This book fills a real need for pastors and students. Though there is currently a large body of material on the theological interpretation of Scripture, most of it is highly specific and extremely technical. J. Todd Billings here provides a straightforward entryway for students and pastors to understand why theological interpretation matters and how it can be done. A solid, constructive theological work, The Word of God for the People of God presents a distinctive Trinitarian, participatory approach toward reading Scripture as the church. Billings's accessible yet substantial argument for a theological hermeneutic is rooted in a historic vision of the practice of scriptural interpretation even as it engages a wide range of contemporary issues and includes several exegetical examples that apply to concrete Christian ministry situations.
The Word of God for the People of God
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
From the Back Cover
"This roadmap through the field of theological interpretation of Scripture is a feast for the mind and for the edification of the church."
Kevin Vanhoozer, Wheaton College Graduate School
"Simply marvelous. . . . A major book, The Word of God for the People of God covers a wide range of themes and covers all of them well."
Matthew J. Levering, University of Dayton
"In The Word of God for the People of God Todd Billings gets to the core of the issues and states them with great clarity and firmness of line."
John Webster, Kings College, Aberdeen
"This is good work! I found myself saying 'Amen!' repeatedly as I read through the text. This wise and timely book will guide preachers and worship leaders in the service of the Word for the life and mission of the church."
Michael Pasquarello III, Asbury Theological Seminary
Kevin Vanhoozer, Wheaton College Graduate School
"Simply marvelous. . . . A major book, The Word of God for the People of God covers a wide range of themes and covers all of them well."
Matthew J. Levering, University of Dayton
"In The Word of God for the People of God Todd Billings gets to the core of the issues and states them with great clarity and firmness of line."
John Webster, Kings College, Aberdeen
"This is good work! I found myself saying 'Amen!' repeatedly as I read through the text. This wise and timely book will guide preachers and worship leaders in the service of the Word for the life and mission of the church."
Michael Pasquarello III, Asbury Theological Seminary
About the Author
J. Todd Billings is associate professor of Reformed theology at Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Michigan, and an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America. He is also the author of Calvin, Participation, and the Gift (Oxford), for which he won a 2009 Templeton Award for Theological Promise.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Dr. J. Todd Billings is Associate Professor of Reformed Theology at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI. He received his B.A. in Philosophy and Literature from Wheaton College (IL), his M.Div. from Fuller Seminary and his Th.D. from Harvard. He is the author of three books and numerous articles. His first book, "Calvin, Participation, and the Gift: The Activity of Believers in Union With Christ" (Oxford, 2007) won a 2009 Templeton Award for Theological Promise, awarded internationally for the best first books of scholars in theology and religious studies. He has lectured internationally, and has published articles in a variety of journals, including Modern Theology, Harvard Theological Review, Missiology, and International Journal of Systematic Theology, as well as periodicals such as Christianity Today, The Christian Century, and Sojourners.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There are loads of approaches to reading Scripture on tap. Most of these methods utilize some aspect that is helpful, though not an end in itself. J. Todd Billings has joined the conversation with his levelheaded book, "The Word of God for the People of God." This 253 page paperback was written with pastors and seminary students in mind to "help readers gain a clarity about the wide and spacious yet specified way of approaching Scripture as readers who belong to Christ" (xvii).
The primary premises advocated in "The Word of God for the People of God," is that there is a proper way to approach Holy Scripture that moves beyond (though it includes) the greasy mechanic work of other methods. To begin with, the Bible reader needs to come with humility. He is not a technician who manufactures meanings out of Scripture, or manipulates and controls the outcome of this Word of God, but that through Scripture "God "reads" us, reshaping us into Christ's image by the Spirit's power" (80). Instead of Christians owning the truth, we are owned by the One who is the truth (82), which means that as the Word of God comes to inhabit us and our cultural context, it will often critique and challenge us and our cultural context (108). Therefore, coming to Scripture in this expectant humility, there is renunciation and transformation, for "reading Scripture is about being mastered by Jesus Christ through a biblical text that functionally stands over us as the word of God, not under us as a word we can control, rearrange, and use for our own purposes" (203).
A second, and extremely important, aspect of properly approaching Scripture is reading the Bible through the lens of the rule of faith. Though this may sound strange to modern Protestant and Evangelical ears, Billings makes a strong case that (1) we already come to Scripture with theological presuppositions in place (thus the claim of neutrality is a mythical assertion (11-17)), and (2) there is a wholesome, ancient, longstanding rule of faith that comes from Scripture and guides our reading of Scripture (17-26). This rule of faith is external to us, something that we receive and pass on. As the Apostle Paul says, it is "our common faith" (Titus 1.4), or he says in another place, "As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving" (Colossians 2.6-7). Though this rule of faith is not the sum total of what a particular Christian believes, it is the central framework through which he reads the Bible (23-24).
As Billings points out, the rule of faith, specifically as it is laid out in a tool like the Apostles' Creed, is overtly Trinitarian, announcing how God was active in Jesus Christ. Embracing this rule of faith in reading Scripture gives us the Jesus-authorized (Luke 24) go-ahead to appropriate the Old Testament in such a Jesus-shaped way that "Christians do not receive the Old Testament as a generic "word from God" to be received apart from Christ; it is because of Christ that Christians read the Old Testament as Scripture at all. [...] Christians receive Israel's Scripture as their own because of "the new covenant made by God in Christ," into which they are grafted by God's covenant with Abraham" (168).
In "The Word of God for the People of God" Billings defines and fills out his point of reading Scripture with this theological hermeneutic. Each chapter builds on the previous, and smoothly takes the reader, chapter by chapter, subject by subject, further and deeper into a way of reading Scripture with all the Church throughout the ages. In chapter one Billings makes a strong case for the classical view of reading Scripture through the lens of the regula fidei (rule of faith). The author then moves into the second chapter showing that a proper hermeneutic is Trinitarian. Though in some ways we read the Bible like any other book, ultimately "the church cannot and should not read" it "exactly like any other book" (xv). Chapter three takes up three interrelated topics of revelation, inspiration and canon by addressing two sets of theological either/or's: either we approach Scripture from an enlightenment/deistic position, or a Christ-focused/Trinitarian posture. After clearing away the enlightenment/deistic position, Billings takes up the cultural context and social location of the interpreter in chapter four, especially the manner in which Scripture inhabits a culture (indigenization) and then critiques it, by the Spirit's work. Moving to the fifth chapter, the author encourages and argues for the need for the modern Bible reader to appreciatively draw on premodern (patristic, medieval and Reformation) exegetes. The final chapter synthesizes the previous concepts while moving forward to concrete reading practices of Scripture. Throughout the chapters the reader will find Billings drawing interesting and intriguing support from such divergent partners as Kierkegaard, Calvin, Nietzsche, Rich Mullins, Bavinck, and Irenaeus of Lyons, to name a few. He does so in such a skillful way as to keep the reader's attention and bring her to surprising conclusions.
The benefit I received from "The Word of God for the People of God" has come out in several different routes, from my recent conversation with an Orthodox Jew from Canada who asked me how Christians interpret Scripture, to my sermon preparation. But the primary profit I have gained from this work has been on a more personal level. Primarily, to be reminded repeatedly that I am not the master of Scripture, but rather Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, through Scripture is mastering me! This is something I believe every preacher and pastor must return to.
Though there are places where Billings goes that select Reformed Protestants might find somewhat discomforting, nevertheless, the thoughtful reader will be engaged, challenged, encouraged, and helped in reading, preaching, and being reclaimed by this Word of God. I highly recommend "The Word of God for the People of God" by J. Todd Billings.
The primary premises advocated in "The Word of God for the People of God," is that there is a proper way to approach Holy Scripture that moves beyond (though it includes) the greasy mechanic work of other methods. To begin with, the Bible reader needs to come with humility. He is not a technician who manufactures meanings out of Scripture, or manipulates and controls the outcome of this Word of God, but that through Scripture "God "reads" us, reshaping us into Christ's image by the Spirit's power" (80). Instead of Christians owning the truth, we are owned by the One who is the truth (82), which means that as the Word of God comes to inhabit us and our cultural context, it will often critique and challenge us and our cultural context (108). Therefore, coming to Scripture in this expectant humility, there is renunciation and transformation, for "reading Scripture is about being mastered by Jesus Christ through a biblical text that functionally stands over us as the word of God, not under us as a word we can control, rearrange, and use for our own purposes" (203).
A second, and extremely important, aspect of properly approaching Scripture is reading the Bible through the lens of the rule of faith. Though this may sound strange to modern Protestant and Evangelical ears, Billings makes a strong case that (1) we already come to Scripture with theological presuppositions in place (thus the claim of neutrality is a mythical assertion (11-17)), and (2) there is a wholesome, ancient, longstanding rule of faith that comes from Scripture and guides our reading of Scripture (17-26). This rule of faith is external to us, something that we receive and pass on. As the Apostle Paul says, it is "our common faith" (Titus 1.4), or he says in another place, "As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving" (Colossians 2.6-7). Though this rule of faith is not the sum total of what a particular Christian believes, it is the central framework through which he reads the Bible (23-24).
As Billings points out, the rule of faith, specifically as it is laid out in a tool like the Apostles' Creed, is overtly Trinitarian, announcing how God was active in Jesus Christ. Embracing this rule of faith in reading Scripture gives us the Jesus-authorized (Luke 24) go-ahead to appropriate the Old Testament in such a Jesus-shaped way that "Christians do not receive the Old Testament as a generic "word from God" to be received apart from Christ; it is because of Christ that Christians read the Old Testament as Scripture at all. [...] Christians receive Israel's Scripture as their own because of "the new covenant made by God in Christ," into which they are grafted by God's covenant with Abraham" (168).
In "The Word of God for the People of God" Billings defines and fills out his point of reading Scripture with this theological hermeneutic. Each chapter builds on the previous, and smoothly takes the reader, chapter by chapter, subject by subject, further and deeper into a way of reading Scripture with all the Church throughout the ages. In chapter one Billings makes a strong case for the classical view of reading Scripture through the lens of the regula fidei (rule of faith). The author then moves into the second chapter showing that a proper hermeneutic is Trinitarian. Though in some ways we read the Bible like any other book, ultimately "the church cannot and should not read" it "exactly like any other book" (xv). Chapter three takes up three interrelated topics of revelation, inspiration and canon by addressing two sets of theological either/or's: either we approach Scripture from an enlightenment/deistic position, or a Christ-focused/Trinitarian posture. After clearing away the enlightenment/deistic position, Billings takes up the cultural context and social location of the interpreter in chapter four, especially the manner in which Scripture inhabits a culture (indigenization) and then critiques it, by the Spirit's work. Moving to the fifth chapter, the author encourages and argues for the need for the modern Bible reader to appreciatively draw on premodern (patristic, medieval and Reformation) exegetes. The final chapter synthesizes the previous concepts while moving forward to concrete reading practices of Scripture. Throughout the chapters the reader will find Billings drawing interesting and intriguing support from such divergent partners as Kierkegaard, Calvin, Nietzsche, Rich Mullins, Bavinck, and Irenaeus of Lyons, to name a few. He does so in such a skillful way as to keep the reader's attention and bring her to surprising conclusions.
The benefit I received from "The Word of God for the People of God" has come out in several different routes, from my recent conversation with an Orthodox Jew from Canada who asked me how Christians interpret Scripture, to my sermon preparation. But the primary profit I have gained from this work has been on a more personal level. Primarily, to be reminded repeatedly that I am not the master of Scripture, but rather Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, through Scripture is mastering me! This is something I believe every preacher and pastor must return to.
Though there are places where Billings goes that select Reformed Protestants might find somewhat discomforting, nevertheless, the thoughtful reader will be engaged, challenged, encouraged, and helped in reading, preaching, and being reclaimed by this Word of God. I highly recommend "The Word of God for the People of God" by J. Todd Billings.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Nate Dawson
Format:Paperback
In this constructive and pastoral work, J. Todd Billings gifts the church with a wise articulation of a constructive `theological interpretation of Scripture.' Not only does this work cover some of the most important scholars working in the field today, but to date it's the most pastoral work on the theological interpretation of Scripture I'm aware of. That is not to say that others haven't done fine work in this area, but in this book - Billings does a huge favor to those just entering the burgeoning field of theological interpretation. This is a must read for ALL students and pastors interested in reading Scripture theologically in and for the life of the church. When the back of your book is comprised of such scholars as Kevin Vanhoozer, Michael Pasquarelo, Matthew Levering and John Webster - you know that you're reading some good work.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The second-to-last section of the Gospel of John is a discussion between Jesus and Peter. They have a bit of back-and-forth conversation, with Jesus asking Peter if he, Peter, loves him, to which Peter offers a heartfelt, "You know that I love you." This exchange happens three times, with Jesus' response to Peter's affirmation of love being, "Feed my lambs," "Tend my sheep," and "Feed my sheep." One of the things happening here is that Jesus is highlighting the importance of the task being given to Peter of providing ongoing care for Jesus disciples.
The task of "feeding God's sheep" remains among the primary responsibilities of those in pastoral ministry today, and the food that God has given for the task is his word, as contained in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. In The Word of God for the People of God: an entryway to the theological interpretation of scripture, J. Todd Billings provides those who would teach and preach God's word with an understanding of their own particular entry-point as they open their Bible and he gives them some things to be mindful of as they study, so that they can bring the fullest possible understanding to those in their care.
(Disclaimer: I studied systematic theology with Prof. Billings, where he taught several of the concepts he writes of in this book.)
Billings is well aware of the many different ways people approach the Bible, recognizing that the point of entry often shapes what is found and how it is used. The goal of his book is "to introduce readers to the practice of interpreting Scripture in the context of the triune activity of God, the God who uses Scripture to reshape the church into Christ's image by the Spirit's power." (xiii) He believes that Scripture should be approached in an integrated manner in order to best hear and follow "God's powerful and transforming word...a word that is not under our control." Ministry leaders are not called to read the Bible as "religious managers or religious customer service agents. They are called to read the Bible as disciples of Jesus Christ." (xvii) To which I respond with a hearty "Amen!"
In six chapters Billings explores basic issues to understanding one's entry point to the Bible. Chapter one considers the importance of reading scripture as part of the essential task of theology, i.e. "Faith seeking understanding." Chapter two gives an overview of the place of historical and biblical criticism in reading scripture carefully. Chapter three addresses basic questions regarding the nature of scripture and its source. Chapter four considers the importance of understanding one's own context as they study scripture, while chapter five highlights the importance of looking back to see what other students throughout church history have gleaned from the same texts being studied today. And chapter six concludes with a consideration of the interpretation of scripture within the practice of Christian faith, with one eye on the essential role of a Trinitarian outlook to the expression of faith.
This book is filled, from beginning to end, with valuable wisdom for the biblical student, teacher and preacher. It is written for an audience that has a working familiarity with the vocabulary of theological studies but the points that Billings articulates can, and should, all be developed for teaching within congregations.
One example has to do with how we understand scripture to be received. One of the decisions we make concerning scripture, which is critical in how we read and apply it, is its source. "Either revelation is grounded in inherent, universal human capacities or in the particularity of God's action with Israel and in Jesus Christ." (74, italics authors) We may or may not consciously consider these questions but our answers to them give powerful shape to what we receive from scripture.
With the first option we may view Scripture as something that was written by a diverse group of people and collected by another group of people, each imposing their own particular biases on their task. As we read it from this point we are free to take and keep what we want and to discard that which we feel is no longer relevant.
But if we take the second option then we recognize that while what we have received as Scripture may have come through human hands, it is inspired by a divine source. In receiving revelation this way "Christians enter into a world that they did not create." (80) As a result of Scripture coming from God's particular action, "Believers in Jesus Christ do not "own" the truth as much as they are owned by the one who is the truth." (82) To borrow from Robert Frost, our decision regarding the source of revelation of Scripture "makes all the difference."
A theme that runs through the entire book is the work of the Trinity in the reading of Scripture and the living of Christian faith. That may seem to be a "no-brainer," given that virtually all orthodox Christians in the world believe in the triune nature of God, beliefs that are clearly stated in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, as well as the confessional statements of many denominations and individual congregations. But in practice we often worship and serve a somewhat generic God and/or Jesus, paying little heed to the person of the Spirit or the intimate interconnectedness of Father, Son and Spirit in every activity that God is involved in. In the final chapter Billings emphasizes that anything less than Trinitarian reading and practice will leave large holes in what we know of God and the ways in which we serve him.
Billings does an excellent job of advocating for a heightened articulation of the Trinity as we read, teach and preach the word of God, saying, "The Bible is the instrument of the triune God to shape believers into the image of Christ, in word and deed, by the power of the Spirit, transforming a sinful and alienated people into children of a loving Father." (199) In The Word of God for the People of God Billings graciously invites and guides all Christians into a rich and transforming encounter with God's word, to God's eternal glory.
The task of "feeding God's sheep" remains among the primary responsibilities of those in pastoral ministry today, and the food that God has given for the task is his word, as contained in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. In The Word of God for the People of God: an entryway to the theological interpretation of scripture, J. Todd Billings provides those who would teach and preach God's word with an understanding of their own particular entry-point as they open their Bible and he gives them some things to be mindful of as they study, so that they can bring the fullest possible understanding to those in their care.
(Disclaimer: I studied systematic theology with Prof. Billings, where he taught several of the concepts he writes of in this book.)
Billings is well aware of the many different ways people approach the Bible, recognizing that the point of entry often shapes what is found and how it is used. The goal of his book is "to introduce readers to the practice of interpreting Scripture in the context of the triune activity of God, the God who uses Scripture to reshape the church into Christ's image by the Spirit's power." (xiii) He believes that Scripture should be approached in an integrated manner in order to best hear and follow "God's powerful and transforming word...a word that is not under our control." Ministry leaders are not called to read the Bible as "religious managers or religious customer service agents. They are called to read the Bible as disciples of Jesus Christ." (xvii) To which I respond with a hearty "Amen!"
In six chapters Billings explores basic issues to understanding one's entry point to the Bible. Chapter one considers the importance of reading scripture as part of the essential task of theology, i.e. "Faith seeking understanding." Chapter two gives an overview of the place of historical and biblical criticism in reading scripture carefully. Chapter three addresses basic questions regarding the nature of scripture and its source. Chapter four considers the importance of understanding one's own context as they study scripture, while chapter five highlights the importance of looking back to see what other students throughout church history have gleaned from the same texts being studied today. And chapter six concludes with a consideration of the interpretation of scripture within the practice of Christian faith, with one eye on the essential role of a Trinitarian outlook to the expression of faith.
This book is filled, from beginning to end, with valuable wisdom for the biblical student, teacher and preacher. It is written for an audience that has a working familiarity with the vocabulary of theological studies but the points that Billings articulates can, and should, all be developed for teaching within congregations.
One example has to do with how we understand scripture to be received. One of the decisions we make concerning scripture, which is critical in how we read and apply it, is its source. "Either revelation is grounded in inherent, universal human capacities or in the particularity of God's action with Israel and in Jesus Christ." (74, italics authors) We may or may not consciously consider these questions but our answers to them give powerful shape to what we receive from scripture.
With the first option we may view Scripture as something that was written by a diverse group of people and collected by another group of people, each imposing their own particular biases on their task. As we read it from this point we are free to take and keep what we want and to discard that which we feel is no longer relevant.
But if we take the second option then we recognize that while what we have received as Scripture may have come through human hands, it is inspired by a divine source. In receiving revelation this way "Christians enter into a world that they did not create." (80) As a result of Scripture coming from God's particular action, "Believers in Jesus Christ do not "own" the truth as much as they are owned by the one who is the truth." (82) To borrow from Robert Frost, our decision regarding the source of revelation of Scripture "makes all the difference."
A theme that runs through the entire book is the work of the Trinity in the reading of Scripture and the living of Christian faith. That may seem to be a "no-brainer," given that virtually all orthodox Christians in the world believe in the triune nature of God, beliefs that are clearly stated in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, as well as the confessional statements of many denominations and individual congregations. But in practice we often worship and serve a somewhat generic God and/or Jesus, paying little heed to the person of the Spirit or the intimate interconnectedness of Father, Son and Spirit in every activity that God is involved in. In the final chapter Billings emphasizes that anything less than Trinitarian reading and practice will leave large holes in what we know of God and the ways in which we serve him.
Billings does an excellent job of advocating for a heightened articulation of the Trinity as we read, teach and preach the word of God, saying, "The Bible is the instrument of the triune God to shape believers into the image of Christ, in word and deed, by the power of the Spirit, transforming a sinful and alienated people into children of a loving Father." (199) In The Word of God for the People of God Billings graciously invites and guides all Christians into a rich and transforming encounter with God's word, to God's eternal glory.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Still not sure what TIS is
If I asked you to define the "Theological interpretation of Scripture" do you think you could do it? I don't know that I would fare any better. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Jacob Sweeney
5.0 out of 5 stars
On the theological interpretation of Scripture
Especially valuable is Billings' close attention to the relationship between divine and human agency and the knock-on effects this has for pretty much every facet of TIS: what the... Read more
Published on May 30, 2010 by Kent D. Eilers
