AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
CONTEXTS, METHODS & MINISTRY FORMATION
SECOND EDITION
An imprint of InterVarsity Press
Downers Grove, Illinois
P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
Second edition ©2018 by David A. deSilva
First edition ©2004 by David A. deSilva
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from InterVarsity Press.
InterVarsity Press® is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA®, a movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges, and schools of nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, visit intervarsity.org.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are the author’s translation. Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cover design: David Fassett
Images: stained glass—Holy Spirit: © jimd_stock / iStock / Getty Images Plus
early plan of Jerusalem: © duncan1890 / Getty Images
baptism of Jesus, stained glass: © junak / iStock / Getty Images Plus
statue of Augustus: © PaoloGaetano / Getty Images
green palm branch: © joakimbkk / Getty Images
statue of St. Paul: © josefkubes / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Roman coin: © Luso / Getty Images
ISBN 978-0-8308-7400-2 (digital)
ISBN 978-0-8308-5217-8 (print)
J. Arthur F. deSilva,
on his eighty-fifth birthday,
and
in loving memory
of my grandfather,
Stephen Frederick deSilva
(1902–1981)
When the father dies he will not seem to be dead,
for he has left behind him one like himself,
whom in his life he looked upon with joy
and at death, without grief.
He has left behind him an avenger against his enemies,
and one to repay the kindness of his friends.
Preface: The Perspective of This Introduction
Using the “Exegetical Skill” Sections
1 THE NEW TESTAMENT AS PASTORAL RESPONSE
Issues in the First-Century Church
Formation of a “New” Testament
2 THE ENVIRONMENT OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY
Prologue: Important Developments in the Intertestamental Period
Key Players and Plots in the World of the Gospels and Their Readers
Torah, Temple, and Tradition: The Common Focal Points of Jews
Gnosticism, the Nag Hammadi Library, and the Hermetica
Greco-Roman Philosophical Schools
Christians in the Greco-Roman World
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About An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods & Ministry Formation (Second Edition)This New Testament introduction is different. Many introductions zero in on the historical contexts in which the New Testament literature was written. This introduction goes further—to give particular attention to the social, cultural, and rhetorical contexts of the New Testament authors and their writings. Few introductions to the New Testament integrate instruction in exegetical and interpretive strategies with the customary considerations of authorship, dating, audience, and message. This introduction capitalizes on the opportunity, introducing students to a relevant facet of interpretation with each portion of New Testament literature. Rarely do introductions to the New Testament approach their task mindful of students preparing for ministry. This introduction is explicit in doing so, recognizing as it does that the New Testament itself—in its parts and as a whole—is a pastoral resource. Each chapter on the New Testament literature closes with a discussion of implications for ministry formation. These integrative features alone would distinguish this introduction from others. But in addition, its pages brim with maps, photos, points of interest, and aids to learning. Separate chapters explore the historical and cultural environment of the New Testament era, the nature of the Gospels and the quest for the historical Jesus, and the life of Paul. First published in 2004, David A. deSilva’s comprehensive and carefully crafted introduction to the New Testament has been long established as an authoritative textbook and resource for students. This beautiful, full-color second edition has been updated throughout with new scholarship and numerous images. It is the first choice for those convinced that a New Testament introduction should integrate scholarship and ministry. |
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