000			01990nam a2200301 a 4500
005			20260119070404.0
008			2021-11-23 15:56:57
020			_a0801031095
040			_a1
041			_a0 eng
082			_a253.09015
082			_bJ27-T47
100			_aThompson, James W.
100			_d(1942-...)
100			_eAuthor
245			_aPastoral ministry according to Paul
245			_bA biblical vision
245			_cJames W. Thompson
260			_aGrand Rapids, Michigan
260			_bBaker Academic
260			_c2006
300			_a174tr.
300			_bPaperback
300			_c22cm
520			_aWhat is the ultimate purpose of pastoral ministry? What emphases and priorities should fuel the pursuit of this purpose? These are perennial questions engaged by pastors, the churches that employ them, and the seminaries that prepare them. As a New Testament scholar who works at the intersection between biblical studies and practical ministry, James Thompson suggests that we need to recapture the theological foundation for understanding pastoral ministry. In this careful, contextual study of Pauline letters, Thompson draws out Paul's vision and purpose for his ministry. He concludes that the goal of pastoral ministry is `transforming the community of faith until it is 'blameless' at the coming of Christ.` It is corporate, spiritual, and ethical growth that Paul focuses on, as opposed to the frequent contemporary focus on numerical growth and meeting the needs of individuals. While recognizing the historical and cultural gap between Paul's ministry context and our own, Thompson nevertheless believes this vision of ministry has profound implications for us today. Going beyond the emphasis on pastoral roles and mere pragmatics of much of the `how to` literature, he offers suggestions for application that are rooted in the eschatological and ethical goals of Paul's vision of pastoral work.
650			_aPaul -- the Apostle, Saint
957			_a211001 TKH
999			_c5856 _d5856