INTRODUCING
THE PASTOR’S BIBLE STUDY
David Albert Farmer, General Editor
The latest in
The New Interpreter’s®
line of Bible study
resources
See page 5 for ordering information.
Published by
www.newinterpreters.com
Praise for The Pastor’s Bible Study
Not since I studied Matthew’s Gospel under William Farmer and Lindsey Pherigo (1973) have I
observed such an applicable and dynamic approach for preaching and teaching. . . . As a pastor who
has preached the lectionary for thirty years, this Bible study brings a helpful “Lectionary Loop” for longrange preaching planning. It also offers support for the topical planning approach with “Reflection
Questions” and additional biblical reference aids. The sermon series planning approach seems to better
attract and promote greater attendance for those of us who preach in traditional and contemporary
worship services. —Dr. Clayton L. Smith, Senior Pastor, Centenary United Methodist
Church, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
The Pastor’s Bible Study is insightfully pastoral and exegetically well-balanced. The author sacrifices
neither the scholarly for the pastoral, nor the pastoral for the scholarly, but uniquely combines both to
provide a rich treasure for both scholar and pastor. This is a must-have for every serious pastor, teacher,
student and professor. —Rev. Matthew Neumann, Senior Pastor, Pilgrim United Church of
Christ, Port Charlotte, Florida
I enjoyed the authors’ perspectives; they challenged me to look at the text in a new light.
—Donna Parramore, Pastor, City Road Chapel United Methodist Church,
Madison, Tennessee
Those persons sitting in our pews and classrooms deserve the very best that we pastors have to offer.
The Pastor’s Study Bible brings together solid biblical scholarship and the concerns of pastors to offer
our congregations teaching and preaching that are scholarly, thought-provoking, and applicable to daily
life. This seems to me to be the ideal teaching resource to accompany The New Interpreter’s Bible
commentary series. —Michael E. Williams, Pastor, Blakemore United Methodist Church,
Nashville, Tennessee, and General Editor of The Storyteller’s
Companion to the Bible (Abingdon)
The lessons are well-presented. the sidebar discussions are a great way to present small units
of information in a helpful manner. The features mentioned in the CD-ROM are creative and
up-to-the-moment. —Michael D. O’Bannon, Pastor, Belle Meade United Methodist Church,
Nashville, Tennessee
Because of many different activities throughout the week, I don’t have time to prepare a weekly Bible
study; this resource will help me do that. The writers are excellent communicators and the teaching tips
include a variety of teaching and learning styles. —Ann Bassett, Pastor, Christ Lutheran Church,
Nashville, Tennessee
For Pastors Who Lead Bible Study
The Pastor’s Bible Study: Volume One. This focused preparation guide contains fifty
Bible studies. Its flexible structure is designed to meet the needs of pastors who lead Bible
studies, whether the group meets for four weeks or an entire year. Following in the tradition of
The New Interpreter’s® Bible Commentary series and The New Interpreter’s® Study Bible, The
Pastor’s Bible Study bridges biblical scholarship and prayerful reflections for your congregation’s
personal and inspirational experience. Designed to be versatile, this resource is suited to be used
with a canonical, lectionary, or thematic approach. It has been written by scholars and pastors
to help pastors and other church leaders provide inspiration and guidance in the life and faith
of contemporary Christian and interfaith communities. Hardcover. 7" x 9¼". 400 pages.
Volume One includes:
• 15 studies on the New Testament Book of Matthew
• 10 studies on the Old Testament Book of Isaiah
• 10 studies on healing in grief
• 5 studies on unselfish prayer
• 5 studies on liberating discipleship
• 5 studies on power and Christian living
• CD-ROM (Macintosh/PC compatible) contains supplementary material,
such as:
–A video introduction by the general editor
–The full text of The Pastor’s Bible Study,
completely searchable by keyword
–An outline of studies
–PowerPoint™ slides
–Background sets
–Customizable materials for handouts,
screen, and video projection
ISBN 0-687-04364-6. Book
with CD-ROM, $35.00
For more information, log on
www.newinterpreters.com.
1
Key Features of THE PA
• Integration.
Study content refers to
The New Interpreter’s® Study
Bible notes and excursuses,
when applicable.
• Sources. Complete
information on important
resources cited.
• Teaching Tips. Guidelines that
help leaders effectively
communicate study content.
2
ASTOR’S
BIBLE STUDY
• Lectionary Loop. Identifies
points where studies intersect
with the Christian Year.
• Reflections.
Foster participation,
generate group and
individual study, and
engage participants in the
biblical text through the
use of relevant questions
for reflection.
3
More from the
NEW INTERPRET
The New Interpreter’s Study Bible
®
New Revised Standard Version
with the Apocrypha
General Editor: Walter J. Harrelson
Associate Editors: Donald Senior, Abraham Smith, Phyllis
Trible, and James C. VanderKam
Over sixty scholars have provided background and
insight on the text of this brand-new study Bible.
This valuable study resource includes:
• extensive historical and theological annotations on
the biblical text
• brief introductions and outlines for each
biblical book
• interpretation guides
• chronologies of events in biblical history
• a glossary of terms
• 19 fully indexed original color maps.
The New Interpreter’s Study Bible on CD-ROM
supplements the study Bible with powerful Internet
linking, full text search capabilities, and the following
additional resources:
• The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (5 volumes)
• General articles on the Old and New Testaments from
The New Interpreter’s Bible
• Printable color maps
• Text links to 6,800 Dictionary entries.
ISBN 0-687-27832-5. Hardcover with dust jacket, $45.00
ISBN 0-687-27831-7. Genuine leather black, $85.00
ISBN 0-687-07349-9. Genuine leather burgundy, $85.00
ISBN 0-687-02496-X. Software edition on CD-ROM for
Windows and Macintosh, $89.00
4
Of the current editions of study Bibles, in my opinion the
most helpful for pastors, teachers, and all students of the
Scriptures has now been issued by Abingdon Press under
the dedicated guidance of Dr. Walter Harrelson.
—Bruce M. Metzger, Professor of New Testament,
Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary
A good study Bible adds to one’s knowledge; a great one
such as The New Interpreter’s Study Bible makes one
think, search, and pray. Here is a study Bible to be read
with head and heart, critically but with profound benefits.
—J. Ellsworth Kalas, Pastor and Author of The
Christian Believer Study Manual
®
ETER’S line of Bible study resources
The New Interpreter’s
Bible Index
®
This invaluable companion to The New Interpreter’s® Bible
includes the following indexes: Subjects and Themes; Ancient
Literature; Persons in the Bible; Persons Outside the Bible; Places in
the Bible; Places Outside the Bible; Biblical Languages: Hebrew and
Greek; Lists of Maps, Charts, Illustrations, and Abbreviations;
Excursuses; and Reference Lists from the Bible.
ISBN 0-687-03916-9. $40.00
This could well become the best all-around
commentary in English on the entire Bible,
perhaps dominating the field for the next half
century or so.
—Werner E. Lemke, Interpretation
The New Interpreter’s Bible
The Standard in Contemporary Bible Study
®
A twelve-volume Bible Commentary with critically sound biblical interpretation guided by an editorial board of
scholars, pastors, and laity representing diverse traditions, academic experience, and involvement in the church.
ISBN 0-687-06347-7. Complete 12-volume set. $780.00
ISBN 0-687-01999-0. Complete 12-volume set on CD-ROM for Windows and Macintosh. $780.00
ISBN 0-687-00231-1. Complete 12-volume set plus the Index. Available May 2004! $820.00
Individual volumes are also available. For more information, call Abingdon Press toll free: 1-800-251-3320.
To order:
www.abingdonpress.com | 1.800.251.3320 | Fax 1.800.835.7820
5
CONTRIBUTORS
David Albert Farmer, General Editor, an ordained Baptist minister, is also the author of the five-week
study on unselfish prayer. He earned a PhD in Homiletics and New Testament and taught preaching in
seminary. Having served seven congregations, Farmer presently teaches at Wilmington College in New
Castle, Delaware, and is the pastor of Silverside (American Baptist) Church in Delaware. He was editor
of Pulpit Digest for 18 years and The African American Pulpit for three years. He is author of Teaching
Sermons on Grace, Bible Sermons on Hope, and Blessed Is She: Sermons by Women, and contributor to
The Storyteller’s Companion to the Bible series.
Warren Carter is author of fifteen Bible studies on the Gospel of Matthew, which in 2004 correspond
to Year A of the lectionary. As a native of New Zealand, he earned a PhD in New Testament from
Princeton and is Lindsey P. Pherigo Professor of New Testament at Saint Paul School of Theology in
Kansas City, Missouri. He has published six books on Matthew since 1994, and he teaches Bible study
frequently in congregations of various denominations.
Mary Donovan Turner is the author of ten Bible studies on Isaiah 1–39. She earned her PhD in
Old Testament from Emory University and is Carl Patton Associate Professor of Preaching at the Pacific
School of Religion in San Francisco. She has served congregations as an ordained minister in the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Her books include Saved from Silence: Finding Women’s Voice in
Preaching and The Storyteller’s Companion to the Bible: Prophets I. Her writing also appears in The Christian
Century, Interpretation, Lectionary Homiletics, Word and Witness, and Setting the Table: Women in
Theological Conversation.
Richard Wallace is author of ten Bible studies on grief. He earned his ThD from Luther Theological
Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he is associate professor of pastoral care. As an ordained minister
in the Evangelical Lutheran Church, he has served congregations in Georgia, California, and Minnesota.
He speaks frequently on grief, violence, abuse, recovery, and African American culture.
Thorwald Lorenzen is author of five Bible studies on power for Christian living and five Bible studies
on liberating discipleship. As a native of Germany, he received his ThD in Systematic Theology from
the University of Zurich while studying with Eduard Schweizer. He is pastor of the Canberra Baptist
Church in Australia, following many years as professor of systematic theology and theological ethics
at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Rueschlikon, Switzerland. He is author of
Resurrection and Discipleship.
PK4N063801
PACP00209676-01