In this volume, Peter Davids offers a comprehensive study of the General or Catholic Epistles of James, 1-2 Peter, and Jude, which are often insufficiently covered in more general New Testament introductions, theologies, and surveys. Before discussing a theology of each of the four letters, Davids first deals with their common aspects—their shared background in the Greco-Roman world and a similar Christology, view of the source of sin, and eschatology—thus justifying their being treated together. In the chapters that follow, Davids embarks upon a theological reading of each letter informed by its social-rhetorical understanding—what they meant in the context of their original cultural settings—including: a survey of recent scholarship, a discussion of relevant introductory issues, a thematic commentary, a treatment of important theological themes, and a discussion of the place of the letter in the biblical canon and its contribution to New Testament theology. The Biblical Theology of the New Testament (BTNT) series provides upper college and seminary-level textbooks for students of New Testament theology, interpretation, and exegesis. Pastors and discerning theology readers alike will also benefit from this series. Written at the highest level of academic excellence by recognized experts in the field, the BTNT series not only offers a comprehensive exploration of the theology of every book of the New Testament, including introductory issues and major themes, but also shows how each book relates to the broad picture of New Testament theology.

The letters of James, Peter, and Jude have been greatly neglected within the Christian tradition: James, because it seems both to attack Paul's gospel and also to lack any coherent, overall argument or theology of its own; Peter and Jude because they lack the specificity of the Pauline letters and because the personalities of the authors are hardly direct and immediate. Andrew Chester argues that James is more theologically significant than is usually considered the case, and has a distinctive role to play in the contemporary discussion of the Christian faith. He sets James in context and discusses its main themes, exploring its significance especially for issues of power, justice and Christian living. Ralph P. Martin similarly stresses the importance of 1 and 2 Peter and Jude and demonstrates how they cast light on Jewish Christianity in its early development and show how the post-apostolic church used the memory of Peter.

Through a detailed examination of the historical shaping and final canonical shape of seven oft-neglected New Testament letters, Reading the Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude as Scripture introduces readers to the historical, literary, and theological integrity of this indispensable apostolic witness. While most scholars today interpret biblical texts in terms of their individual historical points of composition, David Nienhuis and Robert Wall argue that a theological approach to this part of Scripture is better served by attending to these texts' historical point of canonization -- those key moments in the ancient church's life when apostolic writings were grouped together to maximize the Spirit's communication of the apostolic rule of faith to believers everywhere. Reading the Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude as Scripture is the only treatment of the Catholic Epistles that approaches these seven letters as an intentionally designed and theologically coherent canonical collection.

The Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series provides up-to-date, evangelical scholarship on the Old and New Testaments. Each volume is designed to equip pastors and Christian leaders with exegetical and theological knowledge to better understand and apply God’s Word by presenting the message of each passage as well as an overview of other issues surrounding the text. The commentary series has been structured to help readers understand the meaning of Scripture, passage-by-passage, through the entire Bible. The New Living Translation is an authoritative Bible translation, rendered faithfully into today's English from the ancient texts by 90 leading Bible scholars. The NLT’s scholarship and clarity breathe life into even the most difficult-to-understand Bible passages—but even more powerful are stories of how people’s lives are changing as the words speak directly to their hearts. That's why we call it “The Truth Made Clear.” About the authors of this volume: Grant R. Osborne (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has authored and edited numerous books, including The Hermeneutical Spiral and many commentaries on the New Testament. M. Robert Mulholland Jr. (ThD, Harvard Divinity School) is vice president of Asbury Seminary and an expert in New Testament and Christian Origins and spiritual formation. His several books include The Deeper Journey and contributions to the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. He is also a frequent speaker at Bible and spiritual renewal conferences.

This commentary on The Letter of Jude engages the Greek text and is designed for pastors, theological students, and lay readers. Jude, a brother of Jesus, warns members of the early Jesus movement against intruders in their midst and exhorts those believers not to deviate from the fundamental tenets of the faith in behavior and belief. It also provides a unique analysis that links Jude with 1 Corinthians in terms of their authors literary style, Jewish backgrounds, and closely correlated descriptions of the errorists described in both letters. The Letter of Jude is highly relevant to Christians in the twenty-first century. Even many of those now calling themselves evangelical have abandoned any pretence to adhering to biblical doctrines. This commentary seeks to emphasise Jude message: contend for biblical truth, and live so that the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is alive, true, and liberating.

The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown guides serious New Testament students through the historical, literary, and theological dimensions of the biblical text, allowing them to better understand and share God’s “word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15). It offers a thorough introduction to all twenty-seven books of the New Testament and closely examines events such as Christ’s incarnation and virgin birth, his crucifixion and resurrection, and triumphant return. The second edition features updated bibliographies and footnotes, interpretation sections that cover different literary genres in the New Testament, an epilogue that canvasses the entire storyline of Scripture, and a variety of maps. All of these new features contribute to making this a life-long resource for students of Scripture.

Alexandra Robinson examines the letter of Jude in the light of repeated scholarly references to this source as an invective, a polemic, and an attack speech, with a dependence on both Jewish and Greco-Roman sources. Moving beyond the 'Hellenism/Judaism divide', Robinson specifies what these elements are, and how they relate to the harsh nature of the discourse. This study shows how, where, and why Jude borrows from these contemporary genres, with a detailed survey of Greco-Roman invectives and Jewish judgement oracles; comparing and contrasting them to the epistle of Jude with consideration of structure, aims, themes, and style. Robinson argues that Jude has constructed a 'Jewish invective,' and that his epistle is a polemical text which takes the form (structure, aims, and style) of a typical Greco-Roman invective but is filled with Jewish content (themes and allusions), drawing on Israel's heritage for the benefit of his primarily Jewish– Christian audience.

How do we know what we know about the origins of the Christian religion? Neither its founder, nor the Apostles, nor Paul left any written accounts of their movement. The witnesses' testimonies were transmitted via successive generations of copyists and historians, with the oldest surviving fragments dating to the second and third centuries - that is, to well after Jesus' death. In this innovative and important book, Markus Vinzent interrogates standard interpretations of Christian origins handed down over the centuries. He scrutinizes - in reverse order - the earliest recorded sources from the sixth to the second century, showing how the works of Greek and Latin writers reveal a good deal more about their own times and preoccupations than they do about early Christianity. In so doing, the author boldly challenges understandings of one of the most momentous social and religious movements in history, as well as its reception over time and place.