3 September 2015 A.D. Fall reading for Biblical theologians—part 1 (Matthew Barrett)
3
September 2015 A.D. Fall reading for Biblical
theologians—part 1 (Matthew Barrett)
Admin.
“Fall reading for biblical theologians—part 1 (Matthew Barrett).” Credo. 2 Sept
2015. http://www.credomag.com/2015/09/02/fall-reading-for-biblical-theologians-part-1-matthew-barrett/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CredoMagazineBlog+%28Credo+Magazine+Blog%29.
Accessed 3 Sept 2015.
This summer I have recommended books in a variety of
different categories (history, theology, etc.). With Fall almost upon us, I now
turn to recommend new books in the area of biblical studies. (View past posts
in this series here.)
The Pillar New Testament Commentary series
(Eerdmans)
The PNTC is an excellent series. It has included
contributions from scholars like Douglas Moo, Peter O’Brien, D.A. Carson, etc.
The series has been ongoing for some time now. But just recently two new
volumes released: one by James Edwards, Professor of Theology at Whitworth
University, on the gospel of Luke, and the other by Mark Seifrid, now Professor
of New Testament at Concordia University, on 2 Corinthians. Here is a little
about each:
In keeping with the Pillar New Testament
Commentary’s distinctive character, this volume by James R. Edwards on Luke
gives special attention to the Third Gospel’s vocabulary and historical
setting, its narrative purpose and unique themes, and its theological
significance for the church and believers today.Though Luke is often thought to
have a primarily Gentile focus, Edwards counterbalances that perspective by
citing numerous evidences of Luke’s overarching interest in depicting Jesus as
the fulfillment of God’s providential work in the history of Israel, and he
even considers the possibility that Luke himself was a Jew. In several
excursuses Edwards discusses particular topics, including Luke’s infancy
narratives, the mission of Jesus as the way of salvation, and Luke’s depiction
of the universal scope of the gospel.While fully conversant with all the latest
scholarship, Edwards writes in a lively, fluent style that will commend this commentary
to ministers, students, scholars, and many other serious Bible readers.”
“This is a first-rate commentary, written by a
seasoned New Testament exegete, reflecting the wisdom and insight we have come
to expect from its author. It is built on a foundation of excellent scholarship
and in dialogue with the best secondary literature; its approach to the text is
reverent and edifying. . . . Immensely rewarding.”
— Donald A. Hagner
“Edwards deftly leads readers through the historical
context, narrative dynamics, and main themes of Luke’s story of Jesus with
clear and insightful commentary. This is a useful book for preachers, teachers,
and students hoping to delve deeper into the Gospel of Luke.”
— Michael F. Bird
— Michael F. Bird
The question that Paul set before the ancient church
in Corinth — Do you not recognize that Jesus Christ is in and among you? (2 Cor
13:5) — remains a critical question for the church today. This commentary by
Mark Seifrid seeks to hear Paul’s message afresh and communicate it to our
time.
Seifrid offers a unified reading of 2 Corinthians,
which has often been regarded as a composite of excerpts and fragments. He
argues that Paul’s message is directed at the “practical atheism” of the
Corinthian church — the hidden heresy that assumes God’s saving work in the
world may be measured by outward standards of success and achievement.
Like all of the Pillar volumes, Seifrid’s commentary
on 2 Corinthians offers careful grammatical analysis and exegesis with clear
pastoral application.
“Mark Seifrid takes a distinctive approach to the
commentator’s task: rather than cataloging and evaluating the opinions of
modern scholars, he chooses to focus on his own fresh, stimulating, and very
definite interpretation of the letter, its theology, and its significance for
fundamental issues of hermeneutics.” — Douglas J. Moo, Wheaton College
“Seifrid brings extraordinary erudition, exegetical
precision, and astute theological reflection to the interpretation of this
poignant letter. He makes Paul’s parental love for his problem church come
alive and presents his word of the cross so that it also speaks to present-day
realities. . . . An outstanding addition to an excellent commentary series.” —
David E. Garland, George W. Truett Theological Seminary
“Mark Seifrid has given us here a model commentary
on Paul’s most passionate, intensely personal letter. Refusing to dice up 2
Corinthians into disparate fragments, this volume presents a coherent if
afflicted and sometimes distraught apostle committed to the fulfillment of the
mission he has received from the risen Christ. At once a superb work of
erudition and devotion.” — Timothy George, Beeson Divinity School, Samford
University
Kregel Exegetical Library (Kregel)
This is a fresh, new series that is exciting to see.
With commentaries by written on both the OT and the NT by top scholars, this
series has tremendous potential. Three new volumes in this series that just
released include the following:
The true fountainhead of Old Testament theology,
Exodus illuminates the significance of the name Yahweh and introduces the title
I AM. It tells of Israel’s formative historical event, the exodus, as well as
the making of the covenant at Sinai. It includes the first code of the Law in
the Decalogue and Book of the Covenant. It details Israel’s besetting sin in
the idolatry of the golden calf episode, but it also describes Moses’s intercession
and the great revelation of God’s mercy. In its display of the Tent of Meeting,
it presents the theology of the priesthood, the sacrifices, and the central
sanctuary. A Commentary on Exodus explores all of these events with a view
toward their significance both for the meaning of the Old Testament and for the
message of the Christian church. Exegetically deep enough to satisfy the
scholar and logically organized to meet the needs of the pastor, Garrett’s
commentary promises to become standard reference material in Exodus studies.
- Every verse is given a fresh translation with
copious explanatory notes, and particular attention is given to the poetry of
Exodus, which the author demonstrates to be more abundant than previously
believed.
- The commentary also helps to dispel much confusion
about Exodus by introducing the reader to Egyptian history and by carefully
analyzing questions about the date of the exodus and the location of Mount
Sinai.
For thousands of years, the Book of Psalms has been
one of God’s people’s richest resources for expression of worship and
development of the spiritual life. At the same time it is one of the more
complex and challenging sections of the Bible for expositors. Pastors,
teachers, and all serious students of the Bible will find this commentary
invaluable for developing their understanding of the Psalms and for improving
their ability to expound it with precision and depth.
For each psalm, Dr. Allen Ross guides the reader
through a detailed exegetical outline, proposes a homiletical outline, and
offers a summary expository idea of the message of the whole psalm.
The commentary includes discussion throughout of
three primary challenges to understanding the Psalms:
Textual issues: Every major textual difficulty is
addressed in order to help the expositor understand the interpretive issues and
make decisions when there are multiple available readings.
Poetic language: The Psalms are full of poetic
imagery, devices and structures. Ross discusses this “language” of Hebrew
poetry in its context with each psalm, specifying the precise devices being
used and how they work in the psalm.
The Psalms’ Hebrew grammar and syntax pose a
challenge to many expositors, whether they are familiar with Hebrew or not.
This commentary illuminates Hebrew constructions word meanings in a way that is
helpful both to readers who are comfortable with Hebrew and those who are not.
This masterly commentary sheds exegetical and
theological light on the books of Judges and Ruth for contemporary preachers
and students of Scripture. Listening closely to the text while interacting with
the best of scholarship, Chisholm shows what the text meant for ancient Israel
and what it means for us today. In addition to its perceptive comments on the
biblical text, it examines a host of themes such as covenants and the
sovereignty of God in Judges, and providence, redemption, lovingkindness, and
Christological typology in Ruth.
In his introduction to Judges, Chisholm asks and
answers some difficult questions: What is the point of Judges? What role did
individual judges play? What part did female characters play? Did Judges have a
political agenda?
Chisholm offers astute guidance to preachers and
teachers wanting to do a series on Judges or Ruth by providing insightful
exegetical and theological commentary. He offers homiletical trajectories for
each passage to show how historical narrative can be presented in the pulpit
and classroom.
Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
This series is one of the best in my opinion. It is
one of the first I turn to due to its depth, clarity, and precision. This one
too is a series long in the making, so patience is required! However, two new
volumes released and each of these are major contributions.
In this addition to the award-winning BECNT series,
a respected New Testament scholar offers a substantive evangelical commentary
on 2 Corinthians. George Guthrie leads readers through the intricacies of
literary structure, word meanings, cultural backdrop, and theological
proclamation, offering insights applicable to modern ministry contexts. As with
all BECNT volumes, this commentary features the author’s detailed interaction
with the Greek text; extensive research; thoughtful, chapter-by-chapter
exegesis; and an acclaimed, user-friendly design. It admirably achieves the
dual aims of the series–academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and
accessibility–making it a useful tool for pastors, church leaders, students,
and teachers.
In this addition to the critically acclaimed BECNT
series, respected New Testament scholar Jeffrey Weima offers pastors, students,
and teachers the most up-to-date and substantive commentary available on 1-2
Thessalonians. Weima, a Thessalonians expert, experienced teacher, and widely
traveled speaker, presents well-informed evangelical scholarship at an
accessible level to help readers understand the sociological, historical, and
theological aspects of these letters. As with all BECNT volumes, this
commentary features the author’s detailed interaction with the Greek text,
extensive research, thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, and a user-friendly
design. It admirably achieves the dual aims of the series–academic
sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility.
Matthew Barrett (PhD, The Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Christian Studies at California Baptist University, as well as the founder and
executive editor of Credo
Magazine. Barrett is also Senior Pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church.
He is the author and editor of several books, including Salvation by
Grace: The Case for Effectual Calling and Regeneration, Owen on the Christian Life, and God’s Word
Alone: The Authority of Scripture. You can read about Barrett’s
other publications at matthewmbarrett.com.
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