Originally published in 1908, this book constitutes an exploration of the concept of 'spirit' in the New Testament. The text is divided into two parts: part one provides a synopsis of passages relating to spirit, with English explications being given beneath original Greek quotations; part two analyses the general teaching of New Testament literature in relation to the divine Spirit and its influence. The reader is thus provided with a concise document relating the position of spirit in relation to the Scriptures, together with its abiding importance for the relationship between Church and the individual. This concise, yet detailed, book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Christian theology or biblical exegesis.

First published in 1951, this book forms a critique of the Two-Source Hypothesis, the theory in biblical studies that postulates the existence of a lost 'Q' Gospel. The Q theory achieved popularity through its formal completeness in explaining the presence of parallel verses in Luke and Matthew with no parallel in Mark. Yet, as Butler argues in this book, these narrative links can also be explained by a direct comparison of the third and fourth Gospels, one that avoids the necessity of a missing source. The text is highly detailed and contains numerous references to original material, together with generous additional notes. It will be of value to anyone with an interest in biblical history and theology.

The Bible is the world's best-selling book - it has influenced and inspired millions through the ages. The New Testament recounts the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and follows the first Christians as they begin to spread his revolutionary message to people all around the world. The New International Version is the most popular Bible translation in modern English. It is both readable and accurate, and this edition includes shortcuts to well-known stories and people in the Bible, as well as an introductory reading plan and a selection of passages offering help and guidance.

The place of the Law and its relationship to religious observance and faith is a contested topic in the study of both the Old and New Testament. In Law and Religion, members of the Erhardt Seminar group provide an insight into the debate, probing key topics and offering new contributions to the subject. Their essays are grouped into three sections, focussing in turn on the Law's place in Israelite religion, in the Jesus tradition, and in Paul and the Apostolic tradition. Thus, the foundation of the connection between law and religion in ancient Israel is explored, along with the decisive influence of the Deuteronomic reform and the radical new understanding now emerging of the later development in Judaism of the New Testament Period. So, also, the contemporary challenge to the conventional picture of Jesus and the Law is addressed, the attitude of Paul is shown in new light, and post-Pauline developments are examined. Readers will find in this symposium a refreshing breadth of opinion on a debate that spans the gamut of disciplines within Biblical studies.

The publication in 1881 of The New Testament in the Original Greek, by the Cambridge scholars Brooke Foss Westcott (1825 1901) and Fenton John Anthony Hort (1828 1892), marked the culmination of twenty-eight years of work and revolutionised the theory and methods of New Testament textual criticism. The editors broke with tradition and reconstructed a critical text based on the third-century uncial manuscripts Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus, paving the way for future editions. Westcott and Hort's claim to reconstruct the 'original text' may seem extravagant today; but according to Bruce Metzger theirs was the 'most noteworthy critical edition of the Greek Testament ever produced by British scholarship'. This second volume contains the reconstructed text. Readings that the editors thought were possible contenders for the original are printed in the margin; other readings, judged to be of value but appearing later, are given in the appendix.

In Marriage Gifts and Social Change in Ancient Palestine, T. M. Lemos traces changes in the marriage customs of ancient Palestine over the course of several hundred years. The most important of these changes was a shift in emphasis from bridewealth to dowry, the latter of which clearly predominated in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Whereas previous scholarship has often attributed these shifts to the influence of foreign groups, Lemos connects them instead with a transformation that occurred in Palestine s social structure during the very same period. In the early Iron Age, Israel was a kinship-based society with a subsistence economy, but as the centuries passed, it became increasingly complex and developed marked divisions between rich and poor. At the same time, the importance of its kinship groups waned greatly. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach that draws heavily on anthropological research, cultural theory, archaeological evidence, and historical-critical methods, Lemos posits that shifts in marriage customs were directly related to these wider social changes.

The publication in 1881 of The New Testament in the Original Greek, by the Cambridge scholars Brooke Foss Westcott (1825 1901) and Fenton John Anthony Hort (1828 1892), marked the culmination of twenty-eight years of work and an innovation in the theory and methods of New Testament textual criticism. This first of two volumes contains a detailed discussion of the theories and methods behind the reconstructed text, sets out the editors' theory of text-types, and justifies their choice to break with the dominant use of the Textus Receptus. It argues for the Neutral Text, represented by the uncials Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus, as being the earliest and least corrupt form. Westcott and Hort's claim to reconstruct the 'original text' may seem extravagant today but according to Bruce Metzger theirs was the 'most noteworthy critical edition of the Greek Testament ever produced by British scholarship'.

Frederick Henry Scrivener's 1861 introduction to the textual history of the New Testament marks a key moment in the history of biblical studies. The author, a renowned biblical scholar and textual critic of his time, focuses on the central areas of his research field. These include the Greek New Testament manuscripts and their general character, early printed and later critical editions, ancient versions of the New Testament in various languages and the linguistic features of New Testament Greek. In addition, he discusses editorial principles and practice and the differing approaches that had recently been adopted, and gives examples of their application to actual New Testament passages. Originally intended for readers with no previous knowledge of this subject, and carefully organised so as to be accessible to them, the book is still of interest to upper-level students and to historians of the discipline.

Published posthumously in 1893, Frederick Scrivener's Adversaria Critica Sacra remains a volume of key importance to biblical scholars today, representing Scrivener's remarkable accuracy in his study and collation of manuscripts. During an age when many manuscripts were being newly discovered, and New Testament textual criticism was a rapidly developing field, Scrivener's collations played an important role in highlighting and making available the many different readings in existence. The book presents sixty-three manuscripts containing all or part of the Greek New Testament, including twenty which contain the Gospels in whole or in part, fifteen Lectionaries (Greek Church Lesson-books), five copies of Acts and the Catholic Epistles, and ten which are collations of the earliest printed editions of the Greek New Testament. Scrivener provides an informative general account of each manuscript, and an estimate of their respective critical values.

Frederick Henry Scrivener (1813-1891) was a pioneer of New Testament textual criticism. His transcription of the Codex Augiensis - a ninth-century Greek and Latin manuscript of St Paul's Epistles which had been part of the famous Benedictine library at Reichenau - was published in 1859 and is a document of considerable historical significance in biblical research. It presents 'as true an image as possible' of the ninth-century text. The volume also includes a 'full and exact' collation of fifty manuscripts of the Gospels. In his Critical Introduction, Scrivener provides a detailed account of the manuscripts he has collated, setting the context for the reader. He also investigates the principles of comparative criticism, demonstrating that true and faithful readings of the Greek New Testament cannot be derived from any one authority, but must be the result of patient comparison of the evidence provided by all.

This annotated edition of The Acts of The Apostles was prepared for classroom use by Thomas Ethelbert Page, a schoolmaster at Charterhouse, and published in 1886. The text is taken directly from the critical edition of the New Testament in Greek published by Fenton Hort and Brooke Westcott in 1881, the most authoritative version then available. Page's extensive annotations (over two hundred pages to accompany seventy pages of text) aimed to provide an explanation of the Greek text free of doctrinal discussions and moral reflections, unlike most existing commentaries which Page found 'quite unadapted for practical work with boys'. Page endeavoured to make the translation process as straightforward as possible and his extensive commentary offers a clear and simple understanding of the text. His book is still a useful guide for those approaching the Greek text for the first time.

Samuel Prideaux Tregelles (1813-1875) was a Cornish-born Biblical scholar who travelled to major libraries all over Europe in order to study ancient manuscripts. Biblical textual criticism was a burgeoning new field in the mid-nineteenth century, with leading scholars including Lachmann and Tischendorf in Germany and Tregelles' contemporaries Scrivener, Westcott and Hort in England all working towards the ideal of a more authoritative Greek New Testament text than had previously been available. This volume contains the short Volumes 5 (1870) and 6 (1872) of Tregelles' edition (the Epistles continued, and Revelation), which the author had originally intended to publish together, along with the posthumous Volume 7 (1879) containing Prolegomena (compiled by F. J. A. Hort and A. W. Streane from earlier publications by Tregelles), and additional collations of parts of Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. The Greek text is accompanied by Jerome's Latin Vulgate and a full textual apparatus.

Samuel Prideaux Tregelles (1813-1875) was a Cornish-born Biblical scholar who travelled to major libraries all over Europe to study ancient manuscripts. Biblical textual criticism was a burgeoning new field in the mid-nineteenth century, with leading scholars including Lachmann and Tischendorf in Germany and Tregelles' contemporaries Scrivener, Westcott and Hort in England all working towards the ideal of a more authoritative Greek New Testament text than had previously been available. Tregelles begins Volume 1 (1857) of his seven-volume edition with an explanation of his editorial principles and a description of the many manuscripts consulted, whether whole codices or separate leaves. This volume contains the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. As well as the Greek text, each page has Jerome's Latin Vulgate text in the right margin, indications of manuscripts used and Biblical cross-references in the left margin, and a full textual apparatus at the foot.

Samuel Prideaux Tregelles (1813-1875) was a Cornish-born Biblical scholar who travelled to major libraries all over Europe in order to study ancient manuscripts. Biblical textual criticism was a burgeoning new field in the mid-nineteenth century, with leading scholars including Lachmann and Tischendorf in Germany and Tregelles' contemporaries Scrivener, Westcott and Hort in England all working towards the ideal of a more authoritative Greek New Testament text than had previously been available. Volume 2 (1861) of Tregelles' landmark seven-volume edition begins with a description of the many manuscripts consulted. Tregelles refers to the anticipated publication of the Codex Sinaiticus described by Tischendorf, and to the work of Hort and Westcott. This volume contains the Greek text of the Gospels of Luke and John together with Jerome's Latin Vulgate text, indications of manuscripts used, Biblical cross-references, and a full critical apparatus.

Samuel Prideaux Tregelles (1813-1875) was a Cornish-born Biblical scholar who travelled to major libraries all over Europe in order to study ancient manuscripts. Biblical textual criticism was a burgeoning new field in the mid-nineteenth century, with leading scholars including Lachmann and Tischendorf in Germany and Tregelles' contemporaries Scrivener, Westcott and Hort in England all working towards the ideal of a more authoritative Greek New Testament text than had previously been available. Volume 3 (1865) of Tregelles' landmark seven-volume edition begins with a description of the many manuscripts consulted. This volume contains the Acts of the Apostles and the Catholic epistles. As well as the Greek text, each page has Jerome's Latin Vulgate text in the right margin, indications of manuscripts used and Biblical cross-references in the left margin, and a full textual apparatus at the foot.

Samuel Prideaux Tregelles (1813-1875) was a Cornish-born Biblical scholar who travelled to major libraries all over Europe in order to study ancient manuscripts. Biblical textual criticism was a burgeoning new field in the mid-nineteenth century, with leading scholars including Lachmann and Tischendorf in Germany and Tregelles' contemporaries Scrivener, Westcott and Hort in England all working towards the ideal of a more authoritative Greek New Testament text than had previously been available. Volume 4 (1869) of Tregelles' landmark seven-volume edition begins with a description of the many manuscripts consulted. This volume contains Romans to 2 Thessalonians (ending at chapter 3 verse 3, with the remaining pages appearing in Volume 5). As well as the Greek text, each page has Jerome's Latin Vulgate text in the right margin, indications of manuscripts used and Biblical cross-references in the left margin, and a full textual apparatus at the foot.

The first major publication by the distinguished biblical scholar Frederick Henry Scrivener, this is a collation of twenty-three Greek manuscripts of the gospels. The Greek text is preceded by detailed introductory chapters in English, illustrating Scrivener's criteria for selecting the manuscripts, the methods he adopted to edit and collate the texts, and his critique of contemporary biblical scholarship. The introduction also provides comprehensive background information for each of the manuscripts, including details on location, condition and the likely date of origin, and offering valuable context for any study of the texts. First published in 1853, at a time when many ancient manuscripts were being rediscovered, this landmark book will fascinate all those interested in biblical textual studies and the history of the Greek Bible.

This posthumous volume, published in 1895, contains two lectures delivered in the 1880s by the biblical scholar F. J. A. Hort, Professor of Divinity at Cambridge. In these lectures, Hort addresses the question of the dating of Romans and Ephesians, their purpose, and their original readership. He examines their context in the relationship of Judaism to Christianity in the Apostolic period and the difference between Gentile, Judaistic and Roman Christianity. By treating the Epistles as historical as well as religious artefacts and analysing their language and grammar as well as content, Hort argues for the authenticity of both texts and therefore for a first-century dating. The dating of the New Testament was a central concern of Hort toward the end of his career, and he argued against F. C. Baur and the T bingen school, who placed it in the second century. These lectures present evidence to support his argument.

Fenton John Antony Hort (1828 1892) was Professor of Divinity at Cambridge and the editor, with B.F. Westcott, of an influential edition of the Greek New Testament. His detailed commentary on the Greek text of the Epistle (Letter) of St James was left incomplete at his death. When it was published in 1909, the editor wrote 'Each word and phrase and sentence has been examined in the light of the whole available evidence with characteristic freshness, and with a singularly delicate sense both of the meaning of words, and of subtle variations of grammatical structure.' The Introduction situates the Epistle in its New Testament context, and reflects on issues of authorship, reception and content. Hort's scholarly insights remain of interest to modern theologians. His work also bears witness to the strenuous efforts made by late Victorian theologians to create a textual bulwark against the growth of religious scepticism.

This book offers a detailed analysis of the Gospel of Thomas in its historic and literary context, providing a new understanding of the genesis of the Jesus tradition. Discovered in the twentieth century, the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas is an important early text whose origins and place in the history of Christianity continue to be subjects of debate. Aiming to relocate the Thomasine community in the wider context of early Christianity, this study considers the Gospel of Thomas as a bridge between the oral and literary phases of the Christian movement. It will therefore, be useful for Religion scholars working on Biblical studies, Coptic codices, gnosticism and early Christianity.

Study Hebrews in its Second Temple Context Following the proven model established in Reading Romans in Context, Reading Mark in Context, and Reading Revelation in Context, this book brings together a series of accessible essays that compare and contrast the theology and hermeneutical practices of the book of Hebrews with various early Jewish literature. Going beyond an introduction that merely surveys historical events and theological themes, this textbook examines individual passages in Second Temple Jewish literature in order to illuminate the ideas and emphases of Hebrews' varied discourses. Following the rhetorical progression of Hebrews, each chapter in this textbook: pairs a major unit of Hebrews with one or more sections of a thematically related Jewish text introduces and explores the historical and theological nuances of the comparative text shows how the ideas in the comparative text illuminate those expressed in Hebrews In addition to the focused comparison provided in the essays, Reading Hebrews in Context offers other student-friendly features that help them engage broader discussions, including an introductory chapter that familiarizes students with the world and texts of Second Temple Judaism and a glossary of important terms. The end of each chapter contains a list of other thematically-relevant Second Temple Jewish texts recommended for further study and a focused bibliography pointing students to critical editions and higher-level discussions in scholarly literature they might use to undertake their own comparative studies.

How might late second/early third century readings of Paul illuminate our understanding of the first century texts? A close comparison of Tertullian and Paul reveals the former to be both a dubious and a profoundly insightful interpreter of the latter. With growing interest in the field of patristic exegesis, there is a need for examination of Tertullian's readings of Paul. Tertullian, the first among the significant Latin writers, shaped generations of Christians by providing both a vocabulary for and an exposition of elemental Christian doctrines, wherein he relied heavily on Pauline texts and appropriated them for his own use. This new collection of essays presents a collaborative attempt to understand, critique, and appreciate one of the earliest and most influential interpreters of Paul, and thereby better understand and appreciate both the dynamic event of early patristic exegesis and the Pauline texts themselves. Each chapter takes a two pronged approach, beginning with a patristic scholar considering the topic at hand, before a New Testament response. This results in a fast paced and illuminating interdisciplinary volume.

In this study the methods of social concept criticism, poststructuralism, and social memory theory are innovatively and rewardingly combined with a revalued component of Greimas' system, the morpho-syntactic and actantial model. Analysis clearly reveals that the Lukan author reconceptualized social memory of the covenant and employed it as a literary device by following a sequence of the Exodus motifs culminating in the altered Exodus goal of covenant service/worship. The Lukan author also employed the reconceptualized covenant as a theological device that provided thematic links in the logical flow of the story, organizing the collective memory of Israel, through which perceived social needs are addressed and a call is issued for a mimetic response to the salvific activity of servant Jesus. The actantial model accurately illustrates the organizing capacity of the covenant, mapping the covenant's strategic placement and function to structure the plot-episode story and interrelate themes which articulate the servant identity of the Christian community. Researchers and academics alike will engage with this study that demonstrates the organizational capacity of the covenant concept in Lukan compositional design.