I’ve started listening to The New Testament in Antiquity: Audio Lectures (Part 1) and (Part 2). The lecturers are Gary M. Burge and Gene L. Green, authors of a book by the same name, The New Testament in Antiquity.
The book is pricey, $54.87, if you subscribe to Audible, you can get the audio lectures less expensively. The material in the lectures is presented in a way that the average person can follow, I haven’t read the book.
The authors try to explain the historical, geographical, and cultural background of the New Testament, just the kinds of things I often try to explain in my preaching. I mention it because it will help your reading of the Bible and will help as you listen to the sermons too.
UPDATE: Well, no resource is perfect! After completing the lectures, I will note some weaknesses: 1. Squishy on the authorship of the gospel of John – they basically affirm John, but in a novel way that I find very unconvincing. 2. Terrible on 1 Cor 8-10. Basically try to make chapter 8 be the main lesson, but they even get that wrong. 3. Pastoral epistles discussion was disappointing. 4. Revelation. Try to take a middle of the road approach (wide variety of opinions of course), so their contribution is a bit less than it could have been.
As the lecturers progress through the specific NT books, they do a little too much interpretation and less actual NT background teaching. I think that obscures their general objectives
Overall, though, the resource is still worth listening to, provides helpful background.
— Pastor Don
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