NTI Reading and Resources

Here are some New Testament Introduction (NTI) resources that we use at DTS. NTI is more than just a survey of the books of the New Testament. Here we will introduce the historical background of the New Testament and begin to discuss some of the critical issues surrounding the New Testament. 

Due to the nature of the topic, there is a lot of reading. The topics range from historical background to critical method. Consider these reading tips as you wade into this material.


1. Darrell Bock, Studying the Historical Jesus: A Guide to Sources and Methods (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002).

This is a great reference book. The first half addresses background issues such as a historical outline, a religious overview, and a look at the various social groups within the first century. The second half of the book briefly addresses the various types of Gospel criticism. Here Bock gives a concise definition and evaluates both the benefits and drawbacks for each criticism.

I have referred to this book regularly throughout my masters program, doctoral program, and now regularly as I write. I would highly recommend it to your bookcase.


2. D. A. Carson and Douglass Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005).

I would recommend that students have a NT Introduction in their library. And this is a good one to consider. Carson and Moo address the general and specific problems of each New Testament book. They discuss general issues such as who wrote each book and when it was written, but also particular problems such as the relationship of the Synoptic Gospels or Paul’s relationship to the law. You’ll refer to this book regularly throughout your studies.

Donald Guthrie’s Introduction, a suggested text, is probably more thorough, but significantly longer. Both Carson/Moo and Guthrie are conservative in their perspective. Bart Ehrman’s Introduction, another suggested text, gives a liberal perspective. Kümmel’s Introduction, not on the syllabus, is another good introduction from a liberal perspective.


3. Paul Barnett, Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity: A History of New Testament Times (Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1999).

Barnett provides more of a historical overview of the period of the New Testament. He focuses on the history of the church within the apostolic period, particularly the missionary movement of Paul and other members of the apostolic church. This is an excellent book focusing on a short period of time.

F. F. Bruce wrote a good historical overview as well. Unlike Barnett, Bruce covers the Jewish history from the Babylonian exile, which plays a significant role in the lives of the Jews during the time of Jesus.

4. Bruce W. Longenecker, The Lost Letters of Pergamum: A Story from the New Testament World (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003).

The Lost Letters of Pergamum is a fictional depiction of letters between Luke, the Evangelist, and man named Antipas. Through these letters you can catch a glimpse at some of the social make-up of the first century culture. Longenecker describes issues such as honor and shame, table fellowship, wealth, slavery, and martyrdom through these letters.

As a result of the dialogue with Luke, Antipas becomes a part of a Christian community, which gives a picture of how these early Christian communities most likely addressed the surrounding culture. It’s a fun read.

5. Michael B. Thompson, The New Perspective on Paul (Cambridge: Grove Books, 2010).

This small volume is about 30 pages in length. Thompson does a great job discussing the various proponents of the New Perspective and how they differ in degree. He discusses the historical implications as well as the theological implications. This is a handy volume to help guide a new student into this issue. Due to its length, you might be able to read it in a single setting in the library.

There are several other resources that could be added to the list, but this is where we draw the line.

The Lord's Prayer: Some Observations

The Lord’s prayer stands as the most important prayer in the West. In Matthew Jesus states that we should not pray “as the Gentile, because they think that in their many words they will be heard.” In Luke, Jesus seems to encourage us to pray with an annoying persistence. The change in context does not change the meaning, but gives depth and texture to how we ought to present our requests to God.

Matthew

Matthew situates the prayer in a part of the Sermon of the Mount. Here Jesus focuses on our righteousness as we relate to God. First, Jesus states that when give, pray, fast, that we should do it in private. This theme runs throughout this section (Matt 6:1-18). Second, Jesus sums up the heart of the sermon by stating that we should store up our treasures in heaven (Matt 6:19-21) and give our concerns to God, who knows what we need anyway (Matt 6:25-34).

Here Jesus reiterates the fact that all good gifts come from God, we don’t have to manipulate him into providing for us. We need to exercise our faith and believe that he will provide for us when we need provision. We can live thankfully as we remember the times that he provided for us in the past.

Luke

Unlike Matthew, Luke omits the prayer from the Sermon (Luke 6:20-49). Luke places it later (Luke 11:2b-4). Here Jesus gives a parables that teaches us to ask for what we need with shameless persistence. The parable tells a story of a man, who is surprised by guests that stop by his house. He doesn't have anything to provide for these late night guests, so he goes to his neighbor. Jesus suggests that the neighbor will not want to provide food for his friend. After showing persistence, the neighbor finally gives the man bread (Luke 11:8). 

From a Western perspective, this seems to contradict what Matthew says--don’t pile up words to get God to do what we want. Yet in Luke, I imagine a man standing at the door knocking until the man gives him what he wants. The images are in conflict.

Luke describes the man as action without care of what others think of him, “ignoring convention.” In a first century Jewish context, it would have been offensive for the man not to offer his guests food after the journey. The only way that he can get the food he needs is to humble himself before his neighbor. He gets the bread by making himself a spectacle before his neighbor. The neighbor provides for him to save him from further embarrassment. 

We should approach God in the same way--realizing that everything we receive from him is based on sheer grace, not on anything within us.

Relating to God

On a surface level Matthew and Luke seem to draw two different pictures. Matthew says to avoid many words and believe in God. Luke says that we should demonstrate a shameless persistence in our prayer life. On a deeper level, these seem to be two sides of the same coin. Matthew focuses on how we should view God. He’s faithful; he will provide for us. Luke focuses on how we should present ourselves to God, as one who is contrite and dependent on God, realizing that there is nothing we can do to evoke his grace.

Four Common Mistakes in Writing a Term Paper

In a time crunch students can fall victim to some of the more classic blunders in writing a paper. Below are some of the mistakes that I've made.

1. Mismanage your time. Many students procrastinate in writing. They’re unsure about the project, or what’s entailed. When I was a student, I found that I could quickly push writing off to another day. Even though I enjoyed the process, any other project could easily take its place.

You want to start the writing process as early as you can. The truth of the matter is that once you begin a writing project, your mind won’t stop working on it. Even when you step away, you will think about it passively. Carry a journal and jot down notes when you think about a particular resource or idea. The best ideas hit me at the most inconvenient times; you need to have some type of device to capture these thoughts. The more soak time that you put into a paper, the better product you’ll have. Of course, don't underestimate the power of a deadline.

Some students find themselves writing at the last moment. If this is the case, take inventory of the time you have and allocate the project on a timeline. Stick to the time allocation. And remember, sleep is overrated.

2. Reinvent the wheel. As a student I fell victim to the first mistake and guilt from procrastination kept me from going to the professor to ask for help. When I finally did approach the professor it was often too late.

Most papers in higher education or seminary are template style papers. Your professor has read the same paper over and over again. They have seen successful papers and they’re aware of common mistakes that take students in the wrong direction. 

I’m also willing to bet that they want to help you write a good paper--they have to read it. Chances are the paper deals with a topic that they themselves are interested, and they wouldn't mind a coffee break. Don't be afraid to talk with your professor about your paper topic. The dialogue that you have with your professor will give you a better sense of direction for your paper.  

3. Start writing without a thesis. I have read papers that sound like conscious streams of thought. Good students can generally bluff their way through a few pages. Though without a good thesis it will fall flat.

A thesis will help guide your paper. Everything in your paper should support your thesis. If you can’t make a clear connection between your thesis and what you’re writing, then your grader won’t be able to make it either. Seriously consider deleting it.

Here are some tips on developing a strong thesis. The thesis is only about thirty words, but its probably the most important part of your paper. You should carefully craft it. Having a strong thesis will help you write much faster and more efficiently.

4. Consider your first draft as your final draft. After you have spent several days, several weeks, an all nighter on particular issue, you may not feel like reviewing what you just wrote. Its only going to a grader, right?

Its best to put the paper down for a day or two and review it later. Your mind is more objective. The connections that were clear as you formed the argument may need to be tightened up a bit. You may consider a writing group where you can exchange papers with a friend to read.

Typos, grammatical errors, logical errors will get in the way of your argument. It will cause most graders to miss the forest because they have to focus on the errors of the individual trees. You’ll always have mistakes, but make the paper as clean as you can.

When I was in school and I anticipated an all-nighter, I would adjust my schedule so that I pulled the all-nighter a few days prior to the due date. This at least created some time that I could review the paper after getting some sleep.
What are some steps that you might have taken to make the writing process more successful? What mistakes are you finding that you are making this semester, that you’ll vow to correct in the spring?