The books traditionally associated with John the Apostle constitute a major portion of the Christian New Testament. The influence of these books, particularly the Gospel according to John and the book of Revelation, has been immense both in Christianity and in Western culture. This study provides a fresh examination of how these books were accepted--or not accepted--in the early Church, and in so doing demonstrates why long-held theories about them must be discarded and replaced.

The books traditionally associated with John the Apostle constitute a major portion of the Christian New Testament. The influence of these books, particularly the Gospel according to John and the book of Revelation, has been immense both in Christianity and in Western culture. This study provides a fresh examination of how these books were accepted--or not accepted--in the early Church, and in so doing demonstrates why long-held theories about them must be discarded and replaced.

The Early Text of the New Testament aims to examine and assess from our earliest extant sources the most primitive state of the New Testament text now known. What sort of changes did scribes make to the text? What is the quality of the text now at our disposal? What can we learn about the nature of textual transmission in the earliest centuries? In addition to exploring the textual and scribal culture of early Christianity, this volume explores the textual evidence for all the sections of the New Testament. It also examines the evidence from the earliest translations of New Testament writings...

This book significantly expands our understanding of the life and work of Polycarp of Smyrna. Part One establishes that the anonymous apostolic presbyterquot;, whose oral teaching is cited intermittently by Irenaeus in Against Heresies 4.27.1 through 4.32.1, is in fact Polycarp. The fragments of teaching preserved by Irenaeus shed valuable light upon his relationship with Polycarp, establishing that Irenaeus' contact with his teacher was neither fleeting nor shallow. They also reveal Polycarp's important role in opposing the early effects of the Marcionite movement and gain a valuable...