Today many Christians know the basic elements of this story and enjoy an intimate, deeply personal love for numerous passages of the New Testament. However, few understand the breadth of this story, much less how to interpret each book. Many gravitate to familiar texts but don’t feel confident interpreting other more difficult chapters. The aims of this book are simple: to assist students to become alert, capable readers of the New Testament—to guide them through its many books, giving not only essential background information but also a digest of the New Testament’s most important teachings. Readers will grow in knowledge of the Scriptures by understanding not only their own interpretative contexts, but also the original context of the New Testament. The context of antiquity should control how we understand the New Testament today. Learn More

To Christian believers, the Gospels record the “greatest story ever told,” the events of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah. They narrate the climax and turning point in human history, when God acted decisively to achieve salvation for people everywhere. To study the Gospels is to study the foundation of Christianity. Even to those who do not follow Jesus as their Lord, the Gospels serve as the primary source documents for the most influential life ever lived. Jesus of Nazareth has been the topic of more books, movies, discussions and debates than any person in history. But who was this man Jesus, and how did his movement begin? In this textbook we will examine the nature and content of the four Gospels, the primary source documents for the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. Where did these books come from? What was their purpose? What can they tell us about Jesus? These are the questions we will seek to answer. Learn More