Why did Peter cease eating with the Gentile Christians at Antioch (Gal 2:11-14) after defending his decision to eat with Cornelius before the entire Jerusalem church (Acts 11:1-18)? Beginning with a character study of Peter throughout the Gospels and Acts, Jack Gibson demonstrates that Peter is consistently portrayed as being a faithful disciple whose pre-Pentecost impetuosity is due to a lack of understanding of the message of Jesus and his post-Pentecost boldness is due to his newly-revealed understanding of this message. The historical background to the Antioch incident is considered, with special consideration given to the Jewish response to Roman rule. Peter's relationship with James and Paul is analyzed, culminating in an evaluation of Peter's motivations for ceasing to eat with the Gentiles.

Two prominent New Testament scholars attempt to draw pictures of two of the most important centers of first century Christianity: Antioch and Rome. You will think of Christianity's origins differently when you read this book.

This investigation into Paul's relationship with the church of Jerusalem draws on the insights of sociology to complement the historical-critical method. Taylor argues that the church of Antioch was, for a significant part of Paul's career, not merely the base of his missionary activities but also the community from which he derived his identity. His relationship with the church of Jerusalem must be understood accordingly. Paul's alienation from the Antiochene church in the aftermath of his confrontation with Peter meant loss of apostolic commission and social identity. Galatians reflects the reconstruction of Paul's personal and apostolic identity to compensate for this loss.

From Jerusalem to Antioch explains what happened when Jewish missioners carried the Gospel from the Jewish world of Jerusalem into the Hellenistic world of Antioch to found the first "Christian" community. It presents the results of modern research on the church of Jerusalem and the church of Antioch. Parallel chapters discuss the historical origins, the way in which they presented the Christian message, and their distinctive patterns of worship, teaching, and organization. This case study shows how the process of transculturation of the Gospel leads the Church to a deeper understanding of the mystery that lies at its heart.

Drawing on relevant New Testament and extra-biblical texts, Peter arises as the preeminent guarantor of the early Christian witness, especially as he displays the striking confluence of Christology, identity, and character formation.

CD-ROM contains: Introductions and verse-by-verse commentaries to Genesis and Mark's Gospel -- Logos Library System.

Can the real Paul the apostle live again in a postmodern, technological age? Paul's ministry stood at the very headwaters of the Christian gospel surrounding Jesus of Nazareth. His letters are the earliest documents contained in the New Testament. The current work calls upon the reader to actively engage Paul in his context, rather than to affirm the assumed theological Paul of later Christian orthodoxy. The reader is thus invited to walk with a more real Paul as he may be imagined from the sources we have, to think Paul's thoughts with him through his letters, and to more fully experience the gospel of God that Paul knew and proclaimed. Paul was a "man in Christ" directly called by God to announce the gospel of God to both Jew and gentile in the midst of a world ruled by Rome. He did so through two major campaigns, rather than "three missionary journeys." He wrote pastoral letters to real first-century churches. The real Paul did not write theology, but he rather proclaimed a gospel to a world in search of a soul.

This important new book covers the time between Paul's conversion in Damascus and his arrival in Antioch, set against a detailed background of the early Christian world, the church in Damascus to which Paul was introduced on his conversion, the methods of the first Christian mission, the situation in Arabia during Paul's first mission, the mission territory in Tarsus and Cilicia to which he then moved, and the nature of the church in Antioch. Martin Hengel once more challenges the overly skeptical assessments of the New Testament record and provides powerful support for his position on Paul.