On the New Testament (Book You'll Actually Read) [Paperback]

Mark Driscoll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 2008 | Series: Book You'll Actually Read

Packed with big truth, this little book on the New Testament canbe read in roughly one hour, making it a book you'll actually read.Mark Driscoll, one of America's most influential pastors, answersthe nine most common questions about the New Testament-questionsabout authorship, different translations, trustworthiness of theScriptures, and more-and gives an overview of the various kinds ofNew Testament literature. Two appendices include a comprehensivelist of further resources and a checklist for reading through theentire New Testament.

On the New Testament is part of a series ofinexpensive and accessible books that give clear, biblical answersto difficult theological questions and controversies. Through thisseries readers will get a solid and simple introduction to theBible by investing just a little time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Mark has a gift of taking weighty ideas and expressing them in clear and lively language.”
Bruce A. Ware, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Serious, informed, reverent, but not technical discussions of great themes.”
D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“Simply and superbly written! Mark Driscoll has given us tools that can be placed in the hands of a skeptic or seeker, a new believer or mature saint.”
Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

“These accessible books will encourage believers to see that theology is not an afterthought in the mission of God and the life of his church.”
Ed Stetzer, Director of LifeWay Research

“These books are well worth an hour of your time.”
Craig Groeschel, Founding Pastor of LifeChurch.tv and author of Confessions of a Pastor

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Review

"Mark has a gift of taking weighty ideas and expressing them in clear and lively language."
—Bruce A. Ware, Professor of Christian Theology, Senior Associate Dean, School of Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

"Serious, informed, reverent, but not technical discussions of great themes."
—D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

"Simply and superbly written! Mark Driscoll has given us tools that can be placed in the hands of a skeptic or seeker, a new believer or mature saint."
—Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

"These accessible books will encourage believers to see that theology is not an afterthought in the mission of God and the life of his church."
—Ed Stetzer, President, LifeWay Research; contributing editor, Christianity Today

"These books are well worth an hour of your time."
—Craig Groeschel, Senior Pastor, LifeChurch.tv; author, WEIRD: Because Normal Isn't Working

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: Crossway Books (June 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433501341
• ISBN-13: 978-1433501340
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Reference > Commentaries

More About the Author

Pastor Mark Driscoll is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington and is one of the world's most-downloaded and quoted pastors. His audience--fans and critics alike--spans the theological and cultural left and right. He was also named one of the "25 Most Influential Pastors of the Past 25 Years" by Preaching magazine, and his sermons are consistently #1 on iTunes each week for Religion & Spirituality with over 10 million of downloads each year.

Pastor Mark received a B.A. in Speech Communication from the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University, and he holds a masters degree in Exegetical Theology from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of fifteen books.

In 1996, at the age of twenty-five, Pastor Mark and his wife, Grace, with the vision to make disciples of Jesus and plant churches, started a small Bible study at their home in Seattle, which at the time was the least churched city in America. Since that time, by God's grace, the church has exploded with upwards of nineteen thousand people meeting across thirteen locations in four states (Washington, Oregon, California, and New Mexico). Mars Hill has been recognized as the 54th largest, 30th fastest-growing, and 2nd most-innovative church in America by Outreach magazine.

Pastor Mark is the co-founder of the Acts 29 Network, which has planted over 400 churches in the US, in addition to thirteen other nations. He founded the Resurgence, which receives close to six million visits annually and services Christian leaders through books, blogs, conferences, and classes. And he is co-founder of Churches Helping Churches with Pastor James MacDonald, which raised over $2.7 million to help rebuild churches in Haiti and empower them minister and provide aide to the Haitian community, and helped deliver $1.7 million in medical supplies to the devastated country.

With a skillful mix of bold presentation, clear biblical teaching, and compassion for those who are hurting the most--in particular, women who are victims of sexual and physical abuse and assault--Driscoll has taken biblical Christianity into cultural corners previously unexplored by evangelicals. In the same year that he spoke at a Gospel Coalition conference with notable contemporary theologians like John Piper and Tim Keller, he also discussed biblical sexuality as a guest on Loveline with Dr. Drew, was featured on Nightline, and preached for Rick Warren at Saddleback Community Church.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Accomplishes its purpose well, November 14, 2008

By 

J. Brian Kiley "livegenerously.wordpress.com" (Oceanside, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On the New Testament (Book You'll Actually Read) (Paperback)

I really appreciated this book.

I got it in the mail on Friday, and was easily able to read it in about an hour. As I was reading I kept thinking about how much I would love to get this book into the hands of members of my church.

As is probably obvious by the book's title and size, it is a very brief introduction to the New Testament. Driscoll started the book by answering nine basic common questions people have about the New Testament ranging from "How were the New Testament books chosen as Scripture?" to "How did Jesus interact with Scripture?" He provides all sorts of basic information that I could see being extremely helpful for someone who was first trying to get a handle on what the New Testament actually is. Chapter two provides basic instruction on how to read the New Testament. He discusses the different genres present among the 27 books hat make up the New Testament, and he offers a brief summary of each individual book. There are also some helpful charts and graphs sprinkled throughout the book.

The book ends with two appendices, one on building a theological library and the other a New Testament reading checklist. He recommends a number of good volumes on all sorts of theological topics that will be helpful for anyone desiring to become a more serious student of the Bible. The books he recommends are quite conservative, but I personally always feel more comfortable erring on the side of conservatism when it comes to pointing would-be Bible students to resources. I appreciate that fact that Driscoll makes it clear that becoming a student of Scripture is going to require the commitment of considerable time and resources. No one develops a deep knowledge of and love for the Bible on accident. Driscoll does, however, provide URL's for a number of excellent free online resources that will be of some help for those strapped for cash.

In sum, this is a great book to introduce people to the New Testament (particularly if they have a short attention span). I gave the book four stars out of five because it would have been nice to see a little bit more detail about how to read and interpret Scripture, but even as I say that I realize this was meant to be a brief introduction. Mark Driscoll and Crossway have done the Church a great service by producing this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Short, introductory, and useful. Good expectations make for a good read., February 27, 2009

By 

Brett D. McLaughlin (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: On the New Testament (Book You'll Actually Read) (Paperback)

This book, along with its Old Testament companion, are incredibly short reads, and nobody's going to mistake you for a Bible scholar after you've read them. That said, there's a lot of value in them. You'll get a quick overview of both testaments, including their history canonization, and themes. You'll also get a concise breakdown of authorship and major focus on a book-by-book basis. So in an hour or two, you can have a good understanding of the starting point for further Biblical study.

And if you go into these books with that expectation -- that they are in fact a starting place -- then you'll leave them pleased. As I've mentioned in my review of the Old Testament book, you'll get your money's worth purely from the recommended reading list, which is large, thorough, and well-explained.

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly concise book on the New Testament, February 5, 2011

By 

Keoki - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: On the New Testament (Book You'll Actually Read) (Paperback)

Quick read that is jam-packed with the essential points of the New Testament. The "Building a Theological Library" appendix at the end is full of what seems to be great suggestions for further study.

On the Old Testament (A Book You'll Actually Read)