This book provides an interpretation of Galatians 6:11-17 which yields significant insights about Paul's perception of the crisis in Galatia, and the solution he presents to his readers in light of it.

In the first section of the book, the epistolary form and function of Galatians 6:11-17 are analysed. Revealed as a body-closing, it works to sharpen and complete Paul's message by spelling out his motivation for writing and establishing the basis for further communication with his readers. The theme of persecution in the letter is then seen rendered both explicitly and implicitly...

What did Paul mean when he declared that there is 'neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, nor male and female' (Galatians 3:28)? While many modern readers understand these words as a statement about human equality, this study shows that it in fact reflects ancient ideas about an ideal or utopian community. With this declaration, Paul contributed to the cultural conversation of his time about such a community.

The three pairs that Paul brings together in this formula all played a role in first-century conceptions of what an ideal world would look like. Such conceptions were...

In the Gospel of Luke, the aged Simeon foresees the future opposition which Jesus will face (2.34-35) and concludes his ominous oracle with a vivid description of the final outcome of Jesus' ministry: '...so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed' (2.35). Bullard presents an investigation of the narrative and Christological significance of this 'revelation of thoughts' in the ministry of Jesus, especially as this revelation is demonstrated and fulfilled in Jesus' ability to know the thoughts in the hearts of those whom he encounters throughout the Gospel.

Bullard first...

In A Journey Round John Wendy E. S. North considers a range of themes relevant to the interpretation of the Fourth Gospel.

First, the relationship between the Gospel and 1 John. North explores the value of the Epistle as a means of identifying traditional material the evangelist knew; on which basis she appeals to 1 John to account for the form of Jesus' prayer in chapter 11. Second, John's Christology in which North looks to John's cultural roots in monotheistic Judaism to understand his capacity to align Jesus with God. Third, the crucial issue of 'the Jews' in John, where...

The divisions in the Corinthian church are catalogued by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:12: "Each of you says, 'I follow Paul, ' or 'I follow Apollos, ' or 'I follow Cephas, ' or 'I follow Christ.'" White shows how these splits are found in the milieu of 1st-century Graeco-Roman education. By consulting relevant literary and epigraphic evidence, White develops a picture of ancient education throughout the Empire generally, and in Roman Corinth specifically. This serves as a backdrop to the situation in the Christian community, wherein some of the elite, educated members preferred Apollos to Paul...

This book explores the relationship between the new context that John provides for his allusions and their context in the Old Testament. For example, did John choose texts to meet the needs of the recipients or did his meditation on the scriptures give him a unique insight into their situation? Ramsay held that local knowledge led to John's choice of texts whereas Beale believed that Revelation is a midrash on Daniel. Both are one-sided, as a study of John's use of Ezekiel shows. John based a number of his incidents on Ezekiel, in much the same order. Nevertheless, there are also major...

The essays in this volume present a state-of-the-discipline snapshot of current and recent research into the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. The contributions showcase wide range of methods and perspectives on Gospels study.

The Gospels are viewed from a traditio-historical perspective, and with an eye on history of interpretation. Literary and social-scientific analysis of the Gospels, as well as theological and spiritual readings are also presented. The collection presents chapters by experts in the field of Matthean, Markan, and Jesus studies that freshly examine the core texts. The...

Turley begins by surveying the history of the interface between ritual studies and Pauline scholarship, identifying the scholarly gaps in both method and conclusions and a ritual theory adequate to address such gaps. The focus of the work is then on the two rituals that identified the Pauline communities: ritual washings and ritual meals. Turley explores Galatians and 1 Corinthians, two letters that present the richest spread of evidence pertinent to ritual theory.

By exploring Paul's reference to ritual washings and meals with a heuristic use of ritual theory, Turley concludes that...

This detailed exegetical study of Gal 3.28c in the light of 3.14-29 and 4.21-31 shows not only how integral this verse is to chapters 3 and 4 of the letter, but also that it is the key to understanding Paul's theological argument of promise in Galatians. Paul's use of the story of Abraham in 3.14-29 and of Sarah in 4.21-31 in light of God's promise to the patriarch and the matriarch in Genesis 17 have implications displays the joint role of Abraham and Sarah in bringing about the promise, and underscores the unity of the believers in Christ.

In light of this, Uzukwu examines...