Scott Bartchy, Professor of Christian Origins and the History of Religion at UCLA, published his 1971 Harvard PhD dissertation. The full title is Mallon Chresai: First Century Slavery and the Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 7:21. It is a definitive exegetical work on the interpretation of that verse, which reads, "Were you a slave when called? Never mind. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity" (RSV). He argues that the correct understanding of this passage, in particular, the last two Greek words (mallon chresai - lit. "rather use it") is highly problematic. He devotes 183 pages to its linguistic, historical, and theological analysis.

The work is fairly technical, as one might expect with a doctoral dissertation. It is heavily footnoted (nearly 600 total), and contains numerous references in Greek and German, and a few in Latin. However, those who invest the time to read it will find a gold mine of information about first century slavery in the Greco-Roman world, as well as an exemplary model of skillful New Testament exegesis. The book is a widely quoted source for serious study in this field. ( )