In this book Richard Horsley and Tom Thatcher trace the Gospel of John's portrayal of Jesus as a prophet of renewal by reading the text against a double backdrop -- the social history of Roman Palestine and the media world of John.

This innovative study is the first to consider the Gospel of John as story in the ancient media context of oral communication and oral performance. Horsley and Thatcher creatively combine concerns from the fields of Jesus studies and ancient media studies in their analysis. Taking the main conflict evident in John's story of Jesus as the key to its plot, they discern how this Gospel -- usually read as spiritual -- portrays Jesus engaged in a concrete program of renewal and resistance.

Acclaimed New Testament scholar Francois Bovon engagingly and concisely explores the last days of Jesus. Detailing the similarities and differences in the passion narratives of the four canonical Gospels and the Gospel of Peter, he shows that these stories were not composed by objective witnesses but are reflections of the perspectives of those who wrote them. This lucid, highly readable, yet critical appraisal of Jesus' final days is a masterful example of the discipline of biblical studies.

Exploring the sometimes heated exchanges found in the letters of Paul, Calvin Roetzel compares Paul's Jewish background and the cultures of his converts. Roetzel brings alive Paul's intriguing and sometimes enigmatic personality, making his theology as accessible and engaging to Christians today as it was to Christians living in the first century.

Respected New Testament scholar Karen Jobes explores the cultural and theological background of Hebrews and the general epistles (James through Jude) in this rich commentary. Writing from an evangelical perspective, Jobes addresses issues of historical relevance as well as how these ancient books connect with Christian faith and practice today. Letters to the Church includes: -Historical background for each book focusing on authorship, genre, date, and content-An exploration of the major themes in each book and detailed commentary on key passages-Boxes with chapter goals, outlines, challenges, and significant verses-Sidebars addressing difficult passages or ideas-Maps, photographs, charts, and definitions-Questions for discussion, reflection, and testing-A comparison of the teachings about Christ in each of the lettersPastors, professors, students, and laypeople interested in deeper biblical study will find this an invaluable resource that offers well-researched commentary in an accessible, spiritually meaningful form

Excerpt from Light From the Ancient East: The New Testament Illustrated by Recently Discovered Texts of the Graeco-Roman World

This translation of my friend Deissman's Licht vom Osten has been made from the second edition (curiously called "second and third") of the German work (Tubingen, 1909). The genesis of the book, which was first published in May, 1908, is described in the author's Preface; its success may be judged from the shortness of the time that elapsed before a second edition was required. Arrangements for the English translation were completed before the book was three months old, and a preliminary advertisement appeared in the Athenaeum as early as October 10, 1908. It is not the fault of the publishers that the English version is ready a year later than was expected. There was a miscalculation to begin with, and the work of translation proceeded more slowly than had been estimated. Well, "a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?" The delay has brought compensations. The English reader now has the book in its revised and enlarged form, including nine illustrations that were not in the first edition (Figs. 22, 23, 25, 29, 41, 42, 43, 49, 50). These facsimiles have their value not only for the learned, who (by taking pains: see p. 362, n. 1) can spell out most of the old writing, but also for the unlearned. Everybody can gain from them, as the author says (p. 147), some idea of the inimitable individuality of each single papyrus letter. "That autograph Letter, it was once all luminous as a burning beacon, every word of it a live coal, in its time; it was once a piece of the general fire and light of Human Life, that Letter!

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