This collection of essays explores the way early Christians looked back on the apostolic age. It shows the unique authority which that period enjoyed in matters of doctrine, institutions, rites and morality, even in dissident circles.
Who were the Apostolic Fathers? What did they care about? Why did they write what they wrote? The Apostolic Fathers: A Narrative Introduction is the most engaging introduction to Apostolic Fathers you will ever read. Imagine what it would be like to ask Polycarp about the documents that were composed during his lifetime. You don't have to imagine any longer. Situated during the final week of Polycarp's life, these fictional dialogues will introduce you to the earliest Christian documents after the time of the apostles. You will come to know Clement, Ignatius, Hermas, Papias, and others. Freshly translated excerpts from the writings themselves are included after each chapter.
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Nag Hammadi texts, and new Targums has greatly increased scholarly interest in the relationship between the New Testament and first -century Judaism. This critically acclaimed study by Richard Longenecker sheds light on this relationship by exploring the methods the earliest Christians used to interpret the Old Testament. By comparing the first Christian writings with Jewish documents from the same period, Longenecker helps to discern both the key differences between Christianity and Judaism and the Judaic roots of the Christian faith. This revised edition of Biblical Exegesis in the Apostolic Period brings Longenecker's valued work up to date with current research in this important field of study.