New Testament Foundations

A Guide for Christian Students

Revised Edition

VOLUME 2

The Acts

The Letters

The Apocalypse

RALPH P. MARTIN

Wipf and Stock Publishers

eugene, oregon

Wipf and Stock Publishers

199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3

Eugene, Oregon 97401

New Testament Foundations, Vol. 2

A Guide for Christian Students

By Martin, Ralph P.

Copyright©1994 by Martin, Ralph P.

ISBN: 1-57910-312-X

Publication date 12/3/1999

Previously published by Eerdmans/Paternoster, 1994

This book is dedicated

to the memory of

T. W. Manson

(1893–1958)

from whom the author learned

so much of what is contained

in this volume

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Abbreviations

ONE: INTRODUCING THE LETTERS AND APOCALYPSE

1. What to Look for in the Epistles

TWO: THE ANCIENT WORLD: THE SETTING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IN GRAECO-ROMAN CIVILIZATION

2. The World of the Early Church: The Roman Empire

3. The World of the Early Church: The Religious and Philosophical Framework

THREE: CAMEOS OF THE EARLY CHURCH

4. The Acts of the Apostles as a Historical and Theological Document

5. Pentecost and the Church at Jerusalem

6. Stephen, the Hellenists and the Early Gentile Mission

7. Paul’s Conversion: History and Faith Meet

8. Cornelius’ Conversion and the First Missionary Journey

9. The Jerusalem Council and Paul’s Attitude to Israel

10. From Philippi to Jerusalem

11. Paul en route to Rome, and the Church at Rome

FOUR: THE PAULINE CORPUS OF LETTERS

12. Paul’s Struggle for Galatia

13. Persecution and Parousia in the Thessalonian Letters

14. The Corinthian Correspondence and its Setting

15. Paul’s Missionary Manifesto in Romans

16. Paul and His Converts at Philippi

17. Crisis at Colossae

18. Christ and the Church in the Ephesian Epistle

FIVE: SPECIAL ISSUES IN THE PAULINE CORPUS

19. Paul the Letter-Writer

20. Paul and His Predecessors

21. The Authority of Paul’s Letters: Apostleship, Tradition, and the Canon

22. The Place of the Pastorals and the Close of Paul’s Life

23. Church and State in the New Testament

24. Gnostic Motifs in Paul

SIX: OTHER NEW TESTAMENT WRITINGS

25. Christianity According to First Peter

26. The Pilgrim People of God in the Epistle to the Hebrews

27. The Epistle of James and Jewish Christianity

28. The Literature Published in Asia Minor

29. Early Catholicism and 2 Peter-Jude

SEVEN: THE SUM OF THE MATTER

30. The Nature of the Christian Life (1 Corinthians 5:6–8)

31. The Claims of the New Life in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:12–20)

32. The Hope of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20–28)

Epilogue

Select Bibliography

Index of Subjects

Index of Authors

Index of References

Acknowledgments

In several of the following chapters I have drawn on some material which first appeared in various books and journals. In particular these are sections and essays published in Vox Evangelica, Vol. 1 (1962), and Vol. 2 (1963); in the Scripture Union Bible Study book on Acts (1968); in the New Century Bible commentaries on Philippians (1976) and Colossians and Philemon (1974); ...