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A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament: The Gospel Realized
Read the New Testament from a biblical-theological perspective. Featuring contributions from nine respected evangelical scholars, this volume introduces each New Testament book in the context of the whole canon of Scripture, helping anyone who teaches or studies the Bible to apply it to the church today.
656 pages, Hardcover
First published May 31, 2016
62 people are currently reading
302 people want to read
About the author
Michael J. Kruger
34 books117 followersMichael J. Kruger (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is president and professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte, and the author of a number of articles and books on early Christianity.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 24, 2017
I loved reading through this. Academic but edifying and devotional. It covers a lot and whatever it does not cover it has reference to other books for further study. Also has a great balance of opposing views, secular thought with biblical responses.
April 20, 2019
As a resource that's designed to equip readers with the background, date, overview, and relevant insights for the Christian life today, it's a resource that you will keep coming back to!
October 3, 2016
A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament: The Gospel Realized is the second Bible introduction released this year from RTS scholars both past and present. As with the OT volume, this introduction is designed for all Christians and unafraid of reading the Bible as a whole and with theological presuppositions.
Each New Testament book receives its own chapter (even Philemon), except surprisingly, 1 and 2 Corinthians are joined and, less surprisingly, 1-3 John are joined. There are also five appendices that examine the NT canon, NT textual criticism, the Synoptic Problem, the NT use of the OT, and a bibliography of the Bible translations used in the volume.
In terms of layout and feel, this volume is much like the corresponding Old Testament introduction that I also reviewed. There is less focus on provenance and scholarly discussions such as text-critical issues. Instead, the focus is on the theological message of the book. The content is aimed at a wide audience and complicated material is discussed in the footnotes. The greatest difference between the two volumes lies in the appendices. In contrast to the OT volume, this has much more directly relevant appendices for a Bible introduction. A smaller difference is that there is less variety in the authors than the OT volume.
Another difference is that the authors’ Reformed persuasions are regularly foregrounded in the New Testament. For example, Covenantal theology, Calvinism, and varieties of eschatology all make more regular appearances. The latter is most clearly seen in the Amillennial reading of Revelation. However, one does not sense the authors attempting to find Reformed theology under every rock; the scholarship of this volume is far too strong to fall into that trap. In other words, Reformed theology is naturally present, but not imposed. This will be more or less of a problem depending on one’s own theological persuasions and patience in reading others’.
In terms of stand-out chapters, Benjamin Gladd’s on Mark and Colossians were particularly conversant with and appreciative of a wide-range of modern and non-Reformed scholarship. I anticipate returning to these. I also enjoyed Charles Hill’s work on 1-3 John and Revelation, the latter being an intelligible and clear (though Amillennial) summary a difficult book. Other chapters contain solid discussions of the books and their contents. I found Simon Kistemaker’s chapter on Hebrews odd because of his repeated insistence that Hebrews alone addresses Jesus’ priesthood. This seems a minor point, but it does appear to drive the chapter, even in dating the book post-70AD, since “perhaps because none of the apostles felt free to discuss the priesthood of Christ” (p412) until “the priesthood came to an end [in AD70]” (p411). This is despite his recognition that “not even John mentions the subject” (p412), though most date his Gospel or at least Revelation later than Hebrews! Of course, this is a small complaint in a large book.
The appendices are all very welcome additions to this book, increasing its overall value. The appendix on the NT canon is by Michael Kruger, a leading scholar (evangelical or otherwise) in this field. The same goes for Charles Hill, who introduces NT textual criticism. The chapters on the Synoptic Problem (the relationship of the first three Gospels) and the NT use of the OT are also clear and readable for such complicated topics. It is fortunate that these issues will reach such a wide audience, as the church at large would benefit from being conversant with them.
The authors of A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament should be proud for releasing a valuable book for readers of all levels. Whenever scholarship benefits the church, it is a thing to rejoice. Even if one is not Reformed, most would happily enjoy and benefit from the majority of this book. Why not buy both OT and NT volumes and go re-read the Bible with these as introductions to each book?
Many thanks to Crossway for providing a review copy.
Each New Testament book receives its own chapter (even Philemon), except surprisingly, 1 and 2 Corinthians are joined and, less surprisingly, 1-3 John are joined. There are also five appendices that examine the NT canon, NT textual criticism, the Synoptic Problem, the NT use of the OT, and a bibliography of the Bible translations used in the volume.
In terms of layout and feel, this volume is much like the corresponding Old Testament introduction that I also reviewed. There is less focus on provenance and scholarly discussions such as text-critical issues. Instead, the focus is on the theological message of the book. The content is aimed at a wide audience and complicated material is discussed in the footnotes. The greatest difference between the two volumes lies in the appendices. In contrast to the OT volume, this has much more directly relevant appendices for a Bible introduction. A smaller difference is that there is less variety in the authors than the OT volume.
Another difference is that the authors’ Reformed persuasions are regularly foregrounded in the New Testament. For example, Covenantal theology, Calvinism, and varieties of eschatology all make more regular appearances. The latter is most clearly seen in the Amillennial reading of Revelation. However, one does not sense the authors attempting to find Reformed theology under every rock; the scholarship of this volume is far too strong to fall into that trap. In other words, Reformed theology is naturally present, but not imposed. This will be more or less of a problem depending on one’s own theological persuasions and patience in reading others’.
In terms of stand-out chapters, Benjamin Gladd’s on Mark and Colossians were particularly conversant with and appreciative of a wide-range of modern and non-Reformed scholarship. I anticipate returning to these. I also enjoyed Charles Hill’s work on 1-3 John and Revelation, the latter being an intelligible and clear (though Amillennial) summary a difficult book. Other chapters contain solid discussions of the books and their contents. I found Simon Kistemaker’s chapter on Hebrews odd because of his repeated insistence that Hebrews alone addresses Jesus’ priesthood. This seems a minor point, but it does appear to drive the chapter, even in dating the book post-70AD, since “perhaps because none of the apostles felt free to discuss the priesthood of Christ” (p412) until “the priesthood came to an end [in AD70]” (p411). This is despite his recognition that “not even John mentions the subject” (p412), though most date his Gospel or at least Revelation later than Hebrews! Of course, this is a small complaint in a large book.
The appendices are all very welcome additions to this book, increasing its overall value. The appendix on the NT canon is by Michael Kruger, a leading scholar (evangelical or otherwise) in this field. The same goes for Charles Hill, who introduces NT textual criticism. The chapters on the Synoptic Problem (the relationship of the first three Gospels) and the NT use of the OT are also clear and readable for such complicated topics. It is fortunate that these issues will reach such a wide audience, as the church at large would benefit from being conversant with them.
The authors of A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament should be proud for releasing a valuable book for readers of all levels. Whenever scholarship benefits the church, it is a thing to rejoice. Even if one is not Reformed, most would happily enjoy and benefit from the majority of this book. Why not buy both OT and NT volumes and go re-read the Bible with these as introductions to each book?
Many thanks to Crossway for providing a review copy.
May 12, 2025
A wonderful, Reformed approach to New Testament Introduction studies.
Although very technical in some areas, this book was an edifying read. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to understand the New Testament deeper with not only the historical-grammatical context, but interpretation of passages.
The variety of contributors to the book provides a ‘fresh’ perspective or read to every chapter, but also has its downfalls. There are small inconsistencies throughout the book due to the different views of the contributors such as dating, Matthean or Markan priority, and certain theological doctrines.
Despite these inconsistencies, the book is still overall highly beneficial and one of the best works on New Testament Introduction studies today.
Although very technical in some areas, this book was an edifying read. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to understand the New Testament deeper with not only the historical-grammatical context, but interpretation of passages.
The variety of contributors to the book provides a ‘fresh’ perspective or read to every chapter, but also has its downfalls. There are small inconsistencies throughout the book due to the different views of the contributors such as dating, Matthean or Markan priority, and certain theological doctrines.
Despite these inconsistencies, the book is still overall highly beneficial and one of the best works on New Testament Introduction studies today.
February 9, 2017
RTS and Crossway have teamed up to provide a beautiful collection of essays that survey the entirety of the New Testament. Subtitled “The Gospel Realized,” this volume pairs well with the Old Testament volume, and contributions from Robert Cara, Guy Waters, Michael Kruger, Simon J. Kistemaker, and others provide the reader with a New Testament flyover that somehow manages to cover each book with significant depth while remaining relatively concise and quite approachable.
This volume is explicitly designed to “introduce the reader to the major historical, exegetical, and theological issues within each of the twenty-seven book “while meeting the self-set criteria of being accessible, theological, reformed, redemptive-historical, multi-authored, and pastoral. Each chapter is structured the same (introduction, background issues, structure and outline, message and theology, and select bibliography) in order to minimize the differences inherent in a work of multiple authors. For the most part, this is successful, and when differences show up, it is almost always a positive and does little to harm the continuity of the work as a whole.
In regards to the explicit criteria set forth in the introduction, this volume is immensely successful. This is not a work geared towards or limited to the realm of academia. Fully accessible, this volume does not shy away from the confessionally reformed lens through which it interprets the Scriptures and consistently points the reader to God’s working salvation throughout the history of his people and his world. Persistently pastoral, the theologians expounding Scripture throughout never lose sight of the fact that they are being used of God to build up his church rather than puff up academics. Knowledge for knowledge sake is not presented. Information geared towards a better understanding of Scripture and thus a greater love of God and neighbor is what this book is filled with, and why this book will be a long-standing blessing to the church at-large.
Review copy provided.
This volume is explicitly designed to “introduce the reader to the major historical, exegetical, and theological issues within each of the twenty-seven book “while meeting the self-set criteria of being accessible, theological, reformed, redemptive-historical, multi-authored, and pastoral. Each chapter is structured the same (introduction, background issues, structure and outline, message and theology, and select bibliography) in order to minimize the differences inherent in a work of multiple authors. For the most part, this is successful, and when differences show up, it is almost always a positive and does little to harm the continuity of the work as a whole.
In regards to the explicit criteria set forth in the introduction, this volume is immensely successful. This is not a work geared towards or limited to the realm of academia. Fully accessible, this volume does not shy away from the confessionally reformed lens through which it interprets the Scriptures and consistently points the reader to God’s working salvation throughout the history of his people and his world. Persistently pastoral, the theologians expounding Scripture throughout never lose sight of the fact that they are being used of God to build up his church rather than puff up academics. Knowledge for knowledge sake is not presented. Information geared towards a better understanding of Scripture and thus a greater love of God and neighbor is what this book is filled with, and why this book will be a long-standing blessing to the church at-large.
Review copy provided.
May 3, 2019
First the surface, this book is over 600 pages and has a large contributory team to give us a comprehensive overview and introduction to the New Testament of the Bible. There are also additional articles on the New Testament in the appendixes to the book (authored by the contributors of course). And thankfully there is an abbreviation guide at the beginning of the book to help forgetful folk like myself.
Another thing to note is that this overview of the New Testament is written from a reformed theology approach, as all of the contributors are either current or past professors at Reformed Theological Seminary. Beliefs of Reformed:
Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone): the Bible alone is the highest authority.
Sola Fide (faith alone): faith is the sole instrument of our justification.
Sola Gratia (grace alone): we are saved by the grace of God alone, not by works.
Solus Christus (Christ alone): Christ is the only Mediator between God and man.
Soli Deo Gloria (to the glory of God alone): all of life is lived for the glory of God alone.
Biblical theology is considered biblical because it focuses on "its principle of organizing the Biblical material is historical rather than logical", as stated in the introduction.
Each chapter is focused on a specific book of the Bible, with the chapters flowing in the same order of the Bible from Matthew to Revelation. So in each chapter, we get an introduction and extensive background & context information on the book:
author
audience
the date it was written
the purpose of the book,
a structured outline of the book
an overview of the book (a quick breakdown of the book almost like a commentary)
The authors also cover the message and theology presented in each book of the New Testament
Each author also presents their bibliography which presents the reader with the chance for further study.
So my personal take on this book is that while it is not exhaustive, it is quite comprehensive and provides a solid foundation to build upon during study. I like this book as a great study companion especially when it comes to getting the context correct. Inaccurate context and understanding can lead to inappropriate messages and application.
{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.}
Another thing to note is that this overview of the New Testament is written from a reformed theology approach, as all of the contributors are either current or past professors at Reformed Theological Seminary. Beliefs of Reformed:
Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone): the Bible alone is the highest authority.
Sola Fide (faith alone): faith is the sole instrument of our justification.
Sola Gratia (grace alone): we are saved by the grace of God alone, not by works.
Solus Christus (Christ alone): Christ is the only Mediator between God and man.
Soli Deo Gloria (to the glory of God alone): all of life is lived for the glory of God alone.
Biblical theology is considered biblical because it focuses on "its principle of organizing the Biblical material is historical rather than logical", as stated in the introduction.
Each chapter is focused on a specific book of the Bible, with the chapters flowing in the same order of the Bible from Matthew to Revelation. So in each chapter, we get an introduction and extensive background & context information on the book:
author
audience
the date it was written
the purpose of the book,
a structured outline of the book
an overview of the book (a quick breakdown of the book almost like a commentary)
The authors also cover the message and theology presented in each book of the New Testament
Each author also presents their bibliography which presents the reader with the chance for further study.
So my personal take on this book is that while it is not exhaustive, it is quite comprehensive and provides a solid foundation to build upon during study. I like this book as a great study companion especially when it comes to getting the context correct. Inaccurate context and understanding can lead to inappropriate messages and application.
{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.}
May 18, 2020
Good enough as a text book. Some chapters are extraordinary. Others only so so. This intro has more an emphasis on the theology aspect and less on the background intro stuff. I would prefer that more balanced. But I appreciate its reformed foundation.
December 31, 2020
Today I have the privilege of reviewing, “A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament,” which is published by Crossway. This is a 600-page volume that provides introductions to each of the New Testament books especially in regards to their context within the entire canon of scripture. The book has a variety of endorsements, three of which that caught my eye were Andreas Kostenberger, Thomas Schreiner, and Peter Gentry. The book has multiple authors who come from Reformed Theological Seminary and the volume is edited by Michael Kruger, who contributes on the Gospel of John and an article in the appendix on the New Testament Canon.
Within the introduction it is acknowledged that there are already many great introductions to the New Testament such as that which was put out by Carson and Moo and thus the introduction begins by addressing the distinctive of this particular volume. So; what are these distinctives? This volume is noted as being more accessible in that this introduction focuses less on the historical-critical issues related to the New Testament (authorship, dating, textual history/basis, etc) and more so on the theological, doctrinal, practical aspects of the New Testament. This is to say; this volume is more theological comparatively in that it spends less time on the historical background issues and focuses upon the doctrinal issues. The goal of this volume is to “help pastors and bible study leaders prepare their sermons or lessons.” In this distinction, this introduction is more theological and Kruger notes that it is redemptive-historical, focusing not just on the theology of individual books, but placing them within the unfolding plan of redemption – that is, it focuses on Biblical theology of the New Testament. A distinctive as well is that it is reformed and comes from those who are current or past professors of New Testament studies at Reformed Theological Seminary.
When examining this book at the outset, I expected it to be more doctrinal and theological because of its title. I honestly didn’t view it so much as a New Testament introduction, but rather as a New Testament Survey. This said, when I cracked it open and saw that it dealt with some of the issues of introductions, I was admittedly disappointed by the lack of meaningful discussion on some of the issues. One example is the discussion on the people of address in Ephesians which is discussed only in a single paragraph. At the same time some of the books contain excellent paragraphs, charts, and breakdowns of various aspects in a book such as a list of parables found in the section on Luke.
This ultimately raises one of the negatives of the book, that is, the inconsistency of the book itself because of the multi-authorship (which is expected to a degree). In short, every book is covered in a slightly different fashion, at different lengths, with various focus. For example, the discussion on the Genre of Gospels is found in the section of Mark, when it would make sense for it to appear before discussing any of the gospels or in the introduction on Matthew. Additionally, if I wanted to look up that particular issue and how it is addressed in that particular section, there would be no way of easily finding it because it is thrown in one of the four gospels. In fact, when using this example, I had to skim the Gospels sections in the book to find it in Mark. I will note that the volume does a good job brining in major discussion on a particular book, though, perhaps a sub-table of contents would have been helpful on things that applied to more than one book. What is consistent are the outlines and focus upon theological themes, but you’ll find some sections being relatively short compared to others. In either case, I found the outlines and breakdowns to be fantastic.
When it comes to outlining the books, giving you the context within the particular books, this volume is handy and overall excellent. How the information is presented is different based on author, but really, the authors all do a good job. While I don’t agree with all of the aspects of the volume, I will still use this volume regularly and I am considering getting the Old Testament counterpart sometime down the road. I think this will acts as it was intended, a solid resources for those who are needing to teach and want to look at the issues within a given text. I think it is certainly a resource worth having for reverence on your shelf.
Review from Christisthecure.org
Within the introduction it is acknowledged that there are already many great introductions to the New Testament such as that which was put out by Carson and Moo and thus the introduction begins by addressing the distinctive of this particular volume. So; what are these distinctives? This volume is noted as being more accessible in that this introduction focuses less on the historical-critical issues related to the New Testament (authorship, dating, textual history/basis, etc) and more so on the theological, doctrinal, practical aspects of the New Testament. This is to say; this volume is more theological comparatively in that it spends less time on the historical background issues and focuses upon the doctrinal issues. The goal of this volume is to “help pastors and bible study leaders prepare their sermons or lessons.” In this distinction, this introduction is more theological and Kruger notes that it is redemptive-historical, focusing not just on the theology of individual books, but placing them within the unfolding plan of redemption – that is, it focuses on Biblical theology of the New Testament. A distinctive as well is that it is reformed and comes from those who are current or past professors of New Testament studies at Reformed Theological Seminary.
When examining this book at the outset, I expected it to be more doctrinal and theological because of its title. I honestly didn’t view it so much as a New Testament introduction, but rather as a New Testament Survey. This said, when I cracked it open and saw that it dealt with some of the issues of introductions, I was admittedly disappointed by the lack of meaningful discussion on some of the issues. One example is the discussion on the people of address in Ephesians which is discussed only in a single paragraph. At the same time some of the books contain excellent paragraphs, charts, and breakdowns of various aspects in a book such as a list of parables found in the section on Luke.
This ultimately raises one of the negatives of the book, that is, the inconsistency of the book itself because of the multi-authorship (which is expected to a degree). In short, every book is covered in a slightly different fashion, at different lengths, with various focus. For example, the discussion on the Genre of Gospels is found in the section of Mark, when it would make sense for it to appear before discussing any of the gospels or in the introduction on Matthew. Additionally, if I wanted to look up that particular issue and how it is addressed in that particular section, there would be no way of easily finding it because it is thrown in one of the four gospels. In fact, when using this example, I had to skim the Gospels sections in the book to find it in Mark. I will note that the volume does a good job brining in major discussion on a particular book, though, perhaps a sub-table of contents would have been helpful on things that applied to more than one book. What is consistent are the outlines and focus upon theological themes, but you’ll find some sections being relatively short compared to others. In either case, I found the outlines and breakdowns to be fantastic.
When it comes to outlining the books, giving you the context within the particular books, this volume is handy and overall excellent. How the information is presented is different based on author, but really, the authors all do a good job. While I don’t agree with all of the aspects of the volume, I will still use this volume regularly and I am considering getting the Old Testament counterpart sometime down the road. I think this will acts as it was intended, a solid resources for those who are needing to teach and want to look at the issues within a given text. I think it is certainly a resource worth having for reverence on your shelf.
Review from Christisthecure.org
July 18, 2016
Christ. Kingdom. Unity. These three words summarize the Christian worldview regarding the message of Scripture. Christ is the central figure of Scripture who accomplished redemption and to whom the Old and New Testaments point to. The kingdom is the “thematic framework” in which Christ the redeemer operates and to which every other theme of the Bible is tied to. Unity describes how Christ and kingdom are presented from Genesis to Revelation. Rather than each book standing on its own, disjointed from the others, and Christ and kingdom being haphazardly presented in Scripture, each theme is coherently and consistently presented in the sixty-six books of the Bible.
It is around these three themes that A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament: The Gospel Promised and A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament: The Gospel Realized have been written (Crossway, 2016). These two books are the product of professors, past and present, at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi and are edited by Miles V. Van Pelt (OT) and Michael J. Kruger (NT).
In short, these two volumes provide lay Christians, seminary students, and pastors with possibly the best biblical and theological introduction to all 66 books of the Bible from a decidedly Reformed perspective. There are several reasons why these books ought to be on your shelf.
First, these books accomplish the goal of presenting the overall biblical messages of Christ and his kingdom through the unity of Scripture. The authors do not take the higher critical road by fragmenting and juxtaposing the books of the Bible to each other. Rather, they see Scripture, as it presents itself; a unified whole with each book contributing to the overall themes, namely, Christ and kingdom. There is unity in the diversity. As Miles Van Pelt states in the preface to the Old Testament volume
Our goal is not to dismantle the Scriptures into as many unrelated parts as possible but rather to show how the vast, eclectic diversity of the Scriptures has been woven together by a single, divine author over the course of a millennium as the covenantal testimony to the person and word of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit according to the eternal decree of God the Father. (13, BTIOT).
Michael J. Kruger says as much in his introduction to the New Testament volume
Because God is the ultimate author of the New Testament writings, the distinctive theologies of individual books and the overall theology of the New Testament are fully harmonious. (23, BTINT)
Second, tying the themes of Christ and unity together, these books focus mainly (though not to the exclusion of traditional systematic theology categories) on the redemptive-historical nature of Scripture. If there were no unity to the books of the Bible we would be hard pressed to find overarching themes and a redemptive-historical focus might be impossible to argue. Much like reading the Bible straight through itself, reading these two volumes straight through will give the reader an amazing grasp on every book of the Bible in terms of its overall content, biblical context, and theological focus. If you need to read another book in order to be convinced of the redemptive-historical narrative of Scripture then this is one to get.
Third, tied to the second feature, each book is presented in its biblical-theological context. While some contributors do more or less than others on which aspect they focus more on, each chapter discusses how each book of the Bible fits into the overall message of Scripture (biblical) and what each book of the Bible uniquely contributes theologically (theological). This combination gives the reader a more balanced and broad understanding of each book of the Bible.
Fourth, as it relates to the Old Testament, they have taken the position to present the books in the order as they appear in final form in the Hebrew Bible. Van Pelt takes a few pages to discuss the history and rational for the varied ways the OT books have been ordered. Many Christians are not aware that there is more than one way the books of the Old Testament have been ordered depending on the text being used. In his chapter The Twelve, Daniel C. Timmer discusses the varied ways in which the minor prophets have been ordered. For some very enlightening discussion on why Proverbs, Ruth, and Song of Songs are in that order see Van Pelt’s chapter Song of Songs (419-20).
Finally, these books are highly accessible to the average Christian who knows their Bible fairly well and provide great content for pastors and teachers to help their congregations go deep into the text. Though the contributors are scholars, most of whom are ordained ministers and many of whom have pastoral experience, their scholarly experience has not prohibited them from producing a highly readable and accessible text. Their diversity of education and ministry experience is brought into these books and makes them that much better. This will probably be the standard biblical-theological introduction to the Bible from a Reformed perspective (or from any perspective for that matter) for years to come.
I cannot recommend A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament and A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament enough. These are solid, conservative, theological, biblical, and informed books that will help Christians better understand the broader message(s) of the Bible (Christ, kingdom, unity) as well as the many sub themes that play out in the text.
These are two books that should be standard texts for pastors and teachers and any Christian who desires to know the Bible better.
I received this book for free from Crossway 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.”
It is around these three themes that A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament: The Gospel Promised and A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament: The Gospel Realized have been written (Crossway, 2016). These two books are the product of professors, past and present, at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi and are edited by Miles V. Van Pelt (OT) and Michael J. Kruger (NT).
In short, these two volumes provide lay Christians, seminary students, and pastors with possibly the best biblical and theological introduction to all 66 books of the Bible from a decidedly Reformed perspective. There are several reasons why these books ought to be on your shelf.
First, these books accomplish the goal of presenting the overall biblical messages of Christ and his kingdom through the unity of Scripture. The authors do not take the higher critical road by fragmenting and juxtaposing the books of the Bible to each other. Rather, they see Scripture, as it presents itself; a unified whole with each book contributing to the overall themes, namely, Christ and kingdom. There is unity in the diversity. As Miles Van Pelt states in the preface to the Old Testament volume
Our goal is not to dismantle the Scriptures into as many unrelated parts as possible but rather to show how the vast, eclectic diversity of the Scriptures has been woven together by a single, divine author over the course of a millennium as the covenantal testimony to the person and word of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit according to the eternal decree of God the Father. (13, BTIOT).
Michael J. Kruger says as much in his introduction to the New Testament volume
Because God is the ultimate author of the New Testament writings, the distinctive theologies of individual books and the overall theology of the New Testament are fully harmonious. (23, BTINT)
Second, tying the themes of Christ and unity together, these books focus mainly (though not to the exclusion of traditional systematic theology categories) on the redemptive-historical nature of Scripture. If there were no unity to the books of the Bible we would be hard pressed to find overarching themes and a redemptive-historical focus might be impossible to argue. Much like reading the Bible straight through itself, reading these two volumes straight through will give the reader an amazing grasp on every book of the Bible in terms of its overall content, biblical context, and theological focus. If you need to read another book in order to be convinced of the redemptive-historical narrative of Scripture then this is one to get.
Third, tied to the second feature, each book is presented in its biblical-theological context. While some contributors do more or less than others on which aspect they focus more on, each chapter discusses how each book of the Bible fits into the overall message of Scripture (biblical) and what each book of the Bible uniquely contributes theologically (theological). This combination gives the reader a more balanced and broad understanding of each book of the Bible.
Fourth, as it relates to the Old Testament, they have taken the position to present the books in the order as they appear in final form in the Hebrew Bible. Van Pelt takes a few pages to discuss the history and rational for the varied ways the OT books have been ordered. Many Christians are not aware that there is more than one way the books of the Old Testament have been ordered depending on the text being used. In his chapter The Twelve, Daniel C. Timmer discusses the varied ways in which the minor prophets have been ordered. For some very enlightening discussion on why Proverbs, Ruth, and Song of Songs are in that order see Van Pelt’s chapter Song of Songs (419-20).
Finally, these books are highly accessible to the average Christian who knows their Bible fairly well and provide great content for pastors and teachers to help their congregations go deep into the text. Though the contributors are scholars, most of whom are ordained ministers and many of whom have pastoral experience, their scholarly experience has not prohibited them from producing a highly readable and accessible text. Their diversity of education and ministry experience is brought into these books and makes them that much better. This will probably be the standard biblical-theological introduction to the Bible from a Reformed perspective (or from any perspective for that matter) for years to come.
I cannot recommend A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament and A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament enough. These are solid, conservative, theological, biblical, and informed books that will help Christians better understand the broader message(s) of the Bible (Christ, kingdom, unity) as well as the many sub themes that play out in the text.
These are two books that should be standard texts for pastors and teachers and any Christian who desires to know the Bible better.
I received this book for free from Crossway 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.”
April 6, 2021
This book of introductions is a contributing work by several different authors. As always, this means that some chapters will be good and other not so good. After having read all the introductions in this book, I can say fairly, two of the introductions were very good (Revelation and 1 Timothy), 5 were good (John, Luke, Acts, 1 Peter, Jude), and the others were lukewarm to entire waste of my 4 score life never to be returned to me. I would estimate that only 100 of the 550 pages of this book's biblical introductions were worth reading. Overall, I felt it to be a pretty big waste of time, but it was my new year resolution to read this book in hopes of usefulness, and I can at least said I did it.
June 17, 2020
Part two of A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament: The Gospel Promised. Very similar to the first book, with some slight differences: 1) it's slightly less organized into a coherent whole, as there's not as much of an introduction; 2) it's far more distinctly Reformed in its outlook; 3) it devotes more time to each book; and 4) is drier than first book, unfortunately. Still a good reference, though.
January 23, 2018
A wonderful introduction to the New Testament. Far less technical than many of them but with enough background to be well versed in some of the scholarly discussions. I appreciated the emphasis on providing information necessary to preach through each NT book. Easy to read and well written. Most, if not all contributing authors, are professors at various RTS campuses which gives it the potential shortcoming of not being a very diverse lot of scholars.
May 29, 2019
This book introduces readers to all of the New Testament books through a biblical-theological lens. It is not light reading, but the writing is good, the theology is biblical and soundly reasoned. Each chapter is short enough not to lose your attention and packed with enough information to give good background for those who want to study the Bible more deeply.
December 12, 2022
Straight down the fairway reformed view of the New Testament. Reasonably well researched with citations to further reading. Some chapters easier to read than others. All in a very helpful review of the new testament from a reformed perspective.
November 19, 2018
Highly recommended.
September 22, 2024
The most pastor friendly introduction to the NT. (The introduction comes from a Presbyterian perspective)
October 6, 2016
I have owned or own numerous single volume or collected sets of introductions to the Bible. Some have been quite helpful in my studies, personal or academic, and others have been shall we say a bit lackluster and somewhat disappointing. Given the plethora of biblical introduction style commentaries that have made their way in and out of the market, I am always interested to see what a new addition has to offer, if anything, to the discussion.
Recently, two such additions made their way to the new release offerings and I figured why not take a look. These new releases are A Biblical-Theological Introduction the Old Testament and A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament edited by Miles Van Pelt and Michael Kruger respectively with contributions from numerous heavyweights in Old and New Testament scholarship. With an admitted bit of skepticism which I typically have with books of this type, I dug into the material. Let me just say my original attitude of skepticism was very quickly replaced with appreciation for the excellent work provided by the contributors.
For starters, these are not minor contributions to the biblical introduction category of study. At over 1200 pages combined, they contain serious scholarship. Now mind you mere size does not determine the quality of scholarship as an author or editor can include a lot of fluff, big words, and concepts that are of no use or that are quite frankly wholly incorrect. One will not find useless fluff and incorrect biblical theology in these efforts. This is serious, quality, purposeful, and important biblical scholarship.
Additionally, these are gospel focused texts. I realize the term “gospel-(insert word)” is a popular title these days and is often just that, namely just a set of words that carries little if any meaning. When I state these texts are gospel focused, it means they actually use as a start and end point the message of the gospel as expressed in the front and back halves of Scripture.
An example of the focus on the gospel found in these helpful biblical introductions and more specifically the reality that the core message of Scripture is the promise, coming, and future return of or Redeemer can be observed in the introduction of the Old Testament volume:
“Jesus is the theological center of the Old Testament. This means that the person and work of Jesus as presented in the New Testament (including his birth, life, teachings, death, resurrection, ascension, and return) constitute the singular reality that unifies and explains everything that appears in the Old Testament.”
Far too often the Old Testament is skimmed over in an effort to skip right to the Gospels or writings of Paul. Without establishing the foundation found in the front of Scripture and recognizing the connectedness of the whole of Scripture as it relays the message of redemption, understanding Scripture’s coherent and unified message will be difficult if not impossible. The contributors do not fall prey to the temptation to spit apart as unrelated the Old and New Testament texts. Conversely, they aptly outline for the reader a sound biblical, gospel-centric approach.
Each book of the Bible is engaged with the all-important elements of background information, authorship, literary analysis, structure and outline, message and theology, with any relevant major themes of each book receiving in-depth discussion. Something I am always appreciative of are helpful bibliographies. Okay….call me a book nerd, but I am a stickler for authors both referencing the work of other scholars and providing helpful tools for further study. At the end of each book of the Bible that is engaged in these volumes the reader will find a great list of resources. Also provided are some very interesting appendices that discuss anything from Daniel’s 70 weeks to New Testament Textual Criticism.
To put it simply, these are excellent works that I encourage not just seminary students and pastors to consider purchasing. It would be a shame if these books only found their way to the shelves of the academic minded individuals. They are truly useful for the average laymen as well in their study of Scripture. In fact, I recommend splurging a little and purchasing both volumes as a set. You will not be disappointed and I submit you will greatly appreciate the amount of sound scholarship provided and more importantly, I am confident you will grow in your knowledge of Scripture and in your relationship with God as a result using these helpful tools as part of your Bible study repertoire.
I received these books for free from Crossway Books 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.”
Recently, two such additions made their way to the new release offerings and I figured why not take a look. These new releases are A Biblical-Theological Introduction the Old Testament and A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament edited by Miles Van Pelt and Michael Kruger respectively with contributions from numerous heavyweights in Old and New Testament scholarship. With an admitted bit of skepticism which I typically have with books of this type, I dug into the material. Let me just say my original attitude of skepticism was very quickly replaced with appreciation for the excellent work provided by the contributors.
For starters, these are not minor contributions to the biblical introduction category of study. At over 1200 pages combined, they contain serious scholarship. Now mind you mere size does not determine the quality of scholarship as an author or editor can include a lot of fluff, big words, and concepts that are of no use or that are quite frankly wholly incorrect. One will not find useless fluff and incorrect biblical theology in these efforts. This is serious, quality, purposeful, and important biblical scholarship.
Additionally, these are gospel focused texts. I realize the term “gospel-(insert word)” is a popular title these days and is often just that, namely just a set of words that carries little if any meaning. When I state these texts are gospel focused, it means they actually use as a start and end point the message of the gospel as expressed in the front and back halves of Scripture.
An example of the focus on the gospel found in these helpful biblical introductions and more specifically the reality that the core message of Scripture is the promise, coming, and future return of or Redeemer can be observed in the introduction of the Old Testament volume:
“Jesus is the theological center of the Old Testament. This means that the person and work of Jesus as presented in the New Testament (including his birth, life, teachings, death, resurrection, ascension, and return) constitute the singular reality that unifies and explains everything that appears in the Old Testament.”
Far too often the Old Testament is skimmed over in an effort to skip right to the Gospels or writings of Paul. Without establishing the foundation found in the front of Scripture and recognizing the connectedness of the whole of Scripture as it relays the message of redemption, understanding Scripture’s coherent and unified message will be difficult if not impossible. The contributors do not fall prey to the temptation to spit apart as unrelated the Old and New Testament texts. Conversely, they aptly outline for the reader a sound biblical, gospel-centric approach.
Each book of the Bible is engaged with the all-important elements of background information, authorship, literary analysis, structure and outline, message and theology, with any relevant major themes of each book receiving in-depth discussion. Something I am always appreciative of are helpful bibliographies. Okay….call me a book nerd, but I am a stickler for authors both referencing the work of other scholars and providing helpful tools for further study. At the end of each book of the Bible that is engaged in these volumes the reader will find a great list of resources. Also provided are some very interesting appendices that discuss anything from Daniel’s 70 weeks to New Testament Textual Criticism.
To put it simply, these are excellent works that I encourage not just seminary students and pastors to consider purchasing. It would be a shame if these books only found their way to the shelves of the academic minded individuals. They are truly useful for the average laymen as well in their study of Scripture. In fact, I recommend splurging a little and purchasing both volumes as a set. You will not be disappointed and I submit you will greatly appreciate the amount of sound scholarship provided and more importantly, I am confident you will grow in your knowledge of Scripture and in your relationship with God as a result using these helpful tools as part of your Bible study repertoire.
I received these books for free from Crossway Books 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 8, 2016
A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament
Edited by Michael J. Kruger, Foreword by J. Ligon Duncan III, Contributions by William B. Barcley, Robert J. Cara, Benjamin Gladd, Charles E. Hill, Reggie M. Kidd, Simon J. Kistemaker, Bruce A. Lowe,Guy Prentiss Waters, Michael J. Kruger
Published by Crossway
2016
Rating: 5/5
Are you interested in learning more about the New Testament?
Do you have difficulty understanding the context of Paul's letters?
This book will help you to know much better the New Testament, it is a "theological mine" in which you find great treasures for your Bible study.
Written by scholars of Scripture in a very accessible language.
For the study of each book, we find in the book the following structure:
1. Introduction
2. Background Issues: Authorship, Date, Audience.
3.Structure and Outline
4. Message and Theology
This book is a gem, every student of Scripture should have. A practical, robust and accurate approach to Scripture.
Personally, this book is one that I have very close for my studies.
Edited by Michael J. Kruger, Foreword by J. Ligon Duncan III, Contributions by William B. Barcley, Robert J. Cara, Benjamin Gladd, Charles E. Hill, Reggie M. Kidd, Simon J. Kistemaker, Bruce A. Lowe,Guy Prentiss Waters, Michael J. Kruger
Published by Crossway
2016
Rating: 5/5
Are you interested in learning more about the New Testament?
Do you have difficulty understanding the context of Paul's letters?
This book will help you to know much better the New Testament, it is a "theological mine" in which you find great treasures for your Bible study.
Written by scholars of Scripture in a very accessible language.
For the study of each book, we find in the book the following structure:
1. Introduction
2. Background Issues: Authorship, Date, Audience.
3.Structure and Outline
4. Message and Theology
This book is a gem, every student of Scripture should have. A practical, robust and accurate approach to Scripture.
Personally, this book is one that I have very close for my studies.
November 12, 2023
This is a must read resource if you are in the ministry. Even if you aren't, it is such a valuable resource to have as you study the bible for your whole life. This book (along with the Old Testament companion) will introduce you to the overarching themes in each New Testament book. It will introduce you to any "critical" issues with the book so you are not unaware of them. And it will give you solid, reformed, and orthodox teaching on each New Testament book. I personally use this resource every single time I prepare a sermon to get acquainted with all of the introductory matters, the structure of the book, and also any "critical" issues I should look into more.
August 27, 2025
Provides a very helpful framework for looking at the books of the NT, particularly from a biblical and theological framework.
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