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Peter, Stephen, James and John: Studies in Early Non-Pauline Christianity
FF Bruce was a master commentator. Good expositional study book.
159 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1980
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About the author
F.F. Bruce
252 books134 followersFrederick 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".
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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November 22, 2022Comment:
Bought this book on a whim. I've been wondering about first / second generation Christianity and the impact Paul had on it. Obviously, due to the paucity of evidence little can definitively said regarding pre-Pauline faith traditions. . I thought FF Bruce did a good job with the material presented in the gospels / epistles and stepped through some plausible scenarios. The four groups our author concentrates on are Peter and the apostles, first generation 'Hellenists' like Saint Stephen and Apollos, James and the 'brethren of Jesus' in Jerusalem, and lastly the question of the authorship of the Gospel of John and the Revelation. I thought this an interesting book and read it through in half an afternoon.
I would like to read more on how certain certain peoples / polities, say Galileans (after all, they too saw Jesus Himself), Samaritans, and the Hellenized Jews (and, eventually, hellenized Christians) of those times (i.e., from the time of Christ's preaching and up to two or three generations after his death) viewed him over time. No I am not a Reconstructionist(!); nor even a Christian. I am, however, very interested in how beliefs rise, endure ...and die. If anyone knows of any good studies of first, second, and third generation Christianity, please leave a note. I think Christians of any denomination could profit from this book.
Bought this book on a whim. I've been wondering about first / second generation Christianity and the impact Paul had on it. Obviously, due to the paucity of evidence little can definitively said regarding pre-Pauline faith traditions. . I thought FF Bruce did a good job with the material presented in the gospels / epistles and stepped through some plausible scenarios. The four groups our author concentrates on are Peter and the apostles, first generation 'Hellenists' like Saint Stephen and Apollos, James and the 'brethren of Jesus' in Jerusalem, and lastly the question of the authorship of the Gospel of John and the Revelation. I thought this an interesting book and read it through in half an afternoon.
I would like to read more on how certain certain peoples / polities, say Galileans (after all, they too saw Jesus Himself), Samaritans, and the Hellenized Jews (and, eventually, hellenized Christians) of those times (i.e., from the time of Christ's preaching and up to two or three generations after his death) viewed him over time. No I am not a Reconstructionist(!); nor even a Christian. I am, however, very interested in how beliefs rise, endure ...and die. If anyone knows of any good studies of first, second, and third generation Christianity, please leave a note. I think Christians of any denomination could profit from this book.
June 25, 2018
It was enjoyable to re-read this book by one of my favourite authors, though I'd originally read it under the title "Men and Movements in the Primitive Church". The Publisher's introduction does cover this and the history of the material included - so whilst this may be thought of as the 2017 "edition", the material is much older.
Bruce, who is a self-confused student of Paul and who is also well-known for his coverage of Acts, seeks to "balance" this by looking at the other early leaders of the church covered in the New Testament. In particular Peter (and the rest of the 12), Stephen (and the other Hellenists), James (and the Jerusalem Church), and finally John (and the Ephesian Church). I think he succeeds quite well given that this is not a large book - which is basically 4 lectures turned into a book. I've always like Bruce's gentle scholarly approach - whilst he does tend to promote a more conservative view, he still gives voice to notable theologians who disagree with him.
So if you have an interest in what was happening in the First Century Church, and to get a bit of introduction to Early Church Documents (outside of the NT), then this is a fine place to start.
The downside is that since this evolved out of a set of lectures, it lacks any "Further Reading".
Bruce, who is a self-confused student of Paul and who is also well-known for his coverage of Acts, seeks to "balance" this by looking at the other early leaders of the church covered in the New Testament. In particular Peter (and the rest of the 12), Stephen (and the other Hellenists), James (and the Jerusalem Church), and finally John (and the Ephesian Church). I think he succeeds quite well given that this is not a large book - which is basically 4 lectures turned into a book. I've always like Bruce's gentle scholarly approach - whilst he does tend to promote a more conservative view, he still gives voice to notable theologians who disagree with him.
So if you have an interest in what was happening in the First Century Church, and to get a bit of introduction to Early Church Documents (outside of the NT), then this is a fine place to start.
The downside is that since this evolved out of a set of lectures, it lacks any "Further Reading".
September 17, 2022
This is a great overview of New Testament/First century Christianity that existed outside of the Apostle Paul's work. From the very beginning there has been diversity in Christ's church.
November 5, 2016
This was an F.F. Bruce book that I have had for some time and never read. I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading the historic books by Bruce. His style and rigour appeal greatly to me head. The book is just a short book containing four long essays, as described by the title. If you are interested in the history of New Testament Christianity, then the book is worth reading.
August 13, 2014
Exceptional meat-and-potatoes New Testament theology, and an appropriate balance to Bruce's Pauline studies such as "Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free." A great book to use as source material for a Bible study.
June 4, 2009
Excellent.
April 8, 2014
Good book on New Testament history.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews