The essays in this volume are an expression of appreciation of Wendell Lee Willis, who recently retired after a distinguished career as a classroom teacher, colleague, and scholar. Current and former colleagues have written to advance Wendell's research interests in the various contexts of early Christianity, particularly in the apostle Paul, New Testament ethics, and ecclesiology. Essays include discussions of issues related to Paul's correspondence with the church in Corinth and the depiction of Paul in Acts, Jesus's parables, meals, and the religious and socio-political world in which Christianity arose. ""An informative, exegetically rich collection of essays exploring a range of ethical issues by relating the biblical text to its historical, social, and ecclesial contexts. This will be a valuable asset to serious biblical interpreters who practice their craft in classrooms and pulpits, and it honors a scholar who has excelled at both."" --Carl R. Holladay, Candler School of Theology ""This excellent volume brings together fifteen essays that are a fitting tribute to Wendell Willis's academic focal points. There are important essays here for anyone sharing his interests in Paul, ethics, and ecclesiology, with an eye to archaeological and sociological studies of early Christianity."" --Allen Black, Harding School of Theology James W. Thompson is Scholar in Residence at the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University. He is the author of the Paideia commentaries on Hebrews (2008) and Philippians (2016); and The Church according to Paul: Rediscovering the Community Conformed to Christ (2014). Richard A. Wright is Associate Professor of New Testament at the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University. He has published on the cultural world of early Christianity.
