Books in the NCCS series

In a thorough and insightful commentary on Paul’s letter to his co-worker Timothy, which the Apostle wrote before and during Nero’s persecution, Aída Besançon Spencer carefully examines each part of the letter and reveals Paul’s rhetorical and stylistic features, as well as placing the letter in the larger biblical, historical, social, and cultural contexts. How Paul’s writing related to the ancient communities is enriched by original research gleaned from her explorations of key sites in Rome and Greece. In addition, the author emphasizes Paul’s strategies of ministry with his co-workers and their community, while considering the role of women in the church. Throughout, Spencer presents an in-depth exegesis in a readable format enhanced by forty years of ministry.

A helpfully concise commentary on Paul's letter to the early Christians in Rome, which the Apostle wrote just a few years before the outbreak of Nero's persecution. Keener examines each paragraph for its function in the letter as a whole, helping the reader follow Paul's argument. Where relevant, he draws on his vast work in ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman sources in order to help modern readers understand the message of Romans according to the way the first audience would have heard it. Throughout, Keener focuses on major points that are especially critical for the contemporary study of Paul's most influential and complex New Testament letter.