"Paul was a Jew of the dispersion, familiar with Greek ideas and culture. An exotic style, the corruption of texts handed down to us, and a thick layer of pietistic interpretation produced by 2000 years of Christianity, have obscured his work for us. The purpose of this book, which includes Paul's letters to the Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, and to Philemon, is to let Paul speak for himself, without the assumptions imposed by many modern readers"--Back cover.