Peter, Stephen, James, and John
Non-Pauline Diversity in the Early Church
ISBN: 978-1-912149-18-6  (160 pages)
 
This concise study describes four of the non-Pauline movements in the early church, each of which can be identified with a particular leader: Peter, acknowledged leader of the apostles; Stephen and the Hellenists (Jews who spoke Greek culturally and linguistically); James and the Church of Jerusalem; and John and his circle, including his influence at Ephesus. Writing for the website Church History 101, R.A. Baker says, “Bruce admits to being a ‘Paulinist,’ yet this text gives NT readers a better historical understanding of the non-Pauline traditions. . . . If you want to properly understand Paul, you need to understand historical context. This text does the job.”