Paul Marston

Books available to order

Hellfire and Destruction: What Does the Bible Really Say about Hell?

Paperback: $16 / £13 RRP. Available at: Amazon, Wipf & Stock
Kindle price for a very limited time only: UK Price $2.99 / £2.35

To those of us who believe in the inspiration and authority of the Bible, it must surely be a concern to know what it says will happen to the millions around us, some of whom we love dearly, who die without repentance or faith. Does Scripture teach that at the last judgment those who remain unrepentant will be consigned to an unending existence of torment without hope? Is that truly what Jesus and his apostles believed and taught?

This book presents basic evidence that what they really taught was that the final judgmental end for such people will be “destruction,” taking its obvious meaning that they will cease to exist as conscious individuals. The arguments are not complex, because most of the New Testament writers make plain statements to this effect. The book also looks at those parables and Revelation passages sometimes taken to indicate unending torment. It links with academic works that in increasing numbers are making the same points, but the book is not a contribution to academic scholarship. Rather, it is a careful, readable, and accessible account to challenge pastors, church leaders, and Christians generally to consider what the Bible actually says rather than rely on tradition.

Read the forewords, endorsements and comments here

  • Publisher: ‎ Wipf & Stock; First Edition (Dec, 2023)
  • Paperback: ‎ 118 Pages
  • Paperback ISBN: 978-1-6667-8478-7
  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-6667-8479-4
  • ebook ISBN: 978-1-6667-8480-0
  • Dimensions: ‎ 5.50 x 8.50 x 0.24 in

Paul’s Gospel in Romans & Galatians

£10 RRP. Available at: Ichtus Shop, Amazon UK or Amazon US

Putting the ‘Mmm’ into commentary! Paul’s Gospel is an easy-to-read, accessible commentary on Romans and Galatians. The apostle Paul travelled over 10,000 miles to spread the good news of Jesus to the Gentile world. In Romans 2:16 and 16:25 Paul writes ‘according to my Gospel’, but what exactly is Paul’s gospel? How can we understand what it meant to the people Paul was writing to, and how can we apply it to our lives today in the twenty-first century? ‘Paul’s Gospel’ rediscovers the heartbeat at the centre of Paul’s life and ministry and shakes off the dust of centuries of theological additions to reveal the radical inclusive message in the letters to the Romans and Galatians.

  • Publisher: ‎ PUSH Publishing; First Edition (1 Aug. 2016)
  • Paperback: ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10: ‎ 0993344569
  • ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0993344565
  • Dimensions: ‎ 14.8 x 2.1 x 21 cm

Christianity: The Evidence

£4 RRP. Available at: Ichtus Shop

  • Publisher: ‎ PUSH Publishing; First Edition (1 Aug. 2015)
  • Paperback: ‎ 64 pages
  • ISBN-10: ‎ 099334450X
  • ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0993344503
  • Dimensions: ‎ 14.8 x 0.5 x 21 cm

God’s Strategy in Human History, 3rd Edition

£16 RRP. Available in print at: Ichtus Shop.
Available as Amazon Kindle edition: Volume 1, Volume 2.

Read an extract “From the Forewords” of this book

Volume 1: God’s Path to Victory

In Volume 1: God’s Path to Victory we explore what the Bible says about how God is working in human history. We look at the conflict between good and evil and at how your personal relationship with God fits into his bigger strategy of bringing in the Kingdom.
This brings fresh meaning to questions like

  • If God is good, why do suffering and evil exist?
  • Is God in control of the future?
  • Do my prayers make a difference?
  • Why did God choose Israel? And is Israel still chosen?
  • What is God’s purpose for the Church today?

By looking at these questions in the context of God’s strategy we see how they start to make sense to our Christian lives in the 21st century.

Available as Amazon Kindle edition: Volume 1.

  • Publisher: ‎ PUSH Publishing; 3rd edition (1 Oct. 2013)
  • Paperback: ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10: ‎ 0955378354
  • ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0955378355

Volume 2: Reconsidering Key Biblical Ideas

Volume 2: Reconsidering Key Biblical Ideas builds on and reinforces a number of the key concepts in Volume 1: God’s Path to Victory. We show how many of the traditionalist meanings given to them are based on imported human philosophy, and not 1st century understandings. These include

  • God’s will, plans and sovereignty and man’s freewill
  • Justification and righteousness
  • God’s election and foreknowledge    
  • Works and faithfulness
  • The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart and unbelief

The last chapter brings together some of the wildly unbiblical teachings of Augustine of Hippo, a man whose theological influence remains huge even today. This volume can either be read alongside Volume 1 or individually to explore particular topics in more depth.

Available as Amazon Kindle edition: Volume 2.

  • Publisher: ‎ PUSH Publishing; 3rd edition (1 Oct. 2013)
  • Language: ‎ English
  • Paperback: ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10: ‎ 0955378362
  • ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0955378362

God’s Strategy in Human History, Second Edition

Available at: Wipf and Stock and Amazon

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wipf and Stock (1 July 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 386 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1579102735
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1579102739
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 2.31 x 22.56 cm

Reason, Science and Faith, USA Edition

Available at: Wipf and Stock and Amazon

  • Publisher: ‎ Wipf & Stock Pub; Pap/Psc edition (June 11, 2001)
  • Paperback: ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10: ‎ 1579106617
  • ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1579106614
  • Dimensions: ‎ 5.88 x 1.09 x 9 inches

Reason, Science and Faith, UK Edition

Available at Amazon

  • Publisher: ‎ Monarch Books (9 April 1999)
  • Paperback: ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10: ‎ 1854244418
  • ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1854244413

Forwards from the book

In this fascinating and thorough book, the authors demonstrate how reason, science and faith are not opposed to each other but rather complimentary. 

Rev Nicky Gumbel (National Alpha Courses Leader)

This is a most useful work, written in a student-friendly style. Though readers may not agree with all the authors’ conclusions, and some may find some parts hard-going, it should interest and stimulate students and others wanting to explore and understand these science-faith topics.

Prof Gordon Wenham (Professor of Old Testament and author of the ‘Word’ reference commentary on Genesis).

This book covers a great deal of ground, and the treatment is not superficial. The arguments are well set out, and the style of writing is clear. It is going to be a demanding read for people, but one out of which they will get a great deal. Its great strength is the clarity of thought it brings to the issues dealt with. It ought to help people sort out some of the muddled ideas that are around regarding science, Christianity and the Bible. I hope it gets well advertised and widely read.

Rev Dr Ernest Lucas (PhD in Biochemistry, PhD in Hebrew Bible Studies, Lecturer at Bristol Baptist College).

In an age of relativism Marston and Foster remind us of the need to rediscover the Gospel as public truth. At a time when Evangelicals and Charismatics together need to rediscover a thoughtful faith, this book will make you think. It is not a text for the intellectually lazy. Read it and grow.

Dr Mark Bonnington (New Testament Tutor in St John’s College Durham  and a Leader in the New Churches movement).

In this excellent book, Marston and Forster robustly expose the intellectual and moral poverty of the scientistic atheism of a number of science popularisers inhabiting the strange world of ‘Denkinsland’. They are equally devastating in their critique of so-called ‘scientific creationism’, which they show to be neither scientific, nor Biblical, nor to represent mainstream Christian thinking over 2 millennia. At the same time, they provide an incisively reasoned defence of their own evangelical Christian theistic position, which is non-physicalist, allows for libertarian free-will and divine action, and is true both to the Bible and Christian tradition. I can thoroughly recommend the book to all who are interested in the relationship between science, philosophy and faith. 

Rev Dr Rodney Holder (Oxford DPhil in Astrophysics, and Church of England Minister).