See New Testament Introductions on Amazon.com

New Testament Background

This is a group will contain books that give us the background of the New testament. It is still in development.

Malina, Bruce J. The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology (2001) (Read on-line)

New Testament Surveys

In this group are books which present a general introduction to the New testament usually called surveys. Usually they introduce first the political, social and religious world by the time of the New Testament and then introduce the books of the New Testament but without going in deeper details. The purpose of surveys is to give the background not the details.

Strong, Augustus Hopkins.Popular Lectures on the Books of the New Testament (1914)  Good introductory lectures to the books of the new testament.

Tenney, Merrill Chapin. New Testament Survey (1953, 1985) ( Read on-line ) This is a well written conservative textbook. It is about 370 pages. It starts with the political, social and religious world of the New Testament. Then it introduces the Gospels, the apostolic church, problems in the apostolic church and the New testament canon at last. It introduces every book in the New testament. Recommended!

Gundry, Robert H. A Survey of the New Testament. 4-th Edition (1970, 2003) ( Read on-line )

Marshall, Thomas. A Student's New Testament Survey (2007) (Read on-line)  This work is a special one that focuses on high-school students and laymen that do not have any theological education. It is only 133 pages in size.

Köstenberger, Andreas J.; Kellum,  L. Scott, Quarles, Charle. The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament (2009) ( Read on-line )  Although  the title uses the word "introduction" this is a classic survey.

New Testament Introduction

In this group are books which present a special introduction to the New Testament which is usually a general and an introduction to every book stating its author, date of writing, purpose of writing, plan and criticism. New Testament introductions are different from surveys in concentrating in details on every book and on critical problems with the text. However introductions are neither commentaries nor exegetical treatises but take the text as a whole.

Dods, Marcus. An Introduction To The New testament (1905)

Zahn, Theodor. Introduction To The New testament (1909):

Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3

Allen, Willoughby Charles; Grensted, Laurence William.Introduction to the Books of the New Testament (1913)

Berkhof, Louis. New Testament Introduction (1915). It is very useful for biblical exegesis. Highly Recommended!

( Read on-line, Download as: PDF )

Klijn, Albertus Frederik Johannes. An introduction to the New Testament (1967) ( Read on-line )

Aune, David E. Blackwell Companion to the New Testament (2010) ( Read on-line ) This is a very scholarly work. It is a survey and special introduction. It starts with Hellenism, Judaism and the archaeological setting. Then it speaks of the language and text of the New Testament , it's reconstruction and canon. Then the author turns to historical, literary, form, feminist and rhetorical criticism. He then addresses the problem of the historical Jesus, the synoptic problem and the sources of sayings. Then makes an introduction to every book.