Inter-Varsity Press

As Christians, we all know the apostle Paul, don't we? He is our theological master, our pastoral mentor, our spiritual advisor and our missionary hero. Yet just when we think we have him in our grasp, we find he slips through our fingers. At the point where we suppose we have finally understood him, Paul again confounds us and stirs our hearts and minds further.

So how well do we really know him? If the Paul we claim to know looks and sounds a lot like us, then that is probably a good indication that we don't know him as well as we think we do. However, all is not lost. If we let Paul be Paul, letting him speak for himself in his language, on his terms and for his purposes, then we stand a chance of meeting him anew.

Mike Bird offers a lively, accessible new survey of the apostle Paul's life and teaching. His aim is to get us excited about reading Paul's letters, preaching his gospel, and living the Christian life.

Commendations

"Michael Bird offers an insightful, readable, and serious (yet occasionally witty) introduction to Paul in conversation with the best scholarship on the apostle. It will be especially useful for those who think they know Paul well but have the courage to take a fresh look and have their assumptions challenged. Particularly important are Bird's discussions of justification and of the gospel itself. Let those who have ears to hear listen to what the Spirit - via Paul and Bird - is saying to the people of God in a world that seems increasingly similar to Paul's." Michael J. Gorman, Dean of the Ecumenical Institute of Theology and Professor of Sacred Scripture, St. Mary's Seminary & University, Baltimore, Maryland

"This is the first book to put in the hands of the student or layperson who wants to know what Paul is all about. The super bonus of this book is that it navigates current discussions about Paul without burdening the reader. A Bird's-Eye View of Paul sparkles with wit." Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University, Chicago