Invitation to the New Testament

Foreword: Acknowledgments: The Plan of this Book: PART I. BACKGROUND AND FOREGROUND Chapter 1. The Texture of the Text of the New Testament The Material Used Why a Continuous Flow of Letters? The Oral and Rhetorical World of the New Testament Implications of What We Have Learned Chapter 2. The Literature of the New Testament What Are the Gospels (and Acts)? What about the "Letters" of the New Testament? In the End, Apocalypse What Is the Story the New Testament Seeks to Tell? What Sort of History Is This? Implications Chapter 3. Jesus of Nazareth in His Early Jewish Setting Did Jesus Even Exist? What Manner of Man Was He? What Is a Miracle? Were There "Lost Christianities"? Chapter 4. First Century Family Values Greece and Rome Will Not Leave Us Alone Social History and Ordinary Life Implications PART II. THE GOSPELS AND ACTS Chapter 5. The Earliest Good News--Mark's Gospel Who Was Mark, and When Did He Write? How Is Mark's Gospel Arranged? Brief Contents The Presentation of and Reflection on Christ in Mark Marking Time The Kingdom Comes with Teaching and Healing A Closer Look: Jesus' Wisdom Teachings--Parables, Aphorisms, Riddles The Dramatic, Surprise Ending of Mark's Gospel Implications Chapter 6. The MOST POPULAR GOSPEL--MATTHEW Describing a Scribe The Audience, Date, and Character of Matthew's Gospel Matthew's Special Contributions to the Story of Jesus The Sermon on the Mount The Peter Principle The Grand Finale Implications Chapter 7. Luke the Historian's Two-Volume Work--Luke--Acts Luke's Hellenistic, Yet Jewish, Historical Approach to Jesus and "the Way" Who Was Theophilus? Who Was Luke? The Logical and Theological Structuring of Luke--Acts The Gospel of the Holy Spirit Luke's Views of Jesus Synopsis of the Content of Luke--Acts Implications Chapter 8. The Last Word on Jesus--The Beloved Disciple's Testimony in the Gospel of John First Things The Theological Structure of the Fourth Gospel A Closer Look: The I Am Sayings In Passing--Meaningful Asides in the Gospel of John A Glimpse of Glory--Special Moments in the Gospel of John with Nicodemus, the Samaritan Woman, Mary Magdalene, and Peter Synopsis of Contents Implications PART III. PAUL AND HIS RHETORICAL LETTERS Chapter 9. Paul--Outlines of the Life and Letters of the Apostle The Trinity of Paul's Identity Paul the Multilingual, Multicultural Apostle Rhetoric in the Greco-Roman World Paul's Rhetorical Letters Paul's Narrative Thought World Five Stories that Shook and Shaped Paul's World and Worldview Implications Chapter 10. Paul the Letter Writer Part One: The Earlier Letters Paul's First Salvo--Galatians Synopsis of Contents 1 and 2 Thessalonians Synopsis of Contents Implications Chapter 11. Paul the Letter Writer Part Two: The Capital Pauline Epistles 1 and 2 Corinthians Synopsis of Contents A Closer Look: Paul, Sex, and Women Synopsis of Contents Romans--The Righteousness of God and the Setting Right of Human Beings Synopsis of Contents Implications Chapter 12. Paul the Letter Writer Part Three: The Captivity Epistles Synopsis of Colossians and Ephesians Colossians 3:18-4:1/Ephesians 5:21-6/9--The Household Codes Synopsis of Contents Philemon Philippians Implications Chapter 13. Paul the Letter Writer Part Four: The Pastoral Epistles and the Problem of Pseudonymous Letters Why the Authorship Issue Matters The Pastoral Epistles--What Sort of Rhetoric Is This? Primary Argument about False Teachers Secondary Argument about False Teachers Outlines and Synopses of Contents of the Pastorals Titus 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Implications PART IV. LETTERS AND HOMILIES FOR JEWISH CHRISTIA NS Chapter 14. The Sermon of James the Just--Jesus' Brother General Epistles? James--A Wisdom Sermon in Encyclical Form The Language, Wisdom, and Rhetorical Style of James The Authorship and Provenance Question What Kind of Document Is James? Synopsis of Contents Implications Chapter 15. The Other Brother and his Eschatological Thinking--Jude Jude--The Man Jude the Book Jude's Audience Synopsis of Contents Implications Chapter 16. The Suffering Servant--1 Peter The Social World of Early Christianity The Authorship, Audience, and Social Milieu of 1 Peter The Rhetorical Outline of 1 Peter Synopsis of Contents Implications Chapter 17. The Sermon of the Famous Anonymous Preacher--Hebrews The Authorship, Audience, and Provenance of Hebrews The Rhetoric of Hebrews Core Samplings Implications Chapter 18. A Beloved Sermon and Two Elderly Letters--1-3 John The Authorship Issues The Social Context of the Johannine Epistles The Date and Provenance of the Johannine Epistles The Rhetoric of the Johannine Epistles The Rhetorical Structure of 1 John The Rhetorical Structure of 2 John The Rhetorical Structure of 3 John Core Samples--1 John 4 Implications PART V. IN THE END--APOCALYPSE--AND THEREAFTER Chapter 19. Picking up the Pieces, Forming up the Canon-2 Peter Preliminary Considerations The Mystery That Is 2 Peter Putting Together the Pieces The Rhetoric of 2 Peter Core Samplings--2 Peter 1.12-21 Implications Chapter 19. APOCALYPSE LATER--THE BOOK OF REVELATION Who, What, When, Where, and Why? The Particularity of Revelation The Rhetoric and Resources of Revelation Revelation in Its Social Setting in Western Asia Minor The Christology of Revelation The Genre of Revelation Core Samplings: Revelation Implications Chapter 20. The Making of the New Testament--Did the Canon Misfire? Canon Consciousness and Scripture Consciousness The Rise of New Testament Scripture and Canon Consciousness The Organizing of Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy In the End Implications Appendix A. Right on Q? Are the Synoptics a Problem?: Appendix B. Epistolary Pseudepigrapha and Intellectual Property in Antiquity--Framing the Discussion: Key Terms: Index: