Few scholars have thought so long or so carefully about the role of biblical authority in the light of historical- and literary-critical scholarship as has James D. G. Dunn. Even fewer are as capable of communicating profound respect for the biblical witness with genuine insight into its complexity and pluriformity. Avoiding easy - and possibly misleading - answers, Dunn offers precise responses to questions about the history behind the Gospels and their consequent trustworthiness; the original scandal presented by Jesus' teaching, and by Paul's; the problem of pseudonymity in the Pauline letters and elsewhere; and what weight should be given to what the Bible itself says about scriptural authority, and to the final shape of the biblical canon. This Second Edition includes new essays on "bridging the gap between the academy and the church," the hallmarks of "good exposition" of scripture, and a concluding chapter on the Bible as living tradition.