Harris, Murray J. Navigating Tough Texts: A Guide to Problem Passages in the New Testament. Volume 2. Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2024. 175 pp.; Pb. $23.99 Link to Lexham Press
Navigating Tough Texts Volume 2 is a follow-up to Harris’s 2020 collection of questions and answers on challenging topics in the New Testament. Like the first volume, the book is designed for pastors, teachers, and theological students who want to think more deeply about their faith and be exposed to some of the intricacies of the Greek language. Harris explains that the studies in this volume arise from his experience teaching the New Testament. The acknowledgment page indicates that some of his answers rely on his earlier published works.
The book answers 89 questions in two sections (Gospels and Acts, Epistles) and is grouped by books. Harris explains that a text might be tough because it is difficult to understand from the perspective of a modern reader. Others may be tough because they have a history of controversy. The texts in this volume fall into five categories. First, some verses are significant in church history, such as the trinitarian baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19. Second, some tough texts are important for understanding the person of Christ, such as John 1:14. Here, Harris discusses the meaning of monogenes (usually translated as “only son”). A third type of tough text is an apparent contradiction. For example, how does Judas die? Does Acts 1:18 contradict Matthew? Fourth, sometimes tough texts relate to the Christian life, such as the meaning of homosexuality in Romans 1:17 or “choosing celibacy” in Matthew 19:12. A fifth category includes tough texts about the future, such as the meaning of 1000 years in Revelation 20. Harris briefly explains three positions on the millennium, although he does not advocate for one particular view.
Harris’s approach to answering these questions is exegetical. This is not surprising, given his work on the NIV translation committee and excellent exegetical commentaries. Greek appears in transliteration. He does comment on grammatical and syntactical issues when necessary, but the discussion is presented clearly enough that a non-specialist will follow his point. He does not provide any footnotes to other works. Since these are all controversial topics, they have generated scholarly articles and pages in commentaries. This omission is understandable, given the goals of the book. Because chapters are only two or three pages long, advanced readers may find the answers basic. Most readers will find Harris’s answers direct, to the point, and a refreshing approach.
Conclusion. I have been teaching Bible and Theology for more than thirty years, so I can bear witness to the fact that the questions Harriss addresses in both volumes of Navigating Tough Texts are indeed common. This book will make an excellent devotional reader for the layperson who wants to go deeper than the English translation of the New Testament. In addition, it will be a good resource for the Bible teacher who is looking to clarify their thinking on some of these complex topics. My only concern with the book is the lack of resources for readers who want to investigate each topic. A “for further reading” section with two or three key academic studies for each chapter would help meet this need.
NB: I was kindly provided with a review copy of this book by Lexham Press, but this did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.
Are there any good books that argue that Luke was a traveling companion of Paul