Bibles Bible Studies Books

This study Bible is loaded with information. I especially love all the maps in the book. It makes the Scriptures come alive in a very visual way. The Holman Bible reads somewhere between the New King James version and The Message. Not hard to understand, but doesn't come off too liberal either. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars, for me the lettering is just a bit small.

This book has everything you would want to know about the time line & what they wore,ate, lived in, etc...And the Old & New Testament is in it & maps! It's great!

I have been searching for a bible that wouldn't be so hard to follow. I have several bibles, after awhile I just put them away. I have a hard time following small print, and words that I don't understand. This study bible is what I was looking. It has large enough print, and quick reference translations that make it easy to read through an entire chapter without reading it over and over to understand. The captions relating to the historical moments that occured during that time period is a great addition. It helps you visualize yourself what the people saw.

The HOLMAN CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE has become our favorite version in teaching and preaching. My wife and I have been doing Bible studies in prison ministry since 2003 and have used many versions of the Word: NIV, ESV, NKJV, and finally settled on the New International Readers Version as one which was easy to understand, clear, and faithful to the text. Then we found the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

This version fulfills everything we are looking for: accuracy of the text, ease of use and understanding (I would say it is written at a high school reading level), and faithfulness to the meaning of the passages. For example, the healing scriptures of Isaiah 53, 1 Peter 2:24, Matthew 8:17 are all present and clear.

Some of the other modern versions seem to lose the power and authority of the Word as they try to be easily understood in plain English, not Holman. Holman does not take liberties with the authority of the Word, richness of the language, nor many of the key doctrines of the Old and New Testament. I found it to be reliable, articulate and a solid reference.

I highly recommend it for personal devotion, sermon preparation and study, and Bible study with a group. The illustrations are clear, colorful, and helpful. The maps are very well-done and useful. I like the tabs because my memory isn't what it was once. All in all, the Holman Standard is an exceptional Bible and available in a wide range of prices and features.

I purchased this book after considering theological history as my major. It's a very interesting book in regards to references. Exciting to read!

Froehlich gives an introduction to the Jewish background, and first four centuries of Christian Bible interpretation. Methods from the pre-christian rabbis to Augustine are examined.

It is surprising to see how different the interpretaions by early theologians are from their counterparts today. Early interpreters saw different levels of meaning in the text. There was a literal surface level for the unspiritual, and a deeper level for the spiritual. Not all interpreters agreed on allegorical interpretation, but all acknowledged the divine author of Scripture put deeper meaning and hidden treasures of revelation in the sacred text.

Translations of eight ancient authors are given in the rest of the book.

Sifra
Ptolemy
Irenaeus
Origen
Papyrus Michigan Inv. 3718
Diodore of Tarsus (2 texts)
Theodore of Mopsuestia
Tyconius

I found the book very intresting and informative. Froehlich does a great job of describing interpretation during those early years.

One just assumes the Bible was always interpreted in a literal fashion like it is today. I think this kind of knowledge is a little hard to find.

Very clear Hebrew, great size and very clear to read. The English translation is very good,I like comparing the translation to other Bible translations. The translations gives some different perspectives. The Tenach comes with the Hebrew calendar readings for Bible study. It also has a lot of Hebrew insight.

How often can you say something was better than expected ? Not often enough. But my experience here really has been!

I even had to return 1 book that I ordered by mistake and they credited my account easily.

You can Shop with confidence!

I purchased this book because my Rabbi told me this was the most accurate of versions. I do enjoy the tone of the narrator and the way the writtings flow.

This book provides the student of the Torah, and bible in general, an easy to read and accurate translation.

The Tanach (Old Testament in both Hebrew and literal English translation), Stone Edition, makes the Jewish scriptures even more useable with the added feature of commentary from various scholars. Its compact size allows for conservation of space and ease of use. While visiting a worship service at a local synagogue shortly after this purchase, my assistant and I showed the rabbi a Tanach. Before we could ask his opinion, he said, "Oh, excellent! Superb!" I couldn't say it any better. For those interested in in-depth study, but who are not proficient in Hebrew, the Tanach will be a marvelous aid. Highly recommended.

This book is a must for any Christian to read. It's more about the evangelical culture of which I was a part of for many years. The most relevant to me was his encounter with Christian music. I have been more "transformational" in my taste for quite some time and if I had the money, I would have my own radio station to include that type of music and many other genres.
I laughed at loud when he describes a comic's take on the Christian fish symbols verses the Darwin fish! I would love to hear more of THAT kind of comedy.
The only part that was a big dragged down was the authors views on abstinance... or his portayal of the Christian view. I was dissapointed in the lack of fairness to a more "transoformational" view that many of us have. I didn't think a "whole" view of that was given as some of the other chapters had.
All in all, I loved this book and would again HIGHLY recommend it to other Christians! It will make some angry, others laugh, but definitely move us th think about how we live out our lives as believers.

I enjoyed this book a lot. Having been raised in a very strict religious household, this book made me shutter as it brought up painful memories that are obviously still in practice today. However, it also showed me that things could have been much wackier. The book is a wonderful mirror being held up to many of the current practices in much of Christian world today that seem to have forgotten the golden rule to love thy neighbor as thyself. But the book holds hope in that their are those who still follow this thesis and are pushing back at the current trend of hatefulness. Mr. Radosh is a great observer and can paint his observations on the page so vividly that I felt myself at each event he attended. I read this book on the New York subway to and from work each day and several times began laughing out loud to the annoyance and curiosity of those around me. I learn a lot of new things and had many gaps in my knowledge filled in. I highly recommend Rapture Ready!

Radosh is an outsider to this world of Christian pop culture, and his encounters are both humorous, well-informed and reflective. Without too much eye-rolling, he sincerely connects with the people behind such diverse entertainments as Bible Man and pro-wrestlers for Christ. Below the surface absurdities, Radosh uncovers the humanity of it all, and the often misunderstood and sometimes sinister implications.

This is a great read, written with the perfect combination of humor, wonder and respect. It definitely opened my eyes to the wide, diverse world of Christian pop culture, and the Christian religion in the United States, and made me think more seriously about what Christian pop culture means for the future of mainstream culture--as well as politics, education, civic life, etc. Since reading this, it seems I can't open the newspaper without noticing an article about something Christian--Christian...more This is a great read, written with the perfect combination of humor, wonder and respect. It definitely opened my eyes to the wide, diverse world of Christian pop culture, and the Christian religion in the United States, and made me think more seriously about what Christian pop culture means for the future of mainstream culture--as well as politics, education, civic life, etc. Since reading this, it seems I can't open the newspaper without noticing an article about something Christian--Christian license plates, Christian gyms. Well done and relevant!

Daniel Radosh is a secular Jew from New York who explores the world of Christian pop culture in his recent book "Rapture Ready! Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture." With a combination of thoughtful critique, appreciation, good humor and above all graciousness, Radosh chronicles his year-long experience exploring the Evangelical subculture in America. A true outsider, Radosh immerses himself in the good, the bad, and the ugly of this sometimes bizarre world. Among other things, Radosh describes his encounters with "Jesus junk," the Holy Land Experience, Christian romance novels, Bibleman, Stephen Baldwin, the Cornerstone music festival, Ultimate Christian Wrestling, Christian sex advice, creation museums, and even a Hell House. Seeking to understand this vast culture, Radosh does a fine job chronicling his experiences and offering some much needed outsider insight. I think this book is a must-read for Christians and non-Christians alike. Christians should read it for exposure to an outsider's perspective on this strange world, and non-Christians should read it to better understand the growing diversity of the Evangelical movement. Everyone can read it for an entertaining and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny look at a much talked about but little understood element of American culture.

When I started reading "Rapture Ready!" I was hoping for a funny and entertaining read, and in that regard I was not disappointed. However, I wasn't expecting such an insightful perspective, and I wouldn't have guessed I would finish the book feeling challenged to live differently. Now don't get me wrong, you probably shouldn't read this book looking for a life changing experience. Read it to be entertained. But don't be surprised if it challenges you to think seriously about your relationship to Evangelical culture (whether you are a Christian or not).

Radosh concludes his book with a call for greater interaction between the moderate and progressive elements of Evangelicalism and Radosh's own secular culture. He believes an increasing interaction between these oftentimes separate universes will prove helpful for everyone. I agree.

In short, I highly recommend this book as both an entertaining and insightful read.

It's required reading for the NT 1 course at Covenant Seminary so I picked it up to accompany the free course download at http://www.covenantseminary.edu/worldwide/en/NT220/NT220.asp . Haven't read it all yet but so far it's a keeper.

Here is a book that works towards making a case for the New Testament gospel accounts as being historically reliable. This is an apologetic work by a conservative christian new testament scholar. This book contains intelligent and plausible content on it's subject matter. It is certainly worth an honest read and studied consideration. The author has produced a fine conservative "take" on the subject. With this being so, I wouldn't want this to be the only perspective one gets on the subject.

This new edition of Craig Blomberg's THE HISTORICAL RELIABILITY OF THE GOSPELS should be an essential addition to anyone's New Testament library.

This book serves almost as an introduction to the study of the Gospels. Blomberg discusses form criticism, redaction criticism and other methods used for gospel interpretation. He also provides generally sensible harmonizations of apparently divergent accounts which avoid some of the overzealous attempts of harmonization of the past. Blomberg persuasively argues that reading the Gospels in light of ancient standards of biography and history leads to the conclusion that they contain reliable accounts of Jesus' life. (Contrary to what someone else said, Blomberg does not argue for "camcorder exactness," but instead contends that ancient history allowed for summaries, reordering and a certain amount "creative interpretation" of source material).

Along the way, Blomberg discusses miracles, the evidence for Jesus outside the Gospels (both inside and outside the New Testament), and textual criticism, among other topics.

Blomberg is a prolific New Testament scholar. Among his other books, I particularly recommend INTERPRETING THE PARABLES.

The gospel accounts have ZERO historical reliability. After the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD, a great deal of material was added to the gospel of Mark to make it appear that Jesus had predicted the event. Then, the Pharisees re-wrote much of that account to make it support their belief in (a) exorcism and demonic spirits, (b) angels and (c) a general resurrection of the dead on the Day of Judgment. The version we have (which appears with minor changes under the names of Mark, Matthew and Luke) is completely fictional, an attempt to reinvent a dead Galilean as a "son of theos" using the title of the Roman Emperor Augustus.

Let me give you a superb example of the so-called historical reliability from a letter written by Paul:



2 Thessalonians 1:6 .... when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (end)

What is the historical reliability of a prediction that Jesus will appear from behind some clouds to take a fiery vengeance on all who do not obey the gospel? And by some weird coincidence, he just happens to be leading a company of angels?

There is no Historical Reliability in the New Testament. None. ALL of the gospel story, with the possibile exception of Peter denying that he came from Galilee, was invented after all the people who actually knew Jesus had died, and replaced the original version of the gospel. (See Secret Mark for a glimpse into the original, where Lazarus was not brought back to life, but merely slept in a tomb as part of an initiation ritual.)

Biblical scholarship is the only field I know.... where all of the leading experts are so dim, they can't figure out the difference between a History Book and a Sales Pitch for a resurrection cult.

Blomberg, an expert in the Synoptics, does a superb job, showing the inadequacies of much liberal gospel scholarship, and making an eminently credible case for the overall historical reliability of the canonical gospels. This is clearly going to be a classic, and anyone interested in Biblical Studies should read it.

I've only read a few chapters so far, but this is a fantastic book. Very in-depth for an Introduction, and filled with tons of useful information. The chapter on Mark's Gospel is tremendous. I can't wait to finish the book! No doubt it will be useful for a lifetime of reference.

The author cited lots of ancient literature trying to "reconstruct" the context of NT, and the author tried very hard to make "down to earth" explanation of the text of NT, such that the humanistic(i.e. social, political, economical, military) factors outshined the other side of the sacred text(e.g. divine inspiration and revelation).

The author utilized a variety of social context(codes, customs, practices...) to explain the text and the content of the New Testament. Yet during the process something seemed missing and other things popped up, just like putting too thick a layer(s) of icing on a cake, in the end it became a humongous candy.

The section discussing Greco-Roman patronage and divine favor seemed to level biblical grace down with human acts of mutual benefits. And the biggest difference between the God of the Bible(inculding both Old and New Testamet) and gods of other religions was, is and continues to be the costly free grace. It's a pity that the author didn't go deep in this area, insted, the author brought forth the ancient patronage concept to explain it the opposite way.

Personally I would suggest the author to pay more attention to the Old Testament background of the New Testament, instead of putting most of the energy in seular contexts.

There are more suitable NTI material for the naive, and there are more excellent NTI material for the advanced. Personally I don't object to look into secular backgrounds, but it should not be used to supercede the immediate context(in this case, the text of OT) of the text, or misconstrue the meaning(s) of the text itself.

By the way, the author used many long sentences some readers might find them annoying and even ambigious. Perhaps that one of the characterists of "academic works" and I am not an "academic".

Above are all personal opinions.

This book is an easy read. For anyone interested in the histo-cultural aspect of New Testament times, not just seminary students. This is a book that I will permanently keep as a reference.

This is a great book for looking in the background of the writer of each book of the New Testament. It gives more that just the other's opinion, it discusses the opinion of other authors and shows what the possible interpretation and intent of the writer.

I've had the great pleasure of being one of Dr. deSilva's students at Ashland Seminary and the somewhat lesser pleasure of having read nearly every chapter in this book in the process. The main weakness in this book is in the editing. The writing could be more concise and clear in many places. This makes it difficult to read from cover to cover, but presents less of a problem when using the book as a reference. It almost seems as if each chapter was written to stand on its own. Many of the same points are made repeatedly throughout the book as they apply to different books of the New Testament. That said, the book also has many strengths.

At the end of each chapter is a section on "ministry formation" which draws practical lessons for ministry and discipleship based on the previous reading. I found these to be very insightful and the most interesting and valuable parts of the book. The "exegetical skill" and "cultural awareness" sections that are sprinkled throughout the book are also very good. Separating the exegetical skill material from the main text makes it easy to find and apply to study of parts of the NT other than the immediate context in which the particular sections appear.

Overall this book is very good seminary level course and reference material that I know will be very useful to me in the future. It's a poor substitute for the lively and highly interactive teaching that you would get in one of the author's classes, but it's a lot less expensive.

I am really enjoying this study bible. I use it on a weekly basis. It is easy to read and has plenty of references.

I am reading this one as well as the New World
translation. Many insights of humanity are provided.

This is the best New Testament Study Bible if you are a serious student of the Word. Best Study Notes combined with the most accurate translation of the New Testament. If you're looking for a good study Bible, this is the one. The exact same study notes are also found in Zondervan's NIV Study Bible if you prefer a Bible that is leaning on the side of transliteration (thought for thought). But if you want the most accurate translation, (word for word) then the combination of the NASB and these study tools is unmatched.

The ESV is another great and accurate translation, but the study notes are not as powerful. Of course the ESV Interlinear is the best I've every seen, so check it out if you're a student of the Greek.

I would not recommend study in the Old Testament from this translation however, since the publishers fell prey to the pressures of all the God hating scientists and kind of fudged on the translation to leave room for the new aged ideas that were permeating the science community at the time this work was done. Better stick with the King James or the New King James if you want the most accurate English translation in the Old Testament. Those boys under King James did a rock solid translation, free from any pressures from a biased science community. I carry both the NASB to teach from for the New Testament and the New King James to teach from the Old Testament. You should too.

Finally, the 350 plus manuscripts that have been discovered since the King James translation that pre-dated anything those boys had at the time they did their critical work, helps us to find those passages that had been erroneously added by the early church fathers. Bless their hearts, but it becomes quite evident who added what and when they added it, because all of the earlier manuscripts that pre-date their service in the Catholic Church are missing certain passages in all of the older manuscripts. So now we know who added what and when. God is good, isn't He? This is why the King James and New King James is not the best English translation to use when teaching the New Testament.

Bought it for my daughter who like the one I got last year for her sister and wanted the same one. Her rel. ed. teacher claims it is the most beautiful bible she has ever seen. The extra maps and discussions help her to learn. Great gift.

This was the second study Bible I read, and my first formal, word-for-word translation of the original text - as exhilarating as graduating from a tricycle to a two-wheeler! Its study notes opened up new worlds to me: They talk about what various passages mean to the reader, of course, but they also provide extensive historical and geographic references, pertinent cross-references, and explanations of everything from theological phrases to ancient Hebrew idioms. Reading it, I suddenly felt as if I was indeed beginning to learn about the mind of God Himself; I was no longer dabbling in the faith.

Each member of our Bible study group purchased a copy of the Gospel of Luke and are learning so much. We continue to be amazed at the scholarship of Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch in writing the commentary to this Gospel. The other books in this series are equally great, and we can hardly wait until they finish their research of the entire Bible.

This was a great book to use in reaserh for the person in religiuos study. I highly recommend this book.

This is a wonderful guide. I highly recommend it to everyone, students, teachers and ministers. As a general study guide it is invaluable.
Students of theology and those people interested in a more detailed study, would probably like to supplement this with Jerome's Commentary and those of Raymond E. Brown especially the anchor bible series.
This guide includes topical and word studies that are very well done.

Like the other study guides by Scott Hahn, The Gospel of Luke provides enriching insight and background to these sacred writings. These guides are ideal for discussion groups.

This is a great tool for understanding the Gospel of luke. The book starts off with an introduction explaining the inerrancy and the authority of scripture and the proper way of interpreting it. There are many helpful notes, word studies, and essays in this book. One of the essays is on Mary Ark of the covenant,another is on Jesus, the son of Man. The study questions in the back of the book are helpful for understanding and applying Gods word to our life. This whole series has helped me have a better understanding and a greater love for Gods word.

As NT Wright says on page 497, "When exegesis comes out smoothly it shows that we are approaching the text from the right angle; when it comes out awkwardly, with phrases and sentences that do not fit, we should take it as a sign that the chapter is being forced in the wrong direction." For so long, exegetes have assumed Paul to be rather simple-minded, providing an argument then backing that up with some scripture. They have contorted verses, such as 3:23, into a proof-text to "prove that we're all sinners." As true as that may be, 3:23 is one of the most beautiful verses in all of scripture, giving everyone hope, for everyone sinned. Wright does an excellent job of show-casing Paul's incredible mind, showing at each step how the argument is wonderfully woven with both what has gone before and what is coming in mind. To get a handle on Wright's theology, this is a wonderful place to start, if one can shell out the $50. There's a reason there's not too many cheap used ones; those who've purchased them are not going to let them go, especially not for cheap. A MUST BUY, even if you disagree with him.

Published at least a year later than originally announced, this volume completes the 12-volume New Interpreter's Bible Commentary (Volume 1, Genesis-Leviticus, having been published in 1994). I've really come to enjoy and rely on the broad and balanced scholarship represented in this series (although I have to admit I haven't read any of the volumes from cover to cover). Volume X has the text and commentary for The Acts of the Apostles, Romans, and 1 Corinthians, plus an excellent "Introduction to Epistolary Literature" by Robert W. Wall.

Although the volumes are large and you'll need to dedicate 28 inches of shelf space if you intend to acquire the entire series (and you should), you'll appreciate the large, easy-to-read typeface and the inclusion of two English translations of every passage of the Bible (NRSV and NIV for the 66 books used by both Protestants and Roman Catholics; NRSV and NAB for the Deuterocanonical Books read primarily by Catholics). Besides verse-by-verse commentary, each book has a general introduction, "Overviews" to large sections within the books, and periodic "Reflections" (intended, I presume, to help kick-start many a pastor's sermon preparation). In addition, there are occasional Excursuses on a variety of fascinating topics (although there are none in Volume X, there are 4 in Volume VIII on the Gospel of Matthew). On the off chance that these commentaries won't answer every question you may have, the detailed footnotes and thorough bibliographies will direct you to all the right sources.

My only gripe is that the series does not cover ALL the books of the Apocrypha as represented in the NRSV translation. There is nothing, for instance, on 1 and 2 Esdras or 3 and 4 Maccabees. My copy of Volume X came with an announcement that in Spring 2003, Abingdon Press would be coming out with the New Interpreter's Study Bible. I plan to pre-order it as soon as I can. My only hope is that this Bible will include the Apocryphal books they neglected in the Commentary. The announcment also stated that an index volume would be issued in Fall 2003. Can a CD-ROM be far behind?

Review: 4 of 5; good work, worth a look.

Now for the comments on the topic:

Let me suggest to the reader that they do their own investigation into NT Wright before they simply assume someone else's view is correct. NT Wright certainly has some different interpretations of Romans and Paul, but a couple of points need to be made.

First, have you that have criticized him actually read his work? And that is, not parts of a couple of books and some reviews online, but have you read and studied his work? This common courtesy should be offered to any author.

Second, The comment is made that Wright's views depart from those of the Reformers: from Luther, Calvin, etc.. Let us not forget that these are merely Christian scholars too. We must compare an authors work against scripture and not be so taken with a particular theological camp that we are in danger of lifting tradition higher than it ought to be. That was what the reformers themselves were concerned about and fighting against: bringing back to scripture the significance that was being placed on tradition. Sola Scriptura was the cry and it should be the cry still today.

Concerning Wright's view of Paul, and while I am not completely sold on it yet, it seems plain after having read his work (and spoken with him) that he does not tear down that which was established at the Reformation, but he builds upon it. Through all of this he appeals with passion and sincerity to scripture, therefore, let your criticism be born of scripture also.
The above review reads almost verbatim the numerous criticisms online from Reformed pastors and theologians. Of all those criticisms that I have read (and I have read over a dozen conservatively) some make some valid points but most if not all of them discredit themselves with ignorant, or defensive or simply unwarranted accusations.

Concerning justification (this is a major simplification), it should be clear from the vocabulary what the word justification means. When justice is served, then someone has been found guilty or not guilty of something. When someone is justified they are declared righteous (the verdict is declared). They are not righteous because they are declared righteous. They are declared righteous (justified) when/because they have been found to BE righteous. A defendant is not declared innocent (or justified in his actions or lack thereof) because someone declared him so, but someone declared him so because the evidence demonstrated he was innocent. We are to be judged; Christ speaks the evidence on our behalf; due to the righteousness of Christ awarded us because of our faith in Jesus, God (or the judge) declares us innocent! With God, justice must be served -- He must make a decision one way or the other -- will He declared us unjust or just? Are we "unjustified" or are we "justified"? Because of Jesus and our faith in Him we are declared at JUSTIFIED! And the gavel slams down!

Bottom line is that you are not justified by faith because you believe in justification by faith. You are justified (declared just) because of the righteousness (the condition) that you received in faith in Christ. From the other side, if you 1)did not have faith in Christ, you would 2)not receive Christ's righteousness, therefore you would 3)not be declared just (or be "justified") by God.

There is a great deal more to this and I certainly do not claim to speak for Wright. I am simply suggesting that you investigate for yourself. There are plenty of resources available. And for goodness' sake, don't agree or disagree with something because it agrees with or does not agree with the Reformation. The Reformers would not. Sola Scriptura!

The New Interpreter's Bible is a twelve-volume series, updating the popular Interpreter's Bible from a few decades ago. There are several key features common to all of the volumes of this series. First, each includes a two-column, double translation of the Biblical text (NIV - New International Version, and NRSV - New Revised Standard Version) arranged by topical unit or story. Then, they provide commentaries that look at the passages as a whole, as well as verse-by-verse. Third, interesting Reflection pieces that relate the passages to each other, to history, and to current concerns occur at the conclusion of each passage. Fourth, introductory articles for each book are provided that discuss transmission, historical background, cultural setting, literary concerns, and current scholarship. Finally, there are general articles about the Bible, each Testament, and various types of literature (Narrative, Gospel, Wisdom Literature, etc.) are provided to give general placement and knowledge about the text overall.

The list of contributors, editors, and consultants on the project is a veritable Who's Who of biblical and theological scholarship, representing all major traditions and schools of thought liberal and conservative. Leander Keck, of the Yale Divinity School, is the primary editor of the series.

The volumes were published individually, and can be purchased individually, which is a good thing, given that they are a bit expensive. But for any serious biblical scholar, preacher, student, or enthusiast, they are invaluable.

--Volume X--

The tenth volume of the New Interpreter's Bible continues the New Testament, containing the books of Acts, Romans and First Corinthians, including an introductory essay on Epistolary Literature (i.e., letters). This was the final volume to be published. The series is now complete.

Robert Wall of Seattle Pacific University provides both the commentary on Acts as well as the essay on Epistolary Literature. The introductory article on Acts includes maps and drawings of archaeological sites, and looks at Acts from the standpoint of composition and conversation. Thus, Acts can serve as a story, as theology, or as historical framework.

In the essay on Epistolary Literature, Wall looks at both the Pauline collection and the letters attributed to other apostles. He examines the issues of dating and sequencing, the controversies over authorship on some letters, and the literary issues and features of letters versus other types of literature.

N. Thomas Wright, theologian of the Church of England, examines the Letter to the Romans. Looking at the structures and the themes of Romans, Wright argues against the idea of pulling out a few verses here and there as representative of the whole. `One might as well try to get the feel of a Beethoven symphony by humming over half a dozen bars from different movements.'

J. Paul Sampley of Boston University looks at First Corinthians. Sampley explores the city of Corinth, the church in the community there, Paul's relationship with the Corinthians, particular themes that appear in the letter as representative of early Christianity.

High praise goes to the general editorial staff for working with such strong authors/scholars, that their work fits together well as part of this set while retaining the individual characteristics (much like the writers of the Bible itself!).

--Other volumes available--

The following is a list of each volume in this twelve-volume set, and the contents of each.

Volume I: General Articles on the Bible; General Articles on the Old Testament; Genesis; Exodus; Leviticus

Volume II: Numbers; Deuteronomy; Introduction to Narrative Literature; Joshua; Judges; Ruth; I & II Samuel

Volume III: I & II Kings; I & II Chronicles; Ezra, Nehemiah; Esther; Additions to Esther; Tobit; Judith

Volume IV: I & II Maccabees; Introduction to Hebrew Poetry; Job; Psalms

Volume V: Introduction to Wisdom Literature; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes; Song of Songs; Book of Wisdom; Sirach

Volume VI: Introduction to Prophetic Literature; Isaiah; Jeremiah; Baruch; Letter of Jeremiah; Lamentations; Ezekiel

Volume VII: Introduction to Apocalyptic Literature; Daniel; Additions to Daniel; Hosea; Joel; Amos; Obadiah; Johan; Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah; Haggai; Zechariah; Malachi

Volume VIII: General Articles on the New Testament; Matthew; Mark

Volume IX: Luke; John

Volume X: Acts; Introduction to Epistolary Literature; Romans, I Corinthians

Volume XI: II Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; I & II Thessalonians; I & II Timothy; Titus; Philemon

Volume XII: Hebrews; James; I & II Peter; I, II & III John; Jude; Revelation

`The New Interpreter's Bible' is a 10-volume commentary on the Christian Bible, including the books of the Apocrypha. This review concentrates on Volume X, particularly on the commentary on Paul's letter to the Romans, easily one of most important books of the New Testament. The 375-page commentary on Romans in this volume is longer than many standalone `Romans' commentaries.

I am especially happy that it is possible to buy individual volumes from this set, as I suspect there are many potential readers who may be interested only in the Old Testament or only in the Gospels or, like me at the moment, only in the commentary on Romans.

While the set is edited and published by Methodist organizations, I am certain that the work as a whole is not colored by those things which distinguish Methodist theology from, for example, Lutheran, Baptist or Episcopal thought. I do, however, sense a stronger influence of Protestant over Catholic points of view. The `Romans' commentary is written by N. T. Wright, who wears the hats for both preacher and theologian for Westminster Abby, the ultimate center of The Church of England and, by extension, the godfather center for the Episcopal Church in America.

My understanding of this work as a whole is that professional Biblical scholars for a professional, but not scholarly audience who wishes to interpret the Bible for others write it. Thus, the audience is primarily pastors, Sunday school class teachers, and Bible Study group participants. This last may be something of a stretch, as my experience with many Bible Study participants is that they are quite happy to stay with an unassisted reading of the scriptures. And, as I have spend the last several months exploring some of the more arcane corners of Pauline scholarship, I confess this is quite a good choice for many readers. The problem is that Paul's letters are DIFFICULT reading, at least as difficult as, for example, Plato's `Republic', and may be even more difficult than the more obscure `Timaeus'. This is due to the fact that while Paul's thinking is deep, his rhetorical skills may be a bit unpolished. I have read that his texts show far less erudition in technique than his Alexandrine Jewish contemporary, Philo, in spite of the fact that both write in the same Hellenistic Greek.

Wright, just like many other recent popular writers on Paul, stress that it is important to understand Paul's overall argument before trying to pry lessons for life out of the kind of sound bite we get from the readings during our Sunday morning service. The organization of the `Interpreter's Bible' is eminently suited for those who want to see the forest and not just the trees. Each Book has a longish general introduction, followed by a Bibliography of major works on the subject. Reading the Bibliography on `Romans' is revealing in that it is limited to works that have been published in the last quarter of the 20th century. From that period, I believe Wright has pointed us to the cream of the crop, especially with his references to books by C. E. B. Cranfield, James Dunn, Ernst Kasemann, E. P. Sanders, and Wright himself. One small problem with this is that it leaves out almost 1600 years of commentary from everyone between St. Augustine to John Barth and Albert Schweitzer, most especially glossing over Martin Luther and John Calvin. But Luther's point of view is eminently represented by the `Commentary on Romans' from Ernst Kasemann.

The next item is a very detailed outline of the subjects and the argument(s) in the letter. It is important that Wright's outline is not universally accepted. Kasemann has a different outline that several other writers, including F. F. Bruce in his exegesis on Paul's Epistle to the Romans have adapted. Fortunately, there are not huge differences between the two, so I feel comfortable following Wright's outline. And, in the course of my guiding the study of `Romans' for a Bible study class, I have found the outline illuminating.

The main body of the commentary uses this outline to break up the discussion into four great sections (I through IV), with each major section being broken up into three (3) to eleven (11) sub-sections (A through K), which may or may not be broken into further subdivisions. Each major section begins with its own overview and ends with `Reflections' which are personal observations on the relevance of the section to Christian belief. All general sections are far more useful for the illumination of faith than for the comparative study of theologies.

Between these two bookends is the text of the scripture from both the NIV and theNRSV translations, followed by a verse by verse commentary on both the translation(s) and Paul's meaning within the context of his arguments. The commentary is liberally laced with references to both Old Testament texts explicitly and implicitly cited by Paul and New Testament texts from both Paul's other letters and the Gospels.

It is with the scriptural references where I start to find some problems. First, misprints or author errors I believe, corrupt a small number of the references. Fortunately, there are very few of these, and they are not too important. Other problems are with relevance. I am hard pressed to see the relevance of a minority of the citations. This brings us to my biggest problem with Wright's commentary, where he frames the new covenant, living in the body of Christ who dies in the law and rises to replace the law as a reference to a `new Exodus'. Not only do I not see allusions to this in `Romans', but I see a distinctly different Paul where Christians move from a slavery to the flesh to a slavery to the Spirit of Christ. This is part of Luther's using Paul as the foundation for his predestination theology.

Paul may not have been a `Lutheran', but he does offer more support to Luther's important arguments than the Wright lets on.

We're using this along with a Bible Study program and a chronological study of history. It links the two beautifully, explaining the questions my child is asking. The pictures are wonderful.

We are using this for our homeschool(5th grade) and we are loving it! Very useful and FULL of information. You can walk right through the Bible with this, hitting all the major points of scripture. Nice colorful pages make it easy to keep our 10 year old's interest! (mine too!)

Journey through the Bible is a book our family has used for education, art, and leisure reading. The book has been a great resource for factual Bible information as well providing back-drop for biblical stories and settings. Main Biblical stories are lifted out and highlighted in such a way that much clarity is shed on Biblical truth. For instance The plagues are condensed and reference to which Egyptian God is being attacked by each plague. The book stands alone as a great reference but also works well with other educational literature. The pictures provide aid in understanding background culture and setting i.e showing what a zigguret could have looked like with several differnt examples. The information is fresh, clear and concise. Heartily recommended!

This book is amazing. It has so many pictures and other information pertaining to the Bible. My children love it.