I love my Cultutal Background Study Bible. Learning the context of the where and when the scriptures were written is not only fascinating, but often gives us a better understanding of the text.
So when I was given the opportunity to review The World of the First Christians by Marc Olson, I leaped at the opportunity. The book is apart of the Curious Kids’ Guides serious, which offers children an illustrated overview of life in the ancient word, with particular attention paid to the life of people within the Biblical text. The World of the First Christians provides readers of all ages insight to the hisorical and cultural context of the New Testament so that we may have a better understanding of the message it brings.
What I Love
I love that this is a book that gives cultural context to kids. I cannot stress enough how important cultural and historical context is when looking at scripture. Having a basic understanding of the context in which a passage was written can deeply impact how we view the text. This book gently guides elementary-aged disciples in the art of learning the context inwhich the New Testament was written. Though this is a ‘Curious Kids’ Guide,’ I even learned a few things while reading through this book. This makes me feel like this is not just a fantastic read for children, but also for parents who are new to the faith, want to learn more about the historical and cultural context, but also have young children and little time. This is a worthy investment that can grow with your family. I can see this becoming a valuable resource as we continue discipling our littles, and eventually teaching them how to practice exegesis in their own personal study. I also could see this being a fantastic supplemental resource for any homeschool family. If you’re a Christian family planning to homeschool, pick this up!
What My Kids Love
From what Lydia may have served Paul for dinner, to the ways children were treated in ancient times, this book is full of nuggets that are helpful for understanding the world of the first Christians. Admittedly, most of these tidbits go over my kiddos heads. This book is definitely geared towards elementary schoolers. However, I think as parents, being able to reference this book can be so helpful as we guide our littles in Bible study. After all, often times, understanding the context of a passage not only affects the way we interpret it, but also what we teach our children.
Baby Devotions 