A Survey of the New Testament

Book excerpt: A definitive guide to the New Testament of the Bible—providing both the broader historical and cultural context as well as a passage-level commentary for each book. Many students of the Bible launch into their studies without a prior systematic reading of the New Testament. This survey is unique in the way it assists a close and complete reading, without bogging down in extensive introductions and over-academic material. Instead, A Survey of the New Testament converses with each passage in the form of brief commentary, while enabling you to see how background material—such as intertestamental history, Judaism, and other historical matters—helps interpret the text. By tracing the flow of thought from passage to passage, you'll gain a sense of the natural progression of the narrative and logic in the New Testament. This fifth edition of Robert Gundry's classic, widely-used textbook includes updates and revisions throughout and a fresh, full-color design, including: More photos and updated/improved maps. Links to relevant websites for further study. Outlines, study goals, summaries, and review questions for each chapter. Phonetic pronunciations for unfamiliar names and terms. Breakouts with illustrative quotes from ancient, nonbiblical literature. Updated bibliographies.