T. Givens, Peopels of Paradox is worth it.

[Archaea]

He does a good job setting the stage.

On another note, if you wish to read the Greek NT, get one with full explanatory notes, as it makes it worth it. If you just try to translate yourself, it is painful.

However, I have one for reading John, and everything is already researched so it is more pleasurable.

One interesting verse analysis is John 1:3 and verse 4.

The Greek version identified shows two possible endings, one ending with "hen" meaning in or among and another with "ho gegonen" (be created or has become." Apparently the latter was an insert in 480 by St. Jerome.

The King James simply slops through this but the NRSV makes it through it though not as beautifully as the Greek. The first interpretation preserves a metaphor of "that which was born in him", which would be lost if the second punctuation and interpretation were followed. Well interesting to me.

A verse by verse analysis makes one ponder the verses more carefully if one if fumbling along in Greek, whereas I tend to read more sloppily in English, glossing over important aspects. Anybody can do this with one of these that has most of the explanations included. If you simply read the Greek NT, unless you are well-grounded in Greek, you won't see that. That includes above all me.