People of the Spirit: Exploring Luke's View of the Church
Twelftree, Graham H. People of the Spirit: Exploring Luke's View of the Church (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic: 2009).
Summary
Today's church suffers a crisis of confidence as a result of pluralism, globalism, and postmodernity. Seasoned New Testament scholar Graham Twelftree's historical exploration of Luke's view of the church contributes to the current conversation about what the church is and should do. Twelftree draws together various strands in Luke's Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles to show Luke's profound influence on the church and explain Luke's thought regarding the church's origin, nature, purpose, and mission. A final chapter proposes Lukan conclusions to such debated questions as the relationship between church and salvation; the relationship between the Spirit, water baptism, and glossolalia in Christian initiation; the question of infant baptism; the character of worship; the interplay of Scripture and experience; church structure and leadership; and the nature of Christian mission.
Recommendations
"A fresh and refreshing look at Luke's understanding of the church, particularly as informed by the Acts of the Apostles. The reading is challenging and often controversial but is probably closer to what Luke himself intended than most others. The book should certainly promote some lively discussion as to the present-day church's praxis, priorities, and structures of authority."
- James D. G. Dunn, Emeritus Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, University of Durham
"Written by a mature scholar and designed for the general reader, this is a sane, text-centered examination of Lukan theology with an ecclesiological focus."
- Charles H. Talbert, Distinguished Professor of Religion, Baylor University
"By singling out Luke's canonical voice and reading his narrative as teaching, this book attains fresh perspective on what 'church' meant to the author of Luke-Acts and what it should mean to us. Twelftree models attention to detail, painstaking organization, and concise expression. Readers will find learning, stimulation, and challenge in every chapter. Engaged, intense, and clear!"
- Robert W. Yarbrough, professor of New Testament and department chair, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
"I know of no treatment of Luke's view of the church more thorough and excellent than Graham Twelftree's. Here is perceptive historical and theological analysis that is exegetically based and logically compelling. Twelftree's book yields important, fresh, and abundant practical insights for Spirit-gifted people who desire to fulfill the church's goal of continuing the mission of Jesus."
- Donald A. Hagner, George Eldon Ladd Professor emeritus of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary
"People of the Spirit offers a fresh and accessible treatment regarding the church from the perspective of the Lukan corpus. Professor Twelftree's dual concern--to deal carefully with Luke and Acts while keeping the contemporary church as a conversation partner--makes this a valuable resource both for clarifying biblical understandings of the church and for ongoing discussions about the nature of the church in the twenty-first century."
- Richard P. Thompson, professor of New Testament, Northwest Nazarene University