How to Use This Book

FOLLOWING THE GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND A GROUP OF twelve introductory essays addressing common questions from throughout the Bible, the hard sayings of the Bible are organized canonically by chapter and verse, running from Genesis to Revelation. Cross-references point readers to comments on other Bible passages or to introductory essays which touch on the same or similar issues. Thus in the comment on Genesis 2:17 on the death of Adam and Eve, readers are referred to the discussion on Romans 5:12. Or readers looking up Mark 5:11-13 to find a discussion of the destruction of the pigs will find themselves referred to the parallel passage in Matthew 8:31-32 for an explanation.

In some cases where there are two or more separate comments on similar Bible passages, readers may discover that different points of view are put forward. This is due to the multiple authorship of this book and the fact that the authors do not always agree on the best solution to certain difficulties. The publisher has felt that readers will be best served by knowing that a variety of solutions have been proposed and by being able to think through for themselves which solutions best satisfy their questions.

The Scripture index at the back of the book will help readers find comments on any Bible passage that is mentioned in the book, whether it is listed as a hard saying or not. The subject index will help readers find comments on issues that they might not otherwise be able to locate or which have not been cross-referenced because of concern for space. For example, the fear of the LORD is mentioned so often in Scripture that we have not cross-referenced the many verses where the phrase occurs. The page reference for Proverbs 1:7, where the issue is specifically addressed, will be found in the subject index.

• How to Use This Book
• Who Wrote What (About the Authors of This Book)
• General Introduction
• How Do We Know Who Wrote the Bible?
• Does Archaeology Support Bible History?
• Why Doesn't the New Testament Always Quote the Old Testament Accurately?
• OT Verse Samples
• NT Verse Samples