Interpreting The New Testament

With the explosive increase in availability of English Bible translations, the question can easily be asked, "Why bother with the hard work of biblical exegesis?" Computers can translate foreign languages and our English texts can take us very close to the original meanings, so why exegete? Answer: because the deepest truths of the Bible are found through the deepest study. This book teaches the principles, methods, and fundamentals of exegeting the New Testament. It also has examples of textual exegesis that clearly and helpfully show the value of exegeting a text well. Any serious student of Scripture would benefit from utilizing this book in the study of the Bible.

A succinct and accessible text for teaching students how to interpret the New Testament This new textbook effectively introduces students to the art and craft of biblical interpretation. New Testament scholars Sherri Brown and Francis Moloney begin by orienting students to the world of the Bible, exploring contemporary methods for interpreting the biblical literature, and showing how the Old Testament is foundational to the formation of the New Testament. The book proceeds to lead readers through the books of the New Testament by genre: * The Narratives: Gospels and Acts * Paul and His Letters * Hebrews and the Catholic Epistles * Apocalyptic Literature and the Book of Revelation Unlike book-by-book introductory textbooks that tend to overshadow the primary biblical text with lots of detailed information, Brown and Moloney’s Interpreting the New Testament actually facilitates the study of the New Testament itself. Their concluding chapter reflects on the challenge of the New Testament to our present world.

A guide to essential aspects of Old Testament exegesis.

"This is not an ordinary 'Introduction' but a manual for exegetical work written for the serious student of the New Testament. Rather than suggesting some easily accessible generalities, the book challenges the readers to apply themselves to the texts, and it will guide such efforts step by step as it leads the readers through the methodological rigors of scholarship. In scholarly method it represents the very best that has been developed primarily in the work of German biblical interpretation over the last hundred years. But it is not theory of exegesis that is taught; it is applied exegesis, exegetical praxis. Those who will follow the advice which this book gives will be richly rewarded as they become more conversant with the living voice of the gospel that is enshrined in the words, phrases, and sentences of Scripture." " Helmut Koester, Harvard University, The Divinity School "This unique and comprehensive handbook will be a boon to any serious student of the New Testament. The authors are expert guides to the current state of research as well as to the tasks and methods of exegesis." " Victor Paul Furnish, Southern Methodist University

Both the Bible and the Constitution have the status of “Great Code,” but each of these important texts is controversial as well as enigmatic. They are asked to speak to situations that their authors could not have anticipated on their own. In this book, one of our greatest religious historians brings his vast knowledge of the history of biblical interpretation to bear on the question of constitutional interpretation. Jaroslav Pelikan compares the methods by which the official interpreters of the Bible and the Constitution—the Christian Church and the Supreme Court, respectively—have approached the necessity of interpreting, and reinterpreting, their important texts. In spite of obvious differences, both texts require close, word-by-word exegesis, an awareness of opinions that have gone before, and a willingness to ask new questions of old codes, Pelikan observes. He probes for answers to the question of what makes something authentically “constitutional” or “biblical,” and he demonstrates how an understanding of either biblical interpretation or constitutional interpretation can illuminate the other in important ways.

"This is not an ordinary 'Introduction' but a manual for exegetical work written for the serious student of the New Testament. Rather than suggesting some easily accessible generalities, the book challenges the readers to apply themselves to the texts, and it will guide such efforts step by step as it leads the readers through the methodological rigors of scholarship. In scholarly method it represents the very best that has been developed primarily in the work of German biblical interpretation over the last hundred years. But it is not theory of exegesis that is taught; it is applied exegesis, exegetical praxis. Those who will follow the advice which this book gives will be richly rewarded as they become more conversant with the living voice of the gospel that is enshrined in the words, phrases, and sentences of Scripture." -Helmut Koester, Harvard University, The Divinity School "This unique and comprehensive handbook will be a boon to any serious student of the New Testament. The authors are expert guides to the current state of research as well as to the tasks and methods of exegesis." -Victor Paul Furnish, Southern Methodist University