Lesson 5: Other Valuable Resources
Introductions and Surveys
A “survey” or “introduction” is just that: a basic introduction to the books of the Old and New Testaments. (Introductions aimed at an undergraduate audience are called “surveys,” while “introductions” are aimed at a graduate audience.)
An introduction will discuss in detail the authorship, audience, historical background, goals, and more about each biblical book. Some emphasize different disciplines of study, such as exegesis, rhetorical criticism, or cultural background. Some are meant for novice believers, and others for post-graduate students.
An introduction is a far more exhaustive resource than a study Bible, and will benefit you in two ways:
As a comprehensive education in historical context
If you read through an introduction, you will become far more aware of the issues of historical context for each book of the Bible. That’s because introductions don’t delve deeply into the exegesis of a text, but rather its historical context. (We learned how to study this in Lesson 3.) So I recommend you read your way through an introduction if you’ve never done so.
As a map for each book of the Bible
If you want to get to know a book of the Bible intimately, you should first read it through and analyze it carefully yourself, and then read about it in an introduction. (A fitting third step is to read a commentary on the book.) That’s because an introduction is like a collection of maps, showing you the basic formation of each book, warning you about pitfalls, and displaying an overview of the themes. They are like maps that show a whole city on a single page, or—to switch metaphors—that show the “forest” and not the “trees.”
Top Resources
I’ve included one survey and one introduction for each testament.
