An Introduction to the Gospel and Acts

Introducing the Gospels and Acts is not just about reading the first five books of the New Testament. It requires entering the first-century Mediterranean world where the events recorded in these writings happened. This short book takes readers on a journey through the Gospels and Acts, introducing them to the world of Jesus of Nazareth and of the believers who composed and shared stories inspired by him. It provides overviews of context and major passages in each canonical work, and also introduces readers to the apocryphal gospels and acts to demonstrate the larger phenomenon of early Christian writing. After situating readers in the literary context of the canonical Gospels and Acts, Myers focuses on the writings themselves, giving basic historical background before digging more deeply into a chosen contextual theme for each work. These themes include the politics and history of Roman Palestine, expressions of Second Temple Judaism, understandings of identity and human worth in the Roman world, hospitality, Hellenistic philosophies, and the process of canonizing the New Testament. Rather than shying away from difficult and often confusing elements of the Gospels and Acts, the book invites readers to engage more deeply and situate themselves more fully in the strangeness and surprising familiarity of the Roman world. In this way, readers will see the continuing relevance of the Gospels and Acts for today and learn to be responsible readers of these works for years to come.