Reading To Others

in the Bi A GUIDE th A GUIDE E. H. Rece Emory University William A. Beardslee Emory University ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N. J. Prentice - Hall, Inc. 1956 Preface THIS book is designed to make possible an intelligent dis cussion of the meaning of the Bible. It contains questions to stimulate thought about the meaning of what is read as well as to focus attention on pertinent facts. Certain parts of the Bible have been selected for careful study. Major emphasis in the Old Testament is placed on the prophets, the Psalms, and the Wisdom Literature in the New Testament on the synoptic gospels, Paul, and John. Briefer guides are provided for the remaining books, ranging from reading assignments and questions to brief descriptions. The Supplementary Materials, pages 160-179, provide several sche matic summaries of information, including an outline of biblical history which may serve as a reference guide for re lating the different parts of the Bible. This guide points the reader to the historical study of the Bible, but not primarily to the study of biblical history. The Historical Outline, pages 21-45, which introduces the study of the Old Testament, is designed to give the reader enough knowledge of the historical framework to enable him to see something of how various writings are related to their times, and to acquaint him with the character of life in those periods. VI PREFACE In addition to its usefulness for the individual Bible reader, this book can be used as a guide for an adult church school or community Bible study group. Both the individual reader and the group leader should stay away from lengthy discus sion of isolated texts, however, and concentrate on the mes sages of the books ascomplete works. It would be useful to have available these reference books 1 a modern translation of the Bible the Revised Standard Version or the Goodspeed-Smith translation 2 a book on the approach to the Bible, such as B. W. Andersons Redis covering the Bible or C. H. Dodds The Bible Today 3 a book that gives at least minimum historical background, such as The Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible 4 a book on Old Testament religion, such as J. A. Bewers The Litera ture of the Old Testament 5 a book on New Testament re ligion, such as C. T. Craigs The Beginning of Christianity. Most readers will find it more rewarding to study each unit deliberately than to hurry through the entire Bible. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We wish to acknowledge the indebtedness we owe the many scholars whose original work has made this particular book possible. Part of our debt to them will be paid if some who are introduced to the Bible through this volume are inspired to continue its study. Certain specific acknowledgments must be made. We have followed the chronology of G. E. Wright and F. V. Filson in The Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible Philadelphia Westminster Press, 1945, fitting the literature into it. All quotations from the Bible, and a quotation from J. M. P. Smiths Introduction to the Old Testament, are reprinted from The Bible An American Translation copyright 1948, translated by J. M. P. Smith, Edgar J. Goodspeed, and others, by permission of the University of Chicago Press. A part of the Hymn to the Sun is reprinted from Elmer A. Leslies The Psalms copyright 1949, by permission of the Abingdon Press. The Babylonian story of the Flood is reprinted from E. A. Speisers translation of theGilgamesh Epic in Ancient PREFACE Vll Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, edited by James B. Pritchard copyright 1950, 1955 by permission of the Princeton University Press. During the last twenty-five years, half a dozen other men have used some or most of the material in Reading the Bible in conducting a course in the English Bible. Each has made his contribution toward this book. We are indebted to Mr. John S. McKenzie for drawing the maps...