Each chapter focuses on a particular question. For example, is the opening quotation of Mark''s Gospel intended to evoke a prophetic framework for understanding the rest of the book? Does Paul quote Habakkuk in order to evoke its ''theodicy'' theme or as a summary of ''righteousness by faith''? Does the prophecy theory of 1 Peter 1:10-12 (''the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be made yours made careful search...'') explain the author''s actual uses of Scripture? The results are brought together in a final chapter which explores the literary and theological frameworks of the New Testament authors and of the scholars who study them.

Each chapter focuses on a particular question. For example, is the opening quotation of Mark''s Gospel intended to evoke a prophetic framework for understanding the rest of the book? Does Paul quote Habakkuk in order to evoke its ''theodicy'' theme or as a summary of ''righteousness by faith''? Does the prophecy theory of 1 Peter 1:10-12 (''the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be made yours made careful search...'') explain the author''s actual uses of Scripture? The results are brought together in a final chapter which explores the literary and theological frameworks of the New Testament authors and of the scholars who study them.