Reclaimed: The Untold Story of the New Testament Church

An Exciting Read

A few months ago, Frank Viola sent me a signed copy of The Untold Story of the New Testament Church. This is one of Viola’s books I have been longing to read, and I am thankful that I waited until the revised and expanded version came out. Through reading The Untold Story of the New Testament Church, I was reminded of how much I love Viola’s insight, but even more, how contagious the New Testament story is. It ignited a passion in me to be a better part of this story that continues to unfold. Far too often, the context and chronological aspects of the story go missing from our understanding, and as a result, the New Testament Church becomes an untold story. This book, in narrative form, reverses that. If we don’t reverse the familiar and uninformed belief we have about the New Testament, we risk seeing the scriptures as a static historical record rather than a living, unfolding invitation to join God’s ongoing work.

A Timely Revision in a Skeptical Age

Originally released during a time when books like The Da Vinci Code and The Gospel of Judas were sowing doubt about the Bible’s credibility, Viola’s The Untold Story of the New Testament Church took a very different approach. Rather than deconstruct credibility, Viola reconstructs the impactful story—offering a chronological retelling of the New Testament that brings the first-century church to life and unveils often-overlooked insights. In doing so, he re-sequences the New Testament writings to help readers grasp the big-picture flow of the early church and the credibility of its testimony. We are living in a time of deconstruction again, but for different reasons. In this era of syncretism, individuals find themselves picking and choosing what they want from many belief systems. Viola presents a story that transforms only when you fully construct your life around it.

A Deepened and Expanded Edition

In 2025, Viola released a revised and greatly expanded edition of The Untold Story, now over 500 pages long. Released by Destiny Image Publishers, this new version doesn’t just refresh the original—it deepens and enriches it. Presented in a narrative format, the book walks readers through the New Testament letters as they unfolded in real time, creating an immersive experience of the explosive growth and challenges of the early church. To complement the book’s immersive and invitational accessibility, The Untold Story of the New Testament Church features a reader-friendly design—with wide margins, a clean layout, and a clear, generously sized font (at least 12-point)—making it both easy and enjoyable to engage with. Viola doesn’t just tell the story—he opens the door and invites us to find our place within it in an easy-to-understand and read way.

Endorsements and Encouragement

This expanded edition also comes with some heavy-hitting endorsements. Renowned New Testament scholar Craig Keener wrote the foreword, affirming the book’s value in helping readers interpret Scripture in context—a key principle of sound biblical interpretation. Craig Keener describes The Untold Story as “a plausible chronological narrative that reveals the grand tapestry of God’s kingdom plan and brings the characters of the story to life” (p. xiii). That vision—of not just learning the story, but living it—is central to what makes this book so impactful. This is Viola’s intent, and he shares that his hope and prayer for this book is that “the seed of this book will fall into the hands of some young people who are called to God’s work- people who burn with a passion for God’s eternal purpose, who are posessed with the desire to make Jesus Christ visible again on this earth, and who are willing to sacrifice everything for that goal” (582). That is a statement driving this expanded book, but it is also something for all of us to pray.

As Keener continues in his Foreword, this book is “not just a history lesson or historical context—it’s an invitation to see yourself as part of this ongoing story, a story that began two thousand years ago and continues to shape our world today” (p. xiv). This explains why the church today needs to read this book. This book also carries strong endorsements from respected scholars who have influenced me over the years, including Joel B. Green, Mark L. Strauss, Darrell Bock, and many others. 

A Surprising Publisher 

If you’ve read anything by Frank Viola before, you’ll know that he consistently footnotes his writing with historical evidence and scholarly research. The Untold Story of the New Testment Church is no exception. As Darrell Bock notes, “This unique volume is full of documentation”—and that’s absolutely true. Nearly every page includes a dozen or more footnotes offering references to scholars, historical context, and additional resources for deeper exploration. Over the years, Viola has released books on many publishers, but this one surprised me the most. To be honest, I haven’t read many books from Destiny Image, and one reason is that their authors often don’t include this level of scholarly citation. That kind of depth matters to me, and I was glad to see Viola continue that tradition in this expanded version. This is a form of discipleship, and it is a needed framework for authors today.

A Story Told in Sequence

The narrative of this book follows the revolutionary moment when Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of God on earth and how, in response, “a nucleus of people responds to the eruptive message, and a group of Christ-followers is born” (p. 579). That nucleus sparked a story that continues to this day. The chapters are still being written—through our lives, churches, and communities. Though none of us witnessed Jesus’ earthly ministry or the birth of those early, simple Jesus communities, Viola does a masterful job presenting “the unfolding drama of the New Testament church in chronological order” (1).

Reading the New Testament in chronological order, as Viola guides us to do, helps us “expand our horizons so we can see the story differently” (p. 5). This book has the potential to shift how you engage with familiar scriptures, offering fresh insight and a renewed sense of wonder. It invites you not just to read the story—but to enter it.

By drawing on the chronological work and dating of respected scholars like F.F. Bruce and Ben Witherington III, Viola gives us a vivid glimpse into the lived experience of those early, radical followers of Jesus. And in doing so, he challenges us to rediscover a revolutionary and collaborative way of joining in the inbreaking of God’s heavenly kingdom here and now.

Rediscovering the Early Church

The book features a foreword by Craig Keener, followed by several introductory sections written by Viola himself, including Read This First, Decoding the New Testament, A Note About Words and Definitions, and a Prologue. From there, the story unfolds across 15 chapters, each presenting the ministry of Jesus and the epistles in chronological narrative form. Viola refers to these chapters as Chronicles—for example, The Nazareth Chronicle, The Ephesian Chronicle, and so on.

Each chapter doesn’t just provide information; it invites immersion into the firsthand story as if you were a witness to it yourself—an approach prompting readers to reflect on how their lives might mirror these early Jesus communities. Chapter 14 begins exploring the consummation of the Kingdom of God as highlighted throughout Scripture, and that theme continues into the final chapter (Chapter 15). At the end of the book, Viola includes several concluding sections, including an Epilogue, The Next Page of Church History, and other helpful resources.

The book closes with this powerful reminder: “The New Testament contains the drama of God’s grand mission, which centers on the rejoining of heaven and earth, just as it was in the Garden and later in the Man, Jesus of Nazareth” (p. 576). Throughout the book, Viola clearly emphasizes a consistent thread—the Kingdom of God coming to God’s good earth. “This is what your Bible is all about,” he writes (p. 576). His final section, What Now? The Next Page of Church History is a compelling invitation to see ourselves in this unfolding story—a story that continues, and a story that now includes us.

A Church that Changed the World—And Still Can

Viola’s concluding section powerfully reminds us that “individual lives were changed and outposts of God’s kingdom were established throughout the Mediterranean world. Miracles were performed to demonstrate the inbreaking of the kingdom. People were healed and delivered” (p. 577). This is part of what makes The Untold Story so engaging—the movement of God through real people and real places, resulting in transformation and renewal.

And yet, Viola doesn’t shy away from the other side of the story. Despite these powerful Kingdom encounters, the forces of darkness pushed back. As he writes, “In the midst of these amazing events and the creation of beautiful kingdom communities, there were disasters, incredible suffering, and spectacular failures” (p. 577). That same tension exists in the church today—we don’t have to look far to see it.

Their unwavering commitment should stir something in us today. Viola writes that “the kingdom of God continued to survive and expand,” and it still does (p. 577–578). He makes clear that the Kingdom longs to continue breaking in—moving toward its final consummation. In this final section, Frank Viola unpacks how revolutionary it is when Christ-followers live as a family, when they boldly love in a way the world has never seen, and when Christian workers equip others to live out their calling.

Yes, “the next page of church history is blank,” and Viola’s narrative invites us to pick up the pen—to enter the story with creativity, passion, and a readiness to be part of the “next stage of divine restoration and recovery” (p. 582).

How the Viola’s Work Found Me

I’ve mentioned before that in my teens and twenties, I was on a search for meaning and purpose—both spiritually and personally (learn more in About). As I began settling back into the life of the church, thanks to the welcoming care, posture, and personality of a local Vineyard USA pastor, I also became an avid reader of theological and practical books. In 2006, that same pastor took me under his wing in an intentional mentoring relationship toward ministry. It was during that formative season from 2006-2009 that I first encountered the writings of Frank Viola.

Now, I’m not talking about Frank Viola, the Cy Young-winning pitcher who played for the Twins, Mets, and a few other teams (though, as an avid baseball fan, I’m quite familiar with him, too). I’m referring to the author and prophetic voice in the church world—Frank Viola, the author of over a dozen books on theology, the church, and the Christian faith.

When I first encountered Viola, I started with Reimagining Church and Finding Organic Church. Both books stirred and challenged many of the thoughts already swirling in my head. They gave language and structure to conversations I had been having with myself about the nature of the church and Christian life. I then moved on to his earlier and more provocative book, Pagan Christianity, co-authored with George Barna. I haven’t always landed in the same place as Viola on every issue, but his work has undeniably influenced and shaped how I think about the church, faith, and ministry. I appreciate the way he brings challenge and fresh insight into some places the church has been settled for too long.

Over the years, I’ve followed Frank online through his blog and social media. He’s been generous in engaging with questions and conversations now and then, which I’ve appreciated. I remain thankful for his voice and for the prophetic challenge he consistently brings—especially to areas of church life that have gone unexamined or unquestioned for too long. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, I’d recommend exploring his blog on Patheos or browsing his articles/resources at frankviola.org.

Among the books that have deeply challenged and encouraged me are: Pagan Christianity, Reimagining Church, Finding Organic Church, From Eternity to Here, Jesus Manifesto, Jesus: A Theography, and Insurgence. 

The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Invitation

Whether you’re a seasoned theologian, lifelong follower of Jesus, or a curious seeker, The Untold Story of the New Testament Church offers a compelling invitation: to enter into the story of the New Testament, to witness the ministry of Jesus, and to trace the Spirit-led movement that birthed an extraordinary community—the New Testament Church. We also get to shift some of the familiarity in our approach to the scriptures by seeing it as a story, by seeing it in its context, and in chronological order. Overall, this book is an important reminder that the story isn’t over—and we’re still living in the wake of the Kingdom of God inaugurated by Jesus. The Holy Spirit is still carrying in the work of the Kingdom’s inbreaking in, through, and with us. Viola’s The Untold Story of the New Testament Church urges us to step into that wake and add our lives, voices, choices, and witness to the continuing narrative.

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