New Testament Biblical Commentaries and Notes
An Introduction to the New Testament by Raymond Brown – The late Fr. Raymond Brown is the most well known Catholic New Testament scholar. This landmark book provides a great overview of biblical scholarship about the New Testament from a scholarly priest.
HarperCollins Bible Commentary – Known by most scholars as the industry leader in Biblical Commentary. Every Scripture class I have taken has suggested or required this book as a New Testament Resource.
The HarperCollins Study Bible – This NRSV translation probably isn’t the best Bible for children, but the footnotes provide a nice supplement to the St. Joseph Edition of the NAB. I especially like the concordance in this edition.
New American Bible: St. Joseph Edition – This is the text that is used in the United States for readings at Mass. The footnotes are very helpful in understanding the context of Scripture and is based heavily on the Second Vatican Council’s Document, Dei Verbum.
New Jerome Biblical Commentary- Though pricey, this is the classic Biblical commentary from a Catholic perspective. The contributors include great scholars such as Raymond Brown and Joseph Fitzmeyer.
Bibles for Children, Teens, and Young Adults
A Child’s First Bible (Ages 4-8) – Possibly due to its title, this Bible seems to be the first Bible given to many young children at their Baptisms. The pictures help it live up to its name.
Catholic Bible for Children(Ages 4-8) – This version of the Bible for children provides enough to make it a teachable tool and the pictures help bring the stories to life.
Breakthrough!: The Bible for Young Catholics (Breakthrough! Bible)(Ages 9-12) – Extended from the popular Catholic Youth Bible, Breakthrough tries to reach a younger middle school age group of children.
The Catholic Youth Bible (Ages 14-18) – Purchased by many Catholic high schools and youth groups, this Bible includes various teen-related sidebars.
The International Student Bible For Catholics(Ages 14-21) – A solid presentation of the New American Bible, this edition includes a number of supplemental new testament resources for readers to help use the Bible in their studies.
New Testament Resources Online
BibleGateway.com – This spectacular site provides an effective search engine for the Bible. It does not have the New American Bible, but it is a nice starting point for searching for keywords or topics.
The New American Bible (USCCB.org) – You can find a digital version of the NAB online at the USCCB website. I find it to be difficult to copy and paste from the site, but it is a nice starting point for using the Bible to teach.
New Testament Lesson Plans and Activities
- New Testament Lesson Plans (The Religion Teacher)
- “Lesson Plan: Development of the New Testament Canon” (Engaging Faith)
- “Three Scripture Activities” (Engaging Faith)
Lectio Divina and the New Testament
Lectio Divina for Children and Teens – A series of handouts that helps guide student through various stages in the process of lectio divina. This eBook is perfect for an introduction to this sacred practice as well as ongoing activities that help students pray with the Bible.