This fascinating story of a Roman citizen's spiritual transformation gives a reliable glimpse into the world of the New Testament and the early church. The second edition has been updated with improved readability and narrative flow.

Praise for the First Edition

"For a painless introduction to the historical context of early Christian life in Asia Minor, this is the book to get. . . . Longenecker uses the fictitious correspondence as a way of informing the modern reader about everyday life in these ancient times. He composes these letters with skill and helps bring alive--and with great historical accuracy--the conditions under which the earliest Christians lived their faith."
--Donald Senior, CP, The Bible Today

"The book will be particularly useful to those beginning NT studies and wanting to get into the NT world."
--David Wenham, Themelios

"Longenecker offers a creative avenue for exposing students to cultural and historical backgrounds of the New Testament. . . . [He] must be applauded for his well-written, historically 'true to life' story. . . . This book could be used nicely as a supplementary text for a college or seminary New Testament class."
--Robert L. Plummer, Southern Baptist Journal of Theology

"The importance of this book is the picture it provides of the first-century world of Asia Minor and the situation that many Christians there likely encountered. Longenecker presents a plausible and generally reliable picture of Greco-Roman society in Asia Minor at the end of the first century CE. The narrative format provides an entertaining read while offering informed insights into early Christianity and its environment. The book would work well as supplemental reading in a course on Revelation or early Christianity."
--Mitchell G. Reddish, Perspectives in Religious Studies