The New Testament Story

by Ben Witherington III

This informative, clearly written book introduces the New Testament in two main (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.

Genres: Theology, New Testament

293 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2004

About the author

Ben Witherington III (PhD, University of Durham) is Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, and is on the doctoral faculty at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He is the author or coauthor of more than thirty books, including The Jesus Quest, The Paul Quest, and The New York Times bestseller The Brother of Jesus. He has appeared on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, and CNN.

Reviews

[Kylie Di Mauro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good look at the New Testament through a historical lens. Helped me understand the different viewpoints of the gospels and the authors of the other books and how and why there were selected and included in the New Testament.

[Jan Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid introduction to New Testament. Not special, not bad.