Rodney Thomas addresses the question of whether the book of "Revelation" was written as an 'anti-magical' polemic and explores the concept and definition of 'magic' from both modern and first-century standpoints. Thomas presents the first century as a time dominated by belief in spiritual forces and magical activity which the author of "Revelation" sought to put into proper perspective. This aim was achieved through a variety of highly creative literary techniques which Thomas examines in this book. At times it is possible to argue that unacceptable magical practices are condemned by being labelled as farmakeia. At other times such practices are carefully placed within the context of Israel's ancient enemies. In addition standard polemical material against magical practices Thomas asserts that it is also possible to identify instances where the author of "Revelation" wholly appropriates imagery commonly associated with 'magic' and recasts it into a new Christian context. As a result it is possible to view the magical motifs within "Revelation" as weighty polemic aimed against certain practices and beliefs in the first century. Formerly the "Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement", a book series that explores the many aspects of New Testament study including historical perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and theological, cultural and contextual approaches. "The Early Christianity in Context" series, a part of "JSNTS", examines the birth and development of early Christianity up to the end of the third century CE. The series places Christianity in its social, cultural, political and economic context. European Seminar on Christian Origins and Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus Supplement are also part of "JSNTS".

For many Jewish Christians of the first century, living in the light of the gospel was challenging. Having accepted Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, they were regarded by still-skeptical family, friends and neighbors as dangerous, misguided and even disloyal to all that God had said earlier on. The letter to the Hebrews was written to show that you can't go back to an earlier stage of God's purposes but must press on eagerly to the one that is yet to come. In these studies we find encouragement and assurance that pressing on, even in the face of such close and constant pressure to fall back, is its own reward. The guides in this series by Tom Wright can be used on their own or alongside his New Testament for Everyone commentaries. They are designed to help you understand the Bible in fresh ways under the guidance of one of the world's leading New Testament scholars.

In this addition to the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, two well-respected New Testament scholars interpret the Gospel of John in its historical and literary setting as well as in light of the Church's doctrinal, liturgical, and spiritual tradition. They unpack the wisdom of the Fourth Gospel for the intellectual and spiritual transformation of its readers and connect the Gospel with a range of witnesses throughout the whole history of Catholicism. This volume, like each in the series, is supplemented by features designed to help readers understand the Bible more deeply and use it more effectively in teaching, preaching, evangelization, and other forms of ministry.

You've heard the old saying, 'You can't fit a square peg in a round hole.' You can try to force the peg by shaving some of the sides off. But once you do that, you change the nature of the peg.In order to help the Wesleyan Church remain true to its theology and identity, it's important to understand how our tradition will never be able to fit into a Fundamentalist framework. In Square Peg, well-respected educators, pastors, and ministry leaders demonstrate the distinct differences between Wesleyan theology and Fundamentalism through historical, biblical, scientific, and theological exposition.Read Thomas Jay Oord's review Wesleyan Theology and Fundamentalism

Rudolf Bultmann was the most significant New Testament scholar we have known in the twentieth century. This study approaches his work arguing that his theology can only be understood correctly as an interpretation of the New Testament. Naturally it is a twentieth-century interpretation involving complex hermeneutical questions. But it is the New Testament which provides the subject matter to be interpreted. Bultmann's theology, stemming from the conviction that the New Testament addresses the present age, offers important solutions to many problems for Christian theology in our materialistic, relativist, pluralistic age. The book introduces the reader to: Bultmann's theology; the problem of contemporary New Testament hermeneutics; the problems of New Testament theology; the question of the relation of New Testament theology to theology as such. It makes a necessary critique of simplistic modes of interpreting Bultmann, and shows a masterly hand in assessing his continuing significance.

This 6-page, laminated guide contains the key facts on the new testament. This guide covers: The books of the New Testament, historical & literary overview, sources for the synptic gospels, glossary of terms and much more!

Lieu examines theological and historical issues within the Johannine tradition.

Thomas G. Long's insightful commentary on the Pastoral Epistles argues that these often-neglected letters are urgently important for readers today. Some of the issues faced by New Testament churches are ours as well: the lure and peril of "spirituality" for Christians, the character of authentic worship, the qualities needed for sound leadership, and the relationship between family life and the church. Long's interpretations of these books consider contemporary exegetical and theological outlooks and are presented through his seasoned homiletical and pastoral perspectives. Pastors will be strengthened by Long's view that the Pastoral Epistles can refresh our memory about what really counts in the Christian community and how important trustworthy leaders are.

Anatomies of the Gospels and Beyond is an edited volume structured around essays that focus on one of the four canonical Gospels (and Acts) and/or theoretical issues involved in literary readings of New Testament narrative. The volume is intended to honor the legacy of R. Alan Culpepper, Emeritus Professor and Former Dean at Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology. The title of the volume (which alludes to the title of Culpepper's ground-breaking monograph, Anatomy of the Fourth Gospel) and the breadth of the essays are apt reflections of his research interests over his academic career of over forty years. The twenty-six contributors are internationally recognized experts in New Testament studies; thus, the essays represent a snapshot of current research.

In The Interpersonal Metafunction in 1 Corinthians 1-4, James D. Dvorak offers a linguistic-critical discourse analysis of 1 Cor 1-4 utilizing Appraisal Theory, a model rooted in the modern sociolinguistic paradigm known as Systemic-Functional Linguistics. This work is concerned primarily with the interpersonal meanings encoded in the text and how they pertain to the act of resocialization. Dvorak pays particular attention to the linguistics of appraisal in Paul's language to determine the values with which Paul expects believers in Christ to align. This book will be of great value to biblical scholars and students with interests in biblical Greek, functional linguistics, appraisal theory, hermeneutics, exegesis, and 1 Corinthians.

Written by two internationally renowned scholars and communicators, with decades of experience in teaching the New Testament to students in different parts of the world

This work examines the effect of the use of scripture on the interpretation of the Markan passion narrative, Mark 14:1-15:47.In the methodically focused section which begins the work, Kelli O'Brien first defines the term allusion and the criteria by which allusions are established and then. She then tests the allusions suggested by previous scholars. For the trial and crucifixion scenes, only eleven references have sufficient verbal and other correspondence to be considered probable or certain allusions, out of the roughly 150 references suggested. The numbers for allusions in Mark 14:1-52 are similar. Demonstrable allusions are relatively few, too few to support the theory favoured by many that the passion narrative was constructed by means of allusions to Scripture.The work assesses the interpretive impact of the allusions on the Markan passion narrative, considering how those passages are treated in Jewish and Christian traditions potentially available to the author. Allusions interpret the Markan Christology, but they also interpret other aspects of the drama, such as the opponents in the Jewish trial and the offer of vinegary wine. Most importantly, allusions in the passion narrative indicate in what sense the author understood Jesus' death to be redemptive and that the 'ransom' the Son of Man gives (Mark 10:45) is eschatological.Formerly the "Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement", a book series that explores the many aspects of New Testament study including historical perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and theological, cultural and contextual approaches. "The Early Christianity in Context" series, a part of JSNTS, examines the birth and development of early Christianity up to the end of the third century CE. The series places Christianity in its social, cultural, political and economic context. "European Seminar on Christian Origins" and "Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus Supplement" are also part of JSNTS.

Paul's use of in Rom 12.1 has long fascinated and puzzled interpreters. This study proposes a new explanation of Paul's reason language in Rom 12.1 based on a detailed investigation of ancient philosophical texts on the role of human beings in the cosmos, in which reason language and the idea of a vocation of human beings are closely connected. It argues that Paul here appeals to the idea of a human vocation in order to claim that Christ-followers are able to fulfil their human vocation by living in such a way that their lives produce signs of the new creation inaugurated in Christ. This case is made by establishing the central role of reason in ancient discourse on what it means to be human more broadly, and in particular in Epictetus, who provides the clearest parallel for Romans. These contextualisations allow for a fresh reading of Paul's argument in Romans, where the relevance of these traditions is shown, not least for how Rom 12.1-2 frames Rom 12-15. The study thus contributes to the recent scholarly trend of exploring Paul in ancient philosophical contexts and advances the discussion on the integration of Paul's "theology" and "ethics" within an ancient cultural encyclopedia.

A translation of the valuable commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians by eminent 16th-century theologian Phlipp Melanchthon.

"Aernie examines the prophetic material in the Old Testament and its relationship with the prophetic material in Second Temple Judaism, Hellenism, and the early Christian movement. The subsequent analysis of 1 Corinthians constitutes an investigation of the effect of the Old Testament prophetic tradition on Pauls self-presentation in 1 Cor 9.15-18 and rhetorical framework in 1 Cor 14.20-25 as a methodological foundation for the exegetical analysis of 2 Corinthians. Aernie explores the influence of the Old Testament prophetic tradition on Pauls apostolic self-presentation and rhetoric in 2 Corinthians. The analysis of Pauls self-presentation examines the apostles relationship with Moses, the Isaianic servant, and Jeremiah in order to define Pauls position with regard to the preceding prophetic tradition. Aernie analyses Pauls argument in 2 Cor 2.14-16; 4.1-6; 6.14-7.1; 12.1-10 then seeks to examine the influence of the Old Testament prophetic tradition on the formation of Pauls rhetorical framework. Aernies intention is to provide support for the notion that the particularly prophetic nature of Pauls apostolic persona affects both his self-presentation and rhetorical agenda in 2 Corinthians"

In this latest volume in the Belief series, Daniel L. Migliore plumbs the depth of Paul's letters to the Philippians and to Philemon. With splendid theological reflection, Migliore explores central themes of these remarkable letters--themes that include the practice of prayer, righteousness from God, and the work of reconciliation and transformation through Jesus Christ.

Migliore shows how Philippians continues to speak to churches that, like the church at Philippi, struggle to be faithful to Christ, worry about the future, and need guidance. And in Philemon, Migliore finds a letter with importance far beyond its size--a letter that can enrich our understanding of the fullness of the gospel that Paul proclaims. In both books, Migliore deftly shows Paul as a remarkable theologian and pastor with a message instructive to the church of every age.