Frank Viola, The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Guide to Understanding the New Testament. Destiny Image Publishers, 2025.
Prequels:
- Viola, Pagan Christianity
- Viola, Reimagining Church
- Viola, From Eternity to Here
- Viola, Finding Organic Church
Sequel: Viola and Sweet, The Jesus Manifesto
Referenced in: Missional Communties – Organic Church
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
The Untold Story, Revised and Expanded is the fifth installment in Viola’s six-part “ReChurch Library” and is the culmination of Viola’s work. Click the links above for summaries of the other volumes. The “From the Publisher” below is an excellent summary of the content. To classify it among church leadership resources, it is a non-technical missional ecclesiology (theology/doctrine of the church) from a missio Dei perspective.
The Untold Story is a missional guide for unlocking the New Testament. In Viola’s own words, it “tells the story of Jesus Christ expressing Himself through His body in chronological order from A.D. 30 to A.D. 70.” It follows a chronological, not canonical, order of the New Testament, to shape a narrative ecclesiology, narrative meaning “according to the way the story of the early church unfolds.” It is preceded and followed by a discussion of the preexistent Godhead (i.e. Trinity) of Father, Son, and Spirit who enjoy spiritual community among themselves, establish an eternal purpose to create a universe and a world to whom they can extend their community, fulfill that purpose in the church, and finally bring the church into complete union with Christ and thus consummate their plan of expanding their fellowship.
This is a very coherent and thorough discussion of the mission of God as expressed through the church. It makes sense of Scripture’s rich imagery regarding the church, especially that found in Ephesians and Colossians, and does so in a way that inspires the contemporary church to missional faithfulness. It is a good companion volume to another book by Viola, From Eternity to Here, and all of his other works, including Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom.
From the Publisher
A New Touchstone for Understanding the New Testament
The Untold Story of the New Testament: Revised and Expanded
In this definitive reconstruction of the New Testament narrative, bestselling author Frank Viola beautifully weaves the drama in Acts with the Epistles chronologically as well as adding fascinating details about first-century life—creating one riveting story.
This unique book represents a revolutionary paradigm shift in our approach to reading and interpreting the New Testament. It’s a fresh and innovative presentation that unlocks the epic Biblical story in a way that will leave readers amazed.
Though not a fiction work, this tour de force reads like a movie on paper that will captivate your heart by putting you in the center of the drama, giving you a firsthand account of the first-century story. Drawing from the best of contemporary scholarship, the book includes background information about the people, cities, and places that are mentioned in Matthew through Revelation.
Readers will feel transported into an electrifying first-hand account of the New Testament drama. Watch the chaotic swirl of first-century people, churches, and events fall into place before your very eyes. Discover what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” really was. Learn what happened to the apostles after the book of Acts ends. This powerful book is poised to become an essential resource for all Christians, pastors, and Bible study leaders who desire a deeper, more biblically grounded faith.
About the Author
Frank Viola has helped thousands of people around the world to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ and enter into a more vibrant and authentic experience of church. His blog, frankviola.org, is rated as one of the most popular in Christian circles today.
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
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- Missional Communities
- Missional Leadership / Missional Strategies
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