Another book that was required for a course. Another book that would not otherwise have been purchased. Content was OK. It contained some helpful and insightful information.

The book is an excellent journey into the word of God and will get you pointed in the right direction. Many Christians do not study the word of God in the correct context and this book rectifies a long standing problem in the Evangelical community concerning the interpretation of Scripture. I was concerned about the author's pushing the TNIV as the translation of choice for serious study of the Bible. I would have preferred that they used the NRSV with the TNIV being a strong secondary translation for study. I did appreciate the fact that they encouraged the use of Bible dictonaries and commentaries to study scripture, but I felt that thay should have done a chapter on good study bibles that can aid in understanding the text. I did feel that they interjected their opinions too much in the book and gave us their pet peeves, couched in the language of exegesis and hermeneutics. In the same vein, they did debunk a few misinterpretations on some biblical passages and they allow for healthy dissent. The most important thing is to read the Bible and this book gives a good start.

The title says it all. If you want to read the Bible for all its worth, you, not only read the book, but have to have your own copy. I borrowed the book from the library and started digging into it. There were many valuable Bible verses provided to illustrate and support the important points of the author's view. In order to gain the most from the book, I would need to go through all of these references. Since I did not have the time to do this at one time, I would like to keep a copy on my book shelf. In this case, I would be able to refer to it whenever I need to. So, I decided to purchase my own copy. If you are serious about understanding the Bible, I highly recommend this book to you.

I recommend this book without reservation. I have used it as a university instructor for years. Fee and Stuart, two of the world's foremost biblical scholars, guide the reader into understanding how to appropriately interpret scripture. They do this through many examples of misinterpretion from the original languages of Hebrew and Greek, as well as cultural misunderstandings of the ancient world. Fee and Stuart also guide the reader to understand the various genres of literature represented in scripture and how to read them appropriately. A companion text to "How to Read the Bible Book by Book" they should be tandom resources in every Bible student's personal library.

I want to keep this short. I have a serious problem with this book because of their chapter on differing Bible translations on the market. These authors make no bones about their strong support for and their adoption of (they use this version all throughout their book) the most controversial bible out there: the TNIV which is a bible translation heavily influenced by feminism. They are also fiercely opposed to newer alternative versions that will not cater to cultural feminism such as the ESV, a version in which one can strongly sense their extreme hostility to it in their book. A vastly superior (and unbiased) book is "Grasping God's Word" by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays. I hope this helps you. Again buy the book I mentioned, Grasping God's Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible

I debated for weeks about writing a review for this book. I recognize the need for good scholarship and I do think this book has some. Also with so many sold am I just off base for not giving this book at least 4 stars? Well, I am finally taking the plunge and writing a review.

First, some good. I am reading this book as one of many for a class Bible College. So I do respect scholarship, and this book demonstrates solid methods for understanding the Holy Bible that God gave to us. And they do acknowledge the scriptures as Holy. (Otherwise I would give this book a 1 star). As part of a group of books, this one has value. It adds insight.

Now for the "bad". It adds insight, but at times I have found it an example of what not to do. In fact my lectures point to this book a few times for that very purpose. Why?

Within their chapter on how bible translations are made and the different types, they can't help but defend their favorite type (Dynamic Equivalence) and version (the TNIV) to the point of reminding me how KJV only people defend the "Authorized version". If you read this book only, you will likely become biased also and not get a chance to understand the strengths and reasons for highly regarding other translations. Yes, it is true, I prefer the more formal equivalent type of translation. I would rather see the original and use commentaries or a second bible to help me understand difficult passages instead of an interpretation of the original, trusting they got it right. However, it doesn't bother me if someone else prefers Dynamic Equivalent translations. My point is this - Let me decide based on a description of pro's and con's. Don't treat me like someone that doesn't have enough years of school to be able to understand enough to choose my preference. And that's how I felt treated after reading Fee & Stuart.

The other 3 star review with the highest rating made a good point about how Fee & Stuart couldn't stop promoting their view on cessation. No reason for me to repeat it, read theirs.

Basically, my reaction to this book is this. Reading a book about the Bible is a lot like watching someone else play a video game. You can learn some things but you can't have the experience until you do it yourself. And you can't get good at it until you just dive in. You can't really understand the Bible until you read it - a few times. Fee & Stuart seem to promote the scholarship of how to read the Bible ahead of the ability of the Bible to speak to readers of all abilities. I felt like they were saying until I read their book and maybe even a few others that I should not start reading the Bible for fear I might get something wrong.

That scholarship focus can set up a dangerous mindset that knowledge is the point of the Bible. When actually it is to get out and share the saving grace of Jesus with the world.

Yes study the Bible, but don't forget that studying is just a step, a tool. You must let the Bible be your food as well and then after being strengthened, share it's message, or else the point of the great commission is lost in the mind of the scholar.

The book I like the most in my class is by Virkler, title Hermeneutics. The title isn't as catchy, but it taught me more and made me more confident in my ability to read the Bible for myself - and apply it to my and others lives.

Jesus, Please forgive all my sins and be my Lord. Amen.

Got the book for class, but found it a very good and intellectual book to read and glean from.

This is a very good book and I would recommend it anyone who is a student of the Bible or just wants to learn more about God's Word

Great book for those who want to take their bible study to the next level but don't have a college-level religious education. This book is well written and intelligent as well as readable. Highly recommended.

`How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth' by New Testament professor, Gordon D. Fee and Old Testament professor, Douglas Stuart is a book everyone should read, if their intention in reading the Bible is understanding both the original inspirations and contemporary applications these scriptures. I suggest this book with trepidation, because there are a number of other recent books on the subject which I have not yet read. However, I bring to this my own experiences in teaching adult Bible study classes to the book, and I find great agreement with my own discoveries.
The authors are modest in their thumbnail biographies. Dr. Fee, for one, is not only a well-known professor and author on New Testament studies; he is also the general editor for `The New International Commentary on the New Testament' series, one of the better series of Bible Commentaries, especially for the lay student.
One thing I must point out for the Bible readers who profess one of the more conservative Christian confessions is that `critical' Bible study is not at all antagonistic to one's faith. The authors themselves are superb exemplars of this fact, since both are devout Christians, and have approach the Bible with reverence, accepting it as writings inspired by the Holy Spirit. What one must deal with is the fact that the inspired authors lived in a world 2000 years ago, dealing with many problems which are totally alien to our day, writing in languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) with markedly different ways of saying things than modern English (or modern German, French, Spanish, and Latin for that matter). On top of this, we not only don't have the original writings, what we have is based on a jigsaw puzzle of (by some estimates) over 300,000 documents in Greek, Coptic, Syriac, and Latin, and that's just the New Testament.
Of course, the first subject is on the matter of English translations of the Bible. There may be some surprises here. There were for me. For example, we read here that the venerable King James Version was based only on late medieval texts. These sources were inaccurate and misleading in many places. And, it is not at all surprising that there is no single modern translation the authors recommend. Rather, they recommend that when doing serious study, you consult at least two different translations. Fortunately, there are at least two or three very good modern `functionally equivalent' translations, where the English is crafted to say, as closely as possible, exactly what is `meant' by the source language. This is the translation we typically use. `Formally equivalent' translations such as those you find in interlinear texts, intend to translate literally, word for word. These do not work well for lay study, as there is no effort whatsoever to accommodate the translation of idioms and unusual tenses which have no correlation in natural English. On the other hand, `interpreted' or `free' translations build interpretation into the translation, so we are giving up much of the very task we seek to accomplish by studying the scriptures. Basically, a good translation hides the details of archeological and lexical research which went into creating the modern texts. This leaves two intellectual activities for us.
The first is `exegesis', or determining what it was the scriptural authors were saying to their readers (or, more likely, listeners) of 2000 to 2800 years ago. This requires just a bit of research into historical contexts and the objectives of the authors. For example, Paul's letter to the Romans becomes a bit more understandable if we know when it was written and the fact that the Jews of Rome had been expelled a few years before by the emperor Claudius. For this task, the authors recommend using Bible dictionaries or Encyclopedias, of which there are many.
The second task is hermeneutics, or deciding how to apply the lessons for the ancients to modern problems. For example, in Luke and in other synoptic gospels, there is the pericope of the slave who remains vigilant through the night awaiting his master. Slavery was a fact of life in the ancient world, and Jesus' seeming to condone the practice is simply a reflection of his living as a human in these times. The lesson remains, even when one removes the immoral institution of slavery.
The authors assist us in both tasks by providing separate chapters for each major type of writing in the scriptures. These general types are the NT Epistles, the Gospels, OT narratives, Acts, the Prophets, the Psalms, the Pentateuch, the wisdom writings, and Revelations. There is also a special chapter on New Testament parables, which are often not as straightforward as one may think on first reading. My favorite example here is the parable of the good Samaritan, which works on at least three different levels, two of which are hidden by historical facts about both Samaria and teachings in the Torah. Each author has written the chapters which fall into their specialty, but both authors have contributed to all chapters. And, each chapter ends with general study questions. Since the questions are not about one specific book (except for Acts and Revelations), they are great sources of Bible study direction for a whole year spend on, for example, the Wisdom books, the Psalms, or Paul's letters.
One of the best resources in this book is its critical bibliography. My only complaint about this is that there are so many good commentaries; some will invariably be missed, as with their missing Joseph Fitzmyer's authoritative commentary on Luke. Another minor critical observation is that the book does not give quite enough attention to good study Bibles, especially the HarperCollins Study Bible and the New Oxford Study Bible. And, it may be worth noting that a good second translation by be a literal interlinear translation, with a third being the translation done by the author of the commentary you use. In fact, I would suggest you seek out commentaries with independent translations.

This book is a wonderful introduction to reading the Bible beyond the devotional level. Many Christian colleges and seminaries use this book as an introductory textbook for biblical exegesis courses, which is a testimony to both its substance and readability. Fee and Stuart do a fine job here of writing a book that is scholarly yet easily digestable. I highly recommend this book for anyone is seeking to become more than a casual Bible reader.

In my opinion, academic scholars who write books for a lay audience do a great favor for the greater Christian community; they translating and apply the knowledge from the ivory towers of the academy is not accessible for most audiences into useful resources for the edification of the saints. In essence, they are translators, but not of the Bible, but of biblical knowledge. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth is such a resource, written by two renowned seminary professors; it provides a good introduction to exegesis and hermeneutics for the everyday Christian.
The greatest strength and main emphasis of the book is clearly laid out in the structure of the book. The Bible is composed of many different books that are of different genres. Understanding how to interpret each genre is crucial for exegesis of particular texts. The genres that are dealt with in particular include epistles, narratives, gospels, parables, acts, laws, prophets, psalms, wisdom, revelation, etc. There is also a discussion of translations as well as an appendix of suggested commentaries.
As a whole, the book accomplishes well its purpose of exposing Christians to the literary generic nature of Scripture. However, on both the greater macro-scale as well as the detailed micro-scale, there is room for improvement.
While it is important to see the Bible as composed on different genres, there are also many other hermeneutics principles that are not addressed. For example, the authors could expound more on how to interpret this text as the Word of God with the help of the Holy Spirit. Or even more importantly, what is the whole Bible about as a whole and the unity of the entirety of scripture from a historical-redemptive purpose. What are principles of exegesis in general? What are presuppositions that we bring and must submit as we approach Scripture? While I am aware that a small limited volume could not cover everything, an introduction to hermeneutics should explore not only the genres but more general principles of Biblical hermeneutics, presuppositions, and grand Biblical theological themes and unities the whole of Scripture.
On the particulars, Fee and Stuart boldly addresses many controversial issues - such as the place of women in ministry, whether the Holy Spirit still works in miracles today, or the place of the Old Testament law in our modern (perhaps post-modern) word. While I applaud their engagement of these texts and issues, a primer on hermeneutics does not provide enough room for detailed examination of these texts and the resulting interpretations are often one-sided. Perhaps because I differ from the authors in these issues, I see these sections seem to be soap-boxes for the authors to present their view (as I myself get off my own soap-box). Many of these issues are not simple exegetic or hermeneutic issues; scholars with careful scrutiny of these texts have continued to differ about the correct interpretation of these passages. However, Drs. Fee and Staurt seem to suggest that if one get the right context and generic background, all the problems are solved and there is a clear stance on these issues. This book is not the magic bullet for Biblical interpretation as it presents itself. Perhaps the authors should have examined and used as examples texts that are often misunderstood and not as controversial. Nonetheless, I am sure if they followed my advice, they will be criticized for avoiding the controversial passages. However, it is important to note that this book is read by many without much knowledge and training in the Scriptures and would easily just buy any of the arguments presented in the book without much critical thought (since they do not present any of the arguments on the other side).
As a whole, I would recommend this book to new believers, perhaps along with Knowing Scripture by RC Sproul (or Longman's excellent introduction). I personally have given this book as a gift and will continue to do so. However, it is important to note that teaching about the doctrine of Scripture will be much benefit to accompany this book.

The Bible can be a pretty daunting book -- long , diverse, complex etc. So Fee and Stuart have created a masterful overview of Biblical interpretation. Scholarly and easy to read -- how many times have you read those phrases in the same sentence? This is a very helpful practical guidebook to understanding the book of books. Great stuff.

For some reason, I resisted reading this book for years. Now, I wish I'd read it five years ago because it is so full of helpful information.
The authors first give basic principles for interpreting scripture and then go on to apply those principles to the different genres of the Bible - epistles, historical narrative, prophetic literature, poetry, wisdom literature, etc. They also give sound principles for dealing with the more controversial issues of scripture with great balance and wisdom. The chapter on the book of Revelation alone is worth the purchase price.
The book also contains a fine appendix listing recommended commentaries for each book of the Bible. They also explain how to choose a good commentary and how to use the commentary once you've chosen it.
In short, this is a wonderful book. I don't think I agree with everything they say, but they have graciously given permission to have disagreement on these things. In fact, I believe they actually model for the Christian community how to have dignified and loving disagreements (which they seem to have with each other on a couple of points) on matters that are not central to the faith, but still important. Their love and respect for scripture shines through every page, as does their humility in approaching it.

If you are like that last reviewer who only reads the King James Version and relies solely on the Holy Spirit for illumination...
I wot what thou dost wist.
(If you can read the preceeding sentence, then the KJV is the Bible for you!) The Reformers practiced the same basic methods of Bible study that Fee is teaching in this book. The Reformers--Luther, Calvin, etc.--made themselves familiar with ancient culture and language as well as with the opinions of godly commentators before them. When the Reformation came to England the Bible Christians used was the Geneva Bible of 1599. It was the dominant Bible of English Protestants for many decades AFTER the KJV was published in 1611.

I can tell you how to read the bible for all it's worth in two easy steps.

1) Get a King James Bible, the only preserved Word of God.
2) Pray as you read it. Christ is the Word (John 1:1). The Holy Spirit will enlighten you as you study it. If there are words you don't understand they are all in any common dictionary.

How to Read the Bible for All its Worth is an excellent introduction to reading and interpreting the Bible. It looks at the overall big picture of Biblical relevancy and history, as well as significance for today.

The authors offer several guidelines like reading the Bible in its historical context for its initial audience and how to read it according to its form and purpose. Then, how to interpret it for today.

They provide chapters on the various parts of the Bible like the historical narratives, prophets, psalms, gospels, letters and Revelation and discuss how to interpret these portions of the Bible in their unique formats.

I think the authors show readers how to deal with the Bible in an academic setting but may esteem their own insights and opinions too much. They somewhat discount the Holy Spirits ministry in applying the word to individuals as they read the Bible. They preclude the Holy Spirit from using scripture to speak to an individual in a way that may be unique or different from the authors' exegesis and hermeneutics.

Overall, they do steer readers in the right direction regarding Bible study.

How to Read the Bible for All its Worth is an excellent introduction to reading and interpreting the Bible. It looks at the overall big picture of Biblical relevancy and history, as well as significance for today.

The authors offer several guidelines like reading the Bible in its historical context for its initial audience and how to read it according to its form and purpose. Then, how to interpret it for today.

They provide chapters on the various parts of the Bible like the historical narratives, prophets, psalms, gospels, letters and Revelation and discuss how to interpret these portions of the Bible in their unique formats.

I think the authors show readers how to deal with the Bible in an academic setting but esteem their own insights and opinions too much. They discount the Holy Spirits ministry in applying the word to individuals as they read the Bible. They preclude the Holy Spirit from using scripture to speak to an individual in a way that may be unique or different from the authors' exegesis and hermeneutics. They steer readers in the right

I wish that I had read, "How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth" twenty years ago. Besides the Bible, this might be the most useful book that you will ever read in your Christian walk.

The authors - one a New Testament scholar and one an Old Testament scholar - both of which have written some very good commentaries previously, break down the the task of making the best use of your Bible study time. While both authors have great insight, they make their points in a very clear, easy to understand way. They show the importance of context (historical and literary), the different types of writing in Scripture and how to approach them, and other practical tips on how to get the most out of your Bible reading time. They even give some pointers on what to look for when selecting a Bible translation. Though I disagree with their conclusions about the TNIV (I'm a NASB man myself) the translation information was still worth reading.

In summary, I wish I could give this book six stars. Despite having read the Bible daily for over twenty years, there were a lot of things that hadn't really occured to me until I read this fine book. The authors give a lot of real world insight on how to get the most out of reading the Bible. In the end, isn't that something that we all want? I liked it so much that I passed on my copy to a friend.

This is a fairly good book. Fee & Stuart set forth some excellent concepts for studying the Bible. But you have to wade through their prejudices to find the concepts. As pointed out by a former reviewer, they really push the TNIV and NIV translations of the Bible. It's a fine translation, and I use the NIV as a tool for studying, but Fee & Stuart's book begins to read like an NIV commercial ... which gets very old - quick. This does not come as much of a surprise since Gordon Fee (according to Wikipedia) was a "member of the editorial board" for the NIV. So, it's my guess that he pushes the NIV for reasons other than scholarly ones.

All in all I would recommend the book for its fine insights as long you keep in mind the prejudices that they push.

I heard so much about this book online and heard it was the best.

Though this book is "good" there is a better one: Living by the Book by Howard Hendricks.

Gordon D. Fee's book is somewhat loose on his study - though concepts are "good" he encourages people to honestly study the bible using the TNIV (Today's New International Version) which is a "gender neutral" bible - where it says "man" it is , for the most part, changed to male and female. When clearly since Genesis God said He created Male and Female and called them "Man". The TNIV is not a horrible bible translation thought, it just is not what I would base my study on. IF I am doing to do some serious bible study - I want the closest translation to the original language I can get my hands on and that is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the NASB (New American Standard) I am sure any scholar would agree.

Moreover, Gordon seems to be somewhat "loose" on his theology as well, asking questions and leading you in a way that is not "exactly" biblically accurate. Though there are "Good" concepts in this book - that is really all it is used for, the concept part and not the "data" part.

Overall, I'd say pick up Howard Hendricks Book "Living by the Book" first then you might want to buy this.

By far the very best book I have ever read about the crucial subject on how to interpret the Bible for all it's word. This book is worth its wight in gold! It is very much on the ball on top of it and it even defends itself from the hypocrisy of the intellectuals that say there is no God. Once you put your mind to it and practice all the exercises given you will know exactly what the Bible or Mighty God is saying, why, to who, but most important, how it applies to you! If you are seriously considering, truly knowing, how to read the Scriptures for your self, PLEASE purchase this book, and you, like I will not be able to put it down!

This book was easy to read and extremely helpful. If you want to have more meaningful bible study this book will help.

This book was easy to read and extremely helpful. If you want to have more meaningful bible study this book will help.

This book should be in every theologian's (from novice to expert) library. The helpful reminders of how to do good exegesis will have lasting effects on the reader and their uses of biblical texts.

Fee and Stuart have set the standard for basic books on biblical exegesis. Their emphasis to get to original meaning is key and should always be remembered in biblical studies. Yes, there might be more than original meaning (i.e. second narratives) but remembering those original meanings will help all readers to do go good exegesis with respect toward the biblical texts.

This book also provides a basic survey of the biblical texts and their genres. These are helpful to remind the readers what the different books of the Bible are in relation to writing styles.

Everyone who reads this book will remember the value of sound exegesis and proper respect toward the biblical texts.

All entry level theologians have to read it, but the "expert" theologians should also have it on their shelf as a good reminder of the basic steps toward understanding biblical texts.

I've used some of the content in my teaching. Good, conservative approach. It came well recommended to me. Well worth the cost.

I read the first edition twice and the third edition once. My wife read the second edition. Reading this book was a key factor that influenced me to go to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where Fee and Stuart were both professors (Stuart still is, but Fee later left for Regent).

This book will not clear up all of your questions about the Bible. But it provides a basic understanding that we can't interpret the Psalms the same way we interpret a letter, or historical narrative the same way we interpret apocalyptic literature, etc. Without understanding the concepts in this book, a Bible reader is open to many opportunities for misinterpretation. Every reader on the Bible needs to understand the concepts in this book. Unfortunately, these concepts are not articulated in most of the popular Bible interpretation books, so that makes this book all the more valuable. All scholars, from conservative to liberal, from Baptist to Catholic, accept the general precepts in this volume, so these are foundational to interpretation, not some clever system that Fee and Stuart came up with. They just happen to be fantastic presenters of this valuable information.

This is easy reading with good examples. I've recommended this to people for over 20 years.

This book will give you a solid foundation on how to read the scripture properly -- and also to recognize false teaching. Highly recommended.

This is the best book I have encountered on the subject of biblical interpretation for the casual or semi-casual reader. It tackles a lot of difficult and potentially controversial subjects in a way that is comprehensible to almost any English speaker with a desire to learn.

The recurrent theme of the book is that a passage should be read and re-read to obtain the literary context (context in the bible). This alone, if acted upon, is worth the entrance price of the book. They also stress the need for the historic context which is an understanding of the times and customs of the people.

The negative remarks in the other reviewers and my own reason for dropping to four stars is that the authors deliberately or otherwise reveal their own preferences for interpretation in a number of areas - and most people will find at least one or two to object to.

I am going to mention a few just in case they are 'deal breakers' for you:

a) Their section on translations favors the use of translations that resolve ambiguity in the underlying languages. This resolution essentially relies upon a trust of the bible reader with the translation team in question. -IF- you have that degree of trust then you may well accept their preference for NIV or TNIV. Their suggestion that everyone should study using more than one translation for reference is also a useful concept. Their derisory handling of the KJV and NKJV will annoy some however.

b) Their handling of the New Testament epistles is based upon the concept that precedent does not imply a given action either may or should occur today. This essentially 'removes' a significant amount of doctrinal teaching from the epistles.

c) In Revelation they clearly favor a fulfillment of the majority of the prophecies in the first 400 years. This is obviously contrary to the pre-tribulation, pre-millenial teaching of many churches in the US

d) Withing the Old Testament narratives (and indeed New Testament ones) there is a strong push towards finding the 'main point' of a passage and then skipping the details as 'incidental'. I suspect this is a (valid) push against some extremely baroque allegoric interpretational systems; however it does feel a little odd in the context of "...for all it's worth"

I have highlighted just a few points. I have had to study this book in depth and my website has a number of papers discussing some of the specific points that the author raise in some depth.

The bottom line: I think this book ought to be read; if it forces you to think through what you believe and how you approach your bible study then it will have been worth doing. I do NOT recommend assuming that everything they say -has- to be right.

This is a no-nonsense, conservative approach to interpreting the Bible, focusing on what the Bible meant to the ancient audience as a springboard to what it means now. We have a tendency, at least I do, to do hermeneutics (what the Bible means to us) prior to exegesis (what the Bible meant originally). This book makes it clear that we are being copied on ancient literature, and that we have to be sure of what we are reading. Also, some of it is not even meant for direct application, like the book of Acts; even though many first time events took place then, it is not meant to be normative for the church of all time. In a word, the book appeals to a much less self-absorbed approach to studying the Bible.

The book is written in a dry, textbook, academic fashion. I was slightly bothered by that, but got over it when I saw all the good information it contained. It vaguely reminded me of a book by F.F. Bruce called 'The Canon of Scripture': not much fun, but very informative. It was a little like attending a college class taught by a professor who never smiles!

The important thing, however, is the valuable information presented. Even though I've been reading the Bible a long time, I learned some basic principles that I will start using right away. For that reason, it is a worthy study.

An older revision of this was one of my Bible College textbooks in the early 1980's. It's way better now...and it was very good then. For example, Fee gives clear minded, thoughtful approaches to every type of literature (genre) in the bible.

So many times as a pastor I hear someone make a statement about the meaning of a bible passage which is not what the passage is really about..only what they think it means. Fee basically helps people think through what the author of the passage meant for the readers it was actually written to...before we try to discern principles that apply to us.

This is great for people who often say...'I feel it means'...because he gives sound common sense principles for understanding the bible. It should be required reading for church leaders and pastors. I also recommend it's companion, How to read the bible book by book. It's excellent as well....showing how to apply the principles from this book in every book of the bible.

Finally, if you write sermons, check out NT Exegesis by Fee.

I hope you get this one and carefully read it and apply it to your life. You will be blessed if you do!

This is a good book for learning how to study the Bible. Read this for a my class in Hermuneutics. If you're a bible teacher or in leadership this would be a great book to read to gain skills in how to study the Bible.

Some people will get very upset with the title, because after all, for the true believer, all you need is the Bible itself, right?

Well, no. For one thing the Bible itself tells you that you need the Holy Spirit to help understand, so there is that.

But you also need to study to show yourself approved, meditate and approach it in a humble matter. The Bible was written over 2,000 years ago and in some portions even far longer. It is possible, just possible mind you, that there have been changes in language and culture that require some work on the reader's part to understand what is being said the same way a hearer of that message would have understood it in their day.

That is where this book comes into play. This is both a good introductory text for the student who wants to enter into the realms of textual, historical, redactive, literary etc criticism. It is also written to be at the level of the average layman who wants to understand more for their own study and growth.

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.

As delicately as I can state it ...... Evangelicals need to get over it and enter the field themselves. If the Bible is true, it must be true enough to stand tough scrutiny. The opinion of this reviewer is that it does stand that scrutiny, but as a student of the Bible you must expect over time that your understanding will change and grow. That is called discipleship and growth. It's a good thing!

This book, better than most, comes to the Bible and maintains an attitude of respect toward the text itself consistent with what Evangelicals believe with regard to inspiration while introducing the student or curious Christian as to how to study the Bible and get more out of it that you ever did before.

Where great commentaries give you fish, this book teaches you how to fish and feed yourself intellectually and spiritually from the Bible.

Don't be threatened by it. It is a good thing!

This is very worthwhile book for those who see the Bible as spiritually unique and also helpful for the student who simply wants to know how to understand it better.

This is an excellent primer for those concerned with understanding the Bible and making applications in one's life of Biblical teachings. This eminently readable book is good scholarship authored by two theologians in the evangelical tradition. The thrust of the book is spelled out in the title, "How to Read the Bible." The authors do not insist on a particular interpretation, but show the reader HOW to go about discovering comtemporary meaning and application from these ancient documents and how to avoid faulty hermeneutics. I cannot recommend it too highly.