A Companion to the New Testament: Paul and the Pauline Letters

by Matthew L. Skinner

Overview

A Companion to the New Testament draws readers deep inside the New Testament by providing a basic orientation to its literary contours and its ways of talking about theological matters. Designed especially for students learning to navigate the Bible as Christian Scripture, the Companion serves as an accessible, reliable, and engaging guide to each New Testament book's contents. It explores these books' capacity for informing Christian faith and life—among ancient audiences and also within Christian communities through time.

Individual chapters offer thorough overviews of each New Testament book, helping readers consider its historical setting, cultural assumptions, literary dynamics, and theological points of view. The Companion consistently illustrates how social conditions and community identities left their marks on the particular theological rhetoric of the New Testament. Author Matthew Skinner draws on his extensive teaching experience to orient readers to theological convictions and social realities reflected in Scripture. He pays special attention to the New Testament's use of the Old Testament, the Roman Empire's influence on Christian ideas and practices, the place of women in the early church's life and teachings, the influence of Jewish apocalyptic themes on the New Testament, and ways that certain New Testament emphases have shaped basic Christian beliefs.

This second volume of the Companion focuses on Paul and the thirteen letters in the New Testament attributed to him. Readers learn that the letters provided specific pastoral and practical instruction to ancient Christian communities. The letters make their case by relying upon and appealing to a range of theological convictions, usually focusing on who God is, what God accomplishes through Jesus Christ, and the new existence that believers now inhabit. Studying the letters alongside one another, as a collection, allows readers to consider the ways in which Paul attempted to provide pastoral care to various congregations, as well as how Paul's widespread influence may have prompted his admirers to carry his legacy forward after his death.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481307833
Publisher:	Baylor University Press
Publication date:	02/01/2018
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	315
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Matthew L. Skinner is Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he has taught courses in interpreting the New Testament for over fifteen years. His previous books include Intrusive God, Disruptive Gospel: Encountering the Divine in the Book of Acts (Brazos Press, 2015) and The Trial Narratives: Conflict, Power, and Identity in the New Testament (Westminster John Knox Press, 2010). He has also contributed to a number of resources for church leaders, scholars, and students, including The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Theology (Oxford University Press, 2015), The New Interpreter’s Bible One-Volume Commentary (Abingdon Press, 2010), and Theological Bible Commentary (Westminster John Knox Press, 2009). He has written about the Bible and its interpretation for the websites Working Preacher, ON Scripture, and Huffington Post Religion and is a longtime co-host of a popular podcast for preachers, Sermon Brainwave.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

1 Who Was Paul? 7

2 Paul's Letters 35

3 The Letter of Paul to the Romans 47

4 The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 79

5 The Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 109

6 The Letter of Paul to the Galatians 135

7 Disputed Authorship 157

8 The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 173

9 The Letter of Paul to the Philippians 193

10 The Letter of Paul to the Colossians 207

11 The First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians 221

12 The Second Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians 237

13 The Pastoral Letters (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) 253

14 The Letter of Paul to Philemon 277

Recommended Resources for Ongoing Exploration of the New Testament 289

Subject Index 301

What People are Saying About This

Matthew Skinner’s impressive new three-volume companion to the literature of the New Testament offers readers a welcome travel guide through the sometimes-rough terrain of the New Testament world. A respected scholar and seasoned teacher, Matthew Skinner has listened carefully to the questions and concerns raised by his students—online and in the classroom, in faith communities and in the public square. As a result, these volumes offer not only scholarly signposts for understanding the ancient world, but also sage advice for those roadblocks that often leave contemporary readers stranded. Reading the New Testament is an exciting adventure; you will want this companion by your side the entire way.

Michal Beth Dinkler

Matthew Skinner’s impressive new three-volume companion to the literature of the New Testament offers readers a welcome travel guide through the sometimes-rough terrain of the New Testament world. A respected scholar and seasoned teacher, Matthew Skinner has listened carefully to the questions and concerns raised by his students—online and in the classroom, in faith communities and in the public square. As a result, these volumes offer not only scholarly signposts for understanding the ancient world, but also sage advice for those roadblocks that often leave contemporary readers stranded. Reading the New Testament is an exciting adventure; you will want this companion by your side the entire way.

Editorial Reviews

For a textbook, there are some impressively constructed and theologically profound sentences throughout that will delight the reader. For teachers, ministers, church members, and students, Companion to the New Testament: Paul and the Pauline Letters provides ample opportunities to learn from the content and theological beauty of Skinner’s reading of Paul’s letters.

Currents in Theology and Mission - Kara Lyons-Pardue

Teachers who share Skinner’s concern for opening the meaning of the New Testament for their students will want to consider these volumes.

The Bible Today

Pauline textbooks are a dime a dozen, but Skinner’s Companion provides seminarians and graduate students a competent guide through the theological maze of the Pauline corpus. A seasoned seminary teacher and well-published NT scholar, Skinner anticipates student questions, outlines the material logically and clearly, and deals deftly with potential obstacles (for example, the issue of authorship or the role of women in the Pauline mission).

Carla Swafford Works

I recommend this volume to students and interpreters of Paul. It uses simple, nontechnical language, with explanations that aid easy understanding. Of the many interpretations of Paul and his letters that exist, this monograph excels for the attention it dedicates to backgrounds and influences.

Mary Sylvia Nwachukwu

Skinner writes for an audience that includes especially students (theological schools, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates), but the work will be useful, and accessible, to others who have interest in exploring the content and contemporary relevance of the New Testament. The three volumes reflect the breadth and depth of knowledge and the skill of a superb exegete and master teacher.

Interpretation: Journal of Bible and Theology - John T. Carroll