The Last Adam: A Theology of the Obedient Life of Jesus in the Gospels

Crowe, Brandon D.

$31.99 ~~$32.00~~

This product will ship directly from the publisher and you may not receive tracking. Learn More

cover_type

Paperback

Pack Option

pack

Single

$31.99

Product variants

There is much discussion today about how we are to understand the life of Jesus in the Gospels. What was Jesus doing between his birth and death and how does this relate to salvation?

The Last Adam considers the theological and soteriological significance of the life of Jesus in the Gospels from a primarily exegetical perspective. Brandon Crowe argues that Jesus is identified in the Gospels as the last Adam whose obedience recapitulates and overcomes the sin of the first Adam. Crowe shows that Jesus's obedience is presented by the Evangelists as the obedience of an anointed representative, which is counted vicariously on behalf of his people. Key topics covered include Jesus's baptism and temptation, his fulfillment of Scripture, the necessity of his works, the binding of the strong man and the inbreaking of the kingdom, and Jesus's death and resurrection. Crowe also discusses how his argument interfaces with systematic theology and the church's creedal traditions, which are often thought to say little about Jesus's life.

Correcting the Christian tendency to minimize the life of Jesus, The Last Adam explains why the Gospels include much more than the Passion Narratives and shows that all four Gospels present Jesus's obedient life as having saving significance.

Books at a Glance

Review

Author Interview

Specifications

Cover Type

Paperback
ISBN

9780801096266
Page Count

264
Publisher

Baker Book House
Publication Date

January 2017

Endorsements (6)

“Brandon Crowe continues to produce clearly written and thoughtful biblical scholarship that is consciously rooted in the Reformed theological tradition. This book is no exception, and I heartily agree with its goal--to show that Jesus's obedient life (not just his death) as explicated in the Gospels matters. Crowe's emphasis on Jesus as the last Adam is an important contribution to a theological reading of the Gospels.”

See All

Jonathan Pennington

associate professor of New Testament interpretation and director of research doctoral studies, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Modern New Testament scholars have sometimes missed or even denied what seemed obvious to the early fathers of the church--namely that the figure of Adam, and not merely the shadow of Israel, serves as the ultimate background to the Gospel narratives. In The Last Adam Brandon Crowe helps to right this wrong in a scholarly, comprehensive, readable, and indeed theologically thrilling way. Here is a work of carefully argued biblical scholarship that also makes a significant contribution to the work of systematic theologians. In addition it satisfies a great desideratum for ministers of the gospel and teachers: a resource book filled with a cornucopia of good things that will stimulate their thinking and enrich their preaching and teaching.”

See All

Sinclair B. Ferguson

professor of systematic theology, Redeemer Seminary

“Crowe makes an intriguing and creative case for Jesus being the last Adam in the Gospels. He demonstrates that Jesus's obedience is vital in the narrative and theology of the Gospels, which is a theme that has not been emphasized sufficiently in New Testament studies. Crowe's text is a genuine contribution to the study of the Gospels. We see in this volume the value of both biblical and systematic theology.”

See All

Thomas R. Schreiner

James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Whereas many Christians regard Jesus's life as little more than an anthology of Sunday school stories before his crucifixion, Brandon Crowe shows us that the Evangelists describe Jesus as the last Adam who saves people by his vicarious obedience to his messianic mission. Crowe explains not only why Jesus died but why he lived! In this book, Crowe provides a thorough description of the meaning of Jesus's life, how Jesus is the covenantal head of a new humanity, and how he lived for us and for our salvation. A great topic and well-written!”

See All

Michael F. Bird

lecturer in theology, Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia

“The issue of Jesus's relationship to Adam and whether the Savior's life, along with his death, was vicarious is a much-discussed, and sometimes debated, topic in theology. Brandon Crowe's The Last Adam presents a full walk through the issues tied to this discussion. It makes for fascinating reading as we come to reflect more on what Jesus's life and ministry may have been about.”

See All

Darrell L. Bock

executive director of cultural engagement, Howard G. Hendricks Center for Christian Leadership and Cultural Engagement; senior research professor of New Testament studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

“Crowe's emphasis on the importance of Jesus's ministry combines exegetical detail, attention to reception-history, and a candid theological concern (with particular, but not exclusive, attention to the Reformed tradition). Crowe shows the theological yield of attending to the Gospels' presentation of Jesus as the new Adam who redeems through his life as well as his death.”

See All

L. W. Hurtado

emeritus professor of New Testament language, literature and theology, School of Divinity, New College, University of Edinburgh

About the Author

Brandon D. Crowe (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is associate professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, Pennsylvania, where he also serves as New Testament department coordinator and coordinator of the Greek language curriculum.