For many of whom I often told you, and even now am writing with tears, walk as the enemies of the cross of Christ: they walk to their final destruction, their god is the belly and their glory is in shameful things, their minds are earthly bound. But our πολίτευμα is in heaven from where we expect the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Savior. Philippians 3:18-20 Paul’s letters to Philippians show us that this rather outspoken man had plenty of opportunity and cause to aggravate his christian contemporaries. However, for Paul to use such hostility and to name people as “enemies” shows us that we should take note and try to understand the meaning behind his statement. In this work the author asks: who were these enemies? What did they do wrong? Why did they deserve destruction? In search of these questions the investigation looks to the early Christian communities and their formation within the socio-political realities of the urban centers of the Roman Empire. Through this we learn a great deal about the uneven and complex dynamics of the early Christian community and a deep understanding of Paul’s warning to them.

By focusing upon a rehearing of the Gospel news of heaven today, the author invites readers to exercise a "post-modern permission" to listen to this testimony without either the usual modernist earplugs or an uncritical post-modern "make believe." Without attempting to retrace the history of images and interpretations of heaven, Morse seeks rather to draw upon this background to get to the heart of the issue of modern eschatological and apocalyptic discussion by proposing in the foreground a "thought experiment".

In The Origin and Meaning of Ekklēsia in the Early Jesus Movement, Ralph J. Korner explores the ideological implications of Christ-follower associations self-designating collectively as ekklēsiai. Politically, Korner’s inscriptional research suggests that an association named ekklēsia would have been perceived as a positive, rather than as a counter-imperial, participant within Imperial Greek cities. Socio-religiously, Korner argues that there was no universal ekklēsia to which all first generation Christ-followers belonged; ekklēsia was a permanent group designation used by Paul’s associations. Ethno-religiously, Korner contends that ekklēsia usage by intra muros groups within pluriform Second Temple Judaism problematizes suggestions, not least at the institutional level, that Paul was “parting ways” with Judaism(s), ‘Jewishness’, or Jewish organizational forms.

Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus,anglicizedasTertullian(/tərˈtʌliən/), c. 155 - c. 240 AD,was a prolific earlyChristian author fromCarthagein theRoman province of Africa.He is the first Christian author to produce an extensive corpus ofLatin Christian literature. He also was a notable earlyChristian apologistand a polemicist againstheresy, including contemporaryChristian Gnosticism.Tertullian has been called "the father ofLatin Christianity" and "the founder of Western theology."

Over the centuries, Paul has been understood as the prototypical convert from Judaism to Christianity. At the time of Pauls conversion, however, Christianity did not yet exist. Moreover, Paul says nothing to indicate that he was abandoning Judaism or Israel. He, in fact, understood his mission as the fulfillment of the promises to Israel and of Israels own destiny. In brief, Pauls gospel and mission were set over against the Roman Empire, not Judaism.

Eusebius’s groundbreaking History of the Church, remains the single most important source for the history of the first three centuries of Christianity and stands among the classics of Western literature. His iconic story of the church’s origins, endurance of persecution, and ultimate triumph—with its cast of martyrs, heretics, bishops, and emperors—has profoundly shaped the understanding of Christianity’s past and provided a model for all later ecclesiastical histories. This new translation, which includes detailed essays and notes, comes from one of the leading scholars of Eusebius’s work and offers rich context for the linguistic, cultural, social, and political background of this seminal text. Accessible for new readers and thought-provoking for specialists, this is the essential text for anyone interested in the history of Christianity.

This collection of essays is presented in honour of John C. Hurd on the occasion of his retirement as Professor of New Testament at Trinity College, Toronto, and in recognition of a distinguished career in the fields of Pauline studies and computing in the humanities. Given Professor Hurd's interest in Christian origins and methodology, it is appropriate that the contributors to this volume deal with the origin and development of various aspects of Judaism and Christianity. In particular they highlight how a greater attentiveness to method has resulted in a reshaping of our understanding of Christianity or Judaism. The volume is divided into three parts: 'New Understandings of Paul', 'New Understandings of the New Testament', and 'New Understandings of the Relationship between Judaism and Christianity'. Contributors include Walter Aufrecht, Karl Donfried, Robert Grant, John Kloppenborg, Gerd Ludemann and Wayne McCready.

La 4e de couverture indique : "The theologian Gregory of Nyssa wrote biographies of his sister, a local bishop, and Moses. Allison L. Gray shows that he adapts techniques from Greco-Roman biographical writing in these texts to create narratives that are suited to a specifically Christian form of education, focused on virtue and scriptural interpretation."

One can hardly ignore the significance of suffering in Paul’s letters. Respected scholars (e.g., Scott Hafemann, Christiaan Beker, and Ann Jervis) have demonstrated the indispensable role of suffering in Paul’s teaching. Despite that, the topic does not often “hit the headlines” in Pauline studies. Meanwhile, Christians around the world testify to the encouragement and comfort Paul gives them in times of pain and distress. The purpose of this book is to arouse interest in Pauline scholarship on the topic and provide a resource for educators, theological students, and thoughtful pastors. New Testament scholars in five countries across three continents contribute to this volume. They study the texts, intertexts, and the language of suffering in Paul. They explore the notion of participation in Christ’s suffering and glory, and examine the significance of identity formation and solidarity in the Christ community. In addition, the authors reflect on the implications for the church today from different social locations and cultural backgrounds. The result is an exegetical and critical reflection that invites the church to seriously engage with Paul on the topic. Contributors: Sunny Chen, Roy Ciampa, Timothy Gombis, Sanyu Iralu, Haley Goranson Jacob, Kar Yong Lim, David Starling, Sean Winter, Siu Fung Wu, and Xiaxia Xue.