstering our faith in God and giving us hope for the future.

Redemptive Reversals and the Ironic Overturning of Human Wisdom

The Bible is full of ironic situations in which God overturns the world’s wisdom by doing the opposite of what is expected—people are punished by their own sin, the persecution of the church is the catalyst for its growth, Paul claims to have strength through weakness, and more. In this book, biblical scholar G. K. Beale explores God’s pattern of divine irony in both judgment and salvation, finding its greatest expression in Jesus’s triumph over death through death on a cross. Unpacking this pattern throughout redemptive history, Beale shows us how God often uses what is seemingly weak and foolish to underscore his own strength and power in the lives of his people today.

The Sabbath as Rest and Hope for the People of God

When it comes to the Sabbath, Christians have different ideas on what it means and how to observe it. For many people, it is a day to go to church and have fellowship with other believers. What they often miss, though, is that the Sabbath is intricately tied to rest and worship—both of which ultimately point to the Lord as our creator and redeemer.

In this addition to the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series, Guy Prentiss Waters offers an introductory study of the Sabbath from the creation of the world to the consummation of all things when Jesus returns. He shows how the Sabbath is observed through the major themes and genres of the Bible—creation, law, prophets, Jesus, and the apostles—and how that applies to our lives today. Waters teaches us about the Sabbath’s full restoration in the new heavens and the new earth and its continual reminder of the covenant that God has made with his people.

The Lord’s Supper as the Sign and Meal of the New Covenant

How God Communicates His Covenants through Communion

What is the meaning of the Lord’s Supper? Jesus instituted the Supper to strengthen the faith of his followers by reminding them of his promises. More than an ancient church tradition or a complex doctrinal controversy, it has practical importance in the lives of Christians today.

God has always made promises to his people through covenants, and along with them given signs and meals to point to and confirm his blessings. In The Lord’s Supper as the Sign and Meal of the New Covenant, professor Guy Prentiss Waters defines and explores the unity of the covenants in the Old and New Testaments.

Biblical and Theological: Explores covenant meals, which point to God’s provision in Christ
Comprehensive: Explains covenant signs, or the ways God appeals to believers through the 5 senses to reveal and reinforce his promises
Accessible: Written for laypeople, students, and church leaders of all levels
In this short guide, readers recover the practical importance of communion for the family of God and reflect on the meaning of Christ’s words, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel

Marriage reveals something of eternal significance. From the beginning, God designed marriage to convey a greater reality—the passionate, unfailing, redeeming love of God for sinners, the eternal romance between Christ and his bride. In this volume, Ray Ortlund traces marriage throughout Scripture—from the first marriage in the garden of Eden to the ultimate marriage in the book of Revelation—laying out a transcendent vision of marriage that dignifies our own imperfect unions as a display of the gospel. This book offers insight and hope to every married person today.

The New Creation and the Storyline of Scripture

The Bible begins with the story of one perfectly good God creating a perfectly good universe. Forming two perfectly good human beings in his own image—Adam and Eve—was the crown jewel of his creative expression. Through humanity’s sin, however, God’s creation fell into a fallen state—yet he promised to bring restoration. In this book, Frank Thielman traces the theme of the new creation through the Bible, beginning in Genesis and ending in Revelation. He shows us that at every turn, God invites his people to be a “kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6), exemplifying the new creation to a needy and watching world until the return of Jesus.

Resurrection Hope and the Death of Death

Death is a powerful and sobering reality. While everyone must face death, it is not the end for those united with Christ. Followers of Jesus Christ have resurrection hope—the proclamation that Christ has defeated death and the promise that believers shall share in his victory. The resurrection is essential to the Christian faith and is rooted in the faithfulness of God.

With scholarly insight, Mitchell L. Chase traces the theme of resurrection hope throughout Scripture, walking through each section of the Bible from the Law to Revelation. Having a proper understanding of death and resurrection will not only stir up our soberness for the reality of sin and death, but it will also motivate our praise to God.BIBLICAL THEOLOGY / RESURRECTION

The City of God and the Goal of Creation

At the very heart of God’s plan for the world stands an extraordinary city. Beginning with the garden of Eden in Genesis and ending with the New Jerusalem in Revelation, the biblical story reveals how God has been working throughout history to establish a city filled with his glorious presence. Tracing the development of the theme of city in both testaments, T. Desmond Alexander draws on his experience as a biblical scholar to show us God’s purpose throughout Scripture to dwell with his redeemed people in a future extraordinary city on a transformed earth.

The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God

From Genesis to Revelation, the theme of the royal priesthood runs through the biblical story from the garden of Eden through the priesthood of Israel to Jesus Christ—the true and better high priest. It culminates with the creation of God’s new covenant people, called out of the nations to be his priests to the nations. In this concise treatment, David Schrock traces this theme of priesthood throughout the Bible and displays to readers how Jesus, the great high priest, informs the worship, discipleship, and evangelism of the church.

The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer

We’ve all heard this story: the hero fights a dragon in an epic battle, and just as it appears the dragon is going to prevail, the hero saves the day. Best-selling novels and blockbuster movies are filled with this type of story, but did you know that this is the main theme of the Bible too?

Tracing the theme of serpents and dragons through both Testaments, trusted scholar Andrew David Naselli demonstrates that these stories reflect our desire to know the ultimate story—the struggle between God’s offspring and the offspring of the serpent. As we come to experience this captivating, unifying narrative, we will rejoice in the ultimate victory of Jesus—the serpent slayer—over the devouring dragon in Revelation.

The Son of God and the New Creation

The Short Studies in Biblical Theology series is designed to help readers see the whole Bible as a unified story culminating in Jesus Christ. Written by trusted biblical scholars, each volume traces an important topic through God’s Word—from Genesis to Revelation—and explores its significance for the Christian life.

In this volume, renowned Bible scholar Graeme Goldsworthy traces the theme of divine sonship from Adam, through the nation of Israel and King David, and ultimately to Jesus Christ—the “Son of God” par excellence.