Writing a book on a controversial subject requires considerable encouragement along the way. The following scholars were kind enough to read the manuscript and write gracious publicity notices about its importance for the homosexuality debate: James Barr, C. K. Barrett, John Barton, Richard Bauckham, Jiirgen Becker, Brevard S. Childs, C. E. B. Cranfield, J. Andrew Dearman, James D. G. Dunn, I. Howard Marshall, Ulrich Mauser, Scot McKnight, Bruce M. Metzger, Douglas J. Moo, Jerome Murphy O'Conner, Terry C. Muck, James B. Nelson, Martii Nissinen, John Nolland, Marion L. Soards, Max L. Stackhouse, Frank Thielman, Duane F. Watson, Stephen Westerholm, and David F. Wright.
Special thanks are extended to colleagues at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary who provided support, counsel, and prayer during the writing of this book. I am blessed to be at an institution that honors the right of each faculty member to state and publish sincerely held convictions. The experience of writing this book has deepened, rather than diminished, my conviction that one cannot expect to be the beneficiary of academic freedom unless one extends the same grace to others.
Finally, I would like to thank the following people: Joseph R. Cockrell, M.D., who during different stages of the manuscript's production selflessly read it with a psychiatrist s and neurologist's eye and made many helpful suggestions for improvement; the members of my Thursday-night house church group who prayed me through the process of writing this book; and my wife, Carol, and daughters, Caris and Eliana, whose lives are inextricably bound with my own and who shared in the sacrifices associated with this book.
To God and the Lord Jesus Christ be the glory.