Understanding Scripture – an Overview

Several weeks ago, I reviewed a new work published by Zondervan, How to Read the Bible Through the Jesus Lens. It was touted as “A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture”. Because it was Zondervan, it garnered some very fine blurbs by some big names. For example, “This is the sort of book I’d love to have in the hands of every member of my church!” (Justin Taylor) and “Michael Williams has written a book that is badly needed: a survey of all the books of the Bible that shows how they work together to point toward Jesus Christ ... accessible to almost any reader.” (Douglas Moo). That was all marketing fluff. I didn’t like the format of that book.

Understanding Scripture: An Overview of the Bible’s Origin, Reliability, and Meaning

But this is the book those things really need to be said about: “This is the sort of book I’d love to have in the hands of every member of my church!” and “This is a book that is badly needed: a survey of the history and reliability of all of Scripture …  ‘an Overview of the Bible’s Origin, Reliability and Meaning’ … accessible to almost any reader.”

For an overview of the work, I’ll refer you to some of the glowing (and thorough!) reviews it has received at Amazon.com. Meanwhile, a look at the Table of Contents will give you an idea of what the book is all about.

Part 1: Interpreting the Bible

                1. Interpreting the Bible: An Introduction, Daniel Doriani

                2. Interpreting the Bible: A Historical Overview, John Hannah

Part 2: Reading the Bible

                3. Reading the Bible Theologically, J. I. Packer

                4. Reading the Bible as Literature, Leland Ryken

                5. Reading the Bible in Prayer and Communion with God, John Piper

                6. Reading the Bible for Personal Application, David Powlison

                7. Reading the Bible for Preaching and Public Worship, R. Kent Hughes

Part 3: The Canon of Scripture

                8. The Canon of the Old Testament, Roger T. Beckwith

                9.The Canon of the New Testament, Charles E. Hill

                10. The Apocrypha, Roger T. Beckwith

Part 4: The Reliability of Bible Manuscripts

                11. The Reliability of the Old Testament Manuscripts, Paul D. Wegner

                12. The Reliability of the New Testament Manuscripts, Daniel B. Wallace

Part 5: Archaeology and the Bible

                13. Archaeology and the Reliability of the Old Testament, John Currid

                14. Archaeology and the Reliability of the New Testament, David W. Chapman

Part 6: The Original Languages of the Bible

                15. Hebrew and Aramaic, and How They Work, Peter J. Williams

                16. Greek, and How It Works, David Alan Black

                17. The Septuagint, Peter J. Gentry

Part 7: Old Testament and New

                18. A Survey of the History of Salvation, Vern S. Poythress

                19. How the New Testament Quotes and Interprets the Old Testament, C. John Collins

As a former Roman Catholic, I’ve worked hard to understand what Scriptures are all about. This is a work that I’d highly recommend as a very thorough introduction to the issues that are facing Biblical scholars today.