Paul Today discusses and challenges popular interpretations of familiar Pauline texts in view of important controversies and debates. Who was Paul? What do we know about his relationship to Jesus? What was the role of the city of Ephesus? Can Paul's attitudes towards marriage and slavery be redeemed? And what of Paul's attitude to women and their ministry, and to homosexuality? Do we appropriately attribute to Paul ideas about justification and faith? Or is there more to know than meets the eye? Throughout, Need debates and reframes familiar interpretations of Paul through challenge and critique informed by both scholarship and pastoral experience. These essays make constructive, critical approaches to Paul available to a wider circle of interested readers.

"Need writes at an introductory level providing an overview of the issues for the student, the busy pastor, and the informed layman. He identifies the issues, shows why they are important and summarizes the various ways scholars have addressed the matter. The author's style is precise with an introduction of each issue, a clear statement of how he will approach the issue, his exploration of the subject and then a concise summary. . . . Need's studies could be useful to individuals seeking to understand the contours of contemporary New Testament scholarship." - The Christian Librarian, Fall 2009