Economou Christos, Biblical studies for the beginnings of Christianity, P. Pournaras Press: Thessaloniki, 1998, pp. 459.
The volume contains eleven biblical studies on New Testament themes, which concern the history and theology of early Christianity.
The first one investigates the role of Apostle Barnabas in early Church and especially in the church of Cyprus.
The second one examines the role of Barnabas and Mark in the foundation of the church of Cyprus, which, according to the author, took place in three phases.
The third study interprets the witness of Acts about the Proconsul of Cyprus Sergius Paulus (13,4-12) and compares this witness with those of other non Christian sources and inscriptions.
The fourth study is about the information given in Pauline epistles and in Acts about the transition from the Jewish introversion to the ecumenical opening of Paul.
The next study is referring to Paul’s visits in Jerusalem, from his calling till the Apostolic Synod. The study is a historical critical analysis of the narratives in the epistle to the Galatians and in Acts.
The sixth study analyzes the terms “αυτάρκεια” (self-sufficiency) and “αυτάρκης” (self-sufficient). The aim of this study is to interpret the terms in the Epistle to the Philippians (4,11). The author is trying to reveal the stoic influence on these references and in this way to contribute to the broader question of the relation between Christianity and Greek philosophy.
The seventh study is a hermeneutical comment on Gal. 3,28c “there is no male nor female..”. The next article is about the influence of the Revelation of John on the Apocryphal Revelation of John and vice versa.
The ninth article studies the use of the Old Testament in the Gospel of Mathew and the historical literal presuppositions of the writer of the Gospel
The next two articles are in English: the first one is concerning the teaching about salvation into Pauline epistles and the second one is dealing with the problem of the sources of Acts, with focus on Acts 13,1-12 and other similar references.