In Reading Paul's Letters to Individuals: A Literary and Theological Commentary, Gloer and Stepp interpret Paul’s letter to Philemon and the Pastoral Epistles—Titus and 1 & 2 Timothy. Philemon tells a simple and straight-forward story of Philemon and his escaped slave Onesimus. How can the story of an escaped slave returned to his master hold any meaning for believers today? Indeed, in Philemon we encounter a practical working out of Paul’s foundational theological ideas—grace, faith, atonement, reconciliation, freedom in Christ, new creation, and the ethical life that stems from these.
In their study of the Pastoral Epistles, Gloer and Stepp describe the continuation of Paul’s missionary work, the internal and external conflicts, and Paul’s gradual withdrawal from the work that has defined his life. In Paul’s absence, how will the churches address the conflicts and persecution? They survive and thrive by trusting the successors that Paul provided for them.
Like other volumes in this unique series, Reading Paul’s Letters to Individuals focuses on comprehending the major themes of the epistles and their relationship to the understanding of the early Christian communities. With the focus on the work in its entirety rather than a verse-by-verse methodology, this volume will appeal to the professional and nonprofessional alike, as well as to college and seminary students.
W. Hulitt Gloer (Ph. D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of Preaching and Christian Scripture at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. In addition to his extensive service as a pastor and professor, Dr. Gloer is the author of As You Go: An Honest Look at Jesus' First Disciples and An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul's Understanding of New Creation and Reconciliation in 2 Cor. 5:14-21. Gloer and his wife, Sheila, have two adult sons, Jeremy and Joshua.
Perry L. Stepp (Ph.D., Baylor University) is a professor of Biblical Studies and Theology and the Dean of the Sack School of Bible & Ministry at Kentucky Christian University. He is also the author of Leadership Succession in the World of the Pauline Circle and several articles on New Testament themes. His focus as a scholar is on exploring the theological content of New Testament texts by the application of tools from literary criticism, ancient and modern. In addition to his academic work, he has pastored several churches in the Midwest and Southwest.
The decision to set apart the Pauline letters to individuals is itself immediately interesting and effective in giving these epistles a distinctive place. These commentaries reflect current scholarship such as rhetorical criticism and story/characters and social historical studies. Both primary sources and good modern analyses are interspersed effectively. Words are not wasted, making the commentaries accessible. The reader is rewarded. Clarity and brevity speak well for themselves in these lively commentaries. —Peter Rhea Jones, Gannon Professor of Preaching and Professor of New Testament, McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University
Edited by Charles H. Talbert, Distinguished Professor of Religion at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, the Reading the New Testament Commentary Series presents cutting edge biblical research in accessible language that is both coherent and comprehensive.
You can also purchase the entire Reading the New Testament 13 volume commentary series from Olive Tree.
