Trevor Burke considers Paul's colleagues and their different relationships with Paul, whether as equals, subordinates, and whether well-known or obscure, tracing how Paul refers to those with whom he associated in his letters. Burke examines these different figures in Paul's life in depth, including the remarkably large number of women mentioned, and shows how they played key roles through a range of activities in helping establish and maintain Paul's communities, including, preaching, teaching, visiting, baptizing, and the co-authoring of his letters. Burke employs a sociolinguistic approach to understand Paul's social relations, arguing that the language Paul uses in his letters is the means whereby he constructs his social network. That is, Paul does not need to use a title (e.g., 'apostle') to indicate his role and function or that of his colleagues; rather, he 'grammaticalizes' social relations in his letters through his deliberate choice of lexeme (e.g., proper noun) and syntax (e.g., secondary clause) which signifies the value and contribution-and at times disapproval-of those with whom he joined forces.

Paul and His Colleagues: Identity, Collaboration, and Community (The Library of New Testament Studies)

Burke, Trevor J.

Religion & Spirituality

T&T Clark

Paul's first letter to the Thessalonian boasts a preponderance of fictive kinship terms (e.g. father, children, nursing mother, brother etc.) In this book, Burke shows that Paul is drawing on the normal social expectations of family members in antiquity to regulate the affairs of the community. Family metaphors would have resonated immediately with Paul's readers and the author surveys a broad range of ancient texts to identify stock meanings of the father-child and brother-brother relations. These stereotypical attitudes are explored to understand Paul's paternal relations (2:10-12) with his Thessalonian children and in resolving sexual immorality (4:3-8) and the refusal by some brothers to work (4:9-12; 5:12-15). This study has implications for the structure of early Christian communities.

Family Matters: A Socio-Historical Study of Kinship Metaphors in 1 Thessalonians (Journal for the Study of the New Testament)

Sheffield Academic Pr

"Sonship" is an important, yet often overlooked, theme throughout the Bible. Adam, the first human being, is identified as a "son of God"; Israel is God's "first-born son"; the covenant with king David is cast in father-son terms; Christians are children of God, "adopted as sons"; and the same designation brings Scripture to a triumphant conclusion: "He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son" (Revelation 21:7). The story line of the Bible makes clear that God is making for himself a family of sons and daughters who will serve him and reign with him in his kingdom forever--and this purpose is achieved through Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God. In his warm-hearted, edifying exposition of this theme, Trevor Burke shows how "sonship" is the focus of creation, is a metaphor for salvation, carries moral obligation and is the goal of restoration of broken, suffering humanity. For those whom God the Father adopts into his household as sons and daughters, the family bonds that begin in this life will last for all eternity. As a companion to the Bible Speaks Today commentaries, the Bible Speaks Today Bible Themes Series focuses on the message of key biblical texts supporting differing facets of Christian doctrine in conversation with the history of Christian tradition. Rooted in Christian heritage and interactive with contemporary culture, the series provides a rich resource for preaching, teaching and spiritual growth.

The Message of Sonship (The Bible Speaks Today Bible Themes Series)

IVP Academic

The relationship between God and his people is understood in various ways by the biblical writers, and it is arguably the apostle Paul who uses the richest vocabulary. Unique to Paul's writings is the term huiothesia, the process or act of being "adopted as son(s)." It occurs five times in three of his letters, where it functions as a key theological metaphor. In this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, Trevor Burke argues that huiothesia has been misunderstood, misrepresented or neglected through scholarly preoccupation with its cultural background. He redresses the balance in this comprehensive study, which discusses metaphor theory; explores the background to huiothesia; considers the roles of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; examines the moral implications of adoption, and its relationship with honor; and concludes with the consequences for Christian believers as they live in the tension between the "now" and the "not yet" of their adoption into God's new family. Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.

Adopted into God's Family: Exploring a Pauline Metaphor (Volume 22) (New Studies in Biblical Theology)

"Sonship" is an important, yet often overlooked, theme throughout the Bible. Adam, the first human being, is identified as a "son of God"; Israel is God's "first-born son"; the covenant with king David is cast in father-son terms; Christians are children of God, "adopted as sons"; and the same designation brings Scripture to a triumphant conclusion: "He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son" (Revelation 21:7). The story line of the Bible makes clear that God is making for himself a family of sons and daughters who will serve him and reign with him in his kingdom forever--and this purpose is achieved through Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.In his warm-hearted, edifying exposition of this theme, Trevor Burke shows how "sonship" is the focus of creation, is a metaphor for salvation, carries moral obligation and is the goal of restoration of broken, suffering humanity. For those whom God the Father adopts into his household as sons and daughters, the family bonds that begin in this life will last for all eternity.As a companion to the Bible Speaks Today commentaries, the Bible Speaks Today Bible Themes Series focuses on the message of key biblical texts supporting differing facets of Christian doctrine in conversation with the history of Christian tradition. Rooted in Christian heritage and interactive with contemporary culture, the series provides a rich resource for preaching, teaching and spiritual growth.

The Message of Sonship: At Home in God's Household