First published in 1968—and out of print since the 1980s—Victor Paul Furnish’s treatment of Paul’s theology and ethics has long been regarded as the key scholarly statement and most useful textbook on Paul’s thought. Now, Furnish’s landmark Theology and Ethics in Paul is available once again as part of the Westminster John Knox Press New Testament Library. Featuring a new introduction from Richard Hays, George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina, this timeless volume is as relevant in this century as it was in the last.
The Pastoral Epistles present difficult questions for the modern interpreter, including such matters as their authorship, literary characteristics, and social orientations. Raymond Collins carefully leads the reader through the texts of these three documents, attending to the flow of the Pastor's thought and locating it within the Jewish and Hellenistic culture of his day.
The New Testament Library offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, as well as classic volumes of scholarship. The commentaries in this series provide fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, offer critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, pay careful attention to their literary design, and present a theologically perceptive exposition of the text.
Second Corinthians is the most personal and passionate letter of Paul’s correspondence. Written in the midst of a severe crisis that profoundly affected his relationship with the Corinthian community, the letter exhibits the full range of the Apostle’s emotions, from expressions of tenderness and love to outbursts of anger and resentment toward those who questioned his ministry.
Paul provides the Corinthians—and the contemporary Church—with a breathtaking exposition of apostolic ministry, portraying himself as the minister of a new covenant whose ministry is confirmed by his daily participation in the sufferings and death of Christ. As the minister of a new covenant, Paul allows people to "see" the glory of God on the face of Christ by "hearing" the paradoxical gospel of a crucified Christ who is the very image of God. As Christ’s ambassador, Paul calls people to embrace the reconciliation God offers the world through this crucified Christ in whom God makes all things new.
Focusing on the theological and rhetorical dimensions of this letter, and always attentive to its historical setting, Frank Matera provides a reading of 2 Corinthians that embraces the letter’s literary integrity. He maintains that Paul is addressing two crises at Corinth, one which has been resolved (the crisis of the painful visit) and one which still needs to be resolved (the presence of intruding apostles). In chapters 1–9 Paul deals with the first crisis and summons the Corinthians to complete the collection for Jerusalem. Building on this initial reconciliation and "boasting" in his weaknesses, in chapters 10–13 he responds to the charges that the intruding "super-apostles" and their Corinthian supporters have leveled against him. In this way Paul prepares the community for his third and final visit to Corinth.
Scholars, even those with world renown, stop what they are doing to take notes when Paul Meyer speaks. The Word in This World is the only published resource that contains the full range and depth of Meyer's work. Containing programmatic essays with strong theological focus on the tasks of biblical interpretation, essays on major themes in New Testament theology, major exegetical works, sermons, and exegetical notes, this book is an exemplar for the range, depth, and care with which interpreters should undertake the exegesis of the biblical text.
First published in 1960, Paul Minear's classic work identifies and explicates ninety-six images for the church found in the New Testament. Comprehensive and accessibly written, it has been used in seminary classes for over thirty years. Its range of reach and incredibly rich discussions of the many images and metaphors make this book a splendid resource for students and pastors.
The New Testament Library offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, as well as classic volumes of scholarship. The commentaries in this series provide fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, offer critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, pay careful attention to their literary design, and present a theologically perceptive exposition of the text.
This new commentary in the New Testament Library series is not a systematic study of Pauline theology; rather, the aim of this study is to trace Paul's theology as it unfolds in his letter to the church at Galatia, and to attempt to illuminate, as far as possible, how the Galatians likely comprehended it, at the time they received it. The author asks readers to imagine themselves as silent witnesses to Paul's dictation of the letter and to observe, through a historical perspective, how the Galatian Christians might have understood Paul's words.
This volume of the New Testament Library offers a thorough and careful commentary on the complicated book of Hebrews, showing its meaning within the context of ancient culture and the theological development of the early church. Written by one of the leading New Testament scholars of the present generation, this commentary offers remarkable insights into the Hellenistic, Roman, and Jewish contexts of the book of Hebrews.
The New Testament Library offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, as well as classic volumes of scholarship. The commentaries in this series provide fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, offer critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, pay careful attention to their literary design, and present a theologically perceptive exposition of the text.
John Howard Schutz's milestone analysis of Paul's authority shaped a generation of thought about Paul. This insightful work continues to be relevant to Pauline scholarship.
The New Testament Library offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, as well as classic volumes of scholarship. The commentaries in this series provide fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, offer critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, pay careful attention to their literary design, and present a theologically perceptive exposition of the text.
The New Testament's three letters attributed to John have always provided remarkable theological riches for the Christian tradition, including the assertion "God is love." Each letter shows how an early Christian author responded to threats against authority by recourse to the correct teachings of the faith and a proper understanding of the relationship between Jesus and God. Together, these letters argue for a bond of unity among believers, based on fidelity to the truth of God.
The New Testament Library offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, as well as classic volumes of scholarship. The commentaries in this series provide fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, offer critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, pay careful attention to their literary design, and present a theologically perceptive exposition of the text.
The letter to the Colossians offers great insight into the faith, life, and problems of an early Christian church. Understanding this letter to be one of Paul's prison epistles but aware of the differences between this and his other writings, Jerry Sumney shows how the church struggled with expressing its new faith in the diverse settings of the Greco-Roman world. Paying special attention to the ways of forgiveness and salvation through the power of Christ, this fine commentary shows Colossians' expansive Christology and expectant eschatology.
The New Testament Library offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, as well as classic volumes of scholarship. The commentaries in this series provide fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, offer critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, pay careful attention to their literary design, and present a theologically perceptive exposition of the text.
