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• COVER
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• TITLE PAGE
• COPYRIGHT PAGE
• DEDICATION PAGE
• PREFACE
• I SHARED CONCEPTS OF ANCIENT CULTURES AND RELIGIONS
• Concepts and Terminology
• Religion
• The Universe
• Polytheism and Monotheism
• Myth
• The Concept of Sin
• Acts of Worship/Rituals
• Cult
• Official Cults
• Voluntary Cults: The Mysteries
• Religious Festivals
• Divination: Astrology, Oracles, Magicians
• Religion and Society
• Social Class
• Education
• Collegia
• Slavery
• Ancient Concepts of the Afterlife
• Monism/Dualism
• Funeral Rituals
• Funeral Games
• The Terms: Judaism, Jews, Christianity, Christians
• Jewish‐Christians and Gentile‐Christians
• Languages/Scriptures
• Old Testament/Canon
• Gentiles and Pagans
• Faith versus Rituals
• Creative Writing
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• II THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL
• The Traditions of Israel
• Who Wrote the Jewish Scriptures?
• Genesis 1–11
• Abraham
• The Sacrifice
• Joseph and His Brothers
• The Book of Exodus
• Leviticus
• Purity/Impurity
• Numbers and Deuteronomy
• The Historical Books: Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings
• 1 and 2 Samuel
• The Rise of Kingship and David
• The Split into Two Kingdoms
• Disaster Strikes
• The Babylonian Empire
• Persia
• The Diaspora
• The Role of the Prophets
• A New Hope
• A Paradigmatic Shift and a New Disaster
• Antiochus Epiphanes IV (Syria, 216–154 BCE)
• The Maccabee Revolt
• Heaven and Hell
• Jewish Sectarianism
• Apocalyptic Eschatology
• Pompey and the Rule of Rome
• The Herodians
• Direct Rule of Judea by Rome
• The Jewish Revolt Against Rome (66–73 CE)
• Flavius Josephus (36 CE–100 CE)
• Josephus and Scholarship
• The Destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem
• The Importance of the Jewish War Against Rome
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• EXCURSUS I: THE ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION OF SATAN
• III THE STORY OF JESUS OF NAZARETH IN THE GOSPELS
• The Crucifixion of Jesus
• The Context of Each Gospel
• The Gospel of Mark (ca. 69/70 CE)
• The Gospel of Matthew (85 CE?)
• The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles (95 CE?)
• The Gospel of John (100 CE?)
• Problems Faced by the Writers of the Gospels
• The Relationship Among the Gospels
• The Priority of Mark
• Matthew and Luke: The “Q” Source
• Additional Sources for Matthew and Luke
• Sources for Mark
• Analyzing the Gospels
• The Passion Narrative/Historical Anomalies
• The Second Temple Complex
• The Arrest
• The Jewish Trial
• The Real Pontius Pilate
• The Crucifixion of Jesus
• Joseph of Arimathea
• What Really Happened?
• Jesus, the Ideal Martyr
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• IV ACTS OF THE APOSTLES AND THE ORIGINS OF CHRISTIANITY
• The Date of the Acts of the Apostles
• The Genre of Luke‐Acts
• The Purpose of the Acts of the Apostles
• Sources for Luke‐Acts/Literary Devices
• A “Missionary” Religion
• The Commission in Acts 2
• Replacing Judas
• Jews, God‐fearers, and Gentiles (“Nations”)
• Gentiles (the Nations)
• Pentecost (Acts 2)
• Acts 4 and 5
• Acts 6: Hellenists, Hebrews, and the Story of Stephen
• Acts 7: Stephen’s Defense Speech
• The Narrative Function of Stephen
• Acts 8: Paul and the Persecution of the Believers
• Acts 9: The Turning of Paul
• Acts 10: Peter and the “God‐fearer” Cornelius
• Luke’s God‐Fearers
• Peter’s Explanation
• The Progress of the Missions
• Acts 15: The First Apostolic Council
• The Dictates of Acts 15
• Table Fellowship
• Jewish–Gentile Relations on the Ground
• What Is Missing in Acts 15
• The Gods Exist
• Luke’s Apologia to Rome
• The Typology of Rejection in Acts
• The Rejection of Paul in Acts
• Paul’s Defense Speeches in Acts
• The Politics of Empire
• The Imperial Cult
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• V STUDYING PAUL’S LETTERS
• Dating Paul’s Letters
• Recurring Concepts, Issues, Arguments, and Themes
• Judaizers
• Faith versus Works of the Law
• No Idolatry
• Sin
• Atonement
• Grace
• Salvation
• Polemic and Rhetoric
• Why Then the Law of Moses?
• Reading Between the Lines
• The Philosophical Paul
• Dualism
• Christology
• The Problem of Anachronism in Reading Paul
• Paul’s Letters and the Gospels
• The Absence of Details
• Multiple Attestation
• “Not I, But the Lord”
• Apocalyptic Eschatology versus Realized Eschatology
• Persecution
• Church
• Forgiveness
• The Spirit
• Universalism
• Character and Psychology
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• EXCURSUS II: PAUL THE PHARISEE
• VI LIFE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN CITIES
• City Architecture
• The Necropolis
• Patron Gods and Goddesses
• Temples
• Religious Festivals
• Religious Associations
• Synagogues
• Roman Engineering and Innovations
• Tenements
• Thermopolium and Caupona
• Greco‐Roman Views on Sex and Marriage
• Birth Control/Abortion
• Philosophical Views
• Human Sexual Intercourse
• Same‐Sex Attraction in the Ancient World
• Brothels
• Slaves
• Health and Welfare
• Systems of Government
• Religion and Philosophy
• Schools of Philosophy
• Common Views of Philosophy/The Philosophical Universe
• Plato, Socrates, and Platonism (428–348 BCE)
• Stoicism
• Epicurus and Epicureanism
• Epicures
• Philosophy and the Common People
• The Roman Penal System
• Gladiator Games
• The Emergence of the Imperial Cult
• Octavianus/Augustus
• Domitian (83–96 CE)
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• EXCURSUS III: THE ORDEALS AND SUFFERINGS OF PAUL
• VII 1 THESSALONIANS
• 1 Thessalonians 1: The Opening Passage
• Chapter 2
• Receiving the Spirit
• Not a Burden to the Community
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16
• Paul Longed to See the Thessalonians
• Chapter 3: Sending Timothy and Persecution
• Chapter 4: A Life Pleasing to God
• The Delay of the Kingdom/Believers Who Have Died
• The Rapture
• Like a Thief in the Night
• Final Exhortations
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• VIII GALATIANS:
• Date
• The Opening Passage (Galatians 1)
• Paul’s Defense of His Apostleship
• Galatians 2: The Second Trip to Jerusalem
• Galatians 2:11–21: Paul Rebuked Cephas
• Justified by Faith and Not Works of the Law
• From Solution to Plight
• Abraham
• The Law and the Promise
• The Curse of Deuteronomy
• Why Then the Law?
• Under the Control of Sin
• Paul’s Use of Metaphors, Analogies, and Allegories of Slavery
• Hagar and Sarah
• Galatians 5: The Nature of Christian Freedom
• Flesh versus the Spirit
• Galatians 6: Teaching on Behavior
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• IX PHILEMON:
• The Purpose of the Letter
• Paul’s Concern for Onesimus
• Interpretive Issues
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• X PHILIPPIANS
• Provenance and Composition of the Letter
• The Opening Passage
• “I am in Chains”
• Philippians 2: Imitating Christ
• Analysis
• Formation of the “Christ Hymn”
• The Worship of Christ
• Behavior
• Timothy and Epaphroditus
• Chapter 3: From the Past to the Present
• Chapter 4: A Final Appeal
• The Generosity of the Philippians
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• XI 1 CORINTHIANS, PART I
• Ancient Corinth
• Roman Corinth
• The Temple of Aphrodite on the Acropolis of Corinth
• The Structure of the Letters
• Chapter 1: Factions
• On Wisdom (1 Corinthians 18–31)
• Different Views of Christ
• Chapter 4: The Nature of Apostleship
• Chapter 5: Sexual Immorality in the Community
• Chapter 6: Lawsuits Among Believers
• “Flee from Sexual Immorality”
• How to Live in the Interim: 1 Corinthians 7
• Concerning Change of Status
• Chapter 8: Food Sacrificed to Idols
• Chapter 9: Paul’s Rights as an Apostle
• Chapter 10: Israel’s Past
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• XII 1 AND 2 CORINTHIANS, PART II
• Chapter 11: Head Coverings
• The Abuses at the Lord’s Supper
• Chapter 12: Spiritual Gifts
• The Body Is One
• Chapter 13: A Discourse on Love, “a More Excellent Way”
• Chapter 14: More Teaching on Behavior
• Directions for the Assembly
• Resurrection: 1 Corinthians 15
• The Resurrection Body
• “A Spiritual Body”
• 2 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians 3: The Greater Glory of the New Covenant
• The Body and the Resurrection Life
• 2 Corinthians 10: Paul’s Defense of His Ministry in Corinth
• More on False Apostles
• 2 Corinthians 12: Paul’s Heavenly Journey
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• XIII ROMANS
• Paul’s Introduction
• What Was Wrong with the World
• The Judgment of God
• The Jews and the Law
• The Advantage of the Jew
• Righteousness Only Through Faith
• Romans 5 and 6
• The Analogy of Adam and Christ
• Romans 7
• Life in the Spirit
• Future Glory
• Romans 9–11: God’s Election of Israel
• Salvation for All
• The Salvation of the Gentiles
• All Israel Will Be Saved
• Romans 12: The New Life in Christ
• Romans 13
• The Time Is Short
• More on Behavior
• Closing Remarks
• Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• EXCURSUS IV : PAUL AND IMPERIAL ROME
• XIV THE DEUTERO‐PAULINE LETTERS
• 2 Thessalonians
• The Letter to the Ephesians
• Ephesians 2
• Ephesians 3
• The Letter to the Colossians
• The Letter to the Hebrews
• The Pastorals
• Elders and Bishops
• The Election of Bishops
• Deacons
• A Change in Leadership
• Candidates and Elections
• The Theology of Hierarchy and Election
• The Letter of James
• 1 and 2 Peter
• The Johannine Letters
• The Letter of Jude
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• XV THE CHURCH FATHERS’ INTERPRETATIONS OF PAUL
• The Context of the Church Fathers
• Persecution
• The Octavius of Marcus Minucius Felix
• The Church Fathers and Paul’s Letters
• Philosophy and the Ancient Roots of Christianity
• The Church Fathers and the Doctrine of the Logos
• Justin Martyr
• Resurrection of the Dead
• Irenaeus
• Tertullian
• Adversos Literature
• The Methods of the Church Fathers
• Justin Martyr’s Dialogue with Trypho the Jew
• Emperor Hadrian (76–138 CE)
• Christian Views on the War
• Allegory
• The Ten Commandments
• The Result of Reading Jewish Scriptures as Allegory
• The Innovation of Orthodoxy and Heresy
• The Nag Hammadi Library
• What Is Gnosticism?
• Allegory
• That Zen Moment
• Why Were the Gnostics Condemned as Heretics?
• Gnostic Gospels
• Marcion of Sinope (85–160 CE)
• The Antitheses
• Marcion’s Scriptures
• The Formation of the New Testament Canon
• Christian Innovations on Human Sexuality
• The Books of the Prophets
• Positive and Negative Roles of Women
• Human Intercourse as a Sin
• Radical Christians
• Celibacy and Chastity
• Lust as a Necessary Evil
• Eschatology
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• XVI LEGENDS OF THE APOSTLES AND PAUL
• The Infancy Gospel of Thomas
• The Protoevangelium of James
• Mary and the Brothers of Jesus
• Acts of the Apostles
• The Acts of Thomas
• The Acts of Peter
• Simon Magus
• Acts of Peter and Paul
• Pseudo‐Clementine Literature
• The Acts of Paul
• Nero and the Persecution of Christians, ca. 64 CE
• The Letters of Paul and Seneca
• Apocalypses
• Greek Romance Novels
• The Acts of Paul and Thecla
• Summary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• EPILOGUE
• APPENDIX I: BIBLICAL TIMELINE FOR THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL
• APPENDIX II: CHRONOLOGY OF PAUL’S LIFE AND LETTERS
• GLOSSARY
• INDEX
• END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT