Contents
Maps
Abbreviations
1. What is the New Testament?
1.1. The Literary Angle
1.2. The Historical Angle
1.3. The New Testament as the Church's Scripture
2. The World of the New Testament
2.1. Tye Many worlds of the New Testament
2.2. Environmntal Conditions
2.3. Institutional Contexts
2.4. Conclusion
3. The Nature of the Gospels
3.1. Jesus and the Gospels: Milestones
3.2. What is a "Gospel"?
3.3. The Gospel Tradition
3.4. Literary forms in the Gospels
3.5. Reading New Testament Narratives
3.6. Epilogue: The Gospls and Acts as Scrpture
4. The Gospel according to Matthew
4.1. The Plan of the Gospel of Matthew
4.2. The narrative of Matthew
4.3. The Gospel of Matthew, the Jesus, and the Church
5. The Gospel according to Mark
5.1 Narrating the Story of Jesus
5.2. Jesus, the Disciples, and the authorities in Mark
5.3. Mark's dramatic narrative
5.4 The setting and purpose of Mark's Gospel
6. The Gospel according to Luke
6.1. The character of Luke's Gospel (and Acts)
6.2. The Unity o Luke-Acts
6.3 The Narrative of the Gospel of Luke
6.4 He has lifted up the lowly
7. The Gospel according to John
7.1 In the Beginning
7.2. Jesus, conflict, and confession
7.3. John's narrative
7.4. John and the other Gospels
7.5. The Setting and purpose of the Gospel
8. Jesus of Nazareth
8.1. The Quest of the Historical Jesus
8.2. The Beginning of Jesus' publuc ministry
8.3. The Kingdom of God
8.4. The Miracles of Jesus
8.5. Jesus and the Messianic Task
8.6. The Death of Jesus
8.7 The Resurrection of Jesus
9. The Acts of the Apostles
9.1. Acts and the New Testament Canon
9.2. The Book of Acts as "History"
9.3. The Narrative Progression of the Mission in Acts
9.4. The speeches in Acts
9.5. The purpose of Acts
9.6. The Authorship of Acts
10. Letters in the New Testament
10.1 Writing materials and delivery of Letters
10.2. Development and purpose of Letters
10.3. Aramaic Letters
10.4. Hellenistic Letters
10.5. Letters in the New Testament
11. Paul and His World
11.1. The World
11.2. The Life of Paul
11.3. Paul's intellectual World
12. Paul's Letter to the Christians in Rome
12.1 The Purpose of the Letter
12.2. Where the Letter was written
12.3. The Letter's author and integrity
12.4. The theme of the Letter
12.5. The Content of the letter
13. Paul and Christian in Corinth
13.1. Corinth as Paul knew it
13.2. The Corinthian correspondence
13.3. 1 Corinthians
13.4. 2 Corinthians
14. The Letter to Galatians
14.1. The Leter
14.2. Some problems
15. The Letter to the Ephesians
15.1. Some questions
15.2. Content
16. paul and the Christians in Philippi
16.1. The Letter
16.2. Some questions
17. Paul and christians at Colossae: Colossians and Philemon
17.1. Colossians
17.2. Philemon
18. Paul's Letters to the Thessalonian Christian
18.1. 1 Thessalonians
18.2. 2 Thessalonians
19. 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus
19.1. 1 Timothy
19.2 2 Timothy
19.3. Titus
19.4. Some questions
20. Hebrews
20.1.The Origins of "The Epistle of the Hebrews"
20.2. Use of the old Testament
20.3. "In These last days, He has Spoken to Use through a Son"
20.4. Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of Faith
20.5. The Pilgrim people of God
20.6. "Such a great higth Priest"
21. James
21.1. "James, Servant of God"
21.2. James and Jewish Christianity
21.3. "To the Twelwe tribes in the dispersion"
21.4. The genre of James
21.5. James and Jesus
21.6. Doers of the World
21.7. Hearng and Doing, Faith and Works
21.8. James within the Canon
22. 1 and 2 Peter, Jude
22.1. "Catholic" Epistles?
22.2. 1 Peter
22.3. 2 Peter
22.4. Jude
23. 1,2, and 3 John
23.1. The Setting of the Epistles of John
23.2. The Conflict: Data from the Epistls
23.3. Historical parrallels and the Shape of the False Teaching
23.4. 1John
23.5. 2 John
23.6. 3 John
24. Revelation
24.1. The genre of revelation
24.2. The historical contex of the Book of Revelation
24.3. The Revelation of Jesus Christ
24.4. Summary
25. The Formation of the New Testament Canon
25.1. Internal Forces affecting the shape of the Canon
25.2 External forces affecting in the shape of the Canon
25.3. The growth of the New Testament Canon
25.4. The Process of Canonical Selection
25.5. Criteria of canon Selection
Index of Names and subjects

Introducing the New Testament is an outstanding guide to the writings of the New Testament for readers ranging from Bible students to those approaching the Christian Scriptures for the first time. Written by three leading Bible specialists, this book discusses in a clear and balanced way the New Testament's literature, its message, and the issues raised by a careful reading of its pages. Wonderfully readable and well supplied with maps and photographs, this volume is both an ideal textbook for courses covering the New Testament and a superb introduction for general readers wanting authoritative, straight-forward instruction on the writings of the New Testament.
Unlike other New Testament introductions that are primarily concerned with historical-critical issues or with what scholars have said, this book gets directly to the business of explaining the New Testament's background, content, and theology. The authors do not presume that readers need to be familiar with scholarly debates about the New Testament, nor do they assume those debates have necessarily raised the most important issues. Instead, this book is aimed at putting the message of the Christian Scriptures back within the reach of general readers. Although informed by the current scholarship in the history, traditions, and literature of the New Testament, this book is primarily designed to induct readers of the New Testament into sensitive appreciation and serious awareness of its major figures and concerns.

After explaining the nature of the New Testament and the world in which it was written, the authors thoroughly discuss each of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. The content and essential message of these ancient works are described in simple but dynamic language that reveals why they continue to inspire and challenge readers today. Separate chapters also explore the types of literature found in the New Testament, the life and teachings of Jesus, Paul's life and world, and the formation of the New Testament canon. In addition, numerous sidebars offer a wealth of fascinating and highly relevant background information that helps modern readers more fully grasp biblical themes. No other work on the New Testament is so accessible and enjoyable to use.