Companion to the New Testament

Individual chapters offer thorough overviews of each New Testament book, helping readers consider its historical setting, cultural assumptions, literary dynamics, and theological points of view. The Companion consistently illustrates how social conditions and community identities left their marks on the particular theological rhetoric of the New Testament. Author Matthew Skinner draws on his extensive teaching experience to orient readers to theological convictions and social realities reflected in Scripture. He pays special attention to the New Testament's use of the Old Testament, the Roman Empire's influence on Christian ideas and practices, the place of women in the early church's life and teachings, the influence of Jewish apocalyptic themes on the New Testament, and ways that certain New Testament emphases have shaped basic Christian beliefs.

This second volume of the Companion focuses on Paul and the thirteen letters in the New Testament attributed to him. Readers learn that the letters provided specific pastoral and practical instruction to ancient Christian communities. The letters make their case by relying upon and appealing to a range of theological convictions, usually focusing on who God is, what God accomplishes through Jesus Christ, and the new existence that believers now inhabit. Studying the letters alongside one another, as a collection, allows readers to consider the ways in which Paul attempted to provide pastoral care to various congregations, as well as how Paul's widespread influence may have prompted his admirers to carry his legacy forward after his death.