In this book Professor Lyall helps modern readers understand the legal expressions used in the Epistles. Taking such terms as slaves, freedmen, aliens, citizens, adoption, heirs, partners, and redemption, he explores their uses in Roman law and points out their significance in Jewish and Greek society. By explaining the meaning of these terms in the first century, Professor Lyall clarifies the intention of the New Testament authors and heightens our understanding of the meaning of these figures.