You’ve probably heard of Frank Viola, whether it be through his books, his podcast or in person at one of his speaking engagements. Frank will be on Seminary Dropout very soon to talk about his work and ministry, but he has a new release available TODAY so I decided to sneak in a quick Q & A with him specifically about this new book: Jesus Now: Unveiling the Present-Day Ministry of Christ.
You’ve written a few books specifically about Jesus. What did you want to say in ‘Jesus Now’ that you didn’t say in previous books?
Yes, in Jesus Manifesto, the subject was about how and why so many Christians suffer from JDD (Jesus Deficit Disorder) and how to fix it.
In Jesus: A Theography, the subject was the Jesus story from Genesis to Revelation and how theology and New Testament scholarship don’t have to be enemies.
In Jesus Now, the subject is laser focused on what Jesus Christ has been doing since His ascension until His second coming. In other words, the book explores everything the New Testament teaches us about what Jesus is doing today . . . now . . . and how it benefits you and me.
This book is about what Jesus is doing on earth NOW. What made you want to write about that?
Two reasons.
1. I’m unaware of any book that treats this subject in any detail, touching all the New Testament texts on the subject.
2. The present-day ministry of Jesus Christ is fascinating and highly practical. It’s life-changing, in my opinion and experience.
What kinds of things do you see Jesus doing now?
Jesus has essentially 7 ministries today.
Great High Priest
Chief Shepherd
Heavenly Bridegroom
Author and Finisher of Our Faith
Builder of the Ekklesia
Head of the Church
Lord of the World
The book unfolds each ministry using Scripture, experience, and stories.
Each ministry has practical application for us today and solves most of our common problems and struggles.
What are followers of Christ missing out on by not seeing the activity that Jesus is behind now?
A great deal. If they don’t know Him as Head of the Body, they won’t know how to continue His ministry today. Instead, they’ll rely on their own strength and understanding to do it and it will yield very little fruit in the long run.
If they don’t know Him as the Author and Finisher of their faith, they will get stuck in their spiritual development. They will also lose heart and motivation to press on.
If they don’t know Him as High Priest, they will suffer with a guilty conscience, won’t know the dividing of spirit and soul in their experience (Heb. 4:12), and won’t take advantage of His other roles as High Priest.
If they don’t know Him as Lord of the world, they won’t understand how His lordship becomes a living reality in the earth today, but will question it, because if we turn on the news or read the paper, it doesn’t appear that Jesus really is the Lord of the world right now. Those are just a few examples.
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