The Pauline Circle

by F.F. Bruce

Book by F.F. Bruce

Genres: Biblical Studies

106 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Frederick Fyvie Bruce FBA was a Biblical scholar who supported the historical reliability of the New Testament. His first book, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (1943), was voted by the American evangelical periodical Christianity Today in 2006 as one of the top 50 books "which had shaped evangelicals".

Reviews

[Michael Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Bruce tackles the often ephemeral topic of the Apostle Paul's fellow workers who are mentioned only briefly in his epistles and rarely in the book of Acts. A solid piece of research behind his as-expected smooth writing skills makes this short book a satisfying read. From John Mark to Demas, each is given his or her due without resorting to the flights of fancy too often found in similar works.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a neat little book, coming in at right at 100 pages. In each chapter, Bruce highlights one of Paul's friends, co-workers, or hosts: Ananias of Damascus, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Luke, Priscilla & Aquilla, Apollos, Titus, Onesimus, Mark, and two chapters on names where less information is known. It was originally written as a series of articles in The Harvester. Not overly academic, this slim volume is very accessible to the lay-person, tying together threads from Acts and Paul's letters, it gives a clearer understanding of who some of these people where than may otherwise gleaned from a casual reading of the New Testament.

I greatly enjoy Bruce's writing style and the fact that he is a conservative scholar. The only reason I give it three stars is that I usually reserve higher praise for more in-depth works. In the future I look forward to reading more of Bruce's writings.

[Alan Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to read if you want to get to know Paul's traveling companions better!