The Royal Priesthood

The third in a series of books that result from annual conferences of the top evangelical hermeneutical scholars in the world.

This book examines the portrayal of Israel as a royal-priestly nation within Exodus and against the background of biblical and ancient Near Eastern thought. Central to the work is a literary study of Exodus 19:4-6 and a demonstration of the pivotal role these verses and their main image have within Exodus. This elective and honorific designation of Yahweh's cherished people has a particular focus on the privilege of access to him in his heavenly temple. The paradigm of the royal grant of privileged status has profound implications for our understanding of the Sinai covenant.

A Biblical Theology of the Royal Priesthood from Genesis to Revelation "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." —1 Peter 2:9 From Genesis to Revelation, the theme of the royal priesthood is a silver thread running through the biblical story from the garden of Eden through the priesthood of Israel to Jesus Christ—the true and better priest. It culminates with the creation of God's 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. Short and Accessible: Traces the theme of priesthood from Genesis to Revelation and gives practical application for the church today Written for Laypeople and Church Leaders: Excellent for students, Bible studies, small groups, and leaders of all levels Part of the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series

Readers will discover that it is not possible to disengage John Howard Yoder’s practice of ecumenical dialogue from his vision of the church. Yoder’s approach to ecumenical dialogue correlates with his conception of the faithfulness of the church. His vision of the church poses challenges for Christians of all communions because he calls both for disciplined dialogue and for faithful servanthood that renders the confession of Jesus Christ’s lordship meaningful. This collection of 17 essays on themes ecclesiological and ecumenical is intended to demonstrate the substantial unity of Yoder’s work over the past four decades. Many of these essays are often cited by researchers but have been till now unobtainable. Three of these texts have never been published before. Editor Michael Cartwright has contributed a substantial introduction on the “Yoderian” project, and a select bibliography prepared by Mark Nation catalogs Yoder’s writings—published and unpublished—on ecclesiology and ecumenism.

After thirty-three years as a senior pastor and nearly fifty overseas missions, Peter Barfoot is well-qualified to write on the subject of faith. In Faith: God's Gift to the Heart, Peter explores the many and diverse aspects of the Christian faith and shares on how it brought him to and through difficult and even dangerous situations. Peter's years as a newspaper editor, magazine publisher, and author of hundreds of articles combined with his ministry experience to produce a book, which is both inspiring and informative. Accompanied by his wife, Lorraine, Peter continues to teach, write, and minister to the sick worldwide""to the glory of God and his Son Jesus Christ.

We are engaged in the conflict of the ages and for the first time in this generation, the sons of the Kingdom are awakening to the reality that the Kingdom has, is and will continue to come. It is not limited to a lifetime, generation or millennium. The defeated-one has been stripped of his rank power and authority. He is an interloper and usurper who no longer has a right to rule and reign. He is using deception and division to advance his anti-messianic message, and strong delusion, hatred, and intimidation to forward his agenda. He knows that we are not waiting to win. We won 2000 years ago. We are THE CHOSEN. This is our day and VICTORY is ours for the taking."As long as one son is alive on planet earth, the defeated-one will never again rise to power."His sons are awakening to the reality that WHAT we are doing is not working very well and they are also becoming aware that we have been sorely misinformed about a great many things.The order and government of Yahweh is both uncomfortable and disconcerting to the orphan of our soul, but then the son in us begins to surrender by the Spirit to the Sovereign will and authority of the King and His Domain.It is my hope that the revelatory knowledge contained in this book will provide a workable solution that produces Kingdom results."The gospel of the Kingdom is good news. Beware of those who make it about coming events."It is my prayer that this book will challenge all of us to continue to think outside of the box when it comes to our quest for TRUTH.

The present quickening of lay activity in the life of the church is regarded as one of the most significant developments in recent years. What is the theology behind this development? Is it new? Is it true? Is it biblical? Is it supported by the early church fathers? Is it a living issue today, and is the church awakening to the real and practical significance of a doctrine which has been part of her faith from the beginning? Such pertinent and far-reaching questions are discussed in the book. The author deals with the development of the doctrine of the royal priesthood of the faithful, showing that it is based on the Bible, is strongly supported by the church fathers, and is prominent in the writings of theologians of the Middle Ages. While the neglect of the doctrine has adversely affected the life of the church, the emphasis upon it in many centuries has prompted movements which have resulted in spiritual quickening, intellectual renewal, and new ventures in Christian service. The Royal Priesthood of the Faithful is a dynamic formula of reform. The true church is revealed as a consecrated, interceding, witnessing, and serving priesthood of faithful people. The rediscovery of this doctrine, to which Luther gave a new name, brought fresh life and new insights to the church in the sixteenth century. It may be that in present circumstances, in a different though no less needy world, its message, believed and applied, may yet do the same again. This book is a companion volume to Dr. Eastwood's The Priesthood of All Believers, which examines the doctrine from the Reformation to January of 1962. The two volumes together present a complete work on the meaning and history of the doctrine.