Preface to the German Edition
The goal of this book is to present a comprehensive
introduction to the life and thought of the apostle Paul. It is intended as a textbook
that takes a didactic perspective on the material as a whole and documents
all important positions in Pauline research. At the same time, it is an
independent contribution to the ongoing debate, outlining my own position on
disputed points. Since each section can be read as an independent unit, intended
to be understandable on its own, some overlapping and repetition were
unavoidable. I have attempted to reduce these to a minimum, although experience
has taught that textbooks are usually not read straight through—and thus some
repetition is in fact necessary and helpful. I here express my gratitude to Dr.
Michael Labahn and Dr. Manfred Lang, my coworkers at the University of
Halle-Wittenberg, for their continuing expert advice as well as for their help in
correcting the proofs. I am grateful to Dr. Claus-Jürgen Thornton not only for
his customary good care regarding publication details but also for
his discussions regarding the contents of this book.
Halle, November 2002
Translator’s Preface
In recent years Udo Schnelle has perhaps become best known
for his works on the Gospel and Letters of John.[1] Udo Schnelle’s doctoral
dissertation, however, was a study of Paul’s theology of baptism,
Gerechtigkeit und Christusgegenwart: Vorpaulinische und paulinische Tauftheologie
(Göttinger Theologische Arbeiten 24; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht,
1983); and he has never ceased to be interested in the life, letters, and
theology of Paul, as attested by his numerous articles listed in the bibliography
of this book and by the extensive section on Paul in his introduction to the New
Testament, The History and Theology of the New Testament Writings(trans. M.
Eugene Boring; Minneapolis: Fortress, 1998). Now he has brought together his work
on Paul in a comprehensive study that will take its place among the standard
works in the field. In my judgment, it is the best single volume on Paul’s life and
work, providing to students and teachers at all levels a thorough survey of all
major issues, integrating a careful and judicious engagement with the vast
primary and secondary literature and his own balanced interpretation. I am thus
very pleased to facilitate its use in the English-speaking world.
At the author’s and the publisher’s request, I have augmented
the bibliography with English books and articles, mostly listing books and
articles comparable to the ample German bibliography already present, for the benefit
of students who do not read German. I have also complied with the author’s
and publisher’s request that I occasionally provide translator’s notes on the
German text reflecting the European context with which the reader might not be
familiar. In both cases, I have kept my own contributions to a minimum.
A valuable aspect of the volume is its extensive use of
primary sources from the Hellenistic world. After the death of Georg Strecker,
Schnelle assumed the editorship of the Neuer Wettstein: Texte zum Neuen Testament
aus Griechentum und Hellenismus (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1996). His citation of such
texts as are found there and insight into their relevance for New
Testament interpretation greatly enrich this study of Paul. Except where
otherwise indicated, translations of Aelius Aristides, Apostolic Fathers,
Apuleius, Cicero, Dio Chrysostom, Diogenes Laertius, Epictetus,
Euripedes, Eusebius, Homer, Iamblichus, Josephus, Lucian, Menander, Musonius
Rufus, Ovid, Philostratus, Plato (Gorgias, Resp.), Plutarch, Quintilian, Res gestae
divi Augusti, Seneca, Sophocles, Suetonius, Tacitus, and Xenophon are from the
Loeb Classical Library editions listed in the bibliography.
This translation has been read by the author, Udo Schnelle,
and by James Ernest, Joe Carey, and Paul Peterson for Baker Academic, all of whom
have made helpful suggestions for which I hereby express my heartfelt thanks.
https://mega.nz/file/NcsXHbQa#ug3nWvYno5nvOlTGQ-8F3vllt8roI4zanSfOEA17Ep4
