Interpreting the General Letters provides important background material for the interpretation of the books of Hebrews, James, the Petrine letters, the Johannine letters, and Jude. New Testament scholar Herbert Bateman lays a strong hermeneutical foundation, detailing the component parts of letter writing, the importance of an amanuensis, the historical background of the Greco-Roman world, and implications of each of these factors for interpreting the general letters. He discusses the theology of the general letters, giving special consideration to the era of promise in Hebrew Scriptures, the era of fulfillment as underscored in the general letters, and how the theology of each letter contributes to the overall canon of Scripture. This practical guide includes Bateman’s nine steps to move from interpretation to communication, and examples of how to use them.
