The Literature and History of New Testament Times

The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Literature and History of New Testament Times, by J. Gresham (John Gresham) Machen
E-text prepared by Heather Clark, Julia Neufeld, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net)
The Historical Background of Christianity
The Early History of Christianity
By John Gresham Machen
PHILADELPHIA, PA. THE PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION AND SABBATH SCHOOL WORK
Copyright, 1915, by John Gresham Machen

The general purpose of this course of lessons has been set forth in the introduction to the Student's Text Book. There is a tendency in the modern Church to neglect the study of Bible history. Such neglect will inevitably result in a loss of power. The gospel is a record of something that has happened, and uncertainty about the gospel is fatal weakness. Furthermore the historical study of the apostolic age—that age when divine revelation established the great principles of the Church's life—is the best corrective for a thousand vagaries. Much can be learned from modern pedagogy; but after all what is absolutely fundamental, both for teacher and for student, is an orderly acquaintance with the Bible facts.
The Teacher's Manual, therefore, is intended not merely to offer suggestions as to methods of teaching, but primarily to supplement the teacher's knowledge. A teacher who knows only what he actually imparts to the class is inevitably dull. The true teacher brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.
The sections in the Teacher's Manual, since they are intended to be supplementary, should not be read until after careful attention has been paid to the corresponding sections in the Student's Text Book. Moreover, both sections together are of course in themselves insufficient. They should be supplemented by other reading. Suggestions about reading have been put at the end of every lesson. Here, however, a few general remarks may be made.
Davis' Dictionary of the Bible and Purves' Christianity in the Apostolic Age, which have been recommended even to the student, will be to the teacher almost invaluable. The earnest teacher will also desire to refer to good commentaries on The Acts. The commentaries which have been mentioned in connection with the individual lessons are based upon the English Bible; but every teacher who has any knowledge of Greek, however slight, should use, instead, the commentary of Knowling, in The Expositor's Greek Testament. For the life of Paul, Lewin's Life and Epistles of St. Paul and the similar book of Conybeare and Howson are still very valuable for their vivid and extended descriptions of the scenes of the missionary journeys. A similar service is rendered, in more up-to-date form, by the various works of Ramsay. Stalker's Life of St. Paul is a good handbook. M'Clymont's New Testament and Its Writers contains instructive, though very brief, introductions to all of the New Testament books. Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible and Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels number among their contributors many writers of many opinions. They are rich in references to the vast literature of modern Biblical discussion.