The Kingdom of God: A Biblical Theology by Nicholas Perrin

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Kingdom of God: A Biblical Theology by Nicholas Perrin David E. Garland nicholas perrin, The Kingdom of God: A Biblical Theology (Biblical Theology for Life; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2019). Pp. 272. Paper $29.99. The Biblical Theology for Life series intends to wed biblical research to practical application to answer the question "So what?" Perrin fulfills this task admirably in outlining the theology of the kingdom of God from the creation accounts in Genesis through the key passages in the OT to its proclamation in the Gospels. The first chapter decries the vague understanding of the kingdom of God as a current problem for Christians, and P. asserts that we cannot remain "cheerfully agnostic" about Jesus's primary agenda. A brief overview of the history of twentieth-century scholarship (Johannes Weiss, Albert Schweitzer, Albrecht Ritschl, Adolf von Harnack, Rudolf Bultmann, and C. H. Dodd), all in a conversational style, sets up the questions that need answers. Chapters 2–3 identify what the kingdom is. P. contends that the kingdom of God cannot be easily explained in a phrase, a sentence, or a paragraph (p. 52), and he compares it to jazz—something not easily defined, but one knows it when one hears it. Nevertheless, he defines the kingdom of God "as engaged in creation, universally focused, eschatologically oriented, a transcendent sphere of reality that conspires with a community of human image-bearers in the task of restoring creation to the worship of the one true creator God" (p. 52). Perrin develops this definition beginning with the Genesis creation stories that identify God as the king who serves as architect and builder of creation while reigning from heaven. The universal scope of God's kingdom is given expression through the successive covenants, which leads to P.'s analysis of the continuing backstory in the OT. He cleverly adopts Matthew's partitioning of Jesus's genealogy, from Abraham to David, from David [End Page 333] to the exile, and from the exile to Christ, to provide the scaffold for his inquiry of the texts. In chap. 4, P. presents John the Baptist as the "warm-up act" who introduces the requirements for membership in the kingdom community and Jesus, "the headliner," as the king. A lengthy examination of the parable of the sower (Mark 4:3-9) develops these categories. Chapter 5 treats Jesus's roles as king, which, through a typological interpretation, derive from key biblical figures. Jesus is the new David, a warrior king taking on Satan, the unifier of Israel's tribes, and the sufferer who dies on the cross. He is the new Moses as redeemer and lawgiver. He is the new Isaac who provides lasting atonement and, as the true heir of the promises, shares his inheritance with believers. In chaps. 6–7, P. seeks to rectify the neglect of John's Gospel in kingdom studies despite the opening assertion that hails Jesus as "the King of Israel" (John 1:49). The "I am" statements take center stage. As the good shepherd, the gate, and the light of the world, Jesus professes that the kingdom arrives through him. As the bread of life, the resurrection and the life, the true vine, and the way and the truth, Jesus assures disciples of their eschatological inheritance. In chaps. 8–10, P. tackles the paradox created by Jesus's sayings that imply that the kingdom is present, imminent, and future. The healing miracles, exorcisms, and proclamation of good news to the poor restore persons to wholeness and imply the kingdom's presence (chap. 8). Jesus's atoning death, resurrection, and ascension indicate that the kingdom is imminent (chap. 9). The eschatological discourse in Luke 21:8-39 serves as the focal passage for evidence that the kingdom will be fully realized only in the future (chap. 10). P. concludes that the kingdom is "fundamentally a future reality" as God propels history to this end. Chapter 11 centers on the interpretation of the Lord's Prayer as expressing the kingdom's core values and mission statement. Petitions 4 through 6 determine "how" one is to live in the kingdom. The address, "our father in heaven," and the first...