Against the prevailing models for understanding the Apostle Paul's interpretation and use of scripture, Matthew Bates proposes a fresh approach toward developing a Pauline hermeneutic. He combines historical criticism with an intertextual strategy that takes seriously the work of the early church fathers, and in so doing fills a void in current scholarship. Bates applies his method to both oft-referenced and underutilized passages in the writings of Paul and suggests a new model for Pauline hermeneutics that is centered on the apostolic proclamation of Christ.

Matthew W. Bates

Introduction

1. Toward the Center of Pauline Hermeneutics

2. Paul and the Hermeneutics of the Apostolic Kerygma

3. Figuration and the Divine Economy

4. Introducing Prosopological Exegesis

5. Prosopological exegesis in Paul's Letters

6. The Implications of Kerygmatic Hermeneutics

Bibliography

Index of Biblical References