Paul and His letters - Book

JoshInRI

https://www.logos.com/product/3357/paul-and-his-letters

Anyone own this book and find it useful please?
Should I be concerned about the use of extra-canonical resources?

I like studying Paul and thought this might be a good use of my birthday coupon.

Blessings and thanks,

Joshua Smile

p.s. Isnt Logos awesome and gracious to offer a coupon for birthdays? I think so.

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Comments

Ted Weis

B&H is publishing house of the Southern Baptists. For that reason, you can trust this resources to be orthodox and evangelical.

Allen Browne

Anyone own this book and find it useful please?

Hi JoshInRI

I have this resource, but don't use it much. It's quite a reasonable summary of all the letters that bear Paul's name, but no different from what you would find in any reasonable introduction to the New Testament. It certainly doesn't go into the detail and fresh reading of something like Wright's PFG, but if you want something that's fairly basic, it's a reliable conservative summary.

Should I be concerned about the use of extra-canonical resources?

Certainly not. Josephus was a first-century Jewish historian, writing for the Romans. Many authors--consvervative or otherwise--refer to him, since he gives us insight into how some Jews in the first century thought about their faith and their nation. Similarly, the non-biblical Dead Sea Scrolls give us insight into how other Jews thought about their faith. 1 Enoch and other Pseudepigraphal books show us other streams of tradition. But by far the most useful books that give us added insight into how 2nd Temple Jews were thinking are the OT Apocrypha. You don't have to view them as inspired in order to benefit from the insight they give us as to how people were thinking at that time.

Imagine being able to catch a TARDIS back into the first century, and to listen in on the conversations people had about their faith. Whether they were right or wrong in their views, it would really enrich our ability to hear what they were saying and thinking and believing and expecting. That would really help us to hear the biblical material from their perspective, rather than through 21st century Western filters. The 2nd temple literature is the nearest thing we have to such a TARDIS. Don't be put off by researchers and commentators who have put in the work to understand first century culture through those primary sources.

JoshInRI

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/623982#Comment_623982

Thanks Ted and Allen. Great thoughtful useful rreplies

Allen Browne

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/623989#Comment_623989

Hey, Josh: Logos is addressing this topic of why the Apocrypha matters in today's blog.

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/625512#Comment_625512

Hey, Josh: Logos is addressing this topic of why the Apocrypha matters in today's blog.

Yes, it was an excellent blog.