The story of the making of the New Testament is one in which scrolls bumped across cobbled Roman roads and pitched through rolling Mediterranean seas, finally finding their destinations in stuffy, dimly lit Christian house churches in Corinth or Colossae. There they were read aloud and reread, handled and copied, forwarded and collected, studied and treasured. And eventually they were brought together to make up our New Testament. This revised and expanded edition of The Making of the New Testament is a textbook introduction to the origin, collection, copying and canonizing of the New Testament documents. Like shrewd detectives reading subtle whispers of evidence, biblical scholars have studied the trail of clues and pieced together the story of these books. Arthur Patzia tells the story, answering our many questions: * How were books and documents produced in the first century? * What motivated the early Christians to commit teaching and narrative and vision to papyrus? * How were the stories and sayings of Jesus circulated, handed down and shaped into Gospels? * What do we know about ancient letter writing, secretaries and aEURO~copy shopsaEURO (TM)? * Why were four Gospels included instead of just one? * How were Paul's letters, sent here and there, gathered into a single collection? * Who decided - and by what criteria - which documents would be included in the New Testament? Explore these questions and more about these Scriptures whose everyday, gritty story rings true to their extraordinary message: the palpable mystery of the Word made flesh.

The story of the making of the New Testament is one in which scrolls bumped across cobbled Roman roads and pitched through rolling Mediterranean seas, finally finding their destinations in stuffy, dimly lit Christian house churches in Corinth or Colossae. There they were read aloud and reread, handled and copied, forwarded and collected, studied and treasured. And eventually they were brought together to make up our New Testament. This revised and expanded edition of The Making of the New Testament is a textbook introduction to the origin, collection, copying and canonizing of the New Testament documents. Like shrewd detectives reading subtle whispers of evidence, biblical scholars have studied the trail of clues and pieced together the story of these books. Arthur Patzia tells the story, answering our many questions: How were books and documents produced in the first century? What motivated the early Christians to commit teaching and narrative and vision to papyrus? How were the stories and sayings of Jesus circulated, handed down and shaped into Gospels? What do we know about ancient letter writing, secretaries and "copy shops"? Why were four Gospels included instead of just one? How were Paul's letters, sent here and there, gathered into a single collection? Who decided--and by what criteria--which documents would be included in the New Testament? Explore these questions and more about these Scriptures whose everyday, gritty story rings true to their extraordinary message: the palpable mystery of the Word made flesh.

The Understanding the Bible Commentary Series helps readers navigate the strange and sometimes intimidating literary terrain of the Bible. These accessible volumes break down the barriers between the ancient and modern worlds so that the power and meaning of the biblical texts become transparent to contemporary readers. The contributors tackle the task of interpretation using the full range of critical methodologies and practices, yet they do so as people of faith who hold the text in the highest regard. Pastors, teachers, and lay people alike will cherish the truth found in this commentary series.

So many words about the Word. The study of anything seems to generate its own special vocabulary, and biblical studies is no different. What's more, it's got nearly a two-thousand-year lead on you! How can you catch up? Here is the answer! If you are puzzled by parataxis or rankled by recensions, the Pocket Dictionary of Biblical Studies is the companion you need. Whether you are studying Old Testament or New Testament or both at once, this little book is your private tutor, your ever-ready guide to over three hundred biblical-studies terms. Here's your glossary for reading course textbooks, your decoder for listening to lectures, your review sheet for cramming for finals and your help key for writing research papers. Among the more than 300 terms defined you'll discover types of biblical criticism, from genre criticism to tradition criticism Greek and Latin terms, from agrapha to vaticinium ex eventu German terms, from Fruhkatholizismus to Wissenschaft ancient texts, from Aleppo Codex to Zadokite Document literary features, from acrostic to woe oracle theories, from the Augustinian hypothesis to the Yahwist source textual criticism terms, from codex to Western text Written by Arthur G. Patzia and Anthony J. Petrotta, two biblical studies professors who know what you need to know, Pocket Dictionary of Biblical Studies will be your essential guide into a fascinating world of understanding. Designed for students and pastors alike, the short and accessible volumes in the IVP Pocket Reference Series will help you tackle the study of biblical languages, church history, apologetics, world religions, Christian spirituality, ethics, theology, and more.