Steward of God’s Mysteries: Paul and Early Church Traditions

by Jerry L. Sumney

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2017

Overview

One view that perennially springs up among biblical scholars is that Paul was the inventor of Christianity, or that Paul introduced the idea of a divine Christ to a church that earlier had simply followed the ethical teaching of a human Jesus. In this book Jerry Sumney responds to that claim by examining how, in reality, Paul drew on what the church already believed and confessed about Jesus.

As he explores how Paul’s theology relates to that of the broader early church, Sumney identifies where in the Christian tradition distinctive theological claims about Christ, his death, the nature of salvation, and eschatology first seem to appear. Without diminishing significant differences, Sumney describes what common traditions and beliefs various branches of the early church shared and compares them to Paul’s thought. Sumney interacts directly with arguments made by those who claim Paul as the inventor of Christianity and approaches the questions raised by that claim in a fresh way.

Key Features

• Discusses the connection between Paul’s theology and early church history
• Compares early church beliefs and traditions to Paul’s teaching
• Addresses the claim of Paul being the inventor of Christianity in a fresh light

Contents

• Thinking about Paul’s Place in the Early Church
• “Christ Died for Us”: The Meaning of the Death of Jesus
• “Jesus Is Lord”: The Identity of Jesus
• “For Our Sins”: Understandings of Salvation
• “The Coming of the Lord”: Envisioning the Kingdom
• “In Remembrance of Me”: The Lord’s Supper
• “I Handed On to You . . . What I Received”

Product Details

• Title: Steward of God’s Mysteries: Paul and Early Church Tradition
• Author: Jerry L. Sumney
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Print Publication Date: 2017
• Logos Release Date: 2019
• Pages: 223
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Paul, the Apostle, Saint › Theology; Bible. Epistles of Paul › Criticism, interpretation, etc
• ISBNs: 9780802873613, 0802873618
• Resource ID: LLS:STWRDGDSCTRDTNS
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T03:14:17Z

About Jerry L. Sumney

Jerry L. Sumney was born in Indiana and grew up in central Florida. He taught in the religion department at Ferrum College from 1986-1997. Mr. Sumney is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and is past president for the Southeastern Region of the Society. At the national level, he also served as the chair of the steering committee for the Theology of the Disputed Paulines Group from 1996-2001 and currently serves as the chair of the steering committee for the Disputed Paulines Consultation. He is also currently chair for the Pauline Epistles and Literature Section of the international meeting of the SBL. He has written four books: Identifying Paul’s Opponents; Servants of Satan, False Brothers, and Other Pauline Opponents; Preaching Apocalyptic Texts (co-authored with Larry Paul Jones) and Philippians, A Handbook for Second-Year Greek Students (forthcoming, Hendickson, 2004). He is co-editor of Theology and Ethics in Paul and His Interpreters and Paul and Pathos. He also has written several articles in journals and books. He is currently working on a commentary on Colossians for the New Testament Library series. Mr. Sumney and his wife, Diane, have three daughters: Elizabeth, Victoria, and Margaret.