This collection of apocryphal texts supersedes the best-selling edition by M.R. James, which was originally published in 1924. Several new texts have come to light since 1924 and the textual base for some of the apocrypha previously translated by James is now more secure, as in several cases there are now recently published critical editions available. Although a modest addition to James's edition was made in 1953, no thorough revision has previously been undertaken. In this volume, J.K. Elliott presents new translations of the texts and has provided each of them with a short introduction and bibliography for readers who wish to pursue further the issues raised in the texts or to consult the critical editions, other translations, or general studies. The translations are in modern English, in contrast to James's deliberate imitation of the language of the Authorized Version. The collection is designed to give readers the most important or famous of the Christian apocrypha and a small sample of gnostic texts. Full translations of the earliest texts are printed, as well as some derivative apocrypha.

The apostolic fathers were authors of nonbiblical church writings of the first and early second centuries. These works are important because their authors, Clement I, Hermas, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, and the author of the Epistle of Barnabas, were contemporaries of the biblical writers. Expressing pastoral concern, their writings are similar in style to the New Testament. Some of their writings, in fact, were venerated as Scripture before the official canon was decided.
"The Apostolic Fathers and the New Testament" provides a comparison of the apostolic fathers and the New Testament that is at once comprehensive and accessible. What genres (letters, miracle stories, etc.) appear in what ways? What apostolic fathers seem to reflect which passages in the New Testament? What themes appear in both bodies of literature? How did the apostolic fathers adopt and adapt images from the New Testament? How do the New Testament and the Apostolic Fathers contribute to our understanding of how early Christians understood themselves in relation to the mother faith of Judaism?
Any attempt to compare the Apostolic Fathers and the New Testament faces the difficulty that each set of writings represents diverse authors and historical contexts within the early church. As a result, scholars who work in the field have typically restricted their research to individual authors and writings. Thus, it has been difficult to come to any general observations about the larger corpus. After carefully examining images, themes, and concepts found in the New Testament and the apostolic fathers, Jefford posits some general observations and insights about the beliefs of the early church.

Description: Professor Metzger has been a leader in New Testament studies for the past fifty years, through his teaching, his publications, his text-critical work, and his translation work. This volume brings his deep insight to three key epistles, focusing on three fundamental Christian virtues.

Based on decades of painstaking, collaborative research, the authors of this volume have succeeded in making a historic breakthrough in understanding the Gospel of Luke. They have discovered never-before-seen objective data, proving that the author of the Gospel of Luke systematically and respectfully used sequences of material from the canonical Gospel of Matthew in writing his own Gospel.

This collection of essays from the 2005 Tyndale Fellowship conference covers topics pertinent to the entire first Gospel, including Matthew's sources, the role of Jerusalem, the problem of anti-Semitism, Matthew's portrayal of salvation history, and more. Reflections by seasoned veterans -- Donald Hagner, R. T. France, David Wenham, and others -- are featured, complemented by the contributions of a number of scholars lesser known to the English-speaking world. Together these essays provide a valuable entry in the field by an international team of evangelical scholars addressing critical questions in Matthean studies.Contributors: Armin D. Baum
Stephanie L. Black
Jeannine K. Brown
Roland Deines
Mervyn Eloff
R. T. France
Daniel M. Gurtner
Donald A. Hagner
James M. Hamilton Jr.
David Instone-Brewer
John Nolland
David Wenham