The topic of God’s glory has fascinated me for years. How do you define such a wonderful truth about God, such a defining feature that is almost beyond all comprehension! I normally don’t read theology books whilst on holiday, but this time I did! my wife looked at me with a puzzled gaze, thinking that no-one could relax with such a book, but I certainly could. This book lifted my eyes to see the immensity of God’s glory, His goodness and how His Word brings different (complimenting) ideas to build a grand picture of our glorious God.
The first chapter of ‘The Glory of God and Paul‘ gives you a very brief study of the different places and in different ways. In short form the six ways are;
- Internal glory
- External glory
- Response to glory
- Receives glory
- Shares glory
- Unto glory
a summary sentence given is “The triune God who is glorious displays his glory, largely through his creation, image-bearers, providence and redemptive acts, God’s people respond by glorifying him. God receives glory and, through uniting his people to Christ, shares his glory with them – all to his glory“
Chapter two takes you on a whistle stop tour of God’s glory and how it interacts with the receptive story of the Bible. The authors speak about God’s glory and creation, the fall, redemption and the consumption. Now all of that has only taken up 41 pages!
From chapter 3 onwards the authors walk you through different parts of the Bible to help you see the magnificent truth of God’s glory. You’ll be in Romans, 1 Corinthians 15, 2 Corinthians 3-4, Ephesians, 2 Thessalonians 1 and shorter chapter on books including Philippians, Colossians, Galatians and 1 Timothy.
With every chapter that unfolds in this book you’ll be stretched, you’ll be asked questions and wrestle with deep theological truths.
In ‘The Glory of God and Paul‘ Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson examine Paul’s texts, themes, and theology with a desire to explore the depths of the glory of God. The book is 257 pages long, but it is not a boring read, like other such ‘text books’ might be. Whilst the boo is more academic than others I would normally review, it is a relatively easy read (you might need to google a few words, I had to).
Obviously the book isn’t exhaustive, I did come away with questions, about the extent of glory show in the lives of Christians compared to that of non-Christians and more. But that’s just my geeky brain going into overdrive.
If you’re looking to dive into the topic of God’s glory and you’re looking for a book that gives you a good overview of what the Bible says and how it all fits together, this is a good place to go! The cover may not be great, but the content is!
Christopher W. Morgan is Professor of Theology and Dean of the School of Christian Ministries at California Baptist University, USA.
Robert A. Peterson has taught for many years at various theological seminaries.
They have written or edited numerous books, including The Glory of God and other volumes in the Theology in Community series, and Christian Theology: The Biblical Story and Our Faith.
*** I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not change the way I rate the book. My views are my own. ***
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