Professor of New Testament Studies at Grace College & Theological Seminary Dr. Matt Harmon, recently released his latest book, “The God Who Judges and Saves.” In the theology of 2 Peter and Jude, Harmon examines five unique themes of the books, addressing topics such as false teaching, God’s authority and the new heavens and the new earth and giving Christians comfort and motivation in the face of serious challenges and opposition to the gospel.
“Even though Peter and Jude wrote their canonical letters almost 2,000 years ago, the church today still faces similar challenges as their original readers,” said Harmon. “As I worked through both books, I continued to ask myself, ‘What do these short, overlooked books have to teach Christians today about God, humanity and God’s redemptive plan?’”
Harmon had previously authored entries on 2 Peter and Jude for the ESV Expositor’s Commentary series. This provided a natural on-ramp to expound upon the key biblical-theological themes of each book.
“After reviewing my original commentaries, I determined which themes were most prominent in both 2 Peter and Jude,” said Harmon. “Then I tried to work through how each letter individually discusses those themes before trying to synthesize them together. The challenge is to allow each letter to speak on its own terms before synthesizing the message of the two letters together.”
Of the five themes traced in his book, the theme of “God’s Preservation of His Persevering People” was most encouraging to Harmon.
“These two letters provide strong warnings about the need to persevere in the faith even in the face of suffering and opposition,” said Harmon. “At the same time, God promises to work in us to preserve us by his Spirit. The older I get, the more I see my need for God’s sustaining grace to preserve me as I seek to remain faithful to him.”
“The God Who Judges and Saves” was written for anyone who wants to study the Bible more deeply, whether it be pastors, seminarians, college students or laypeople. It can be purchased at www.crossway.org/books/the-god-who-judges-and-saves-tpb/.
To hear more about the book, tune into episode 162 of Harmon’s podcast, “Various and Sundry.”
The book is being added to a growing list of works authored by Harmon, including his 2021 commentary on Galatians in the Evangelical Biblical Theology Series and his 2020 book, “Rebels and Exiles: A Biblical Theology of Sin and Restoration”, with InterVarsity Press. To learn more about Grace Theological Seminary, where Dr. Matt Harmon teaches courses such as “New Testament Theology” and “Greek Exegesis 2,” visit seminary.grace.edu/.
