Beker believes that the triumph of God is the coherent theme in Paul's gospel, and that Paul's hermeneutic translates the apocalyptic theme of the gospel into the contingent particularities of the human situation. Paul's great achievement is in the way in which he makes his theme relevant. Part One introduces Paul the apostle and the character of his thought. This sets the stage for parts two and three, which delineate the two-fold theme of the study, the coherence and contingency of Paul's gospel. Beker's study is comprehensive, exegetical, and penetrating.
