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Urban Legends
Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions
Urban Legends of the New Testament surveys forty of the most commonly misinterpreted passages in the New Testament. These “urban legends” often arise because interpreters neglect a passage’s context, misuse historical background information, or misunderstand the Greek language. For each New Testament text, professor David Croteau describes the popular, incorrect interpretation and then carefully interprets the passage within its literary and historical context. Careful attention is given to sound principles of biblical interpretation to guide readers through the process and reach a more accurate understanding of each text’s meaning.
With examples from the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation, Urban Legends of the New Testament will not only help readers avoid missteps in these forty texts but also provide a model for engaging in correct interpretation of other New Testament passages.
With examples from the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation, Urban Legends of the New Testament will not only help readers avoid missteps in these forty texts but also provide a model for engaging in correct interpretation of other New Testament passages.
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2015
61 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
David A. Croteau
10 books1 followerDavid A. Croteau (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of New Testament and associate dean at Columbia Biblical Seminary of Columbia International University.
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July 25, 2015
Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions by David A. Croteau
Rating: 3.5/5
I would like to express my thanks to the B&H Publishing Group for providing me with a review copy of the book and giving me the opportunity to review.
In the 21st century, the Bible is often upheld as a divinely inspired book that is meant to have authority over a Christian's daily life. Of course, Christianity extends far past a simple reading of 'what the Bible says' and includes ever-changing traditions and customs from its two-thousand-year history. Along with providing a great deal of diverse thought and experience for generations of Christians, some of these traditions can also mislead devotees and provide misinformation to congregants. These 'urban legends' circles around Christian communities in preachers' sermons and eisegetical readings of the New Testament narratives. In his recent book, David A. Croteau tackles forty of the most common urban legends that exist in Western Christian churches. Croteau writes from the perspective of an evangelical Christian, who is intent on providing a historically and theological correct interpretation of New Testament texts for a lay audience. He clearly distinguishes between mistaken legends (legends that contains no correct information) and misleading legends (legends that are simply incomplete or are partially incorrect). In each mini-chapter, Croteau establishes the urban legend as if he himself believed it, so that the audience might be fully immersed in the assumption and wrestle with the root of the misconception. He then attempts to unravel each urban legend by providing historical context, Greek exegetical work, or backgrounds (which, for Croteau, usually involve respected commentaries). Finally, Croteau concludes each mini-chapter with application of the corrected interpretation to an everyday Christian's lifestyle.
The most convincing arguments provided in the forty mini-chapters usually center on historical context and knowledgable application of ancient Greek. A few examples that I found most helpful for the lay audience include the "there was no room in the inn for Mary" myth and the "hell was a first-century garbage dump" myth. In unraveling the inn legend, Croteau appeals to archeological evidence in first-century Palestine in order to prove that the "inn" (καταλύμα) was actually the guest room of a house, which might have been filled at the time of Mary and Joseph's arrival. Instead of an outdoor manger being the birthplace of Jesus, Croteau argues that mangers were often placed in the larger family room or the smaller animal room. In either case, Mary and Joseph would have remained within the household, but would not have found lodging in the καταλύμα. When discussing the garbage dump, usually referred to as Gehenna, Croteau appeals to writings in the Hebrew Bible that describe Gehenna/The Valley of Hinnom as a horrible place used by worshippers of Molech. Croteau understands Jesus to be using Gehenna in a fashion that mimics prophetic texts and hyperbolizes Gehenna into a place of desolation. Croteau rightfully urges his audience to prioritize context when interpreting Biblical passages, so that misinformation can be eradicated or dismissed quickly.
On the other hand, since Croteau is unraveling these urban legends from an evangelical standpoint, his writing may not appeal to audiences outside of Christian boundaries or to those that take a more liberal position within the study of early Christianity. Any audience must understand that this sourcebook for New Testament urban legends is intended for more evangelical communities, who wish to inch closer to an original and correct interpretation of their canonical texts. However, Croteau does make some bold statements that might surprise an inquisitive reader. For example, Croteau sometimes assumes that situations would be difficult to imagine (such as the rejection of Mary and Joseph when they first enter Bethlehem), yet he does not provide much evidence as to why this might be difficult. Croteau also takes a major stance by claiming that Jesus was born around late 5 BCE/early 4 BCE, had a two-year ministry, and died on April 3, 33 CE. These bold stances on such a highly debated chronology might be seen as overconfident and misleading to a lay audience. Finally, those who are invested in Middle Eastern politics might find Croteau's usage of "Israel" distasteful, since he uses the term to describe first-century Judea (and Galilee, to an extent). Since Israel fell in the 8th century BCE to the Assyrians, many scholars avoid conflating Israel with first-century Judea, due to modern political claims that attempt to connect "Biblical Israel" to "the State of Israel."
Overall, Croteau encourages his lay audience to stay cautious during sermons and conversations concerning the New Testament. Each mini-chapter ends with further resources that one might use in order to dig deeper into exegetical, theological, and historical contexts. Croteau's book urges readers to seek context whenever Biblical passages are used in a theological or historical claim, so that more Christians might become informed concerning these popular legends and the effects of their misinformation. In order to put these urban legends to rest, lay audiences must follow in Croteau's footsteps and continually examine contexts behind and throughout the Bible.
Rating: 3.5/5
I would like to express my thanks to the B&H Publishing Group for providing me with a review copy of the book and giving me the opportunity to review.
In the 21st century, the Bible is often upheld as a divinely inspired book that is meant to have authority over a Christian's daily life. Of course, Christianity extends far past a simple reading of 'what the Bible says' and includes ever-changing traditions and customs from its two-thousand-year history. Along with providing a great deal of diverse thought and experience for generations of Christians, some of these traditions can also mislead devotees and provide misinformation to congregants. These 'urban legends' circles around Christian communities in preachers' sermons and eisegetical readings of the New Testament narratives. In his recent book, David A. Croteau tackles forty of the most common urban legends that exist in Western Christian churches. Croteau writes from the perspective of an evangelical Christian, who is intent on providing a historically and theological correct interpretation of New Testament texts for a lay audience. He clearly distinguishes between mistaken legends (legends that contains no correct information) and misleading legends (legends that are simply incomplete or are partially incorrect). In each mini-chapter, Croteau establishes the urban legend as if he himself believed it, so that the audience might be fully immersed in the assumption and wrestle with the root of the misconception. He then attempts to unravel each urban legend by providing historical context, Greek exegetical work, or backgrounds (which, for Croteau, usually involve respected commentaries). Finally, Croteau concludes each mini-chapter with application of the corrected interpretation to an everyday Christian's lifestyle.
The most convincing arguments provided in the forty mini-chapters usually center on historical context and knowledgable application of ancient Greek. A few examples that I found most helpful for the lay audience include the "there was no room in the inn for Mary" myth and the "hell was a first-century garbage dump" myth. In unraveling the inn legend, Croteau appeals to archeological evidence in first-century Palestine in order to prove that the "inn" (καταλύμα) was actually the guest room of a house, which might have been filled at the time of Mary and Joseph's arrival. Instead of an outdoor manger being the birthplace of Jesus, Croteau argues that mangers were often placed in the larger family room or the smaller animal room. In either case, Mary and Joseph would have remained within the household, but would not have found lodging in the καταλύμα. When discussing the garbage dump, usually referred to as Gehenna, Croteau appeals to writings in the Hebrew Bible that describe Gehenna/The Valley of Hinnom as a horrible place used by worshippers of Molech. Croteau understands Jesus to be using Gehenna in a fashion that mimics prophetic texts and hyperbolizes Gehenna into a place of desolation. Croteau rightfully urges his audience to prioritize context when interpreting Biblical passages, so that misinformation can be eradicated or dismissed quickly.
On the other hand, since Croteau is unraveling these urban legends from an evangelical standpoint, his writing may not appeal to audiences outside of Christian boundaries or to those that take a more liberal position within the study of early Christianity. Any audience must understand that this sourcebook for New Testament urban legends is intended for more evangelical communities, who wish to inch closer to an original and correct interpretation of their canonical texts. However, Croteau does make some bold statements that might surprise an inquisitive reader. For example, Croteau sometimes assumes that situations would be difficult to imagine (such as the rejection of Mary and Joseph when they first enter Bethlehem), yet he does not provide much evidence as to why this might be difficult. Croteau also takes a major stance by claiming that Jesus was born around late 5 BCE/early 4 BCE, had a two-year ministry, and died on April 3, 33 CE. These bold stances on such a highly debated chronology might be seen as overconfident and misleading to a lay audience. Finally, those who are invested in Middle Eastern politics might find Croteau's usage of "Israel" distasteful, since he uses the term to describe first-century Judea (and Galilee, to an extent). Since Israel fell in the 8th century BCE to the Assyrians, many scholars avoid conflating Israel with first-century Judea, due to modern political claims that attempt to connect "Biblical Israel" to "the State of Israel."
Overall, Croteau encourages his lay audience to stay cautious during sermons and conversations concerning the New Testament. Each mini-chapter ends with further resources that one might use in order to dig deeper into exegetical, theological, and historical contexts. Croteau's book urges readers to seek context whenever Biblical passages are used in a theological or historical claim, so that more Christians might become informed concerning these popular legends and the effects of their misinformation. In order to put these urban legends to rest, lay audiences must follow in Croteau's footsteps and continually examine contexts behind and throughout the Bible.
September 14, 2023
These Christian “Urban Legends” books are some of my favorite books to read. They are so helpful when it comes to debunking common false legends. While I enjoyed reading this book in the moment, I have no doubts that I will refer back to this book countless times over the course of the rest of my life when various urban legends arise in conversations. Very well-written. Very enjoyable read. I believe these “Urban Legends” books can be recommended to a wide variety of Christian readers.
My favorite chapters/legends were:
1 - There Was No Room at the Inn
4 - Jesus Was a Carpenter
5 - Jesus Died When He Was Thirty-Three
8 - Jesus’ Most Famous Quote is John 3:16
15 - Agape is a Superior Love to Phileo
16 - “Go” is Not a Command in the Great Commission
17 - “Repent” Means to “Change Your Mind”
23 - Synagogues Had Men and Women Seated Separately
30 - Hell is the Absence of God
31 - A Divorced Man Cannot be a Pastor
33 - A Pastor’s Children Must Be Saved
39 - God Would Rather You Be Cold Toward Him Than Lukewarm
For my own future notes:
Prologue - “In 1876 a whaling ship named Velocity was sailing off the coast of Australia near New Caledonia. Those on board saw some rough water and thought they saw something sandy. They marked the area on their map charts and named the island Sandy Island. After that other map makers saw Velocity's map, and Sandy Island started making its way into maps. In 2012, if you had looked at the midpoint between Australia and New Caledonia on Google Maps, you would have found the island. A scientist in Australia thought the water was too deep at that location for an island to be present. So he decided to search for the island. But when he arrived at the location, there was no island. The whaling boat in 1876 made a mistake, and everyone afterward has copied the mistake for over 130 years. No one had double-checked Velocity's map for 130 years. We don't know how they made the error. Perhaps they were mistaken about their location. Regardless, the island's existence has become an urban legend. An urban legend is a commonly circulated myth, repeated throughout the culture as common knowledge, but which isn't true.”
Page 12 - “Jesus' receiving worship is a minor motif in Matthew's Gospel. It is mentioned at least six times, including this passage: Matthew 2:2, 8, 11; 14:33;
28:9, 17. Near the beginning of Matthew's Gospel, in 2:2, he mentions the wise men coming from outside the land of Israel to worship Jesus as king.
Herod refused to worship Jesus, but the wise men seek to worship him. Then at the end of the Gospel, in Matthew 28:17, Matthew mentions that the disciples worshipped Jesus. That is followed by a command for the disciples to go outside the land of Israel to teach others about Jesus. The themes in 2:2 and
28:17 are overlapping: people outside the land of Israel and worshipping Jesus connect these two passages.”
Page 22 - “While Thayer exclusively references the idea of carpentry, the rest include that idea but add more. The evidence below will show that the definition provided by Louw and Nida is the most accurate. The Greek word tektön refers to someone who builds using whatever material necessary, be it wood (carpentry), stone (masonry), or metal (smithery). The more recent dictionaries tend to emphasize tekton as someone who builds things.”
Page 28 - “Luke 3:23 actually says, "As He began His ministry, Jesus was about 30 years old' (emphasis added). Luke doesn't actually say Jesus was thirty, only that he was about thirty. The Greek word translated about communicates approximation not precision. Luke uses this Greek word several times to refer to an approximate number (see Luke 9:14; 9:28; 22:59; 23:44; Acts 1:15; 2:41; 19:7). If Luke were trying to say Jesus was exactly thirty, he easily could have communicated that. Instead he chose to use the word “about” to communicate an approximate age for Jesus.”
Page 44 - “John 3:16 appears in red letters in most Bibles, and red letters are used to indicate that Jesus is speaking. The practice of publishing the Bible with Jesus' words in red ink began in 1899 with Lewis Klopsch, an American editor for a magazine called The Christian Herald? Today it can be hard to find a Bible where Jesus' words are not in red.
Since the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture do not extend to the format of publication (for example, the color of the words on a page), can we be absolutely confident all the words in red were actually spoken by Jesus? Many issues are involved in this discussion, but for the current purposes we are going to focus on whether Jesus actually spoke the words in John 3:16.
Since the original Greek manuscripts did not contain quotation marks, there is some debate as to what the indicators might be in the Greek text that would clue the reader in to the fact that a quote is about to be given. This is an interpretation about whether the words are a quote by someone speaking or a comment by the author of the book.”
Page 62 - “Commentator Matthew Henry proposed two possible interpretations for Mark 10:25. He first mentioned the idea of a small gate in Jerusalem as discussed above. He introduced that interpretation by saying, "Some imagine there might be," probably indicating some doubt about the existence of the gate. The second possible interpretation relates to the connection between the Greek word for camel and the Greek word for rope; only one letter distinguishes them. These words were mixed up at some point, and Jesus was really discussing the difficulty of a rope going through the eye of a needle, not a camel. Both Theophylact and the Geneva Bible suggested this interpretation as well.'
The evidence for the Greek word originally being rope is weak. The evidence for the existence of a "needle gate" in first-century Jerusalem is confusing. A NET Bible footnote says the gate didn't exist until the Middle Ages.
However, several commentators claim there is no evidence whatsoever that a gate with this name ever existed in Jerusalem.? While it's hard to prove the absence of evidence, there is a hint in the text of the Gospels that there wasn't a gate with that name in Jerusalem during Jesus' earthly ministry. If Matthew, Mark, and Luke were referring to the title of a gate, the name of the gate should be (at least somewhat) consistent between them. While it might look consistent in English translations, it isn't in the Greek. First, the Greek words signifying a hole or eye are different in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, with three different words being used for the idea of the "eye" or "hole" of the needle.
Second, Luke uses a different word for needle than Matthew or Mark. Therefore, Luke's reference to the "eye of a needle" is a completely different name/ expression. If they were referring conceptually to a needle and to the hole of the needle, they referred to it in a way that anyone could have understood. But if it was the title of a gate, it could be confusing. Garland concludes, "If a gate had been known as the Needle's Eye it seems likely that only one Greek term would have been used to describe it. Third, there is no mention of a gate in any of the passages. Matthew 19:24; Mark 10.25; and Luke 18.25 neglect to reference a gate. None of them says Jesus was pointing to a gate in Jerusalem. In fact, Mark 10:32 says they started on the road toward Jerusalem. Jesus was not even in Jerusalem when referring to this supposed "Needle Gate!" The whole concept of a gate is entirely imported into the text.”
Page 88 - “If this passage is not about the interplay between two Greek words, then what does it mean? It is about the restoration of Peter. Peter denied Christ three times. Jesus asked Peter to declare his love three times. Then John 21:17 says Peter was grieved. What was the source of Peter's grief? It is not because Jesus asked, "Do you love me?" It says he asked the third time if Peter loved him. When Jesus said it the third time, that reminded Peter that he denied Jesus three times. Peter is remembering his denials, and that is what is grieving Peter.
Another piece of evidence for this interpretation is the word charcoal. The Greek word for charcoal occurs only twice in the entire New Testament and never in the Septuagint. The two occurrences are fascinatingly linked. The first time it occurs (John 18:18), John describes Peter standing by a charcoal fire right after a slave girl questioned him and he denied Jesus. In John 21:9, the disciples came ashore, stepped onto the land, and saw a charcoal fire with fish cooking. These are the only times this Greek word is used. Besides the literary link, it is possible that when Peter smelled that charcoal fire, it reminded him of his denials. There is a very strong link between smell and memories.”
Page 114 - “One of the problems with the second legend is the underlying hermeneutic.
A central maxim to proper interpretation is that description does not equal prescription. In this case, the fact that Paul is described as trying to support himself as much as possible does not necessitate that all ministers of the gospel are prescribed to do that as well.”
Pages 195-196 - “Several Bible translations besides the ESV indicate that a pastor's children must be saved (see below). Trying to follow all of Scripture's teachings is admirable; I fully commend that attempt. I know of a church that included in their constitution a clause that stated if a pastor's child turned thirteen and they had not made a profession of faith, then the pastor must step down from his office. I was at the church when one of the pastor's kids turned thirteen and had not made a profession of faith. He quietly stepped down from his position. His daughter, who was not a Christian at that point, had no clue that her father was stepping down from being a pastor because she wasn't saved. It was low-key. About one year after that happened, she did make a profession of faith and experienced an amazing transformation. It was a great testimony of someone trying to live out what they thought was the correct interpretation of Titus 1:6.
I heartily commend living out the commands we see in Scripture. However, I believe this particular application was a misinterpretation of Titus 1:6.”
My favorite chapters/legends were:
1 - There Was No Room at the Inn
4 - Jesus Was a Carpenter
5 - Jesus Died When He Was Thirty-Three
8 - Jesus’ Most Famous Quote is John 3:16
15 - Agape is a Superior Love to Phileo
16 - “Go” is Not a Command in the Great Commission
17 - “Repent” Means to “Change Your Mind”
23 - Synagogues Had Men and Women Seated Separately
30 - Hell is the Absence of God
31 - A Divorced Man Cannot be a Pastor
33 - A Pastor’s Children Must Be Saved
39 - God Would Rather You Be Cold Toward Him Than Lukewarm
For my own future notes:
Prologue - “In 1876 a whaling ship named Velocity was sailing off the coast of Australia near New Caledonia. Those on board saw some rough water and thought they saw something sandy. They marked the area on their map charts and named the island Sandy Island. After that other map makers saw Velocity's map, and Sandy Island started making its way into maps. In 2012, if you had looked at the midpoint between Australia and New Caledonia on Google Maps, you would have found the island. A scientist in Australia thought the water was too deep at that location for an island to be present. So he decided to search for the island. But when he arrived at the location, there was no island. The whaling boat in 1876 made a mistake, and everyone afterward has copied the mistake for over 130 years. No one had double-checked Velocity's map for 130 years. We don't know how they made the error. Perhaps they were mistaken about their location. Regardless, the island's existence has become an urban legend. An urban legend is a commonly circulated myth, repeated throughout the culture as common knowledge, but which isn't true.”
Page 12 - “Jesus' receiving worship is a minor motif in Matthew's Gospel. It is mentioned at least six times, including this passage: Matthew 2:2, 8, 11; 14:33;
28:9, 17. Near the beginning of Matthew's Gospel, in 2:2, he mentions the wise men coming from outside the land of Israel to worship Jesus as king.
Herod refused to worship Jesus, but the wise men seek to worship him. Then at the end of the Gospel, in Matthew 28:17, Matthew mentions that the disciples worshipped Jesus. That is followed by a command for the disciples to go outside the land of Israel to teach others about Jesus. The themes in 2:2 and
28:17 are overlapping: people outside the land of Israel and worshipping Jesus connect these two passages.”
Page 22 - “While Thayer exclusively references the idea of carpentry, the rest include that idea but add more. The evidence below will show that the definition provided by Louw and Nida is the most accurate. The Greek word tektön refers to someone who builds using whatever material necessary, be it wood (carpentry), stone (masonry), or metal (smithery). The more recent dictionaries tend to emphasize tekton as someone who builds things.”
Page 28 - “Luke 3:23 actually says, "As He began His ministry, Jesus was about 30 years old' (emphasis added). Luke doesn't actually say Jesus was thirty, only that he was about thirty. The Greek word translated about communicates approximation not precision. Luke uses this Greek word several times to refer to an approximate number (see Luke 9:14; 9:28; 22:59; 23:44; Acts 1:15; 2:41; 19:7). If Luke were trying to say Jesus was exactly thirty, he easily could have communicated that. Instead he chose to use the word “about” to communicate an approximate age for Jesus.”
Page 44 - “John 3:16 appears in red letters in most Bibles, and red letters are used to indicate that Jesus is speaking. The practice of publishing the Bible with Jesus' words in red ink began in 1899 with Lewis Klopsch, an American editor for a magazine called The Christian Herald? Today it can be hard to find a Bible where Jesus' words are not in red.
Since the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture do not extend to the format of publication (for example, the color of the words on a page), can we be absolutely confident all the words in red were actually spoken by Jesus? Many issues are involved in this discussion, but for the current purposes we are going to focus on whether Jesus actually spoke the words in John 3:16.
Since the original Greek manuscripts did not contain quotation marks, there is some debate as to what the indicators might be in the Greek text that would clue the reader in to the fact that a quote is about to be given. This is an interpretation about whether the words are a quote by someone speaking or a comment by the author of the book.”
Page 62 - “Commentator Matthew Henry proposed two possible interpretations for Mark 10:25. He first mentioned the idea of a small gate in Jerusalem as discussed above. He introduced that interpretation by saying, "Some imagine there might be," probably indicating some doubt about the existence of the gate. The second possible interpretation relates to the connection between the Greek word for camel and the Greek word for rope; only one letter distinguishes them. These words were mixed up at some point, and Jesus was really discussing the difficulty of a rope going through the eye of a needle, not a camel. Both Theophylact and the Geneva Bible suggested this interpretation as well.'
The evidence for the Greek word originally being rope is weak. The evidence for the existence of a "needle gate" in first-century Jerusalem is confusing. A NET Bible footnote says the gate didn't exist until the Middle Ages.
However, several commentators claim there is no evidence whatsoever that a gate with this name ever existed in Jerusalem.? While it's hard to prove the absence of evidence, there is a hint in the text of the Gospels that there wasn't a gate with that name in Jerusalem during Jesus' earthly ministry. If Matthew, Mark, and Luke were referring to the title of a gate, the name of the gate should be (at least somewhat) consistent between them. While it might look consistent in English translations, it isn't in the Greek. First, the Greek words signifying a hole or eye are different in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, with three different words being used for the idea of the "eye" or "hole" of the needle.
Second, Luke uses a different word for needle than Matthew or Mark. Therefore, Luke's reference to the "eye of a needle" is a completely different name/ expression. If they were referring conceptually to a needle and to the hole of the needle, they referred to it in a way that anyone could have understood. But if it was the title of a gate, it could be confusing. Garland concludes, "If a gate had been known as the Needle's Eye it seems likely that only one Greek term would have been used to describe it. Third, there is no mention of a gate in any of the passages. Matthew 19:24; Mark 10.25; and Luke 18.25 neglect to reference a gate. None of them says Jesus was pointing to a gate in Jerusalem. In fact, Mark 10:32 says they started on the road toward Jerusalem. Jesus was not even in Jerusalem when referring to this supposed "Needle Gate!" The whole concept of a gate is entirely imported into the text.”
Page 88 - “If this passage is not about the interplay between two Greek words, then what does it mean? It is about the restoration of Peter. Peter denied Christ three times. Jesus asked Peter to declare his love three times. Then John 21:17 says Peter was grieved. What was the source of Peter's grief? It is not because Jesus asked, "Do you love me?" It says he asked the third time if Peter loved him. When Jesus said it the third time, that reminded Peter that he denied Jesus three times. Peter is remembering his denials, and that is what is grieving Peter.
Another piece of evidence for this interpretation is the word charcoal. The Greek word for charcoal occurs only twice in the entire New Testament and never in the Septuagint. The two occurrences are fascinatingly linked. The first time it occurs (John 18:18), John describes Peter standing by a charcoal fire right after a slave girl questioned him and he denied Jesus. In John 21:9, the disciples came ashore, stepped onto the land, and saw a charcoal fire with fish cooking. These are the only times this Greek word is used. Besides the literary link, it is possible that when Peter smelled that charcoal fire, it reminded him of his denials. There is a very strong link between smell and memories.”
Page 114 - “One of the problems with the second legend is the underlying hermeneutic.
A central maxim to proper interpretation is that description does not equal prescription. In this case, the fact that Paul is described as trying to support himself as much as possible does not necessitate that all ministers of the gospel are prescribed to do that as well.”
Pages 195-196 - “Several Bible translations besides the ESV indicate that a pastor's children must be saved (see below). Trying to follow all of Scripture's teachings is admirable; I fully commend that attempt. I know of a church that included in their constitution a clause that stated if a pastor's child turned thirteen and they had not made a profession of faith, then the pastor must step down from his office. I was at the church when one of the pastor's kids turned thirteen and had not made a profession of faith. He quietly stepped down from his position. His daughter, who was not a Christian at that point, had no clue that her father was stepping down from being a pastor because she wasn't saved. It was low-key. About one year after that happened, she did make a profession of faith and experienced an amazing transformation. It was a great testimony of someone trying to live out what they thought was the correct interpretation of Titus 1:6.
I heartily commend living out the commands we see in Scripture. However, I believe this particular application was a misinterpretation of Titus 1:6.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2017
So the key take away for me in this book can be easily summarized by saying that it is imperative for Christians to read and study the Bible in context on their own and not just take what someone is saying as being the truth. I have seen many times where you hear someone speak on a topic and they sound authoritative on the subject, but in reality they may be just passing down something they have heard once before without the due diligence of checking into it themselves.
Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions is written very well and provides an interesting look into some common misconceptions that people have about the Scriptures. I would say that a majority of these misconceptions I have heard before - only a handful that I have not heard of previously.
The author does a nice job with each of the 40 topics by first explaining the legend in a way to present it as if he actually believes the legend. Giving the reader an interpretation in a presentation that they may have heard it in before. Then the author provides his interpretation in an attempt to prove the invalidity of the legend. Finally, he provides an application of what he feels is the correct interpretation that the reader can apply to their daily lives.
He categorizes these legends into one of two basic categories. First, we have some legends that can be traced as to the history of the legend, but not having details as to why the incorrect legend was started. Kind of a non-provable legend if you will. The second category of legends is one where it has some partial truth to it, but it does not tell the entire story. In my opinion, one of the more common types of these legends would be when someone takes Scripture out of context to force some meaning into a Scripture that doesn't belong.
This book is a very interesting read and very well written. Please keep in mind that the author very strongly does not want people to use this information "as a sledgehammer upon hearing someone preach one of these legends" as he states in the Prologue of the book. Rather, he provides guidance in his Epilogue on how we should be gracious and non-judgmental toward people if we hear them speaking of the urban legends as though they were truth.
The goal of this book is to provide help to the reader to avoid falling into the trap of some of these legends, but more importantly the author's desire is motivate his readers to pay more attention to the context when reading or studying the Bible. I feel that the author did a very good job of doing just that.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions is written very well and provides an interesting look into some common misconceptions that people have about the Scriptures. I would say that a majority of these misconceptions I have heard before - only a handful that I have not heard of previously.
The author does a nice job with each of the 40 topics by first explaining the legend in a way to present it as if he actually believes the legend. Giving the reader an interpretation in a presentation that they may have heard it in before. Then the author provides his interpretation in an attempt to prove the invalidity of the legend. Finally, he provides an application of what he feels is the correct interpretation that the reader can apply to their daily lives.
He categorizes these legends into one of two basic categories. First, we have some legends that can be traced as to the history of the legend, but not having details as to why the incorrect legend was started. Kind of a non-provable legend if you will. The second category of legends is one where it has some partial truth to it, but it does not tell the entire story. In my opinion, one of the more common types of these legends would be when someone takes Scripture out of context to force some meaning into a Scripture that doesn't belong.
This book is a very interesting read and very well written. Please keep in mind that the author very strongly does not want people to use this information "as a sledgehammer upon hearing someone preach one of these legends" as he states in the Prologue of the book. Rather, he provides guidance in his Epilogue on how we should be gracious and non-judgmental toward people if we hear them speaking of the urban legends as though they were truth.
The goal of this book is to provide help to the reader to avoid falling into the trap of some of these legends, but more importantly the author's desire is motivate his readers to pay more attention to the context when reading or studying the Bible. I feel that the author did a very good job of doing just that.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
September 15, 2015
“Eu nu pot lua Cina astăzi. Am mâncat de dimineață și nu pot lua parte la Masa Domnului!”, îmi preciza destul de serios o soră mai în vârstă duminica trecută. Tot săptămâna trecută vorbeam cu cineva despre o problemă din biserica sa. Pentru că soții nu se vedeau în timpul săptămânii și aveau relații intime doar în weekend n-au mai participat la Cină de luni de zile, considerând că fac ceva nepotrivit, ei fiind necurați și nevrednici.
Binențeles, nu găsim vreun argument scriptural pentru perspectivele acestea, ele ținând mai mult de domeniul tradițiilor neverificate, al miturilor și folclorului autohton, al „legendelor urbane”, așa cum le numește David A. Croteau în cartea sa Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions - Nashville: B&H Academic, 2015).
Ce este o legendă urbană? O legendă urbană în perspectiva lui Croteau și în contextul cărții, este „un mit comun care circulă, repetat în cultură printr-o cunoaștere comună, dar care nu este adevărat. Cumva, ceva fals a fost afirmat, este auzit și apoi este retransmis fără a verifica detaliile.”
În Urban Legends of the New Testament, autorul oferă o paletă din cele mai comune interpretări greșite din Noul Testament. Cartea este împărțită în două secțiuni, Urban Legends in the Gospels (Legende Urbane în Evanghelii) și Urban Legends in the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and Revelation (Legende Urbane în Faptele Apostolilor, Epistole și Apocalipsa), plimbându-ne prin 40 de astfel de interpretări (în 40 de mini-capitole).
Croteau face diferența între interpretările înșelătoare și cele greșite. O legendă greșită este o legendă ce conține informații greșite. Este incorectă. O legendă înșelătoare nu este în mod necesar incorectă însă este incompletă. Conține ceva adevăr, însă nu tot adevărul, nu toată povestea.
Titlul fiecărui mini-capitol reprezintă denumirea legendei în sine, nu interpretarea corectă a textului. Câteva dintre legendele tratate: Noi suntem trei împărați din Orient, Isus a fost tâmplar, Isus a murit la treizeci și trei de ani, Iadul referindu-se la o groapă de gunoi din primul secol de lânga Ierusalim, „Urechea acului” a fost o poartă din Ierusalim, Pocăința înseamnă „să-ți schimbi mintea”, Evanghelia este dinamită, Putem totul în Hristos care ne întărește, Iadul este absența lui Dumnezeu, Femeile n-ar trebui să poarte bijuterii, Acceptă-L pe Isus în inima ta pentru a fi mântuit etc.
În fiecare capitol este prezentată inițial legenda, este demonstrată invaliditatea interpretării pasajului, sunt explicate unele probleme cu privire la interpretare pentru ca apoi autorul să ofere propria versiune iar la final să încununeze totul cu aplicații practice.
Nu intră adânc în detalii. Cartea ar fi fost de 40 de ori mai stufoasă daca ar face-o. El însă prezintă argumentele principale, iar unde este cazul insistă mai mult, iar la finalul fiecărui capitol menționează comentarii, studii, cărti pe care doritorul le poate consulta pe tema respectivă.
Mi-au plăcut în mod deosebit câteva capitole însă în cel despre teoria Gheena - groapa de gunoi m-am regăsit și eu. Am vorbit acum câțiva ani din textul acela având aceeași interpretare și fiind chiar entuziasmat de descoperirea mea. În Iadul referindu-se la o groapă de gunoi din primul secol de lângă Ierusalim, Croteau însă argumentează din texte din Vechiul Testament faptul că Gheena reprezenta de fapt valea fiilor lui Hinom, loc folosit de închinătorii lui Moloh în ritualurile lor. Isus în perspectiva Sa, ar fi preluat textele acestea, hiperbolizând Gheena întrun loc al suferinței și al răzvrătirii față de Dumnezeu.
Autorul în abordarea sa nu se sfiește să interactioneze și să înțepe chiar și nume grele. El îl menționează chiar și pe N.T. Wright, întrun mod surprinzător, ca susținător al legendei.
N.T. Wright spune, „Gheena a fost groapa de gunoi ce ardea mocnind a Ierusalimului, devenind o metaforă pentru locul crâncen de judecată de după moarte.” El spune asta imediat după precizarea unei referințe la articolul lui Bailey! Doar acum câțiva ani, Wright a folosit acest material pentru a argumenta că odată ce creștinii au realizat ca Gheena a fost doar groapa de gunoi la care s-a referit Isus, atunci am putea scăpa de gândul că dacă nu ne pocăim în aceasta viață vom arde în cealaltă. Mi s-a spus că legendara informație este în mod regulat oferită de ghizii de turism în Israel. Recunoaștem că mulți interpretatori care au o perspectivă creștină tradițională despre iad sunt în favoarea teoriei Gheena - groapa de gunoi. (traducere personală)
În Epilog, Croteau identifică trei probleme principale ce dau naștere legendelor, făcând un apel pentru o pregătire mult mai serioasă a cercetătorului dar și o invitație de a călca pe urmele sale, de a-i urmări hermenutica. El menționează:
1. Contextul literar: cuvintele, versetele, paragrafele și capitolele din jurul legendei. De cele mai multe ori, contextul nu este studiat îndeajuns. Uneori este ignorat. Alteori nu este analizat corect. 2. Greaca koine. O cunoaștere superficială a limbii este periculoasă. 3. Contextul istoric al pasajului: evenimente, cultură, societate, aspecte relevante pentru audiența originală.
„Contextul” pare să fie cuvântul cheie în carte. Studierea contextului te poate feri de multele capcane ce apar în fața demersului biblic propus. Cartea este accesibilă și provocatoare. Urban Legends of the New Testament este un manual excelent pentru dezvoltarea dexterității hermeneutice pentru fiecare student al Scripturii, indiferent de pregătirea teologică. Autorul nu uită să fie și destul de sensibil, atat în prolog cât și în epilog făcând un apel pentru a nu folosi informațiile acumulate drept armă. În dragoste și cu multă înțelepciune dorește inițierea oricăror dezbateri pe abordările greșite ale textelor pe care cititorii le vor întâlni în propriile lor cercuri. Scopul declarat al cărții de fapt este interpretarea corectă a Scripturilor, aplicarea lor la viața noastră, tânjind după transformarea Cuvântului lui Dumnezeu în așa fel încât viața noastră să aducă glorie celui ce ne-a salvat.
Binențeles, nu găsim vreun argument scriptural pentru perspectivele acestea, ele ținând mai mult de domeniul tradițiilor neverificate, al miturilor și folclorului autohton, al „legendelor urbane”, așa cum le numește David A. Croteau în cartea sa Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions - Nashville: B&H Academic, 2015).
Ce este o legendă urbană? O legendă urbană în perspectiva lui Croteau și în contextul cărții, este „un mit comun care circulă, repetat în cultură printr-o cunoaștere comună, dar care nu este adevărat. Cumva, ceva fals a fost afirmat, este auzit și apoi este retransmis fără a verifica detaliile.”
În Urban Legends of the New Testament, autorul oferă o paletă din cele mai comune interpretări greșite din Noul Testament. Cartea este împărțită în două secțiuni, Urban Legends in the Gospels (Legende Urbane în Evanghelii) și Urban Legends in the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and Revelation (Legende Urbane în Faptele Apostolilor, Epistole și Apocalipsa), plimbându-ne prin 40 de astfel de interpretări (în 40 de mini-capitole).
Croteau face diferența între interpretările înșelătoare și cele greșite. O legendă greșită este o legendă ce conține informații greșite. Este incorectă. O legendă înșelătoare nu este în mod necesar incorectă însă este incompletă. Conține ceva adevăr, însă nu tot adevărul, nu toată povestea.
Titlul fiecărui mini-capitol reprezintă denumirea legendei în sine, nu interpretarea corectă a textului. Câteva dintre legendele tratate: Noi suntem trei împărați din Orient, Isus a fost tâmplar, Isus a murit la treizeci și trei de ani, Iadul referindu-se la o groapă de gunoi din primul secol de lânga Ierusalim, „Urechea acului” a fost o poartă din Ierusalim, Pocăința înseamnă „să-ți schimbi mintea”, Evanghelia este dinamită, Putem totul în Hristos care ne întărește, Iadul este absența lui Dumnezeu, Femeile n-ar trebui să poarte bijuterii, Acceptă-L pe Isus în inima ta pentru a fi mântuit etc.
În fiecare capitol este prezentată inițial legenda, este demonstrată invaliditatea interpretării pasajului, sunt explicate unele probleme cu privire la interpretare pentru ca apoi autorul să ofere propria versiune iar la final să încununeze totul cu aplicații practice.
Nu intră adânc în detalii. Cartea ar fi fost de 40 de ori mai stufoasă daca ar face-o. El însă prezintă argumentele principale, iar unde este cazul insistă mai mult, iar la finalul fiecărui capitol menționează comentarii, studii, cărti pe care doritorul le poate consulta pe tema respectivă.
Mi-au plăcut în mod deosebit câteva capitole însă în cel despre teoria Gheena - groapa de gunoi m-am regăsit și eu. Am vorbit acum câțiva ani din textul acela având aceeași interpretare și fiind chiar entuziasmat de descoperirea mea. În Iadul referindu-se la o groapă de gunoi din primul secol de lângă Ierusalim, Croteau însă argumentează din texte din Vechiul Testament faptul că Gheena reprezenta de fapt valea fiilor lui Hinom, loc folosit de închinătorii lui Moloh în ritualurile lor. Isus în perspectiva Sa, ar fi preluat textele acestea, hiperbolizând Gheena întrun loc al suferinței și al răzvrătirii față de Dumnezeu.
Autorul în abordarea sa nu se sfiește să interactioneze și să înțepe chiar și nume grele. El îl menționează chiar și pe N.T. Wright, întrun mod surprinzător, ca susținător al legendei.
N.T. Wright spune, „Gheena a fost groapa de gunoi ce ardea mocnind a Ierusalimului, devenind o metaforă pentru locul crâncen de judecată de după moarte.” El spune asta imediat după precizarea unei referințe la articolul lui Bailey! Doar acum câțiva ani, Wright a folosit acest material pentru a argumenta că odată ce creștinii au realizat ca Gheena a fost doar groapa de gunoi la care s-a referit Isus, atunci am putea scăpa de gândul că dacă nu ne pocăim în aceasta viață vom arde în cealaltă. Mi s-a spus că legendara informație este în mod regulat oferită de ghizii de turism în Israel. Recunoaștem că mulți interpretatori care au o perspectivă creștină tradițională despre iad sunt în favoarea teoriei Gheena - groapa de gunoi. (traducere personală)
În Epilog, Croteau identifică trei probleme principale ce dau naștere legendelor, făcând un apel pentru o pregătire mult mai serioasă a cercetătorului dar și o invitație de a călca pe urmele sale, de a-i urmări hermenutica. El menționează:
1. Contextul literar: cuvintele, versetele, paragrafele și capitolele din jurul legendei. De cele mai multe ori, contextul nu este studiat îndeajuns. Uneori este ignorat. Alteori nu este analizat corect. 2. Greaca koine. O cunoaștere superficială a limbii este periculoasă. 3. Contextul istoric al pasajului: evenimente, cultură, societate, aspecte relevante pentru audiența originală.
„Contextul” pare să fie cuvântul cheie în carte. Studierea contextului te poate feri de multele capcane ce apar în fața demersului biblic propus. Cartea este accesibilă și provocatoare. Urban Legends of the New Testament este un manual excelent pentru dezvoltarea dexterității hermeneutice pentru fiecare student al Scripturii, indiferent de pregătirea teologică. Autorul nu uită să fie și destul de sensibil, atat în prolog cât și în epilog făcând un apel pentru a nu folosi informațiile acumulate drept armă. În dragoste și cu multă înțelepciune dorește inițierea oricăror dezbateri pe abordările greșite ale textelor pe care cititorii le vor întâlni în propriile lor cercuri. Scopul declarat al cărții de fapt este interpretarea corectă a Scripturilor, aplicarea lor la viața noastră, tânjind după transformarea Cuvântului lui Dumnezeu în așa fel încât viața noastră să aducă glorie celui ce ne-a salvat.
October 14, 2019
A decent book on a good topic, though I would have preferred a bit more discussion of some of these, and perhaps less on others. I suppose that is due to which of these I have heard more, and therefore see them as being more in need of further discussion since they seem to have taken hold more or seem more believable, while others seem so obviously wrong I wonder why people would believe them. And of course part of that is due to which churches I happen to have been part of and the teaching I received there. While most of these I already had some knowledge of, in terms of why they were mistaken or misleading, so I didn't learn a lot that was new, they are all a good lesson on the need for studying context, not assuming that what even popular preachers say is necessarily correct, and the benefits of learning more about the cultural and linguistic background of the Bible.
January 4, 2020
This book was a Christmas gift I've had on my list for a year or two now. An excellent and quick read, though I'll confess to a good amount of skimming.
I'd put this on my shelf next to F. F. Bruce's "Hard Sayings of Jesus," and the other IVP books that followed in that series. It's a reference book you can read chapter-by-chapter, though after a few chapters it felt more like ax-grinding than legend correcting.
Having said that, this is one most Bible teachers/preachers would find handy to correct those all too common legends. I believe Croteau has handled just about all of them! I can't really think of any that he didn't cover.
The Epilogue is itself an excellent resource. It would be excellent on its own for a class in how to study the Bible.
I'd put this on my shelf next to F. F. Bruce's "Hard Sayings of Jesus," and the other IVP books that followed in that series. It's a reference book you can read chapter-by-chapter, though after a few chapters it felt more like ax-grinding than legend correcting.
Having said that, this is one most Bible teachers/preachers would find handy to correct those all too common legends. I believe Croteau has handled just about all of them! I can't really think of any that he didn't cover.
The Epilogue is itself an excellent resource. It would be excellent on its own for a class in how to study the Bible.
June 29, 2024
In this book, David Croteau opens the chapter with the urban legend then he attempts to exegete the passage. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, not only does it help you understand some foundational concepts but it also helps the layman understand how to exegete the Bible properly. Also, he has some great commentary, journal, and blog recommendations at the end of every chapter.
My favorites were "Jesus died at Thrity-Three," "Hell Referred to a First-Century Garbage Dump near Jerusalem," "The Eye of a Needle was a Gate in Jerusalem" (mainly because of the frequency I hear this one), and "Repent Means 'To Change Your Mind" (a personal pet peeve of mine). There were many great chapters but these are the ones that stuck out to me.
My favorites were "Jesus died at Thrity-Three," "Hell Referred to a First-Century Garbage Dump near Jerusalem," "The Eye of a Needle was a Gate in Jerusalem" (mainly because of the frequency I hear this one), and "Repent Means 'To Change Your Mind" (a personal pet peeve of mine). There were many great chapters but these are the ones that stuck out to me.
December 6, 2018
This book deals with 40 Bible verses or passages from the New Testament that are often misunderstood or interpreted incorrectly. Dr. Croteau gives excellent insight into the background, context and meaning of these passages to help readers understand what the these verses are actually saying. While some of these urban legends were not that important or relevant to me, others are very central to the faith and important for Christian living. I was also quite surprised as to how many of these urban legends I have heard in one place or another. Clear, concise, and yet also detailed and accurate presentation of the issues.
April 5, 2023
This was an excellent book on some of the most misunderstood or used out of context Scriptures that we commonly see and hear today. To be honest, there were several passages that I had read and interpreted incorrectly, or had heard taught incorrectly and just adopted as truth. Context is key, as well as understanding the background of when it was written and to whom. He goes into a lot of detail on the Greek and Hebrew words as well because translation is extremely important in understanding what is being communicated.
December 7, 2023
Honestly loved this one even more than the OT one (even though that one was great too). Croteau punches holes in some of the most common misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the Bible. As someone who has deconstructed her faith and is now in the process of reshaping it and redefining it, I consider this book to be a part of a monumental part of my life. I would recommend if you’re looking for challenges to some of the most common teachings. You may be in for a surprise and find that your established interpretation may be a tad questionable in the light of the text’s original context.
Read
May 26, 2021I actually liked this. It helped me think about a lot of the passages. I may not have agreed with the author 100%, but it did open my eyes to look at Scripture differently.
August 22, 2025
interesting book but very dense.
October 31, 2025
More of these books should be written and read.
January 18, 2016
Most people likely remember the childhood game called telephone. The concept was to start with a statement which would then be repeated down a line of individuals with that statement whispered into each subsequent person’s ear. The fun part of the game was seeing how far off at the end things had become. Typically the result is quite humorous. To some degree this is how legends take hold. Something is passed down or a belief is spread from one person or group to another. On many occasions, the truth that was first passed down becomes diluted or other elements are added in along the way. Over time, the altered truth becomes the accepted norm. This phenomenon unfortunately takes place when it comes to Scripture.
David Croteau, in his informative and helpful book Urban Legends of the New Testament, takes a look at a number of supposed truths that we have grabbed hold of and believe as fact. As the tales are investigated, it is readily apparent that we have played a bit of the game of telephone when it comes to our understanding of various points located in the New Testament.
This book is divided into two parts with the first part engaging urban legends in the Gospels and the second part looking at what has crept into our understanding of Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation. What Croteau presents to the reader may at times come as a surprise given it is highly likely you have always believed the text actually said something when in reality it does not.
A couple of urban legends I found rather interesting were “Do not judge others” and “Women should not wear jewelry”. Now the first is commonly misunderstood and misapplied. Speak out against a societal ill and you will more times than not be slapped with “Doesn’t the Bible say not to judge others?”. I appreciate that Croteau invokes the declaration of Inigo Montoya in his engagement of this legend given the idea of judging that many purport exists is completely absent. As Croteau aptly notes, the judgment being discussed is not the type of judgment that can only be provided by the Judge. In reality, it is speaking of being discerning, of understanding the world around us. It also speaks of not being quick to condemn or “to try and play God.”
Speaking of judging, what about women wearing jewelry? Isn’t that forbidden in Scripture? Croteau unravels this urban legend by providing a lesson in Greco-Roman culture in Peter’s day. The reality is Peter was addressing the wealthy women in the church who seemed to have a tendency to draw attention to themselves and their wealth through the amount of fancy clothes and jewelry they wore. Peter is not prohibiting wearing nice clothes or wearing jewelry for that matter. He is speaking to the issue of vanity and trying to impress husbands and others that matter with their outward appearance. While there is nothing wrong with physical beauty, Croteau correctly notes “Men should value inner beauty more than external beauty” and Peter’s command helps women help men do just that.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is chock full of salient exegesis and more importantly, Croteau provides practical application in an effort to ditch the urban legends and replace them with biblical truth. Furthermore, the bibliography provided at the end of each chapter will help the reader dig even further into each legend/topic. This is a book I highly recommend for all believers as we have to some degree or another succumbed to an urban legend or two…or perhaps three.
I received this book for free from B&H Academic and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
David Croteau, in his informative and helpful book Urban Legends of the New Testament, takes a look at a number of supposed truths that we have grabbed hold of and believe as fact. As the tales are investigated, it is readily apparent that we have played a bit of the game of telephone when it comes to our understanding of various points located in the New Testament.
This book is divided into two parts with the first part engaging urban legends in the Gospels and the second part looking at what has crept into our understanding of Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation. What Croteau presents to the reader may at times come as a surprise given it is highly likely you have always believed the text actually said something when in reality it does not.
A couple of urban legends I found rather interesting were “Do not judge others” and “Women should not wear jewelry”. Now the first is commonly misunderstood and misapplied. Speak out against a societal ill and you will more times than not be slapped with “Doesn’t the Bible say not to judge others?”. I appreciate that Croteau invokes the declaration of Inigo Montoya in his engagement of this legend given the idea of judging that many purport exists is completely absent. As Croteau aptly notes, the judgment being discussed is not the type of judgment that can only be provided by the Judge. In reality, it is speaking of being discerning, of understanding the world around us. It also speaks of not being quick to condemn or “to try and play God.”
Speaking of judging, what about women wearing jewelry? Isn’t that forbidden in Scripture? Croteau unravels this urban legend by providing a lesson in Greco-Roman culture in Peter’s day. The reality is Peter was addressing the wealthy women in the church who seemed to have a tendency to draw attention to themselves and their wealth through the amount of fancy clothes and jewelry they wore. Peter is not prohibiting wearing nice clothes or wearing jewelry for that matter. He is speaking to the issue of vanity and trying to impress husbands and others that matter with their outward appearance. While there is nothing wrong with physical beauty, Croteau correctly notes “Men should value inner beauty more than external beauty” and Peter’s command helps women help men do just that.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is chock full of salient exegesis and more importantly, Croteau provides practical application in an effort to ditch the urban legends and replace them with biblical truth. Furthermore, the bibliography provided at the end of each chapter will help the reader dig even further into each legend/topic. This is a book I highly recommend for all believers as we have to some degree or another succumbed to an urban legend or two…or perhaps three.
I received this book for free from B&H Academic and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
September 26, 2015
David Croteau is the professor of New Testament & Greek at Columbia International University. Croteau holds a Th.M. and Ph.D. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the editor and contributor to a number of books, including You Mean I don’t have to Tithe? A Biblical and Theological Analysis of Tithing (Wipf & Stock, 2010), Perspectives on Tithing (B&H Academic, 2011), and Which Bible Translation Should I Use? Leading Experts Discuss 4 Major Versions (B&H Academic, 2012). Croteau has also published several articles in Bulletin of Biblical Research and Master’s Seminary Journal. Most recently, Croteau rattles cages with the release of a challenging and yet helpful volume, Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions (B&H Academic, 2015).
In Urban Legends of the New Testament, Croteau seeks to deconstruct 40 interpretive myths, or “urban legends,” encountered in the New Testament text. An urban legend, according to Croteau, is “a commonly circulated myth, repeated throughout the culture as common knowledge, but which isn’t true” (p. xiii). Croteau continues, “interpretations of certain passages in the New Testament have fallen victim to this. Somehow something false is stated, and it gets heard and passed down without someone checking all the facts” (p. xiii). Today many such “urban legends” exists within both the pulpit and the pews, and continue to be circulated without hesitation. It is here that Croteau embodies a clear voice of reason as he calls the reader to set aside tradition for the sake of exegesis and interpretation.
Urban Legends of the New Testament tackles a number of well-known urban legends. But, Croteau also addresses some that may be less familiar to the average reader. For example, some of the urban legends include, the “Eye of a Needle” being a gate in Jerusalem (pp. 61–66) and Hell being a reference to a First-Century garbage dump near Jerusalem (pp. 49–54). Each chapter is titled after the urban legend itself, “not the correct interpretation of the text(s) at hand”(p. xiv), followed by a brief explanation. Subsequently, Croteau deconstructs each of the legends and provides a positive exegesis for his understanding of the correct interpretation. Finally, Croteau concludes each chapter with a section devoted to the application of his presentation, as well as an annotated bibliography divided by resource type (i.e. books, journals, websites, etc.) for further study.
Personally I found Croteau to be both a model of integrity and a true exemplar of compassion in his handling of each of the 40 urban legends. He is engaging and consistent across the board in his treatment of these misunderstanding, and his tone is truly something to be admired. I also found the application section to be extremely helpful in processing the specific legends, especially for the pastor or teacher who would take on the responsibility of exposing such myths. Still, the reader must be fully prepared for the possibility of a challenge when picking up this book, because Urban Legends of the New Testament is sure to expose the presence of some urban legends in their own thought. Of course, if this breaks down the wall of bad hermeneutic and re-shapes a more faithful understanding of the text, who could be opposed to such challenge? In the end, if you still find yourself at ends with Croteau’s conclusion, I am confident that you will still walk away encouraged by the carefulness he exemplifies as he handles the biblical text. This book comes highly recommended!
In Urban Legends of the New Testament, Croteau seeks to deconstruct 40 interpretive myths, or “urban legends,” encountered in the New Testament text. An urban legend, according to Croteau, is “a commonly circulated myth, repeated throughout the culture as common knowledge, but which isn’t true” (p. xiii). Croteau continues, “interpretations of certain passages in the New Testament have fallen victim to this. Somehow something false is stated, and it gets heard and passed down without someone checking all the facts” (p. xiii). Today many such “urban legends” exists within both the pulpit and the pews, and continue to be circulated without hesitation. It is here that Croteau embodies a clear voice of reason as he calls the reader to set aside tradition for the sake of exegesis and interpretation.
Urban Legends of the New Testament tackles a number of well-known urban legends. But, Croteau also addresses some that may be less familiar to the average reader. For example, some of the urban legends include, the “Eye of a Needle” being a gate in Jerusalem (pp. 61–66) and Hell being a reference to a First-Century garbage dump near Jerusalem (pp. 49–54). Each chapter is titled after the urban legend itself, “not the correct interpretation of the text(s) at hand”(p. xiv), followed by a brief explanation. Subsequently, Croteau deconstructs each of the legends and provides a positive exegesis for his understanding of the correct interpretation. Finally, Croteau concludes each chapter with a section devoted to the application of his presentation, as well as an annotated bibliography divided by resource type (i.e. books, journals, websites, etc.) for further study.
Personally I found Croteau to be both a model of integrity and a true exemplar of compassion in his handling of each of the 40 urban legends. He is engaging and consistent across the board in his treatment of these misunderstanding, and his tone is truly something to be admired. I also found the application section to be extremely helpful in processing the specific legends, especially for the pastor or teacher who would take on the responsibility of exposing such myths. Still, the reader must be fully prepared for the possibility of a challenge when picking up this book, because Urban Legends of the New Testament is sure to expose the presence of some urban legends in their own thought. Of course, if this breaks down the wall of bad hermeneutic and re-shapes a more faithful understanding of the text, who could be opposed to such challenge? In the end, if you still find yourself at ends with Croteau’s conclusion, I am confident that you will still walk away encouraged by the carefulness he exemplifies as he handles the biblical text. This book comes highly recommended!
July 13, 2015
We have all heard someone reference a verse to support something and then think to ourselves, or say to the person, “I don’t think that verse means what you think it means.” No doubt there are many usual suspects when it comes to verses in the Bible that are so twisted and mangled from their original context and meaning, that one wonders if the person citing them has even read the verse(s) in the Bible itself or just quoted on a picture they saw in a bookstore. There are entire books (which shall remain nameless) that are based on misinterpreting single verses. What’s worse, these books are purchased by the truckloads.
Seeking to unravel a number of misinterpreted verses in the New Testament, David A. Croteau, professor of New Testament and Greek at Columbia International University, has written Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions (B&H, 2015). Croteau takes 40 misunderstood verses from the NT and sets the record straight for those who are willing to hear.
Here are some examples of the passages Croteau takes on:
Matthew 18:20 – Is Jesus promising He will be with you when you pray with others or that He is with a churches decision to discipline an erring brother or sister in Christ?
Mark 6:3 – Was Jesus just a carpenter or was He actually skilled in working with more than just wood?
Luke 2:1-7 – Was Jesus born in a stable away from the owners house or was the stable actually inside the owners house?
Acts 18:3 – Is Paul’s example of supporting himself by making tents an example pastors have to follow or just an example of how to apply other principles?
Romans 1:16 – Does the power of the gospel destroy things or does it accomplish its purpose?
Philippians 4:13 – Is Paul promising us that we can do anything we put our minds to with Christ’s strength or that we can be content in any situation with Christ’s strength?
1 Thessalonians 5:22 – Is this a passage about ones lifestyle or about being able to discern true and false teaching?
Revelation 3:16 – Why are Christians being compared to hot, cold, and lukewarm water?
In order to set the record straight on these passages Croteau delves into any relevant Old Testament background, first century Roman or Jewish background, Greek word meanings, grammatical construction, broader passage context, and explores the sometimes impossible implications that the misreadings of these texts produce. Some of these passages are misunderstood primarily on the grammar level, the context level, or the historical background level.
Urban Legends of the New Testament is a prime example of why learning the basics of Bible interpretation (hermeneutics) is so important. Whether or not you have fallen for all of the urban legends Croteau lays to rest, you will walk away with an appreciation for the hard work of good Bible interpretation many Christians give their lives to and why responsible Christians should have discerning minds when it comes to interpreting the Bible.
I highly recommend this book for all Christians as a model for how to read the Bible responsibly.
I received this book for free from B&H for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Seeking to unravel a number of misinterpreted verses in the New Testament, David A. Croteau, professor of New Testament and Greek at Columbia International University, has written Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions (B&H, 2015). Croteau takes 40 misunderstood verses from the NT and sets the record straight for those who are willing to hear.
Here are some examples of the passages Croteau takes on:
Matthew 18:20 – Is Jesus promising He will be with you when you pray with others or that He is with a churches decision to discipline an erring brother or sister in Christ?
Mark 6:3 – Was Jesus just a carpenter or was He actually skilled in working with more than just wood?
Luke 2:1-7 – Was Jesus born in a stable away from the owners house or was the stable actually inside the owners house?
Acts 18:3 – Is Paul’s example of supporting himself by making tents an example pastors have to follow or just an example of how to apply other principles?
Romans 1:16 – Does the power of the gospel destroy things or does it accomplish its purpose?
Philippians 4:13 – Is Paul promising us that we can do anything we put our minds to with Christ’s strength or that we can be content in any situation with Christ’s strength?
1 Thessalonians 5:22 – Is this a passage about ones lifestyle or about being able to discern true and false teaching?
Revelation 3:16 – Why are Christians being compared to hot, cold, and lukewarm water?
In order to set the record straight on these passages Croteau delves into any relevant Old Testament background, first century Roman or Jewish background, Greek word meanings, grammatical construction, broader passage context, and explores the sometimes impossible implications that the misreadings of these texts produce. Some of these passages are misunderstood primarily on the grammar level, the context level, or the historical background level.
Urban Legends of the New Testament is a prime example of why learning the basics of Bible interpretation (hermeneutics) is so important. Whether or not you have fallen for all of the urban legends Croteau lays to rest, you will walk away with an appreciation for the hard work of good Bible interpretation many Christians give their lives to and why responsible Christians should have discerning minds when it comes to interpreting the Bible.
I highly recommend this book for all Christians as a model for how to read the Bible responsibly.
I received this book for free from B&H for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
September 9, 2017
I've had this book for a couple of years now, and I'm so glad I finally got the chance to actually read it. The overall purpose of this book is right in line with something I'm passionate about: encouraging and teaching good hermeneutics and study of Scripture. This book goes through 40 misinterpretations of New Testament passages (some outright incorrect, some misleading) and guides the reader through the work of studying the context and understanding the background of each passage. This book does more than make right wrong ideas about Scripture passages (although it does that and it does it very well) - it gives the tools and principles needed for any layman reading to go and apply these principles for himself. As someone who has been to seminary and has an MA in theology, many of these corrections or ways of studying Scripture were "old hat" to me. They were principles I've learned through my education. But I still learned quite a bit from Dr. Croteau. There will always be more to learn from the Bible and how to study it. Many of the legends were topics that had confused me or I had struggled with understanding in the past. Dr. Croteau speaks in clear, accessible language that allows both amateur and expert to learn and understand from his book. I hope to find and read more books from this author. He does an excellent job of staying true to God's Word and encouraging others to do the same.
August 17, 2016
Urban Legends of the New Testament is absolutely fascinating and left me feeling quite sheepish. Before reading this book if you would have asked me if I thought I knew my Bible well I would have pretty confidently said yes. I've been to Bible College and sat through class after class learning a hermeneutical approach to understanding the text.
The very first urban legend bowled me over. The title of the chapter is There Was No Room at the Inn and it covers the Scriptures from Luke 2:1-7. A very familiar passage. So familiar in fact that I would hazard a guess that most of us can recite it from memory. After reading Croteau's chapter on it I have to laugh at not only my preconceptions but also those of the vast majority. As a credit to him I can honestly say that I will never again read that portion of Scripture in the same way.
The second urban legend was entitled We Three Kings of Orient Are. By the end of the chapter I was cheering because I actually already knew the misconceptions. A big thanks goes out to Dr. Sherman for that one! Of course I didn't have long before I was once again astounded at my lack of understanding. But sure enough when I compared Croteau's notes with Scripture it came out just the way he said it would.
This book is designed to be a pseudo text book, but I'm here to tell you that it doesn't read like one. It is quite reader friendly and I think that anyone who reads their Bible would enjoy reading this book as well. Croteau has a way of presenting complicated scenarios and facts so that even the non Bible student can grasp and retain. In fact his whole approach is one of discovery rather than shaming for not knowing in the first place. It's a very refreshing way of teaching.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any Christian whether a lay-person or a church staff member. Even if you know each of the forty passages and completely understand their meaning I am sure you will be able to take away some nuggets that will enhance your walk with Christ.
I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.
January 10, 2017
I picked up this book because of the title and because the chapters are short. It looked intriguing and seemed easily accessible.
Now having completed this book, I would heartily recommend it. The author addresses many assumed viewpoints of the average church-goer. However, instead of being rude or pendulum swinging to an equally aberrant viewpoint, he takes time to wrestle with the text in order to reveal the context of the verse.
While a reader may not agree with every conclusion, this book could prove to be very valuable in helping people learn how to think with discernment as they read the Bible. That is what I think is this book's greatest contribution.
Now having completed this book, I would heartily recommend it. The author addresses many assumed viewpoints of the average church-goer. However, instead of being rude or pendulum swinging to an equally aberrant viewpoint, he takes time to wrestle with the text in order to reveal the context of the verse.
While a reader may not agree with every conclusion, this book could prove to be very valuable in helping people learn how to think with discernment as they read the Bible. That is what I think is this book's greatest contribution.
October 30, 2015
Seems reliable enough, but poorly produced. Feels like a rough draft. Whoever edited this do not do a good job either guiding the author as he wrote or sending it back for extensive rewrites. Like it was taken out of the oven too soon.
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