'Prophecy and Hermeneutic in Early Christianity' was written with the conviction that the New Testament presents to its readers not merely the opinions of Christian writers, but also the message of God mediated through faithful prophets. These prophets initiated and interpreted the first proclamation of the Christian faith - a proclamation that continues to enlighten and to guide the church, for it provides a key to the church's history and theology. The prophets in this study are the pneumatics, those early Christians who are characterized by spiritual gifts of inspired speech and discernment, who are coworkers of Paul engaged in preaching and teaching. While some were perverting their gifts and thereby causing strife in the church, Paul's companions had an active role in its missionary enterprise. Dr. Ellis examines the dispute between the two parties which threatened to destroy the unity and faith of the church. The pneumatics were involved in the formulation of a Christian theology of the Old Testament through their exposition and application of Scripture. Dr. Ellis describes and elaborates upon the interpretative principles which they used. He concludes with a critique of the older form criticism of the gospels and suggests some new directions for understanding the history of the transmission of the teaching of Jesus.

Bringing “spiritual experience” into the domain of biblical hermeneutics, this book will certainly stimulate current debates within this field, among both Pentecostals and Christians of other traditions. The author also applies a Pentecostal hermeneutical methodology to Paul’s teaching on tongues and prophecy in 1 Corinthians 12–14, opening possibilities to a Pentecostal pneumatology that tends instead to focus on the Lukan narrative. Paul’s texts are reconsidered not as doctrinal or situational documents but as dynamic communication within a living community.

This original and fruitful approach to the study of the Prophets takes seriously the questions of both exegesis and hermeneutics.

In this paperback edition of an important historical study, E. Earle Ellis examines the Old Testament canon in the early church and biblical interpretation in the New Testament. He writes from the conviction that the use of the Old Testament by the New Testament writers is the primary key to their theology and, thus, to the message of God that they taught the early church and that they continue to teach the church today.

Aune's comprehensive study of early Christian prophecy includes a review of its antecedents (Greco-Roman oracles, ancient Israelite prophecy, prophecy in early Judaism), a discussion of Jesus as prophet, and analyses of Christian prophetic speeches from Paul to the middle of the second century A.D. The most detailed study of early Christian prophecy written, Aune's book places the phenomenon of early Christian prophecy within the larger Greco-Roman world.