So you think you know the New Testament?

Did you know that Jesus made puns? Did you know that Paul never calls himself or the churches he writes to “Christian?” Did you know that we don’t know who wrote the Letter to the Hebrews, or if it’s even really a letter?

James F. McGrath sheds light on these and many other surprising realities of Scripture in The A to Z of the New Testament. Cutting through common myths and misunderstandings of problematic bible passages, James F. McGrath opens up expert knowledge to laypeople in his friendly introduction to New Testament studies. Each chapter in this fresh, accessible volume begins with a provocative anecdote or fact and then pulls back the curtain to inform curious readers about how scholars approach the issue. Along the way, McGrath explains unfamiliar terminology and methodology to nonspecialists with humor and clarity.

You’ve graduated from Sunday School. Ask the hard questions. Take Scripture on its own terms. Invigorate your Bible study with The A to Z of the New Testament as your guide.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The ABCs of New Testament Study 
Born In A Barn?!  
Camels, Critters, and Calculations 
Dead Men Walking 
Eat Whatever is Set Before You 
Fulfilling or Failing: Would Matthew Get an “F” in Biblical Interpretation?  
Greasy Jesus?  
Hate Your Enemies 
Intent, Interpretation, and Intertextuality 
Joking Aside 
Keep On Keeping the Commandments 
Language, Please (What the…Hell?)  
Mud In Your Eye 
Naked Truth: Jesus Didn’t Wear Pants 
Only One God: The First Christians Were Monotheists 
Plagiarism in the Gospels?  
Quotation Marks Required 
Revelations is NOT in the Bible 
Scribes and Secretaries: Who wrote the Letters of Paul?  
Telephone Game?  
Unmentionables: “Christians” and Other Things Paul Doesn't Mention 
Variations and Variants 
Women With Authority 
X Marks the Spot: How Do We Know the Shape of the Cross?  
Y Chromosome?  
Zacchaeus, Zebedee, Zechariah 
(Conclusion)  
Acknowledgements