Handbook on the Gospels: (An Accessible Bible Study Resource with Summaries of Each Major Section of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)

by Benjamin L. Gladd

A leading New Testament scholar provides an easy-to-navigate resource for studying and understanding the Gospels. Written with classroom utility and pastoral application in mind, this accessibly written volume summarizes the content of each major section of the biblical text to help students, pastors, and laypeople quickly grasp the sense of particular passages. The series, modeled after Baker Academic's successful Old Testament Handbook series, focuses primarily on the content of the biblical books without getting bogged down in historical-critical questions or detailed verse-by-verse exegesis. The book covers all four Gospels and explores each major passage, showing how Jesus is the central figure of each plot. It also unpacks how the Old Testament informs the Gospels.

464 pages, Hardcover

Published June 1, 2021

About the author

Benjamin L. Gladd (PhD, Wheaton College) is professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi.

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating one's own professor's work can indeed be challenging. Initially, I found it difficult to determine where this book would fit within my ministry library.

After consulting with fellow students, one suggested its utility as a reference for Old Testament connections in the New Testament, which I concurred made the most sense.

Overall, while not overly technical, the book primarily presents Gladd's class notes on the Gospels. While the flow of thought is generally discernible, some conclusions appear less refined than others.

This work serves best as a supplementary resource, complementing commentaries, sermon series, lecture materials, or as a classroom textbook (as was my case). While it can stand alone to some extent, its depth may not be as substantial.

Nevertheless, Gladd's expertise in Old Testament connections within the New Testament remains evident throughout the text.

[Nick Roark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

[Christian Everhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to read for class, but thankful for it. Would recommend

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for class. Good textbook to read alongside Scripture. A few too many exclamation points for an academic text.

[Parker James Lipetska · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5 stars) I haven’t finished this book yet, but if there was one book I could make pastors read, it would be this book. So much of modern preaching completely or at least mostly ignores the context of the broader passage in which their passage resides. (As if we could jump right into the Bill of Rights without pointing out that it is intimately connected to the Constitution!?!)

Mr. Gladd does nothing more than point out broader contexts of individual passages and in my opinion this gives so much more depth and richness to each individual passage. Why does Mark put the story of the admittance of children into the kingdom of God right next to the story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10? What was he trying to get his readers to consider about themselves? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.

I finished the book and I still feel the same way about it. It's an excellent tool as you study through or in the gospels to connect everything together. What were John's seven witnesses to Christ? How many times did Christ appear to the disciples after his resurrection? Why does John choose that particular number? What does John 21 have to do with the feeding of the 5,000? Mr. Gladd suggests answers to all these questions.

If I have one criticism of the book, it would be that Mr. Gladd sometimes makes connections where there either aren't any, or they are tenuous at best, but you'll have to decide for yourself whether that particular connection is a valid one.