New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors(3rd Edition)

This book's target audience is an academic one whose end to exegesis will be a paper (or an expository sermon), but as a layman I have found it to be extremely helpful, even indispensable, in my exegetical endeavors to better learn and therefore accurately apply the Word of God. Also, the book is written primarily for those who know Greek (I do not know enough to even be dangerous); however, in the new edition Fee has made the attempt to provide alternative exercises (such as compare many different versions and maybe use a textual commentary to try to determine as close as possible the original) for the English only student.

CHAPTER 1: Guide for Full Exegesis
Chapter 1 basically organized in outline form, providing first the "initial steps for all genres," first naming the major exegetical step that must be performed and then providing more and more detailed information and guidance on each step. Then moving past the steps that are the same for all genres, Fee gives the steps necessary for various genres (i.e. Epistles, Gospels, Revelation, etc). Finally the chapter ends with a section on moving from interpretation to application.

CHAPTER 2: Exegesis and the Original Text
Also arranged in outline format with the following sections (1) Structural Analysis, (2) Establishing the Text, (3) Analysis of Grammer, (4) Analysis of Words, (5) Historical-Cultural Background, and (6) Analysis of Pericope. Just as in the other chapters, the outline works from very general headings and general paragraphs of information to very specific and technical subheadings.

CHAPTER 3: Short Guide for Sermon Exegesis
I find myself often in Chatper 3 as I study as Fee uses this chapter to show how good, solid exegesis will move into the most powerful, Word-filled sermons. If you teach from the Word (as a pastor, small group leader, youth group leader, whatever) I recommend this book and this chapter in addition to Rediscovering Expository Preaching by MacArthur et al.

CHAPTER 4: AIDS & RESOURCES FOR THE STEPS IN EXEGESIS
Fees ends in referring the student to othe very useful resources organized by type.

I would be amiss if I did not address the one downside to this book which I believe is the temptation to "do the steps" and skip the prayer, the heartsearching, the repentance, the awe, the worship. An unregenerate person can "do the steps" and if done responsibly come up with an exegetical position, maybe even a correct one. We cannot know God through human wisdom (1 Cor 1:21). Fee mentions this temptation, but it is by no means the focus of the book, nor should it be. The temptation to be purely academic in Bible study is a great one, and a "how to" book on the subject could propagate this error in some. However the book should not be condemned simply because the method of presentation (which is a highly effective one) could be taken by the cold hearts of some to their folly. Rather, understand the evil of your own heart which is always beside you (Romans 7:21), crucify your flesh, repent where necessary, and seek the truth of God which is found in the Bible with a disciplined, passionate fervor. It is in this final endeavor that "New Testament Exegesis" is invaluable.

Finally, if you use Libronix Digital Library System, I would STRONGLY recommend you go ahead and buy this along with Stuart's Old Testament Exegesis book for Logos. If not you will find yourself with a dog-eared and bookmarked book as you flip back and forth as Fee makes extensive use of referencing other portions of his text.


A necessity for those who wish to study Scripture   April 17, 2001
Shawn W. Gillogly (Denver, CO United States)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful

Fee's handbook is probably the best guide in doing Exegesis available today. It is useful both for the one who knows Greek and for the one who is forced, by lack of language skills, to work around this deficiency. His technique for doing so will enable any diligent student to work around this and still use many of the best helps in the field.

Fee also guides you step by step through various projects for which one would do exegeis. Whether that be a scholarly paper, a Sunday morning sermon, or other types of research.

As noted above, the resources he guides one to are indeed worth the price of the book in itself, as it is an indispensible tool in library building.


A Must Have   May 21, 2004
J. F Foster
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

Laypeople, seminary students, and even pastors who think they know what 'exegesis' means need to get this book. Fee's contribution here has been recognized for some time as a vital tool for conducting responsible exegesis, and the praises it has received are most warranted.

This book methodically lays out various steps that should be taken in conducting exegesis. These steps include lexical, historical, cultural, theological, genre and text critical analysis that forces the exegete to really do their homework and research. At a time when preaching, teaching, writing, and debating techniques have reduced the Bible to pet proof-texts and inch deep examination, this book provides a much needed corrective that insists on a combination of deep seriousness and thorough study and research when handling the Word of God. I have used many of the steps in this book to conduct some preliminary exegesis on various passages of Scripture, and the result has been that I learned more in a couple months about the passages in question than years of independent and mostly aimless study revealed. This is a book that will help equip the reader with the ability to conduct responsible exegesis, and will also equip the reader to effectively and intelligently critique other books and articles that fail to substantively engage the text.

As others have noted, the suggested sources and reference materials that are listed throughout the book are quite good in giving the reader not only good exegetical steps, but reference works to actually put the steps into action.

In conclusion, while I believe that there are valuable exegetical steps that can be taken in exegesis that Fee does not list here, this book is nonetheless a very good and absorbable resource that will enhance evangelical scholarship and preaching if leaders and teachers, not to mention laypeople, take its contents to heart.


An excellant resource book   April 18, 2000
Randy Buchanan
21 out of 24 found this review helpful

This book provides a thorough and detailed explanation of the process of determining the meaning of a New Testament passage. It is concisely written and provides invaluable guidance that is scholarly but accessible by the layperson, such as myself, who is interested in achieving a less superficial understanding of scripture. The bibliography in the back contains an incredible amount of useful information and is probably worth the cost of the book by itself.


This book is essential to study .   April 1, 2003
Michael Ruangnol (Los Angeles, ca United States)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

This book is a perfect text for the laymen and the pastor. I love how Gordon Fee writes in a way in which it helps the layman do some real study of the bible and how he teaches step by step on how do exgesis of the passages of the Holy scripture. It has great recommendtions on other resources in which will spark the laymen to study like a student of the bible not just a church goer. Gordon Fee a HIGHLY respected scholar and he knows what he's talking about. Praise God for this man in which God raise up...
God bless Dr. Fee