E. Earle Ellis Biblical Studies Collection (5 vols.)

In Paul and His Recent Interpreters, Ellis provides a brief, but effective treatment of contemporary scholarship on Paul, his history and his thought. The goal of this work is not to provide a comprehensive analysis, but an effort would be voluminous. Instead, Ellis aims only to make available an accessible survey of the most significant points and trends in Pauline scholarship.

Pauline Theology: Ministry and Society constitutes a revision and expansion of lectures delivered in the United States and, on tour, in England, South Africa, and Ciskei. It treats five aspects of the ministry in the Pauline church. These include, first, ministry as a concept in Paul's theology and thought. Related is the gifts of the Spirit following Christ's ascension as a source for Christian ministry. third, ministry's relevance on the role of women and the ordering of congregations, and finally the relevance of ministry in the larger social order of the Greco-Roman world.

Prophecy and Hermeneutic in Early Christianity was written with the conviction that the New Testament presents to its readers not merely the opinions of Christian writers, but also the message of God mediated through faithful prophets. These prophets initiated and interpreted the first proclamation of the Christian faith - a proclamation that continues to enlighten and to guide the church, for it provides a key to the church's history and theology.

The prophets in this study are the pneumatics, those early Christians who are characterized by spiritual gifts of inspired speech and discernment, who are coworkers of Paul engaged in preaching and teaching. While some were perverting their gifts and thereby causing strife in the church, Paul's companions had an active role in its missionary enterprise. Dr. Ellis examines the dispute between the two parties which threatened to destroy the unity and faith of the church.

The pneumatics were involved in the formulation of a Christian theology of the Old Testament through their exposition and application of Scripture. Dr. Ellis describes and elaborates upon the interpretative principles which they used. He concludes with a critique of the older form criticism of the gospels and suggests some new directions for understanding the history of the transmission of the teaching of Jesus.

E. Earle Ellis provides readers with a rich and thoughtful commentary on Luke's Gospel. One strength of his commentary is the expansive attention that he gives to introductory materials. His audience was primarily students rather than fellow scholars. To that end, his engagement with secondary literature throughout is designed primarily for the benefit of students studying the text of Luke.

In this important historical study, E. Earle Ellis examines the Old Testament canon in the early church and biblical interpretation in the New Testament. He writes from the conviction that, “the use of the Old Testament by the New Testament writers is the primary key to their theology and, thus, to the message of God that they taught the early church and that they continue to teach the church today.”