A Brief Introduction to the New Testament

by Ehrman, Bart D.

• ISBN13: 9780199862306
• ISBN10: 0199862303
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-09-14
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Featuring vibrant full color throughout,A Brief Introduction to the New Testament,Third Edition, is a concise version of Bart D. Ehrman's best-sellingThe New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings,Fifth Edition. Retaining the approach of the longer textbook while condensing and simplifying much of its material, this volume looks at the New Testament from a consistently historical and comparative perspective and emphasizes the rich diversity of the earliest Christian literature. Distinctive to this study is its emphasis on the historical, literary, and religious milieux of the Greco-Roman world, including early Judaism. The text incorporates awealth of pedagogical resourcesincluding an extensive text box program, study questions, maps, timelines, and more than seventy photos (including two photo essays). A comprehensive glossary contains more than 200 key terms; these terms appear in boldface type the first time they are used in each chapter and are also listed at the end of each chapter in which they appear. Reflecting recent changes in scholarship, the third edition features: * New "Take a Stand" boxes at the end of each chapter that help students synthesize the material * New text boxes on textual criticism, forgery, the historical Jesus, and non-canonical texts * Updated and expanded bibliographies * An updated Student Website containing chapter summaries, key terms, guides for reading, and self-quizzes * An updated Instructor's Manual that provides summaries, pedagogical suggestions, and a test bank Ideal for undergraduate and seminary classes in the New Testament, Biblical Studies, and Christian Origins,A Brief Introduction to the New Testament,Third Edition, is an engaging and accessible introduction that encourages students to consider the historical issues surrounding these writings. A FREE 6-month subscription to Oxford Biblical Studies Online (www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com)--a $180 value--is available with the purchase of every new copy of this text!

Author Biography

Bart D. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has published numerous books and articles, including The New Testament, Fifth Edition (2011), The Apocryphal Gospels (2011), The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, Second Edition (2011), and Forgery and Counterforgery (2012), all published by Oxford University Press.

Table of Contents

*=New to this Edition
Each chapter opens with a "What to Expect" section and closes with Suggestions for Further Reading and Key Terms.
Boxes
Preface to the Third Edition
Preface to the Second Edition
Preface to the First Edition
Acknowledgments
Notes on Suggestions for Further Reading
Credits
Master Time Line
1. INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS THE NEW TESTAMENT?
The New Testament: Some Basic Information
Other Early Christian Writings
The Development of the Christian Canon
Implications for Our Study
The New Testament: One Other Set of Problems
At a Glance: The New Testament Canon
Excursus: Some Additional Reflections: The Historian and the Believer
* Take a Stand
2. THE ENVIRONMENT OF EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS: THE GRECO-ROMAN WORLD
The Problem of Beginnings
One Remarkable Life
The Environment of the New Testament: Religions in the Greco-Roman World
At a Glance: The World of Early Christianity
* Take a Stand
3. THE ENVIRONMENT OF EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS: THE WORLD OF ANCIENT JUDAISM
Monotheism: The Belief in One True God
The Covenant: Israel's Pact with Its God
The Law: Israel's Convenantal Obligations
Temple and Synagogue: Israel's Places of Worship
Forms of Early Judaism
Political Crises in Palestine and Their Ramifications
The Formation of Jewish Sects
The Jewish Context for the Traditions About Jesus
At a Glance: The World of Early Judaism
* Take a Stand
4. THE TRADITIONS OF JESUS IN THEIR GRECO-ROMAN CONTEXT
Oral Traditions Behind the Gospel
The Gospels as Biographies of Jesus
At a Glance: The Traditions of Jesus
Some Additional Reflections: The Authors of the Gospels
* Take a Stand
5. JESUS, THE SUFFERING SON OF GOD: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK
The Synoptic Problem
Mark, Our Earliest Gospel
The Beginning of the Gospel: Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God Who Fulfills Scripture
Jesus the Authoritative Son of God
Jesus the Opposed Son of God
Jesus the Misunderstood Son of God
Jesus the Acknowledged Son of God
Jesus the Suffering Son of God
Jesus the Crucified Son of God
Jesus the Vindicated Son of God
Conclusion: Mark and His Readers
At a Glance: The Gospel of Mark
* Take a Stand
6. JESUS, THE JEWISH MESSIAH: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
A Redactional Approach to Matthew
The Importance of Beginnings: Jesus the Jewish Messiah in Fulfillment of the Jewish Scriptures
The Portrayal of Jesus in Matthew: The Sermon on the Mount as a Springboard
Jesus Rejected by the Jewish Leaders
Matthew and His Readers
At a Glance: Matthew
* Take a Stand
7. JESUS, THE REJECTED PROPHET: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE
A Comparative Overview of the Gospel
The Preface to Luke's Gospel
Luke's Birth Narrative in Comparative Perspective
From Jew to Gentile: Luke's Portrayal of Jesus the Rejected Prophet
Luke's Distinctive Emphases throughout His Gospel
Conclusion: Luke in Comparative Perspective
At a Glance: The Gospel of Luke
* Take a Stand
8. JESUS, THE MAN SENT FROM HEAVEN: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN
The Gospel of John from a Literary-Historical Perspective
The Gospel of John from a Redactional Perspective
The Gospel of John from a Thematic Perspective
The Gospel of John from a Comparative Perspective
The Author of the Fourth Gospel
At a Glance: The Gospel of John
* Take a Stand
9. THE HISTORICAL JESUS
Problems with Sources
Using Our Sources
Jewish Apocalypticism
Jesus in His Apocalyptic Context
The Beginning and End as Keys to the Middle
The Apocalyptic Deeds of Jesus
The Apocalyptic Teachings of Jesus
The Apocalyptic Death of Jesus
At a Glance: Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet
* Take a Stand
10. FROM JESUS TO THE GOSPELS
The Beginning of Christianity
Jesus' Resurrection from an Apocalyptic Perspective
Jesus' Death, According to the Scriptures
The Emergence of Different Understandings of Jesus
At a Glance: From Jesus to the Gospels
* Take a Stand
11. LUKE'S SECOND VOLUME: THE BOOK OF ACTS
The Genre of Acts and Its Significance
The Thematic Approach to Acts
From Gospel to Acts: The Opening Transition
Themes in the Speeches of Acts
At a Glance: The Book of Acts
Conclusion: The Author and His Themes in Context
* Take a Stand
12. PAUL THE APOSTLE: THE MAN AND HIS MISSION
The Study of Paul: Methodological Difficulties
The Life of Paul
At a Glance: Paul and His Mission
* Take a Stand
13. PAUL AND HIS APOSTOLIC MISSION: I THESSALONIANS AS A TEST CASE
The Founding of the Church in Thessalonica
The Beginnings of the Thessalonian Church: A Socio-Historical Perspective
The Church at Thessalonica after Paul's Departure
Conclusion: Paul the Apostle
At a Glance: I Thessalonians
* Take a Stand
14. PAUL AND THE CRISES OF HIS CHURCHES: THE CORINTHIAN CORRESPONDENCE
1 Corinthians
At a Glance: 1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
At a Glance: 2 Corinthians
* Take a Stand
15. PAUL AND THE CRISES OF HIS CHURCHES: GALATIANS, PHILIPPIANS, AND PHILEMON
Galatians
At a Glance: Galatians
Philippians
At a Glance: Philippians
Philemon
At a Glance: Philemon
* Take a Stand
16. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL: THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS
The Occasion and Purpose of the Letter
The Theme of the Epistle
Pauline Models for Salvation
The Flow of Paul's Argument
Conclusion: Paul and the Romans
At a Glance: Romans
* Take a Stand
17. IN THE WAKE OF THE APOSTLE: THE DEUTERO-PAULINE AND PASTORAL EPISTLES
Pseudonymity in the Ancient World
The Deutero-Pauline Epistles
At a Glance: The Deutero-Pauline Epistles
The Pastoral Epistles
The Historical Situation and Authorship of the Pastoral Epistles
At a Glance: The Pastoral Epistles
* Take a Stand
18. FROM PAUL'S FEMALE COLLEAGUES TO THE PASTOR'S INTIMIDATED WOMEN: THE OPPRESSION OF WOMEN IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY
Women in Paul's Churches
Women Associated with Jesus
Paul's Understanding of Women in the Church
Women in the Aftermath of Paul
Ancient Ideologies of Gender
Gender Ideology and the Pauline Churches
At a Glance: Women in Early Christianity
* Take a Stand
19. CHRISTIAN CONFLICTS WITH JEWS AND PAGANS: HEBREWS AND 1 PETER
Christians and Jews
Early Christian Self-Definition
Continuity and Superiority: The Epistle to the Hebrews
At a Glance: Hebrews
Christians and Pagans
Christians in a Hostile World: The Letter of 1 Peter
At a Glance: 1 Peter
* Take a Stand
20. CHRISTIAN CONFLICTS WITH CHRISTIANS: JAMES, 2 PETER, JUDE, AND THE JOHANNINE EPISTLES
Christian Conflicts with Christians
The Epistle of James
Jude
2 Peter
The Johannine Epistles
Understanding the Johannine Epistles
Reflections on the Contextual Method for Understanding the Johannine Epistles
Conflicts within the Early Christian Communities
At a Glance: Christian Internal Conflicts
* Take a Stand
21. CHRISTIANS AND THE COSMOS: THE BOOK OF REVELATION
The Content and Structure of the Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation from a Historical Perspective
Apocalyptic Worldviews and Apocalypse Genre
The Revelation of John in Historical Context
At a Glance: The Book of Revelation
* Take a Stand
Glossary of Terms
Index
Photo Essays