A review of the socio-ethnic and religious contexts of the Samaritans points to the conclusion that they struggled to establish the legitimacy of their identity and status as a people.

The portrait of the Samaritan mission in Acts 8:4-25 is the climax of various Lukan episodes involving the Samaritans. This work shows that the function of this portrait makes better sense in light of the historical context of the Samaritans up to and including the New Testament period, and of Luke's special interest in the Samaritans as depicted in his Gospel. A review of the socio-ethnic and religious contexts of the Samaritans points to the conclusion that they struggled to establish the legitimacy of their identity and status as a people. In some Jewish circles, they were considered as socially outcasts, ethnically foreigners, and religiously apostates, syncretists and idolaters. From a Jewish point of view, any unplanned and unauthorised mission of the church to Samaritans could cast doubts on the legitimacy of the mission itself and of nascent Samaritan Christianity. In his Gospel, Luke uses the Samaritan references to defend the legitimacy of the Samaritans and their status as part of Israel, and to portray Jesus' anticipation of a future mission to them. His literary ability and theological interest includes the Samaritans in the anticipated eschatological and soteriological plan of God. Thus, he attempts to reverse the popular anti-Samaritan feelings of some Jews, as well as the saying in Mt.10:5, making them 'neighbours', who show mercy and also true worshippers of God, who obey the Law. In Acts 8:4-25, Luke defends the divine origin and legitimacy of both the mission and Samaritan Christianity. He sets the mission in accordance with the commission of Jesus and in the divine context of persecution. He shows the kerygmatic and pneumatic legitimacy of Philips's ministry, the apostolic legitimacy of the Jerusalem apostles, and the purity of the new community in the way Simon was dealt with. This rhetorical and theological function of Acts 8:4-25 using an anticipation-legitimation device may suggest an apologetic purpose of Luke.

Acts is the sequel to Luke's gospel and tells the story of Jesus's followers during the 30 years after his death. It describes how the 12 apostles, formerly Jesus's disciples, spread the message of Christianity throughout the Mediterranean against a background of persecution. With an introduction by P.D. James

"How can you believe all this stuff? This is the number-one question Catholics get asked and, sometimes, we ask ourselves. Why do we believe that God exists, that he became a man and came to save us, that what looks like a wafer of bread is actually his body? Why do we believe that he inspired a holy book and founded an infallible Church to teach us the one true way to live? Ever since he became Catholic, Trent Horn has spent a lot of time answering these questions, trying to explain to friends, family, and total strangers the reasons for his Catholic faith. Some didn't believe in God, or even in the existence of truth. Others said they were spiritual but didn't think you needed religion to be happy. Some were Christians who thought Catholic doctrines over-complicated the pure gospel. And some were fellow Catholics who had a hard time understanding everything they professed to believe on Sunday. Why We're Catholic assembles the clearest, friendliest, most helpful answers that Trent learned to give to all these people and more. Beginning with how we can know reality and ending with our hope of eternal life, it s the perfect way to help skeptics and seekers (or Catholics who want to firm up their faith) understand the evidence that bolsters our belief and brings us joy" --

This book presents a comprehensive articulation of New Testament teachings on mission from a contemporary American evangelical standpoint. Mission in the New Testament contributes a fresh statement of the biblical foundations of mission, serving as a catalyst for completion of the church's universal mission in this generation.After investigating the historical background of the idea of mission in the Hebrew Scriptures, inter-testamental Judaism, the life of Jesus and the beginnings of the church, the book proceeds in a roughly canonical order through the New Testament. Essays analyze the works of Paul, the Synoptic gospels, Acts of the Apostles, the General Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. Well-versed in the historical-critical method of biblical interpretation, editors and contributors alike offer a cogent argument for recovering the "missional horizon" of the New Testament.

Dr Wilson examines Jesus' attitude to Gentiles and concludes that not only did he fail to anticipate a historical Gentile mission, but that his eschatological expectations logically disallowed it.

This volume aims to compare the author of Matthew's Gospel with a selection of contemporary Christian authors and/or texts. Recent Matthean scholarship has highlighted the distinctiveness of this early Christian writer by emphasising his clear Jewish perspective in addition to his Christian affiliation. He can accurately be perceived as both Jewish and Christian because he holds that Christian commitment demands both observance of the Mosaic Law and faith in Jesus as the Messiah. But if Matthew is distinctively Jewish and Christian, how does he compare with other early Christian writers? Much of the New Testament literature was composed by Paul himself or by his later followers, and these Christians held the view that the Mosaic Law no longer had relevance in the light of the Christ event. Other New Testament texts that are not Pauline, e.g. the Gospel of John and the letter to the Hebrews, appear to agree with Paul on this point. Consequently, Matthew stands apart from other texts in the canon with the possible exception of the letter of James. The volume will therefore establish the distinctiveness of Matthew by comparing his theological perspective with his major sources, Mark and Q, and with the two remaining Gospels, the Pauline epistles, the letter to the Hebrews and the epistle of James. The comparison of Matthew with non-canonical texts, the Didache and the letters of Ignatius of Antioch, is important because much work has been done in these areas recently. Given Matthew's distinctive portrayal of Jesus, a comparison of Matthew and the historical Jesus is also demanded in the context of this volume.