EMQ » April–June 2023 » Volume 59 Issue 2
The Mission of the Triune God: A Theology of Acts*
By Patrick Schreiner
New Testament Theology Series
Crossway, 2022
179 pages
US$23.99
*As an Amazon Associate Missio Nexus earns from qualifying purchases.
Reviewed by Will Brooks, associate provost and director of the DMiss and intercultural studies programs at a seminary in Asia.
When it comes to biblical foundations for missions, the book of Acts often plays a central role. In it, we see God’s promises to bless all nations fulfilled as the church spreads the gospel to the ends of the earth. Thus, in his new book The Mission of the Triune God, Patrick Schreiner has done missiologists a great service by tracing the major biblical and theological themes in Acts.
Schreiner begins the book with an overview of Acts in which he explains that Acts is both a transitional and programmatic book (21). These two points are important for missiologists who must differentiate between the aspects of Acts that are unique to the spread of the gospel in the first century and those that are timeless. Schreiner explains that Luke’s purpose in Acts is “to encourage, to embolden emulation, and to evangelize” (25).
Schreiner then presents seven key theological themes through which Luke accomplishes this purpose: “God the Father orchestrates; through Christ, who lives and rules; and through the empowering Spirit; causing the word to multiply; bringing salvation to all; forming the church; which witnesses to the ends of the earth” (26). A helpful diagram shows the interrelationship of these themes (27). The book is organized around these seven themes, each with its own chapter.
A major strength of this work is its clarity. Schreiner writes as a New Testament scholar, but his work does not get bogged down with technical terms or debates that are only relevant to biblical studies. Instead, his clear writing style makes the book accessible and beneficial for missiologists and anyone who desires a deeper understanding of the theology of Acts. When it becomes necessary to deal with complex questions, Schreiner concisely states the views of different scholars and then returns to examine the biblical text in depth.
Missiologists will find this book beneficial because of the way it traces the biblical storyline and unpacks the major theological themes of Acts. Many of these themes provide insight into the missionary task. For example, he explains the Spirit’s role in mission (74–76), the centrality of the proclamation of the word (79–81), and God’s plan to build his church (107–108). Each of these theologically oriented subjects relates to critical missiological discussions and debates. Both missions scholars and practitioners will benefit from the clarity with which Schreiner interprets and explains the ways the narrative of Acts addresses these issues.
For Further Reading
The Joy of Hearing: A Theology of the Book of Revelation, New Testament Theology, edited by Thomas R. Schreiner and Brian S. Rosner (Crossway, 2021)
Reading Acts, Joshua W. Jipp (Cascade Books, 2018)
EMQ, Volume 59, Issue 2. Copyright © 2023 by Missio Nexus. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from Missio Nexus. Email: EMQ@MissioNexus.org.
