At the Heart of the Gospel

Suffering, while part of the human condition, is a state of being we would rather ignore. L. Ann Jervis here presents a convincing argument that human suffering is worth considering, and she offers the words of Paul as proof. Paul's insights into the predicament and significance of suffering provide the foundation for some of Christianity's most profound and unique contributions to understanding human life. Examination of three of his letters ? Thessalonians, Philippians, and Romans ? reveals his important reflections on accepting the suffering of believers with the conviction that, even as we suffer, God's plan for creation does not include suffering, and God will ultimately banish it. As a result, believing sufferers are not victims of suffering. Jervis hopes that hearing Paul's words on suffering in a fresh light may allow readers to be deeply marked, like the saints and shapers of Christianity, by the power of a gospel of which it is not necessary to be ashamed, precisely because it is not easy but transformative.

L. Ann Jervis is a professor of New Testament at Toronto School of Theology.

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Prologue	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
Suffering and the Approach of This Book	p. 3
Why This Investigation Matters	p. 5
The Organization and Scope of This Book	p. 8
1 Thessalonians	p. 15
Believer-Specific Suffering	p. 15
Paul's Reminder	p. 15
The Gospel Paul Proclaims Is Accompanied by Affliction	p. 17
The Shape of Affliction	p. 18
The Cause of Believer-Specific Suffering	p. 22
Suffering and Sanctification	p. 24
What Believer-Specific Suffering Is Not	p. 26
Suffering of Nonbelievers	p. 27
Summary	p. 29
Using 1 Thessalonians to Talk about Suffering	p. 30
Believer-Specific Suffering: The Challenge to Suffer	p. 30
The Reasons for Believer-Specific Suffering	p. 31
Our Suffering Is Productive	p. 33
Joy	p. 34
Suffering and Sanctification	p. 35
The Suffering of Nonbelievers	p. 35
Making Paul's Response to Nonbelievers Our Own	p. 36
Philippians	p. 37
Suffering as a Believer	p. 38
Philippians as an Apology for Suffering	p. 42
Paul's Defense	p. 45
Paul Exhorts the Philippians to Engage in the Same Struggle He Knows	p. 61
The Communion of Suffering and Joy	p. 62
Suffering of Nonbelievers	p. 63
Summary	p. 65
Using Philippians to Talk about Suffering	p. 66
Assurance in Suffering	p. 67
Philippians Offers Atypical Explanations for the Suffering of Believers	p. 70
Is Christ to Blame?	p. 73
Conclusion	p. 74
Romans	p. 77
Humanity's Shared Suffering	p. 78
Sin Is a Power That Causes Suffering	p. 79
Believers and Nonbelievers Have Distinct Relationships to Sin	p. 82
Human Suffering in the Present	p. 82
The Suffering of Lack of Trust in God's Righteousness	p. 84
A History of Suffering	p. 90
Suffering in the Future	p. 90
Suffering as Humans "in Christ"	p. 92
Suffering of Nonbelievers	p. 92
Nonbelievers, Indentured to Sin, Help Spread Suffering	p. 92
The Suffering of Those Who Do Not Believe in God	p. 94
Nonbelievers, Whether Jew or Gentile, Create Suffering	p. 96
Nonbelievers, Whether Jew or Gentile, Will Suffer	p. 96
Nonbelievers, Whether Jew or Gentile, Will Be Subject to God's Wrath	p. 97
The Suffering of Believers: Suffering "in Christ" and "with Christ"	p. 97
Another Context for Human Suffering: "in Christ"	p. 98
"With Christ" Suffering	p. 103
Suffering "with Christ" with Insight	p. 108
Summary	p. 114
Using Romans to Talk about Suffering	p. 116
Suffering Is an Affront to Human Dignity	p. 117
The Unity of Humanity	p. 117
Paul's Concern for Those Not "in Christ"	p. 118
Making Paul's Concern Our Own	p. 119
Suffering "in Christ"	p. 120
Suffering "with Christ": What It Means for Us, for God, and for God's Creation	p. 122
Conclusion	p. 129
Speaking and Living the Heart of the Gospel: Our Message	p. 130
Our Response	p. 132
Suffering Is Wrong and to Be Resisted	p. 132
Resources "in Christ" to Respond to Suffering	p. 133
Our Hope	p. 134
Our Responsibility	p. 134
Paul's Invitation	p. 136
Index of Subjects and Names	p. 139
Index of Scripture References	p. 146
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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At the Heart of the Gospel

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Author Biography

Table of Contents

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