This study was conceived, strangely enough, under a thatch roof in a village in northeastern Nigeria, where I was working on the translation of the Higi New Testament from 1968 to 1974. It was given shape in the following years at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, under the tutelage of Dr Ralph P. Martin, and finally brought to birth at the University of Oxford in 1979, where it was presented in the form of a thesis to the Faculty of Theology for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. This book has grown out of that thesis.

Of the countless people who have contributed, directly or indirectly, to the writing of this volume, two in particular are deserving of special acknowledgement. The Revd Canon J.L. Houlden, Lecturer in New Testament studies at King's College, London, whose stimulating little book, Ethics and the New Testament, first introduced me to the fascinating world of New Testament ethics when I was in seminary, did an excellent job of supervising my doctoral studies at Oxford, and the present work owes an immense amount to his wise guidance, inspiration and encouragement. To him I shall always be indebted. But it is my good wife Dot who deserves the greatest praise – not only for the countless hours she spent typing up various drafts of the manuscript and assisting with details, but also for remaining so cheerful and supportive throughout.