The Poems and Hymns of the New Testament

Yes! There are poems and hymns in the New Testament! Large sections of Jesus' speeches are poetic-such as the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, and his final discourses in the book of John. The Epistles are also enriched with some excellent poems of the early Christians and of Paul, and the book of Revelation can boast of some outstanding hymns. When one reads the New Testament in the Greek text with an eye for poetry, many poetic passages spring to life, as well as a few hymns. These poems not only inform our minds, they stimulate our imaginations and arouse our emotions.

""Philip Comfort wonderfully combines his skills as poet and New Testament scholar to lead his readers to an appreciation of the rich poetry of the New Testament. He not only deepens our understanding of the aesthetic quality of the poems of the New Testament but also illuminates our interpretation of their meaning. I highly recommend this book to all serious students of the Bible.""
--Tremper Longman III
Westmont College

""This book teaches us more about poetry, about the Bible, and about how each illuminates the other. Old texts sound new under Phil's poetic hand.""
--Daniel Taylor
Bethel University


Philip Comfort has a doctorate in literary interpretation from the University of South Africa. He has been a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers for twenty-five years, and has taught New Testament, English, and Greek at several colleges. He has written over fifteen volumes in the areas of New Testament studies, English Bible translations, and ancient Greek manuscripts. He was the New Testament editor and a translator of the New Living Translation. He has authored two novels and four volumes of poetry. He lives in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, with his wife Georgia.