Gordon Fee is a noted New Testament scholar, having published several books and articles in his field of specialization, New Testament textual criticism. He also published a textbook on New Testament interpretation, co-authored two books for lay people on biblical interpretation, as well as scholarly-popular commentaries on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus and on Galatians, and major commentaries on 1 Corinthians and Philippians. He is also the author of a major work on the Holy Spirit and the Person of Christ in the letters of Paul. The historical context includes the occasion and purpose of each book. The information can often be found within the book itself. You can then confirm your findings with a Bible dictionary or the introduction to a good commentary. Literary context I bought this book because it was the required reading for a twelve-week course I was enrolled in, and even though my reading felt like a race to the finish toward the end of the course, I’m so glad to have it in my possession. This book seems to cover it all, and then some.

Gordon Fee currently serves as the general editor of the New International Commentary series, as well as on the NIV revision committee that produced the TNIV. Besides his ability as a biblical scholar, he is a noted teacher and conference speaker. He has given the Staley Distinguished Christian Scholar lectures on fifteen college campuses as well as the annual NT lectures at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, North Park Seminary, the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, the Canadian Theological Seminary, Duke Divinity School, Golden Gate Baptist, Anderson School of Theology, Asbury Seminary, and Chrichton College. An ordained minister with the Assemblies of God, Gordon Fee is well known for his manifest concern for the renewal of the church. Understanding the Bible isn’t for the few, the gifted, the scholarly. The Bible is accessible. It’s meant to be read and comprehended by everyone from armchair readers to seminary students. A few essential insights into the Bible can clear up a lot of misconceptions and help you grasp the meaning of Scripture and its application to your 21st-century life.This was recommended by a professor from one of my classes, so I took him up on it and decided to give it a shot. Considering how much has been written on any given book of the Bible, can such a short book cover the subject of biblical study fairly? The authors actually do a superb job of covering the “basics” of reading the Bible. Their explanations are concise, provide examples and is, usually, easy to follow. The fact that the book is so comprehensive while so pithy is certainly a testament to the writers’ expertise. Regarding the authors of the book, Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart both write in an easy to follow manner. Though the use of many specialized terms might scare the layperson reader, both authors make sure to explain the meaning of said terms in a manner for all readers to comprehend. While the Bible is one book with one main message — God saving sinners for His own eternal glory — each of its 66 books was written by specific authors in specific time periods for specific audiences and purposes. Yes, the Bible is God-breathed and inerrant, but one of the most important ways to comprehend it is to comprehend the human authors’ writing style, context, and purpose.

And, of course, it makes sense that their rule would be too restrictive because the Holy Spirit is the true author of all of Scripture. He is the one who inspired the OT authors to write, so He certainly could have inspired books that have a level of meaning to their original audiences that take on a new level of meaning IN LIGHT OF THE NT. Because of that, I would suggest an update of their rule for interpretation: "a text cannot mean what it never could have meant to its author or [original] readers, IF they had access to the revelation of Christ in the NT like we do." That is, if the original author knew what we know about Christ, would he have looked at what he wrote and said, "Ah yes, I see it now in the light of Christ." This still keeps good constraints on interpretation because it does not allow us to make the text mean whatever we want, but it also allows for the OT to be read in light of the NT and to see the mysteries God hid there but now fully revealed in Christ (Col. 1:24-29). As B. B. Warfield, the great Princeton theologian, wrote: the OT is like a room full of wonderful furniture but the light is off, but with the NT, the light is turned on. We must interpret the OT in light of the NT; not just within itself.More than half a million people have turned to How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth to inform their reading of the Bible. This third edition features substantial revisions that keep pace with current scholarship, resources, and culture. Changes include: Evangelical Christians often get very nervous about this type of book. They see much that has served to diminish the Bible over the years as coming from the "liberal" religious, academic camps as seeking to diminish what the Bible plainly says.