Part I - Chapter 1: The self-understanding of the communities as reflected in the prescripts of Romans, 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians

The author begins by explaining the importance of the introductions to the epistles as a source of information for the church’s self-understanding:

These titles are often enshrined in verses which are constructed with extreme care and which express in emblematic form some of the central themes of Paul’s theology. They are normally used without any apologetic or polemic intent. Sometimes they appear to be deliberate anticipations of some of the major themes to be elaborated in the Letter itself. ^p.3

Updated 2009-10-18 (build:61) by Andrew Fountain