What you are about to read comes from the heart of the Apostle Paul, that great missionary theologian of the first century AD. It is remarkable that our understanding of the Christian faith rests primarily on thirteen letters written by a convert from rabbinic Judaism. No other set of ancient manuscripts has made such a dramatic impact on civilization over the past two millennia. Written to various churches in what we now call Asia Minor, they reveal the unique way in which God allowed the truth of the cross and the open grave to take root in a hostile environment. Paul wrote in simple Greek and this new and vibrant translation stresses what the apostle intended to communicate rather than the specific words he used to accomplish the goal. Readable and free from ambiguity, it presents the ancient letters in a new and powerful way. You the reader will become, as it were, one of the original recipients, so prepare to listen to the once zealous adherent of Judaism who, by a dramatic encounter with the Christ he was persecuting, became the major figure in the westward expansion of Christianity.