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THREE CRUCIAL DECADES by Floyd V. Filson

THREE CRUCIAL DECADES

By

Pub Date: Sept. 11th, 1963
Publisher: John Knox

These Studies in the Book of Acts develop freshly the significance of Acts in the record of the early Church. Few writings, the author maintains, have had so great an impact on human history. The Book represents a revolution in Christian writing, in its assumption that the ""Gospels"" themselves were not adequate to convey the full scope of the Christian movement. The preaching and teaching of the Apostolic Church is examined, and the contributions of Dodd and Bultmann to this theme are fairly appraised. Peter is seen as assuming leadership among the Twelve, engaging primarily in a mission to the Jews. The rest of the apostles take a decreasing role, and the Book of Acts ""knows nothing of the apostolic succession"". James, the brother of Jesus, becomes the leader of the Jerusalem church, but the conservatism of his leadership ends eventually in the isolation of the Jerusalem community and, inadvertently, prepares for the ascendancy of Paul and his mission to the Gentiles. The outcome of these themes re-examined leads to a concise final summary. Well-written, authoritative, but moderate in tone, this should be an important addition to the literature of New Testament studies.