Ten Great Ideas from First Corinthians

First Corinthians is one of the most relevant NT documents for both younger churches seeking maturity in the majority world and older churches seeking renewal in the Western world in the twenty-first century. The reason this epistle is so relevant is that it focuses on renewing the church through believing and living out the good news that because of Jesus's death and resurrection God has begun his new creation agenda amid the broken world of today. This is not just another commentary (there are many very good ones) but rather we present a biblical theology of church renewal, based on solid exegesis, and our experience as teachers and pastors in both Africa and North America. This book will pull out the essential teaching of Paul on renewal in ten manageable principles, or "great ideas." Church renewal is not just following certain steps but results from nurturing a culture that practices both cross power and a life of new creation hope. When churches make the shift from traditionalism to radical community and evangelical activism through a new experience of the gospel seen as both personal liberation and the transformation of all things, the church begins to move, and the world begins to change.

George Renner has a PhD from Boston University and served at Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology for more than two decades. He taught courses in New Testament and pastoral theology along with his diverse administrative roles. George designed and led Africa's first Doctor of Ministry Programme. His passion is providing grassroots, non-formal training for African leaders and especially his partnership with the Evangelical Church of South Sudan. In the past two years, he has taught in Rwanda, Nigeria, Egypt, and Uganda.


Mark Shaw, Th.D., Westminster Theological Seminary, along with his wife, Lois, and their two children, is a missionary with Africa Inland Mission. He teaches at Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology in Kenya.