Dr. Russell's areas of expertise are exegesis, hermeneutics, and New Testament theology, especially as they relate to world evangelism and the spiritual growth of the church. He has an extensive background in collegiate ministries, university teaching, and the pastorate, having planted two churches. He authored The Flesh/Spirit Conflict in Galatians and Playing with Fire: How the Bible Ignites Change in Your Soul. Dr. Russell has contributed articles to Bibliotheca Sacra, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Grace Theological Journal, Westminster Theological Journal, Trinity Journal, and Christianity Today. His life themes are the primacy of the Great Commission in the life of the church, the renewal of the church through the development of dynamic community, and the strengthening of the church through vibrant teaching of the Scriptures.

Affiliations

• Evangelical Theological Society
• Society of Biblical Literature
• Institute for Biblical Research
• The Catholic Biblical Association

Awards and Honors

• Received P.T.A. Scholarship to college as outstanding graduate of my high school class of 465 (Raytown South H. S., Raytown, Missouri), 1966
• Graduated with High Honors, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1978
• Recipient of the Arthur C. Gannett Award in Christian Education, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1978
• Recipient of the Timothy E. Knudsen Memorial Prize, Westminster Theological Seminary, 1986 and 1987
• Recipient of Lilly Grant for Faculty Scholarship, 1991 and 1993
• Recipient of Fieldstead Foundation Grant for Postmodernism Seminar, 1992-1993
• Recipient of Dean's Incentive Award, Talbot School of Theology, May, 1994

Publications

Books

• “Tracing the Blessing of God: A Survey of the New Testament and the Intertestamental Era” (U. S. Center for World Mission, 1997).
• “The Flesh/Spirit Conflict in Galatians” (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1997).
• “Playing with Fire: How the Bible Ignites Change in Your Soul” (Colorado Springs, Co: NavPress, 2000).
• “The Grander Plan: A Mission-Sensitive Survey of the New Testament and Intertestamental Period” (in process).

Chapters in Books and Study Notes

• Introduction and Reference Notes on “Romans” and “Galatians” in The Life Recovery Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992).
• “The Apostle Paul's View of the 'Sin Nature'/'New Nature' Struggle,” "A Response to David M. Ciocchi," and "A Response to Sherwood Lingenfelter" in Christian Perspectives on Being Human: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Integration, edited by J. P. Moreland and David M. Ciocchi (Baker Book House, 1993) 207-228, 112-114, and 147-149.
• “Literary Forms in the Hands of Preachers and Teachers,” in Cracking Old Testament Codes. A Guide to Interpreting the Literary Genres of the Old Testament, edited by D. Brent Sandy and Ronald L. Giese, Jr. (Nashville: Broadman/Holman Press, 1995) 281-298.
• “Romans” and "Galatians" in Top Picks of Commentaries on the New Testament (Biola University, 1999) 17-20, 25-28.
• “Kingdom Confusion: The Concern for Ethnocentrism in the Book of Acts,” in Institute of International Studies Reader (Pasadena, CA: Institute of International Studies, 2003) forthcoming.
• “What Does it Mean to Say, ”Jesus is Messiah?" in The Apologetics Study Bible, forthcoming.
• “Notes on Galatians,” in The Apologetics Study Bible, forthcoming.

Selected Magazine Articles

• “What does this verse mean to you?” Sundoulos (Winter, 1992).
• “What It Means to Me,” Christianity Today (October 26, 1992) 30-32. (reprinted in Herald of Holiness [November, 1993] 14-17; Vista Holiness Digest [October 23, 1994] 2;
• Pathways for Young Adults Student Guide [March, April, May, 1995] 8-11; What About the Bible? [Dialog Series Books; Kansas City, MO: Division of Sunday School Ministries, Church of the Nazarene, 1996]; Why Small Groups? [Study Book Series; Gaithersburg, MD: People of Destiny International, July, 1996] 121-127; Discover the Word. Reading the Bible for All Its Worth, Everett Leadingham, editor
• [Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1997] 83-90).
• “Matthew 24:14 - Do We Need to Evangelize ALL Peoples before Christ Returns?” in Adoption: A Practical Guide to Successfully Adopting a People Group, Bruce K. Camp, editor (Pasadena, CA: U.S. Center for World
• Mission--Mobilization Division, Nov., 1993) 10-12. (reprinted in Mission Frontiers Bulletin 16, nos. 7-8 (July-August, 1994) 14-16.) (also reprinted in Alliance Life [C & MA] 130, No. 2 [Jan. 18, 1995] 8-9, 12 under the title, "When Will Christ Come?").
• “My Theological Concerns about the Church Growth Movement,” in Sundoulos (Spring, 1997) 2-5.
• “How I Learned to Love God's Word,” Discipleship Journal 123 (May/June, 2001) page 59.
• “Avoid Every Appearance of Evil,” Biola Connections (Summer, 2003) 31.
• “Is There Healing in this Application?” in Christian Research Journal 27:1 (Feb., 2004) 58-59.
• “The Hazards of Reading on a Battlefield”, November 12, 2003 in Boundless.
• “'Indians Slay Tigers' and Braking for Genres”, December 18, 2003 in Boundless.
• “Overcoming Verse-bite Christian Culture”, January 22, 2004 in Boundless.
• “Grave Lessons about Application,” February 19, 2004 in Boundless. "Facing the Pain of Dementia," Biola Connections (Summer, 2004) 16-17.

Journal Articles

• “The Anointing with the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts,” Trinity Journal 7 NS (Spring, 1986) 47-63.
• “An Alternative Suggestion for the Purpose of Romans,” Bibliotheca Sacra 145 (Apr.-Jun., 1986) 174-84.
• “The Holy Spirit's Ministry in the Fourth Gospel,” Grace Theological Journal 8 (1987) 227-239.
• “Who Were Paul's Opponents in Galatia?” Bibliotheca Sacra 147 (1990) 329-350. (also included in the anthology Vital New Testament Issues: Examining New Testament Passages and Problems [Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1996] 146-164, 271-276; Roy B. Zuck, gen. ed.) A Review of Jouette M. Bassler, editor, Pauline Theology, Volume 1: Thessalonians, Philippians, Galatians, Philemon (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1991)
• Steadfast 6:5 (March, 1992) 7.
• “Rhetorical Analysis of the Book of Galatians, Part 1,” Bibliotheca Sacra 150 (July-Sept., 1993) 341-58.
• “Rhetorical Analysis of the Book of Galatians, Part 2,” Bibliotheca Sacra 150 (Oct.-Dec., 1993) 416-439.
• “Does the Christian Have 'Flesh” in Galatians 5:13-26?" The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 36 (1993) 179-187.
• “Insights from Postmodernism's Emphasis on Interpretive Communities in the Interpretation of Romans 7,” The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 37 (1994) 511-527.
• “The Apostle Paul's Redemptive-Historical Argumentation in Galatians 5:13-26,” Westminster Theological Journal 57 (Fall, 1995) 333-357.
• “Forty Years of Church Growth: A View from the Theological Tower,” Journal of Church Growth 6 (1995) 17-41.
• “Is There Healing in this Application?” in Christian Research Journal 27:1 (Feb., 2004) forthcoming.