Jerry L. Sumney – författare

This book sets out a method for identifying the opponents in view in Paul''s letters, and then applies it to the relevant writings of the Pauline corpus. The method limits the use of parallels or prior constructions as a basis for identification, dealing with each letter on an individual basis and taking full acount of the historical and social context. Sumney concludes that the Pauline letters address different kinds of opposition in different places, including two distinct anti-Paul movements. Here is a fundamental study for research into a basic problem of the Pauline correspondence.

The letter to the Colossians offers great insight into the faith, life, and problems of an early Christian church. Understanding this letter to be one of Paul's prison epistles but aware of the differences between this and his other writings, Jerry Sumney shows how the church struggled with expressing its new faith in the diverse settings of the Greco-Roman world. Paying special attention to the ways of forgiveness and salvation through the power of Christ, this fine commentary shows Colossians' expansive Christology and expectant eschatology.The New Testament Library offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, as well as classic volumes of scholarship. The commentaries in this series provide fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, offer critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, pay careful attention to their literary design, and present a theologically perceptive exposition of the text.

From Textbook to TextStudents who have completed their first year studying biblical Greek face a daunting challenge when they try to use their knowledge to translate and exegete the New Testament itself. Philippians: A Greek Student's Intermediate Reader is designed to help these students bridge the gap between the formulaic translation exercises found in grammars and the authentic text of the Greek New Testament. Students (and former students) can reinforce their knowledge of intermediate grammar while they translate a book of the New Testament. This reader provides:• the UBS4 Greek text of Philippians• an original English translation• an analysis of the morphology, structure, and meaning of the epistle's key words and phrases• callout boxes that introduce intermediate grammatical concepts with clear definitions and examples in Greek and English• a concise overview of New Testament syntax• a glossary of grammatical terms

To develop a method for identifying Paul's opponents it is first necessary to analyse procedures used by previous scholars. Too little attention has been paid in the past to issues of method, and many procedures have been used which violate the canons of historical research. In the first place, limits should be set upon the use of historical reconstructions and of external sources, and the determinative source for identifying the opponents of any letter must be that letter itself. Secondly, a satisfactory method will analyse passages within the primary text according to the nature of the section (e.g. polemical or didactic) and the types of statements they contain (e.g. explicit statements about opponents or allusions to them). Then each combination of context and statement type is evaluated to determine (1) how certain we can be about whether the passage refers to opponents and (2) how much distortion is likely to be present. The application of the proposed method to the two letters within 2 Corinthians indicates that Paul faced the same group of opponents in both letters. These opponents were pneumatics who demanded a particular manner of life as evidence that a person possesses the measure of the spirit which makes one an apostle.

To develop a method for identifying Paul''s opponents it is first necessary to analyse procedures used by previous scholars. Too little attention has been paid in the past to issues of method, and many procedures have been used which violate the canons of historical research. In the first place, limits should be set upon the use of historical reconstructions and of external sources, and the determinative source for identifying the opponents of any letter must be that letter itself. Secondly, a satisfactory method will analyse passages within the primary text according to the nature of the section (e.g. polemical or didactic) and the types of statements they contain (e.g. explicit statements about opponents or allusions to them). Then each combination of context and statement type is evaluated to determine (1) how certain we can be about whether the passage refers to opponents and (2) how much distortion is likely to be present. The application of the proposed method to the two letters within 2 Corinthians indicates that Paul faced the same group of opponents in both letters. These opponents were pneumatics who demanded a particular manner of life as evidence that a person possesses the measure of the spirit which makes one an apostle.

Coauthored by a homiletician, a theologian, and a biblical scholar, this book is a preaching primer that provides tools for crafting effective, engaging, and inspiring sermons. Using a unique workbook-style format, Introduction to Preaching equips seminarians and preachers to use appropriate theological claims informed by solid biblical interpretation while providing several sample sermons from the authors. Readers will learn how to use a three-part schema—the Central Question, the Central Claim, and the Central Purpose—to provide the drive, direction, and destination for the sermon. Offering guidelines for using appropriate sermon forms, imagery, metaphors, and creativity, together with advice on how to deliver contextually relevant sermons using our bodies, presence, and voice make this a staple for both new and experienced preachers. Introduction to Preaching includes a chapter on exploring the space of preaching, including onsite and online sermons. In addition, it features charts and worksheets to help organize the sermon-writing process, as well as exercises for the preacher’s voice and body and tips for advice for guest preachers and supply preachers. A glossary of terms and an extensive bibliography make this a handy reference guide for students and all preachers.

Coauthored by a homiletician, a theologian, and a biblical scholar, this book is a preaching primer that provides tools for crafting effective, engaging, and inspiring sermons. Using a unique workbook-style format, Introduction to Preaching equips seminarians and preachers to use appropriate theological claims informed by solid biblical interpretation while providing several sample sermons from the authors. Readers will learn how to use a three-part schema—the Central Question, the Central Claim, and the Central Purpose—to provide the drive, direction, and destination for the sermon. Offering guidelines for using appropriate sermon forms, imagery, metaphors, and creativity, together with advice on how to deliver contextually relevant sermons using our bodies, presence, and voice make this a staple for both new and experienced preachers. Introduction to Preaching includes a chapter on exploring the space of preaching, including onsite and online sermons. In addition, it features charts and worksheets to help organize the sermon-writing process, as well as exercises for the preacher’s voice and body and tips for advice for guest preachers and supply preachers. A glossary of terms and an extensive bibliography make this a handy reference guide for students and all preachers.

This significant volume draws together an exceptional list of contributors to honor the life and work of Victor Paul Furnish. Doing credit to the focus and character of Furnish's career as a scholar, educator, and churchman, the individual essays, and the volume as a whole, have been written in a way that renders them accessible to seminary students in the classroom and that builds substantially on Furnish's own work. The book is structured in three parts:(1) Theology and Ethics in Paul (focusing on individual Pauline texts and on the broader themes, foundations, and context of Paul's theological and ethical thought); (2) Theology and Ethics in Paul's Earliest Interpreters (both in the NT and in the church which came to accept Paul's letters as canonical); and (3) Paul in Contemporary Theology and Ethics (engaging Furnish's own work as well as that of his colleagues and students in the area of Pauline theology and ethics).