The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Volumes 1 through 4, [NIDNTT ] edited by Colin Brown (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1975, 1986). This 4-volume dictionary is an exceptionally helpful word study aid for serious Bible students. It describes in considerable detail the words of the original New Tesatament and the various ways the original words were used in classical Greek and in the Old and New Testaments. Its comprehensive indices enable it also to serve as an excellent topical concordance.

When you are studying a modern English word or subject in its relation to Bible teachings, you very likely will be able to find that word or subject in the several hundred pages of the "General Index." By turning to the volume and page cited in that index, you can learn how the English word or concept you are studying relates to the biblical teachings.

For example, the English word "management" is not used at all in most Bible versions; however, the index to this dictionary tells you that the idea of "management" as used in the original New Testament (and in the Greek Old Testament) is explained in Volume 2, pages 253 to 256. The original biblical Greek word, oikonomia, that can be translated as "management" is explained, along with related Bible texts.

The 592-page Volume 4 is entirely comprised of the following indices:

• Scripture Index (253 pages), which lists every biblical reference in Volumes 1, 2, and 3.
• Index of Extrabiblical Literature (55 pages), which lists every reference to classical, Jewish, and early Christian literature.
• Index of Hebrew and Aramaic Words (16 pages), which lists every reference to or explanation of Hebrew and Aramic words.
• Index of Greek Words (43 pages), which lists every reference to or explanation of Greek words.
• General Index (210 pages), which lists manyof the words and subjects used and explained in Volumes 1, 2, and 3.

The one shortcoming of this otherwise outstanding 4-volume work is the complete absence of Strong's numbers. If the publisher had added Strong's numbers to the "Index of Greek Words," this alone would have made this work much more accessible to non-Greek reading Bible students. This limitation is largely solved by using the highly recommended Word Study Greek-English New Testament (WSGENT), which includes a 675-page Greek-English concordance that provides you with the NIDNTT volume and page number where each New Testament Greek word is thoroughly explained. (Creatively using the NIDDNT along with the WSGENT provides you with tremendously valuable means of researching the New Testament.)

The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, with its indepth and accurate explanation of biblical words and texts and with the many useful indices by which to access those words and texts, can help any serious student explore the entire Bible more thoroughly.