DESCRIPTION
This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable.This informative, clearly written book introduces the New Testament in two main ways: (1) it explains where the New Testament came from, and (2) it examines the New Testament writings themselves.
Ben Witherington first tells how and why the New Testament documents were written and collected and how they came to be known as the New Testament that we have today. He then discusses the main stories and major figures in the New Testament. Witherington looks particularly at the Gospels, examining how and why their stories differ and pointing out what these ancient biographies actually say about Jesus. He also surveys the ways that these stories were told and retold, explaining how this literary development has influenced Christian theology, ethics, and social thought.
At once scholarly and accessible — it really is written in plain English — Witherington's guide to the origins and message of the New Testament is eminently suitable as a text for college and seminary students. With each chapter followed by a section called "Exercises and Questions for Study and Reflection,"
The New Testament Story will also prove valuable to individual readers and ideal for church classes and group Bible studies.
REVIEWS
Publishers Weekly
"The depth and big-picture perspective of Witherington's work will succeed in bringing serious Bible students a fresh appreciation for the New Testament story."
Darrell L. Bock
"The New Testament is a collection of a wide variety of stories. Ben Witherington is a sure guide through this library of stories and how they were collected. His book is a fresh take on introducing the New Testament. It comes highly recommended for its treatment of the wealth of testimony to the story."
Craig S. Keener
"Synthesizing much of his earlier work in a very readable way, Ben Witherington traces the development of New Testament stories into our New Testament books and canon. Along the way he rightly challenges time-worn schemes of an evolution from lower to higher Christology and also retells stories of New Testament individuals without losing the distinctives of the various New Testament sources where we find them."
James C. Howell
"What a valuable book for the beginner eager to probe the New Testament more deeply! Ben Witherington has packaged his enormous learning in clear, understandable, accessible ways. With its excellent illustrations and charts, The New Testament Story will be an open window into the world of stories found in the Bible."