If you’re looking at going into bible college or similar study, wanting to develop in your study of the Bible, or starting in ministry and wanting to look at some contentious issues in the study of the New Testament, then go no further. This is a brilliant book as an introduction to these issues. For those concerned about this being an introduction to the fights between denominations, then may those fears be assuaged. There are two, maybe three (if you consider interpretation of Revelation as a denominational issue) debates that could be seen in this light: Women in Ministry and Justification by Faith.
The issues included are helpful for both ministry and theological study. When considering the pervasive nature of some of these issues in commentaries, reading the chapters on issues that may seem more suited to an academic audience, for example the Synoptic Problem, can assist ministers to engage with their libraries in sermon or small group preparation. Gupta’s prose is easy to read even without any previous study of the Bible, which makes this book a joy to read. Especially helpful for those entering theological study, Gupta includes a graded bibliography at the conclusion of each chapter identifying resources that may be helpful for further study, graded according to their difficulty so that new students don’t attempt reading books that discourage them from continuing.
This book should be in every theological library and read by each student of the Bible beginning study especially considering the conciseness of and ease of understanding the text.
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