Bibles Bible Studies Books

This is a great book and should be a standard text for all seminarians. It reads clearly and serves as a good introduction to the books, epistles and general theology of the New Testament. Another great aspect of the book is its wide margins... plenty of room to write notes and keep track of ideas while reading.

There is alot of information in this book. Pretty much everything you would ever need to do to a research paper on any book in the N.T. Only it is very wordy, with long and redundent sentences and I made the mistake of reading this book in my bed, hence it will make you fall asleep.

Paul Achtemeier, Joel Green, and Marianne Meye Thompson are respected New Testament scholars at Union Theological Seminary (Virginia), Asbury Theological Seminary, and Fuller Theological Seminary respectively. "Introducing the New Testament" is (as you might guess) an introductory textbook for those just beginning their study of the New Testament; their intended audience appears to be theology majors and those just beginning seminary.

The format of the book lends itself well to classroom use. Of this books 25 chapters, 18 deal with a particular book (or highly related books, e.g. 1, 2, 3 John)--covering its content, its context, its author, and its recipient. It then traces the literary flow of the New Testament book, showing what the author's major purpose and themes are. The section follows with an introduction to some scholarly debates concerning the Biblical book, and some helpful resources for further reading.

The remaining 7 chapters are more topical in nature and are titled "Chapter 1: What is the New Testament?" "Chapter 2: The World of the New Testament," "Chapter 3: The Nature of the Gospels," Chapter 8: Jesus of Nazareth," "Chapter 10: Letters in the New Testament," "Chapter 11: Paul and His World," and "Chapter 25: The Formation of the New Testament Cannon." Each of these covers its subject from a variety of angles and introduces various schools of thought on the subject, while the authors do come down on particular sides of debate, they do so in such a way as to leave the questions open so that the reader can come to his own conclusions. Again, there is a concluding summary and resources for further reading.

This book has been helpful for this reader in many ways. When reading commentaries, it is easy for one to "lose the forest for the trees." That is to say that when one narrow his focus too narrowly--to one particular verse in a Biblical book or the like--he can lose the general argument and flow of the book. Achtemeier, Green, and Thompson do a great service by keeping each book's major argument/theme in mind and show how the particular outline of the book and even particular verses serve to advance that argument/theme. Often, they are good at providing the reader with a memorable summary statement in the book's narrative which speaks to the heart of the issue at hand. Also, this reader appreciated the generous amount of pictures, maps, charts, and "shaded boxes" that speak to tangential issues.

However, while this book has many merits, it is not without its flaws. While its treatment of the Gospels and Catholic (non-Pauline) epistles were excellent, their treatment of Paul's letters was disappointing. Throughout the book, the authors seem to make a conscious effort to attract a wide readership by avoiding doctrinal issues (a bit of a problem in itself), but in the Pauline epistles, they break this pattern and come down forcefully on a particular issue. This issue is not communion, baptism, the relationship between faith and works, or the like, but rather they come down strongly in favor of womens' ordination. In so doing, they appeal to Galatians 3:28 (out of context), they appeal to 1 Corinthians 14(?!), and even appeal to the idea that Ephesians was written by a women, not Paul (?!?!)! Because of these poorly developed, illogical, and speculative arguments, the authors do lose a degree of credibility. Other negative aspects of the book are relatively few and far between. The only others that really stick out are their argument that Scripture is fallible (e.g. p. 456) and that the Book of Revelation is primarily about the first century Church's struggle against the Roman Empire, and not so much about the modern Church's situation.

In all, those who are interested in beginning New Testament scholarship would do well to read this book. Professors who are looking for a basic textbook would do well to assign this one, but I would recommend Martin Franzmann's similar (and more orthodox) "The Word of the Lord Grows." Mildly recommended.

The text is wordy and often redundant. Some issues are discussed with far too much detail and reiteration while others are statements without meaningful diatribe.

I did enjoy the historical presentations but the spiritual presentations were difficult to cull through and not very enlightening.

Generally a good survey of the NT - historical and cultural backgrounds sections are especially well done. Actual text analyses and discussion are good in parts, but miss or ignore major thematic issues that most other NT surveys spend a lot of time on (the conflict in the early Church between Judaic and Hellenized Christians in Acts for instance). Also, the organization is pretty haphazard; Raymond Brown's NT Intro is a lot better organized and also provides a lot more in-depth discussion of a wider range of issues. This book loses one star for its poor organization and occasional neglected topics.

The authors are generally fair and balanced, except on the issue of women's ordination as raised by another reviewer. The section on 1 Corinthians 14 is especially ridiculous, with the authors interpreting the passage to read the exact OPPOSITE (i.e. men should not criticize the women who speak up in church) of what every other translation I have ever read. NIV, King James, NRSV, NAB, RSV = all wrong, and the authors of this book evidently are brilliant Greek linguists. Pretty unlikely! Rather the authors are blatantly twisting Paul's words to agree with their own agenda. Loses another star for this ham-fisted partisanship...

All in all, not a terrible book, has some merit, but the author's lack of structure and deliberately obtuse interpetation of some aspects of the Pauline epistles make this a less than optimal intro to the New Testament.

Hamilton's synopsis of the Penteteuch is great for the biblical scholar at heart. Laypersons will also enjoy this book, as it flows quite well and keeps the reader intrigued. Hamilton's analysis of the hexameron (the work of the six creative periods) is especially fascinating, as he pulls parallels from mythological cosmogony to demonstrate that the biblical account of the hexameron is unique in many respects, but that the underlying motif is not new to other cultures outside of the Bible. Also, this book doesn't carry an ostentatious Evangelical flavor to it; it is very objective and can be enjoyed by those from all faiths.

The only real complaint I would have about the book is its format. Hamilton's approach is thematic. This reader prefers verse-by-verse commentary, so the commentary suffers a little bit, in that Hamilton skipped over some of the nuances in the penteteuch which contribute to its overall account. However, I recommend the book for all those interested in a deeper look at the first 5 books of the Bible.

Handbook on the Pentateuch,: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
This makes sense - the big picture and all of its details fit. This was my feeling as I worked my way through Hamilton's book. In fact, the discovery was not only a big relief, after scanning a number of books of its type and feeling overwhelmed and lost in issues I did not understand and never knew existed, excitement fill my heart and mind. Just enough and but not too much for this novice adventurer into the Old Testament.

Victor Hamilton's Handbook on the Pentateuch is a very good introduction to the Pentateuch for both undergraduates and beginning seminarians who are taking an exegesis course in Old Testament. For anyone interested in Old Testament studies it is a must. The publishing life of this text has been remarkable since it first appeared in 1982. Unlike the previous reviewer, who essentially wants a commentary on the Pentateuch, the beauty of this text is that it is not that. It is a handbook introduction - a biblical theology of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Dr. Hamilton is not writing for the academy, although academicians will find it useful. He is writing for the student and motivated layperson. Besides, Hamilton has already authored the two volume commentary on Genesis that appears in the New International Commentary on The Old Testament (NICOT) series published by Eerdmans. There, the reader will find concise exegesis in a verse-by-verse format. Handbook on The Pentateuch reflects what Dr. Hamilton has done best over the years - teach students Old Testament. Readers will find this to be an engaging text that reflects critical scholarship as well as a pastor's heart.

I really enjoyed this book, finding out different things about the Bible as well as homosexuality. What I noticed other people say about this book (particularly the ones who disliked it), is that they think homosexuality=behavior. Yes, everyone carries out their attractions but I believe the "attraction" is not wrong, and that this book helps prove that the Bible is not against the attraction to other men. I do believe that sexual immorality is wrong and perhaps now, with gay marriages on the way, it will be possible for gay-Christians to unify, while staying within the lines of sexual purity.

There is no debate about whether God loves all people, but rather do all people love God (the Word made flesh). It seems they do not, who say that the Word (God) does not mean what he says, but just the opposite instead. Woe.... better in the end to let God be true (Rom 3:4).

Noteworthy for its history of Christian attitudes and the biblical basis for beliefs about homosexuality, but I would have preferred it be less closely tied to the church as an institution and more focused on the church's mission as the body of Christ and His message of inclusion and compassion.

GREAT BOOK. I consider it a MUST READ for anyone who is searching for true understanding of what the Bible is saying regarding homosexuality. It is necessary to consider the history, the culture of the time and the people to whom the Bible refers. This book superbly details the cultural mores in biblical history that puts a differenct light on the understanding of homosexuality as opposed to what many people today choose to believe. To deny the importance of cultural factors is like leaving out the flour in a cake recipe.

This book has much to commend it, but the author's summary of Barth on male-female relationships (and his subsequent rejection of same-gender love) disregards Barth scholarship of the past 10 years, and is a superficial reading of Church Dogmatics in any case. A brief conversation with George Hunsinger at Princeton--one of the leading Barth scholars in North America--would have cleared this up and resulted, I think, in a very different argument. Eberhard Busch, Barth's longtime secretary and a respected theologian in his own right, would also have been helpful.

Barth, in the last months of his life, dictated a letter to a pastor struggling with the issue of homosexuality, in which he said that while he was too old to give the issue the attention it deserved, he suspected that if he were to rewrite the offending paragraphs in Church Dogmatics III.4, he would have said that homosexual relationships, too, shared in "freedom for community." That comment is brief, but striking, since "freedom for community" is precisely the divine gift in which heterosexual married partners participate, according to Barth.

To argue that Barth believed that the male or female is incomplete without the other does not mean that Barth concluded heterosexual marriage was normative for everyone. In fact, in the context of Protestant theology in the early 50s when Barth wrote III.4, he rather boldly praised vocational celibacy and reminded the reader that Jesus had no wife. Therefore, if Rogers is right, Barth believed that Jesus was "incomplete" or "not fully human" because he was unmarried.

On the contrary, if you dig deep enough, you can see a trajectory leading from III.4 to the comment near the end of his life that same-gender relationships might also be seen as a divine gift that leads to "freedom for community." So Rogers missed an opportunity to approach the issue constructively in a Barthian context: instead, he merely concedes Barth to those Barthians whose reading, like his, of Church Dogmatics is one-sided. Thus, Barth has to be rejected as a theologian of "male superiority" who has nothing to contribute to the debate. The sad thing is that up-to-date Barth scholarship--which would have called this view into question--was available to the author in his own church.

The New Jerusalem Bible is a fine study aid. Though it is the product of Catholic scholars there is nothing in either the translation or the excellent notes which could not have been written by competent scholars of any denominational background. I like the idiomatic English: Jezebel to Ahab - "Some king of Israel you make!" Compare NRSV - "Do you now govern Israel?".

Any translation is a trade-off between the literal and the idiomatic. The latter scores in liveliness and instant intelligibility but will have a shorter shelf-life and may not travel so well across all the cultures where English is the preferred language of Christians. A more literal translation keeps closer to the Hebrew and Greek mode of expression but will make a greater demand on the reader's attention.

NJB (Standard edition) avoids double columns and breaks up the text with headings, making reference much easier. It's not a Bible to take to church with you, but I would recommend it wholeheartedly for any serious student's study.

I love the New Jerusalem Bible. It's the only translation I love to read. I already own one but, it has very small type. I bought this one for the larger type and supposed more notes. It does have larger type. I was expecting it to have more cross references, foot notes and information. It only has one map.
It's still the best version around, Catholic or not. Most accurate and I too, love to see "Yahweh" in the Bible. It's very fluid to read.

This translation is inspiring! One of the few translations to include the Holy Name Yahweh. I regret that possible future editions will revert back to using Lord rather than using Yahweh. Get this treasure while you can.

The bibles I ordered are for my friends. I have my own for long time. The package was poorly done and the dust covers were damaged and I feel bad to present to my friends as a gift. Wish you can do better in packing the books.

Disregard the nay sayers who have rated this bible under 4 stars. They have no grasp of what an accurate translation is. This is the most accurate, easy to read bible you will ever see. It restores to the text the name of God in the seven some odd thousand times it appeared in the Old Testament (or Hebrew scriptures). This fact can be easily confirmed with the Strong's Concordance. It transliterates the word "Sheol" in place of the King James words, "Grave, Hell, and Pit". This lets the reader make up his or her own mind regarding the controversial subject of Hell, avoiding any outside, sectarian bias. It contains few distracting and unnecessary references which would serve only to keep the reader from learning God's word in a natural, undirected way, absent of religious influence. Buy it. I believe you'll be happy you did.

The cover and overall outer condition that the product came to me was fair at best. I was surprised to see more highlights than expected. So many that you can hardly feel that it is now your own. I feel that the mistake fully lies upon me for not heading the warning about some highlights. This is the most disappointing product that we have recieved, but desperately wanted me son to have it before church youth camp. It is my loss that it is too used to feel of value to my pre-teen son. It was shipped out promptly and I have to say that overwise we have to claim ...satisfactory as our label rating.

I used this bible throughout my young teen years and it was fantastic! It definitely relates to common trials in this time of your life and adds great color and flair to make bible study more fun. All in all, I loved it.

This is the Bible my daughter reads every night...She was talking to a teen friend in trouble and gave her an extra Bible...so i think she should always have an extra in case another teen needs one.....so i ordered this one right away......

God Bless you.

I bought this for my friend teenager and she loves it, Now she can understand on a level of her own, it's also great for adults especially if you have a difficult time understanding the King James Version. As with everything Pray to the Lord for understanding.

I like this bible for teens, but the two books I ordered did not contain the colored contemporary issues pages. I already owned one bible and tried twice to get another. Both times these colored pages were missing.

I believe that this book is a good tool to help one understand the Psalms. It is easy to read and it uses language that the common man can understand. I like how the book starts off with showing how the Psalms fit in the Bible. I like how it explains them as a mini Bible in itself. I think that Longman does a good job explaining the different types of psalms that are in the book of Psalms. I like the way that Longman explained parallelism and the other elements of poetry that are visible. I was always afraid of poetry and all the different things that it included but it makes more sense. It is very good for Longman to provide some psalms in the back and give an example of what he just wrote about in his book. It makes it easier to understand when there is an example provided. At the end of each chapter it also provides a psalm study of things that were just explained in the chapter. This helps the reader practice what they are learning and I think that that is a good idea. I think that the author did a good job of showing how the psalms relate to the common man. He showed how people could use them to worship and how they can learn from them. Longman did a good job of getting his purpose across and helping one to read the Psalms better.

This book was recommended to me by a theology professor who has yet to steer me wrong in his assessments of informative reading, based on my less than advanced study of scripture. Longman disects the Psalter as no commentary does. The various genres and purposes (uses) of the Psalms are explained in an easy to understand fashion similar to his "Reading the Bible with Heart and Mind". He concludes each chapter with a short exercise and list of recommended readings specific to that chapter. Acknowledged as an elementary how-to-understand guidebook on the Psalms it is, nevertheless unparalled for its informative content. Combined with Derek Kidner's commentaries, I have found new blessings in the often misunderstood and overlooked Book of Psalms.

Hayes and Holladay give a succinct yet thorough survey of exegesis and Biblical Exegesis in particular. Anyone wanting a basic understanding of the general approaches used in the scholarly study of the Bible will find this book useful. Those of us who want to study the Bible seriously need to have a basic understanding of how to know the words that were used in the original; how to work to understand what the words mean and how they were intended; and how to connect with the historicity and the history of the texts. Biblical Exegesis - A Beginner's Handbook is a fine introduction to these three processes and much more. Very much worth the read.

Robert Curtis
Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

This is an excellent source of information done in a way that enables understanding for a beginner student of the Bible.

I am using Hayes' book as one of my required texts for a university class I'm currently teaching on biblical hermeneutics. It delivers precisely what the book is titled: A Beginner's Handbook. I highly recommend it as a beginner's introduction to the complex task of exegesis; why we do it, and suggestions for how we can do it today.

This is a very helpful book for Beginners and anyone who needs to get direction on how to look at scripture more intently. Using this book will guide you into finding a deeper understanding of scripture by taking you through the exegesis (pulling out the meaning)process.

This is a great introduction to the discipline of BE. It has a lot of breadth to give a novice a good flavor of multiple facets of BE without going into too much depth and drowning one in technical terms and methodology. Very nice overview for beginners.

In the first chapter, the authors introduce the field itself, provide basic definitions and historical perspectives/evolution of the field. In the following chapters they discuss each of the major techniques or approaches to biblical criticism. Once again, the book isn't trying to be an in-depth, all-encompassing resource, it provides a very high level, but good overview of the field and each individual discipline. Most chapters have thorough and well organized bibliographies for further study of individual topics, which is very useful. Here are the titles of the chapters:

1 Introducing exegesis
2 Textual criticism (the quest for the original wording)
3 Historical criticism (the setting in time and space)
4 Grammatical criticism (the language of the text)
5 Literary criticism (the composition and rhetorical style of the text)
6 Form criticism (the genre and life setting of the text)
7 Tradition criticism (the stages behind the text)
8 Redaction criticism (the final viewpoint and theology)
9 Structuralist criticism (the universals in the text)
10 Canonical criticism (the sacred text of Synagogue and Church)
11 Integrating exegetical procedures
12 Employing the fruits of Biblical Exegesis

Not only did we receive this in record time, but the price is untouchable. It sells for at least $100 dollars in the bookstores. But the Bible itself is great as well. It's so much easier to study the word and navigate through. Highly recomend to those seeking a easier way to study the Bible. thanks

The Inductive Study Bible is excellent. The scripture is single column, double spaced with wide margins so you can mark key words and take notes. Each book also starts with instructions to guide you in your study. Other excellent study tools are included.

A friend of mine bought me this Bible about 8 years ago. I use it everyday for my personal bible study and love the wide margins perfect for writing down notes and words of inspiration as I study. I reluctantly had to purchase a new one because mine was so well used, but I look forward to renewing my relationship with God through using the new one to study from. A friend of mine also purchased one recently because she liked the set up and style. It's definitly worth the money and is less than you can get it at a local Christian Bookstore. Great item!!!

I own quite a bit of bibles and I wish I had bought this one way before I bought the others. I love the illustrations/pictures by the side of the chapter so that you understand the instruments, etc used in the temples for example. The maps are also definitely a plus!! I will be definitely recommending this bible to new students of the word of God.

After being introduced to Kay Arthur's Precepts Study, I realized I needed this Bible as my text book - one with room to mark and make notes, one with great cross references and charts. This is a wonderful way to read, digest and really learn the Word of God. The hardcover is fine - it's less of a keepsake, more of a working book as a hardcover.

This Bible contains a lot of information about the history of the Bible that I believe a lot of people don't know. It also contains helpful, relevant information & comprehensive answers to questions asked about Church doctrine.

This book should be mandatory reading in all catholic schools. Knowing your religion well is the only way to offset advances by bible toting, catholic bashing hipocrates. When approached by these people, hand then this book to read. We may get a few converts of our own.

This is a wonderful Bible to give to someone because in addition to the written Word of God, it has useful information on understanding the Catholic faith. There are many inserts in the Bible that explain specific beliefs that reference the Bible. This is a great tool for reading God's Word and learing about the Catholic faith. This Bible is a great present for those who are looking for a Bible to learn the faith.

An excellent study Bible for Catholics and all who are interested in summaries of Catholic teachings. The entire New American Bible is presented and about every sixty pages a section of questions and Catholic answers is given. With these questions and answers, specific scriptural references are given that can easily be refered to.

I purchased the New Catholic Answer Bible to seek answers to many of the tenets of the Catholic faith. This Bible has greatly exceeded my expectations. It is so well organized that I can read the passages of the Bible and then quickly go on to the explanatory notes with ease. This Bible not only provides what I needed regarding the words of the Bible itself, but is like getting a history lesson as well. I read it every day, and I couldn't be more pleased. I heartily recommend it.