Description: This book is written for a wide range of interested readers, including students, pastors, church workers and others interested in learning about Paul as a person and his work. The author deals with Paul and the book of Acts, the circumstances that led Paul to write each letter, and his responses to those circumstances. A unique aspect of the work is Paul's emphasis on the morality of the believers to whom he was writing--his "ways in Christ" as he taught "them everywhere in every church." Brief discussions of Paul's language help to enlighten meanings of his thought often overlooked. His thought is presented in light of his own times, not those of the Reformation or our own. Material from the Old Testament, Qumran, and pagan sources makes readers more aware of that fact. Paul was not writing for Christians in the modern sense of the term, because it was not in use among followers of Jesus when he wrote. Rather, he was writing primarily to converts, especially Gentiles, who came into his churches only recently from either Judaism or paganism. Paul's emphases on faithfulness toward God, the faithfulness of Jesus, and his moral teachings are primary themes. There is an extensive bibliography for persons interested in more advanced study.
Description: This friendly letter sent by Paul to Christians whom he referred to as his joy and crown, is an epistle to believers of all times and in all places. This is so because it meets us just where we are, and ministers effectively to specific needs. This is not a verse-by-verse study of the epistle, but an observation of the cordial relationship which existed between a faithful shepherd and his responsive flock. It is not a technical presentation, but a commentary on a series of events, developments, and experiences with which many believers can readily identify.
Description: Theissen focuses on the person of Paul (as opposed to Pauline theology) in an attempt both to provide insights into his conversion and to interpret a broad selection of the data provided by his letters.
