Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions
Overview
Urban Legends of the New Testament surveys forty of the most commonly misinterpreted passages in the New Testament. These “urban legends” often arise because interpreters neglect a passage’s context, misuse historical background information, or misunderstand the Greek language. For each New Testament text, professor David Croteau describes the popular, incorrect interpretation and then carefully interprets the passage within its literary and historical context. Careful attention is given to sound principles of biblical interpretation to guide readers through the process and reach a more accurate understanding of each text’s meaning. QR codes have been inserted at various points throughout the book. By scanning the code with your mobile device, you can view a video of David Croteau addressing a specific urban legend.
With examples from the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation, Urban Legends of the New Testament will not only help readers avoid missteps in these forty texts but also provide a model for engaging in correct interpretation of other New Testament passages.
- Surveys forty of the most commonly misinterpreted passages in the New Testament
- Carefully interprets the passage within its literary and historical context
- Provides sound principles of biblical interpretation to guide readers through the process
Top Highlights
“An urban legend is a commonly circulated myth, repeated throughout the culture as common knowledge, but which isn’t true.” (Page xiii)
“Four prominent languages were present in Israel in the first century AD. Aramaic would have been the most common language, followed closely by Greek. Hebrew had a limited use, and Latin was mostly used by Romans.” (Page 121)
“Therefore, mercy is the withholding of punishment, and grace is the giving of forgiveness and favor.” (Page 142)
“While shepherds weren’t societal outcasts, they were in the lower class, and they do represent the poor and humble.9 God chose to use to the poor and humble components of society to share his wonderful announcement of the birth of his Son. Jesus is not only for the rich.” (Page 19)
“A Jew in the first century would connect shepherding to Abraham, Moses, David, and God himself.” (Page 18)
- Title: Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions
- Author: David A. Croteau
- Publisher: B&H
- Print Publication Date: 2015
- Logos Release Date: 2021
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Bible › New Testament--Criticism, interpretation; Bible › New Testament--Study and teaching; Bible › New Testament--Commentaries
- ISBNs: 9781087793504, 9781433680113, 1433680114, 9781433680120, 1433680122, 1087793505
- Resource ID: LLS:9781433680113
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-06T20:43:54Z
Reviews
1 rating
Gary Shogren
1/13/2021
This treatment, while of great value, completely misuses the term "urban legend." An urban legend is a story that is passed from person to person about some supposed event, one which occurred to a person whom the teller does not know, often a FOAF (friend of a friend). An urben legend is characterized by its rootlessness (it happened last year in the South! a missionary to Africa said he heard it!), and by its longevity. Urban legends usually have an ironic twist, often either frightening or humorous. "Did you hear about the woman who put her cat in the microwave to dry it off?" is an urban legend. (We cannot determine: When and where did this happen? What woman? Is there a link to a newspaper account?) "Did you hear about the missionary's kid in Africa who played rock music, and the 'natives' told them, 'This is the exact music we play to summon demons!'?" Christian urban legend. The unbelieving professor who drops a piece of chalk to see if God can make it not shatter? Christian urban legend. The instances in this book are not urban legends at all, but "common exegetical misperceptions" (this correct noun is used in the subtitle) which are passed along from person to person." That "agape is superior to phile" or the wise men were really three kings are nowhere close to urban legends. Given that it is the title of the book, some fact-checker should have caught this error! I haven't read the companion Old Testament volume, the table of contents reveals the same error.
