Phil Cooke is the leading media expert in the world. He’s also a strong Christian. So I was honored when he wrote this about the new book recently.
“I just finished The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: Revised and Expanded by my friend Frank Viola. Epic read. He puts the New Testament story in the order the books were actually written, and the way the story happened. You’ll discover things you never knew – even after reading the NT hundreds of times. And you won’t believe the footnotes!”
In addition, Phil interviewed me on the new book. Here’s the full interview.
Enjoy!
From Phil Cooke:
Over the last few months, I’ve been incredibly curious about what we call the “Early Church.” What was it that caused so many believers to join together in local assemblies even though, in most places, it was outlawed? In the middle of that study, my friend Frank Viola showed me his terrific new book. It’s called The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: Revised and Expanded, and it’s been endorsed by 20 of the most acclaimed scholars in the world. The book has been described as “the New Testament guide of all New Testament guides.”
I don’t often blog about specific books, but I was hooked on this one. So, I recently caught up with Frank to discuss it and what it offers Christians:
Phil: Your new book is called, The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: Revised and Expanded. Give us a quick elevator pitch on what the book is about.
Frank: The acclaimed scholar F.F. Bruce famously said reading the New Testament letters is like hearing one end of a phone conversation. My book reconstructs the other end so readers can understand virtually every word. While the book is nonfiction, some early readers said it reads like a motion picture on paper. And that was my goal.
Phil: The book has been endorsed and recommended by many respected scholars. Who are some of them, and what have they said about the book?
Frank: I’m profoundly grateful that 20 high-voltage scholars have endorsed the book. Craig Keener, the greatest New Testament scholar ever to breathe oxygen in my view, wrote the Foreword:
“In The Untold Story of the New Testament Church, Frank Viola brings context and background together, inviting us on a captivating journey through the birth and growth of the first-century church. With a reputation for captivating prose and heartfelt storytelling, Viola brings his unique perspective to reconstruct the events from Matthew to Revelation. The Untold Story offers a plausible chronological narrative that reveals the grand tapestry of God’s kingdom plan and brings the characters of the story to life.”
Phil: Many Christians, leaders, pastors, teachers, and students of the Bible are interested in theology. How does your book relate to theology?
Frank: Two kinds of theology dominate the Christian world. Systematic theology, which is the most common, and narrative theology. Systematic theology attempts to organize religious beliefs into a coherent, logical system of doctrines. It arranges theological concepts by topic and categories like God, humanity, sin, salvation, and the church.
By contrast, narrative theology primarily focuses on understanding God and His kingdom through story. It seeks to understand God’s person, His work, and His ways through the overarching narrative of Scripture. It focuses on the story of the Bible rather than emphasizing doctrinal statements and propositions.
My book is a work of narrative theology. When we learn “The Story” in chronological order, it hems us in and tethers us to the truth.
Phil: Give us some “aha” moments you had while researching for the book.
Frank: There are so many that I’ve lost count. But here are a few:
*Paul’s thorn in the flesh. I make a strong case that Paul’s thorn was the ringleader of the Judaizers who dogged Paul’s steps everywhere he traveled to plant a church. So, Paul’s thorn was a “religious” man motivated by God’s enemy. This becomes clear in The Story. I cite a number of first-rate scholars in the book who agree with this conclusion after I presented it to them.
*Another is Paul’s message in Athens. The background is remarkable, yet little-known today. My book opens the narrative up historically, unfolding where the altar of “the Unknown God” came from. The saga is riveting. And it’s a lesson on how to recontextualize the gospel to our current culture.
*Another is how women dominate The Story. Jesus and Paul relied on women in their ministries. And the New Testament names them.
*Another is articulated in one of the final chapters. After the entire story of the first-century church is told chronologically, I make this statement:
“THE STORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH is a glorious paradox. It’s a combination of unmatched wonder alongside a persistent train wreck. The saga is both exuberant and harrowing. It depicts the sublime within the malign.”
All throughout The Story, you find the sublime — the numinous activity of the Holy Spirit that is beyond wonder.
But right alongside it, you have a constant train wreck.
The churches are in a constant state of falling apart. There is unrelenting opposition to the apostles, including Paul of Tarsus. And virtually all the letters in the NT were written by apostolic workers to churches in a first-class crisis.
It’s the sublime within the malign.
This same principle holds true for all authentic churches today. It’s true for our own Christian lives. We find the Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, within the mess. So The Story not only unlocks each of the 27 books of the New Testament, it also presents a fresh vision of church, of church planting, and of the Christian life that is about as rare today as hens’ teeth.
Phil: What’s the best place for people to learn more about the book and get a copy?
Frank: The best place is TheUntoldStory.net.
Everything related to the book is on that page, including a Sneak Preview Sampler, interviews, and online bookstores where readers can get a copy at a discount.
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