New Testament Times: Understanding the World of the First Century

Rating:
Summary: Required reading for serious Bible students
Review: New Testament Times examines the culture, social systems, politics, and geography of the eastern Mediterranean during the time period of the New Testament scriptures. The authors did not limit themselves to just the nation of Israel but also include information on other nations that affected Israel such as Egypt, Syria, and, of course, Rome.

Author Merrill C. Tenney does an excellent job of examining the details of Judaism, Hellenism, and the Roman culture and how the stresses between these systems affected the new church and Christian religion. He also examines the various groups within the Jewish system - Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. To truly understand the purpose of many of the epistles of the New Testament you have to understand the various forms of paganism in the area and how these influenced social and political thought as well as the history, difficulties, leaders, and other situations surrounding the church. The author provides a wealth of solid information about the Jerusalem and Antioch churches as well as how they grew and the doctrine of the early church solidified to become consistent between churches.

The book contains a lot of pictures, maps, and illustrations to help the reader fully understand and appreciate the text. The information is presented in a clear and understandable manner so it brings a solid understanding of the time period to the reader. This in turn brings a better understanding of the scriptures. New Testament Times is a highly recommended title and should be read by everyone desiring to understand the environment of the early church.