John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions, 3rd Edition. Baker Academic, 2010.
Referenced in: Theology of Mission, Proposals and Formulations – Missionally Responsive/Evangelical
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This volume first came out in 1993, and his now in its third edition, having sold almost 200,000 copies. I was first exposed to Piper many years ago through his book Desiring God, and have enjoyed reading him since. Like all Piper volumes, Let the Nations Be Glad reflects and inspires incredible passion throughout:
“My passion is to see people, churches, mission agencies, and social ministries become God-centered, Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered, soul-satisfied, Bible-saturated, missions-mobilizing, soul-winning, and justice-pursuing. The supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ is the central, driving, all-unifying commitment of my life.” (9)
He believes all the service of Jesus should not be “absorbed in anthropology or methodology or even theology – it is absorbed in God.” (11) Toward that end, he hopes this book contributes to “God-besotted, Christ-addicted, Bible-breathing homes and churches and schools and ministries.” (10) The book is for:
Pastors who (like me) want to connect their fragile, momentary, local labors to God’s invincible, eternal, global purposes. It is for laypeople who want a bigger motivation for being world Christians than they get from statistics. It’s for college and seminary classes on the theology of missions that really want to be theological as well as anthropological, methodological, and technological. And it’s for leaders who need to find the flickering wick of their vocation fanned into flame again with a focus on the supremacy of God in all things.” (12)
A chief value of this volume is that it is not a part of any discussion such as missional, emergent, traditional, attractional, etc. It has no specific alignment to carry forward, no cause or association to identify with, other than Piper’s own passion for churches to glorify God. What that means to Piper certainly reflects his own missiological orientation. This is unavoidable. But there is a kind of refreshing purity to his writing that transcends current debate and simply focuses on God as revealed in Christ. And when one adds Piper’s contagious zeal and captivating style, it makes for a wonderful read.
From the Publisher
This new edition of a bestselling textbook (over 185,000 copies sold) draws on key biblical texts to demonstrate that worship is the ultimate goal of the church and that proper worship fuels missionary outreach. John Piper offers a biblical defense of God’s supremacy in all things, providing readers with a sound theological foundation for missions. He examines whether Jesus is the only way to salvation and issues a passionate plea for God-centeredness in the missionary enterprise, seeking to define the scope of the task and the means for reaching “all nations.” The third edition has been revised and expanded throughout and includes new material on the prosperity gospel. The book is essential reading for those involved in or preparing for missions work. It also offers enlightenment for college and seminary students, pastors, youth workers, campus ministers, and all who want to connect their labors to God’s global purposes.
About the Author
John Piper (DrTheol, University of Munich) is the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and founder of Desiring God Ministries. He is the author of numerous books, including Desiring God, The Pleasures of God, and The Supremacy of God in Preaching.
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