Bengel's work on the New Testament is a valuable resource for modern students of the Scriptures. In 1734, he published a carefully prepared Greek text of the New Testament with an "Apparatus criticus," which formed the point of departure for modern New Testament textual criticism. His famous canon was: "The more difficult reading is to be preferred." This critical work was followed by an exegetical one, Gnomon Novi Testamenti (Tubingen, 1742). As a brief and suggestive commentary on the New Testament, the Gnomon is still of considerable use today. Bengel's chief principle of interpretation, briefly stated, is to read nothing into the Scriptures, but to draw everything from them, and suffer nothing to remain hidden that is really in them. His Gnomon exerted considerable influence on exegesis in Germany, and John Wesley translated most of its notes and incorporated them into his Annotatory Notes upon the New Testament (London, 1755). A. Hauck, Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge. This volume is 3 of a 5 volume set. Each volume is sold separately.

This volume charts the Bible's progress from the end of the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment. During this period, for the first time since antiquity, the Latin Church focused on recovering and re-establishing the text of Scripture in its original languages. It considered the theological challenges of treating Scripture as another ancient text edited with the tools of philology. This crucial period also saw the creation of many definitive translations of the Bible into modern European vernaculars. Although previous translations exist, these early modern translators, often under the influence of the Protestant Reformation, distinguished themselves in their efforts to communicate the nuances of the original texts and to address contemporary doctrinal controversies. In the Renaissance's rich explosion of ideas, Scripture played a ubiquitous role, influencing culture through its presence in philosophy, literature, and the arts. This history examines the Bible's impact in Europe and its increasing prominence around the globe.

Bengel's work on the New Testament is a valuable resource for modern students of the Scriptures. In 1734, he published a carefully prepared Greek text of the New Testament with an "Apparatus criticus," which formed the point of departure for modern New Testament textual criticism. His famous canon was: "The more difficult reading is to be preferred." This critical work was followed by an exegetical one, Gnomon Novi Testamenti (Tubingen, 1742). As a brief and suggestive commentary on the New Testament, the Gnomon is still of considerable use today. Bengel's chief principle of interpretation, briefly stated, is to read nothing into the Scriptures, but to draw everything from them, and suffer nothing to remain hidden that is really in them. His Gnomon exerted considerable influence on exegesis in Germany, and John Wesley translated most of its notes and incorporated them into his Annotatory Notes upon the New Testament (London, 1755). A. Hauck, Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge. This volume is 5 of a 5 volume set. Each volume is sold separately.

CONTENTS: Introduction Stephen J. Chester Conversion Studies, Pastoral Counseling, and Cultural Studies: Engaging and Embracing a New Paradigm Lewis R. Rambo Response to Rambo Phillis Isabella Sheppard Observations on "Conversion" and the Old Testament J. Andrew Dearman Response to Dearman Rajkumar Boaz Johnson The Conversion of Simon Peter Markus Bockmuehl Response to Bockmuehl Michael J. Gorman Zacchaeus's Conversion: To Be or Not To Be a Tax Collector (Luke 19:1-10) Wyndy Corbin Reuschling Response to Corbin Reuschling Elizabeth Musselman Palmer Towards Individual and Communal Renewal: Reflections on Luke's Theology of Conversion Frank D. Macchia Response to Macchia D. Christopher Spinks Was Paul a Convert? Scot McKnight Response to McKnight Eric James Greaux Sr. Romans 7 and Conversion in the Protestant Tradition Stephen J. Chester Response to Chester Mary Veeneman Ambrose, Paul, and the Conversion of the Jews J. Warren Smith Response to Smith George Kalantzis I Thank Christ Jesus our Lord: 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Eric James Greaux Sr.

"Rivals the major systematic theologies of this century." --Baptist History and Heritage Journal, July 1996 "One of the characteristics of Garrett's system that needs especially to be noted is its balanced, judicious, and nearly invariably objective presentation of materials. While holding true to the teachings of his own Baptist faith, Garrett so carefully and judiciously presents alternatives . . . that teachers and students from other confessional and denominational positions will find his work instructive." --Consensus, 1997 "If one is searching for an extensive exposition of the biblical foundations and historical developments of the various loci of systematic theology, there is no more complete presentation in a relatively short work than this . . . Pastors will especially find this feature to be a real help in teaching theology . . . [It is] an indispensable contribution to the task of systematic theology." --Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, September 1999 "Many students and pastors will find all they need here, and will in addition be helped to relate their knowledge to recent developments in the theological world." --The Churchman: A Journal of Anglican Theology, 1991 "A gold mine of helpful material." --The Christian Century, May 29-June 5, 1991 "No book that I know is more loaded with biblical and theological facts than this one. The prodigious research that must have gone into the preparation of this volume is truly mind-boggling." --Faith and Mission, Fall 1991 "Garrett has provided a massive and scholarly systematic theology from a thoroughly conservative and comprehensive viewpoint. The work is well documented in both biblical and historical scholarship and will prove to be a classic." --William Hendrickson, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary "One of the most comprehensive, concise books of its type available; it should receive wide use in the classroom and in the study." --Robert H. Culpepper, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary