Goetchius, The Seabury Press, 1967). It is refrsehing in the midst of much of the current sub jectivism to hear a contemporary voice insisting upon the objective historical meaning-of the texts of Scripture. Two more recent works dealing with the four gospels vary widely in theological outlook. At one ex treme is the demytholdgizing ap proach of Eta Linnemann in her Jesus of the Parables (Harper and Row, 218 pp., $4.95). This is a work with some penetrating in sights, but also one which rejects the authenticity of many of Je sus’ sayings. As a strong counter measure to the liberal approach, Studies in the Life of Christ: Introduction and Early Ministry by R. C. Foster (Baker, 1966, $5.95) presents a strongly con servative alternative. In addition to a discussion o f Christ’s life from its beginning through the delivery of the Sermon on the Mount, the author offers an ex tended introductory portion with a convincing refutation of radical departures in recent New Testa ment scholarship. Volume II in the same set, The Middle Period (Baker, 1968, $7.95), covers the period from the Sermon on the Mount to the Triumphal Entry. Two works on Revelation have great possibilities. One is the five volume set by W. A. Criswell, Expository Sermons on Revela tion (Zondervan, $12.95). The volumes have appeared separate ly through the early 1960’s, and the final one is now completed. This eminent pastor is above average in his scholarship and in terprets the book from a moder ately dispensational point of view. The other work, though written by a more liberal scholar, G. B. Gaird (The Revelation of St. John the Divine, Harper and Row, 316 pp., $6.50), maintains the tradi tional apostolic authorship and dating of the book, and offers many helpful discussions on inter pretive problems.
a word of caution is in order: in many cases different renderings from the 26 versions are based upon contradictory interpretive conclusions (e.g., Romans 9:5). Another work, though not a translation, deserves mention in this connection because of the au thor’s fame as a translator. J. B. Phillips has produced Ring of Truth, A Translator’s Testimony (Macmillan, 125 pp., $2.95). The way in which the Scripture “ rings true” is sufficient rebuttal to the denials o f modem scholarship, according to Phillips; yet he him self rejects the verbal inspiration of the New Testament. Among the recent introductory studies to appear is Paul, the Man and the Myth by A. Q. Morton and James McLeman (Harper and Row, 217 pp., $7.95). By pouring Paul into a stereotyped mold , voluminous grammatical data is utilized in a statistical analysis to conclude that Paul wrote only four of the epistles bearing his name. The New Tes tament and Criticism by George E. Ladd (Eerdmans, 1967, $3.95) is a plea for evangelicals to gain wider recognition in the academic community at large. A certain de gree of desirable emphasis is com bined with several basic over sights and the author’s personal concessions to liberal scholarship, and the result is serious doubt as to whether the book will sway too many readers. Highlighting the field of inter pretation tools once again is the coming of another volume of Kit- tel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament translated by Geoffrey Bromiley (Eerdmans, 1126 pp., $22.50). This, the fourth volume to appear in English, covers the Greek letters from Lamda to nu. The whole set is a “must” for any serious student of New Testament interpretation. Another recent translation from German is Exegetical Method by Otto Kaiser and Werner G. Kum- mel (translated by E. V. N.
R e c e n t b o o k s in the New Tes tament field can be discussed in connection with four catego- rie: Greek language helps, trans lations, introductory studies and exegetical tools. In the area of language helps, James Arthur Walther has pre sented the prospective Greek stu dent a new alternative in his ini tial encounter with the Greek lan guage. His New Testament Greek Workbook (The University of Chicago Press, 208 pp., $4.50) represents an inductive or self teach ing approach to learning Koine Greek by utilizing the en tire text of the Gospel of John. Realizing the interpretive limits tions of this method one may, however, expect good help in learning to translate the New Testament from this work. An other language help of great sig nificance is New Testament Word Lists by Clinton Morrison and David H. Barnes (Eerdmans, 125 pp., $2.95). The word lists are de signed for rapid reading o f the Greek New Testament, not for interpretation. They presuppose a basic vocabulary com p r ised o f words occurring ten tim es or more, and list chapter by chapter words occurring nine times or less. Among recent works in the area of translation two are especially interesting. Good News for Mod em Man by Robert G. Bratcher (American Bible Society, 599 pp., $.25) is a very readable work based upon a philosophy of free interpretive translation. Though the work is quite readable, it is regrettable to note theological shortcomings which may mislead the casual reader in his view of the person of Christ (e.g., Phil. 2 :6). A more recent appearance is The New Testament from 26 Translations, Curtis Vaughan, editor (Z ondervan , 1237 pp., $12.50). This source by reason of convenience will greatly benefit the careful Bible student who likes to clarify his meaning by consulting multiple versions. But
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