Richard I. Pervo provides the most complete translation of the pseudepigraphic Acts of Paul in English, together with a detailed commentary. The research perspective of this work is primarily literary, with detailed attention to the history of composition and revision. The author encourages a fresh look at this section of the 'Apocraphal Acts' through the lens of the Pauline legacy and in the context of ancient popular narrative.

The author of ""Acts"" unwittingly committed a near-perfect crime: He told his story so well that all rival accounts vanished with but the faintest of traces. And thus future generations were left with no documents that recount the history of the early Christian tradition - because ""Acts"" is not history. According to Richard Pervo, '""Acts"" is a beautiful house that readers may happily admire, but it is not a home in which the historian can responsibly live'. Luke did not even aspire to write history but rather told his story to defend the gentile communities of his day as the legitimate heirs of Israelite religion. In ""The Mystery of Acts"", Pervo explores the problem of history in ""Acts"" by asking, and answering, the fundamental questions: Who wrote ""Acts""? Where was ""Acts"" written? When was ""Acts"" written? Why was ""Acts"" written? How was ""Acts"" written? The result is a veritable tour-de-force that enlightens, entertains, and brings ""Acts"" to life.

About the Contributor(s): Richard I. Pervo is a retired Professor of New Testament and Patristics. His recent books include Acts: A Commentary in Hermeneia (2009) and The Making of Paul: Constructions of the Apostle in Early Christianity (2010).

What prompted the anonymous author of Luke to edit his sources-Mark and Q-and retell the story of Jesus? Using the Scholars Version translation that is true to the everyday Greek of the gospel writers, Pervo explores the who, when, where, why, and how of the Gospel of Luke. Includes the Greek text, introduction, notes, and cross-references.

The influence of the apostle Paul in early Christianity goes far beyond the reach of the seven genuine letters he wrote to early assemblies; Paul was reveredand fiercely opposedin an even larger number of letters penned in his name, and in narratives told about him and against him, that were included in our New Testament and, far more often, treasured and circulated outside it. Richard Pervo provides an illuminating and comprehensive survey of the legacy of Paul and the various ways he was remembered, honored, and vilified in the early churches.