Introduction to the New Testament

by Everett F. Harrison

Overview

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable.

The general purpose of this book is to provide a broad understanding of the background and message of the New Testament. It opens with chapters on the time between the Old and New Testaments, giving information on history, institutions, and literature, and goes on to discuss the language of the New Testament, the text and its transmission, the canon, and the individual books of the New Testament.

For each of the New Testament books Everett Harrison provides a helpful outline and introduces the reader to a greater understanding of the text by a discussion of such matters as purpose, background, date, authorship, characteristics or principal concepts, taking into full account the most significant findings and interpretations of recent scholars. He also provides general essays on the Gospels and on the Epistles and special bibliographies for each chapter.

Fully revised and enlarged by the author, and including an updated bibliography and index, this basic and comprehensive introduction is a valuable aid to the study of the Scriptures, both in school and in church.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802847867
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	12/19/1971
Edition description:	REVISED
Pages:	524
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.17(d)

Table of Contents

	Preface	v
	List of Abbreviations	xiv
Part I	The Background
1	The Background	3
	The History	4
	The Institutions	18
	The Literature	31
Part II	The Language of the New Testament
2	The Language of the New Testament	49
	The Rise of the Koine	50
	Sources for the Koine	53
	Some Characteristics of the Koine	55
	The New Testament Writers	56
	The Influence of the Septuagint	56
	Quotations from the Old Testament in the New	57
	Bibliography	58
Part III	The Textual Criticism of the New Testament
3	The Textual Criticism of the New Testament	63
	The Materials	63
	The History of the Study of the Text of the New Testament	70
	The Practice of Textual Criticism	84
Part IV	The Canon
4	The Canon	97
	History of the Canon	98
	Principles Governing Canonicity	109
	New Testament Apocrypha	121
	Agrapha	130
Part V	The Literature of the New Testament
5	The Gospels	137
	The Word "Gospel"	138
	The Multiplication of Gospels	138
	The Value of the Gospel Records	139
	The Gospel Pattern	141
	The Order of the Gospels	142
	The Synoptic Problem	142
	Form Criticism	154
	Redaction Criticism	161
	Aramaic Origins	163
6	The Gospel According to Matthew	167
	Original Form	167
	Contents	170
	Characteristics	170
	Purpose	173
	Background	174
	Date	175
	Authorship	176
	Recent Study	178
7	The Gospel According to Mark	181
	Recognition by the Early Church	181
	Authorship	184
	Purpose	185
	Date	186
	Contents	187
	Characteristics	187
	Recent Study	190
8	The Gospel According to Luke	194
	Authorship	195
	The Prologue	200
	Readers	201
	Date and Place of Writing	202
	Accuracy of the Record	203
	Contents	204
	Characteristics	204
	Recent Study	207
9	The Gospel According to John	211
	Contents	211
	Characteristics	212
	Date	215
	Place of Writing	217
	Authorship	218
	Purpose and Readers	225
	Principal Concepts	226
	Special Study	228
10	The Book of Acts	235
	Contents	235
	Authorship	236
	Purpose	238
	Date	239
	Characteristics	241
	Sources	242
	Historical Value of the Book	242
	Recent Study	244
11	Introduction to the Epistles	253
	The Form of the Letters	255
	Epistle or Letter?	256
	The New Testament Letters and the Christian Didache	258
	Classification of the Epistles	259
12	The Thessalonian Epistles	260
	Establishment of the Church	260
	First Thessalonians	262
	Background	262
	Authenticity	263
	Outline of Contents	264
	Date	264
	Second Thessalonians	265
	Authenticity	265
	Background	266
	Outline of Contents	267
	Relationship to the First Epistle	267
	Date	268
13	The Epistle to the Galatians	270
	Authenticity	270
	Background	270
	Destination	272
	Date and Place of Writing	274
	Outline of Contents	279
	Characteristics	279
14	The Corinthian Correspondence	282
	The City of Corinth	282
	Founding of the Church	283
	Paul's Relations with the Church	283
	First Corinthians	287
	Authenticity	287
	Outline of Contents	288
	The Divisions in the Church	289
	Characteristics	290
	Date and Place of Writing	291
	Second Corinthians	291
	Authenticity	291
	Readers	291
	Outline of Contents	291
	Characteristics	293
	Date and Place of Writing	294
	Recent Study	294
15	The Epistle to the Romans	299
	The City of Rome	299
	Founding of the Church	300
	The Composition of the Church	302
	Authenticity	303
	Date and Place of Writing	304
	Purpose	304
	Characteristics	305
	Outline of Contents	307
	Integrity	307
	Theological Thought	311
16	The Prison Epistles	314
	Time and Place	315
	Date of the Prison Epistles	321
	Colossians	322
	City and Church	322
	Background	323
	Outline of Contents	323
	The Nature of the False Teaching	324
	Relationship to Ephesians	326
	Authenticity	326
	Philemon	328
	Background	328
	Value	329
	Recent Study	329
	Ephesians	331
	Readers	331
	Authenticity	332
	Goodspeed's Theory	337
	Outline of Contents	339
	Characteristics	339
	Philippians	340
	Background	340
	Authenticity	341
	Occasion and Purpose	341
	Characteristics	342
	Recent Study	343
17	The Pastoral Epistles	347
	Outline of Contents	347
	Background	348
	The Nature of the False Teaching	349
	Authenticity	351
	Date and Place of Writing	364
	Recent Study	364
18	The Epistle to the Hebrews	367
	Recognition by the Early Church	367
	Form	368
	Outline of Contents	369
	Characteristics	369
	Readers	370
	Authorship	374
	Date	380
19	The Epistle of James	382
	Recognition by the Early Church	382
	Outline of Contents	383
	Characteristics	383
	Readers	384
	Authorship	386
	Alternative Views on Authorship	389
	Date	391
	Place of Writing	392
	Value	393
20	The First Epistle of Peter	394
	Recognition by the Early Church	394
	Outline of Contents	395
	Theological Thought	397
	Form and Unity	398
	Readers	401
	Authorship	403
	Date and Place of Writing	407
21	The Second Epistle of Peter	411
	Recognition by the Early Church	411
	Outline of Contents	415
	Authorship	416
	Date	426
	Readers	426
	Recent Study	427
22	The Epistle of Jude	429
	Recognition by the Early Church	429
	Outline of Contents	431
	Characteristics	432
	Authorship	433
	Date	434
	Readers	436
	Value	437
23	The Epistles of John	438
	First John	438
	Recognition by the Early Church	438
	Background and Purpose	439
	Form and Outline of Contents	441
	Characteristics	441
	Relation to the Gospel According to John	443
	Authorship	445
	Unity	446
	Readers	447
	Date	448
	Second and Third John	449
	Recognition by the Early Church	449
	Outline of Contents	450
	Background and Purpose	450
	Authorship	451
	Readers	452
	Date	453
24	The Book of Revelation	454
	Recognition by the Early Church	454
	Form and Outline of Contents	458
	Characteristics	460
	Interpretation	462
	Theological Thought	465
	Authorship	467
	Unity	472
	Background and Date	472
	Readers	475
	Purpose	475
	Value	475
	Selected Bibliography on New Testament Introduction	477
	Indexes	479

Editorial Reviews

Andrew J. Bandstra
—Calvin Theological Seminary
"Excels in lucidity: the style is both lively and clear, and technical terms are explained. . . . Valuable not only for the beginning theological student — for whom it is especially intended — but also for a wide range of Christians who are interested in the problems of interpreting the New Testament."

Christianity Today
"In spirit and competence this study reflects the best in the conservative tradition. . . . Admirably arranged as a text or reference work. . . . The arguments are presented with clarity and logic."

The Hartford Quarterly
"An eminently clear and comprehensive introduction to the New Testament that avoids turbidity and actually is interesting. The problems traditionally associated with the New Testament documents are thoroughly discussed and admirably summarized, so that the student is made aware of the complexity of certain questions but does not become lost in detail."

From the Publisher