Paul

A detailed exploration of both Paul the Apostle and his world, providing an understanding of how the Christian faith originated in the first centuries Paul the Apostle is often acclaimed as “the true founder of Christianity,” but many Christians are unaware of Paul's teachings in their historical context. Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles explores both Paul and his world in the first century, investigating how he integrated his values, politics, and daily life through his teachings on the nature of God, how humans relate to God, and how to live God's commandments. With a multidisciplinary Religious Studies approach and methodology, Rebecca I. Denova sheds light on the origin and evolution of the creation of a Christian “systematic theology” that became the basis for the establishment of Orthodox Christianity, the Catholic Church, and the Protestant Reformation. Accessible chapters provide the background and history of Judaism, analyze the Pauline epistles, and explore Paul's background as a Jewish Pharisee who became a believer in Christ within the context of the cities of the Eastern Roman Empire. Throughout the text, Denova offers insights into how Paul's engagement with the ancient world can help us understand the ways today's Christians articulate their own systems of meaning. Helping readers fully understand the development of Paul's theology and its importance over the centuries, Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles: Offers analyses of the Pastoral Epistles, I and II Corinthians, I Thessalonians, the Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Romans, and other key texts Explores the ways Paul's letters established Christian hierarchy, set rules for Christian assemblies, and were used to both include and separate Christianity from Judaism Discusses the shared concepts between Judaism and Greco-Roman religion, philosophy, and culture Includes “Excurses” between chapters, detailed examinations and summaries of important topics and different perspectives Contains numerous pedagogical tools, including historical timelines, maps and illustrations, definitions of concepts and terminology, references to traditional studies and recent scholarship, excerpts of ancient literature, and schematics of archaeological sites Covering both the world of ancient Christianity and the scholarly methods used in analyses of Paul's letters, Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles is an excellent textbook for undergraduate students taking courses on the origins and history of Christianity, as well as general readers interested in Paul's life and letters.

Preface ix I Shared Concepts of Ancient Cultures and Religions 1 II the History of Israel 18 Excursus I The Origins and Evolution of Satan 45 III the Story of Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospels 51 IV Acts of the Apostles and the Origins of Christianity 65 V Studying Paul’s Letters 89 Excursus II Paul the Pharisee 109 VI Life in the Mediterranean Cities 120 Excursus III The Ordeals and Sufferings of Paul 143 VII 1 Thessalonians 148 VIII Galatians: Paul and the Law of Moses 157 IX Philemon: What to Do About Slavery 178 X Philippians 182 XI 1 Corinthians, Part I: the Misunderstanding of the Corinthians 194 XII 1 and 2 Corinthians, Part II 212 XIII Romans: the Epitome of Paul’s Teachings 230 Excursus IV Paul and Imperial Rome 251 XIV The Deutero-Pauline Letters 255 XV The Church Fathers’ Interpretations of Paul: The Separation from Judaism 271 XVI Legends of the Apostles and Paul 297 Epilogue: The Legacy of Paul 312 Appendix I: Biblical Timeline for the History of Israel 347 Appendix II: Chronology of Paul’s Life and Letters 349 Glossary 352 Index 377