“Among available New Testament introductions for theological students this one stands out for meticulously thorough coverage, bibilographical fulllness, attention to canonical issues, juicy pastoral reflections, and lashings of masterful common sense. I recommend it highly, as a leader in its field.” – J. I. Packer, professor of Theology, Regent College

Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary
Brimming with lavish, full-color photos and graphics, the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary walks you verse by verse through all the books of the New Testament. It’s like slipping on a set of glasses that lets you read the Bible through the eyes of a first-century reader! Discoveries await you that will snap the world of the New Testament into gripping immediacy. Things that seem mystifying, puzzling, or obscure will take on tremendous meaning when you view them in their ancient context. You’ll deepen your understanding of the teachings of Jesus. You’ll discover the close, sometimes startling interplay between God’s kingdom and the practical affairs of the church. Best of all, you’ll gain a deepened awareness of the Bible’s relevance for your life.
Winner of the Gold Medallion Award in the Commentary/Reference Works category.

Articles on Bible Reference

1. N. T. Wright, Justification: God’s Plan & Paul’s Vision (IVP, 2009): Wright’s response to John Piper’s The Future of Justification. In his inimitable style from the opening illustration, Wright provides a substantive defense of his view on justification. Howard Marshall says, “This is definitely one of the most exciting and significant books that I have read this year.”

2. John A. D’Ella, A Place at the Table: George Eldon Ladd and the Rehabilitation of Evangelical Scholarship in America (Oxford University Press, 2008): This is definitely one of the most intriguing and thought-provoking books I have read this year. The volume is replete with lessons to be learned from the life of one of the most important American biblical scholars of the past half-decade.

3. G. K. Beale, The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism: Responding to New Challenges to Biblical Authority (Crossway, 2008): Greg Beale has been involved in a sustained interchange with Peter Enns on a proper evangelical understanding of inerrancy in relation to biblical scholarship. Just recently, it was announced that Beale is moving from Wheaton to Westminster. Similar to the Wright-Piper interchange, the Beale-Enns dialogue crystallizes an important issue in evangelical scholarship and is highly instructive for all who care about the future of American evangelicalism.

4. Mark A. Noll, The New Shape of World Christianity: How American Experience Reflects Global Faith (IVP, 2009): I’ll let Lamin Sanneh, director of World Christianity Initiative at Yale Divinity School, sketch the significance of this volume: “The United States has emerged as a crucial frontier of the worldwide Christian awakening, in part because of America’s role as a global power but in large part because of similar experiences rooted in history and civil society. From his own evangelical background, Mark Noll has explored these connections with lucid sensitivity and lively attentiveness, and in so doing has offered a welcome and valuable contribution to the literature on world Christianity and its critical interface with American religious history.”

5. Keith Yandell and Harold Netland, Buddhism: A Christian Exploration and Appraisal (IVP, 2009): Yandell, professor of philosophy of religion and history of modern philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Harold Netland, associate professor of philosophy of religion and intercultural studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and former missionary to Japan, provide a very helpful introduction to Buddhist history and doctrine that will prove invaluable for those evangelicals who want to understand Buddhism.

6. Russell D. Moore, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches (Crossway, 2009): This wonderful new book on adoption by the dean of the School of Theology and senior vice president for academic administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary beautifully blends heart and theology, the biblical storyline and personal life experience. It carries the endorsements of Chuck Colson, Michael Card, Albert Mohler, Marvin Olasky, and John MacArthur.

7. Richard Hays et al., eds., Reading the Bible Intertextually (Baylor University Press, 2009): This may be a bit heavy for summer reading, but this is an important topic, and Hays has done seminal work in this area. The volume collects essays from a conference held in 2004 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Don’t feel like you have to read the entire volume; sample the essays by Steve Moyise and Richard Hays and perhaps one or two others.