Scholarship on the uses of the Old Testament in Luke-Acts has tended to focus upon the role played by the Old Testament in the development of the author's Christology. James Meek, however, draws out the theme of the Gentile mission in Acts as it relates to the Old Testament, and gives particular attention to four texts:13:47 (Isa 49:6); 15:16-18 (Amos 9:11-12); 2:17-21 (Joel 3:1-5 MT); 3:25 (Gen 22:18). The quotations in Acts 13 and 15 receive greater attention because they explicitly address the issue of the Gentile mission (the two earlier texts anticipate it) and because of particular interpretive questions raised by these texts. Meek argues that while there are similarities in the quotations in Acts with the Old Greek form of the cited texts, the argument never depends on distinctive readings of the Old Greek. He therefore rejects claims that the author's use of Old Testament texts is dependent entirely on the Old Greek. He also maintains that all four quotations are used in a manner consistent with their sense in their original contexts, contrary to the common assertion that the New Testament commonly cites Old Testament texts without regard for original sense or context. His third principal argument is that these Old Testament quotations function as "proof from prophecy," contrary to the argument of some. In particular, they are cited to demonstrate the legitimacy of the Gentile mission as conducted by the early church and of the Gentiles' place among the people of God, showing these ideas to be central to the author's purpose.

This up-to-date introduction to the study of the New Testament's use of the Old Testament surveys the current state of the discipline, summarizes the scholarly conversation, illuminates the New Testament writers' respect for Old Testament contexts, proposes advances in classification and terminology, and provides resources for further work in the field. New Testament scholar Douglas Huffman suggests a way beyond the impasse concerning the terminology used by scholars in the discipline. He offers a new approach to identifying and interpreting Old Testament quotations, allusions, and echoes by exploring not just the forms but also the features, framings, and functions of the New Testament use of the Old Testament. Huffman demonstrates the advantages of his approach by analyzing how the Old Testament is used in Luke-Acts and thus provides a model that can be applied to other New Testament authors' use of Old Testament Scripture. Professors and students of the Bible, scholars, and pastors will value this work.

Billings demonstrates that Acts was written in conformity with broader representational trends found on imperial monuments and in the epigraphic record of the early second century.

God's mission is on every page of Scripture. In Theology of Mission: A Concise Biblical Theology, J. D. Payne traces the theme of mission throughout Scripture. The Bible is a story of God's mission. God takes initiative to dwell with humanity. He desires to be known. To this end, he sends and is sent. Through Christ, God redeems sinful humans and recreates the cosmos. And he has invited his people to join in this mission. Payne shows that God's mission is on every page of the Bible and is foundational to the church's own existence. With reflection questions following concise chapters, all readers can consider their place in God's work.

With the torrent of publications on the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, the time is ripe for a dictionary dedicated to this incredibly rich yet diverse field. This companion volume to the well-received Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (CNTUOT) brings together leading evangelical biblical scholars to explore and explain the many facets of how the New Testament writers appropriated the Old Testament. This definitive resource covers a range of interpretive topics and includes summary articles on each biblical book and numerous themes. It also unpacks concepts mentioned in the CNTUOT, demonstrates how the Old Testament uses the Old Testament, and addresses a wide range of biblical-theological, hermeneutical, and exegetical topics. This handy reference book is for all serious students of the Bible as they study how and why Old Testament texts reappear and are reappropriated throughout the Bible.

This capable treatment contends that the missionary mandate does not begin with the Great Commission, but runs through the entire Old Testament.

The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship.

This is the second of two volumes that investigate the phenomenon of composite citations. The first collection of essays evaluated the use of composite citations in Early Jewish, Graeco-Roman, and Early Christian authors. This volume builds on the findings of the first and provides a fresh investigation of all the composite citations by New Testament authors. The following topics are covered: (1) the question of whether the quoting author created the composite text or found it already constructed as such; (2) the question of the rhetorical and/or literary impact of the quotation in its present textual location, as opposed to simply unpacking how the author appears to be interpreting the source text; and (3) the question of whether the intended audiences would have recognized and 'reverse engineered' the composite citation in question and as a result engaged with the original context of each of the component parts.

This volume considers the New Testament in the light of anthropological study, in particular the current trend towards theological anthropology. The book begins with three essays that survey the context in which the New Testament was written, covering the Old Testament, early Jewish writings and the literature of the Greco –Roman world. Chapters then explore the anthropological ideas found in the texts of the New Testament and in the thought of it writers, notably that of Paul. The volume concludes with pieces from Brian S. Roser and Ephraim Radner who bring the whole exploration together by reflecting on the theological implications of the New Testament's anthropological ideas. Taken together, the chapters in this volume address the question that humans have been asking since at least the earliest days of recorded history: what does it mean to be human? The presence of this question in modern theology, and its current prevalence in popular culture, makes this volume both a timely and relevant interdisciplinary addition to the scholarly conversation around the New Testament.

In Acts, the third of eighteen volumes in the Paideia commentary series, leading biblical scholar Mikeal Parsons gleans fresh theological insight into Acts by attending carefully to the cultural and educational context from which it emerges. Parsons see Acts as a charter document explaining and legitimating Christian identity for a general audience of early Christians living in the ancient Mediterranean world. Pastors, graduate and seminary students, and professors will benefit from this readable commentary, as will theological libraries. The Paideia commentaries are designed to be read through and used, not shelved and referenced. The main text is supplemented with maps, sidebars, and photographs. Indexes and reference lists help readers locate discussions in the commentary and in other secondary literature.