Tuesday Tome - Scripture and the Authority of God

N. T. Wright's Scripture and the Authority of God would serve as an excellent companion resource to my current teaching series at Valley. We have been exploring and memorizing seven key passages in the New Testament, and considering the importance of reading and interpreting these passages in the context of Christian community, not just in some sort of individualized quest for salvation or spiritual insight. Wright's book complements our series by helping us understand just what the Bible is, by guiding us to how and why we should read it, and by helping us to think about the relationship between scripture and God's authority.

From the Publisher:
That question has echoed through a thousand debates in the life of the worldwide church. All churches have officially endorsed strong statements about the centrality of scripture and its authority in their mission, life, doctrine, and discipline. But there is no agreement on what this might mean or how it might work in practice. Individuals and churches struggle with how to respond to issues such as war, homosexuality, and abortion, and especially how to interpret biblical passages that discuss these topics. These disagreements often serve to undermine our confidence in the authority of the Bible.

Bishop and Bible scholar N. T. Wright delivers a new model for how to understand the place of scripture and God’s authority in the midst of religious confusion. Wright gives new life to the old, tattered doctrine of the authority of scripture, delivering a fresh, helpful, and concise statement on how to read the Bible today, restoring scripture as a place to find God’s voice.

In this revised and expanded edition of the previously titled book The Last Word, Wright provides two case studies that delve into what it means to keep Sabbath and how Christians can defend marital monogamy. These studies offer not only bold biblical insights but also showcase Wright’s new model for how to interpret scripture and restore its role as the church’s main resource for teaching and guidance. Removing the baggage that the last 100 years of controversy and confusion have placed on this doctrine, Wright renews our confidence in the Bible and shows how it can once again serve as the living Word of God for our lives.

Table of Contents:
Preface to the American Edition  ix
Prologue  1
Chapter 1. By Whose Authority?  21
Chapter 2. Israel and God’s Kingdom-People  33
Chapter 3. Scripture and Jesus  41
Chapter 4. The "Word of God" in the Apostolic Church  47
Chapter 5. The First Sixteen Centuries  61
Chapter 6. The Challenge of the Enlightenment  83
Chapter 7. Misreadings of Scripture  107
Chapter 8. How to Get Back on Track  115
Chapter 9. Case Study: Sabbath  143
Chapter 10. Case Study: Monogamy  175
Apendix: Recent Resources on Scripture  197
Scripture Index  201
Subject Index  203