The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship. Overview of Commentary Organization Introduction—covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology. Each section of the commentary includes: Pericope Bibliography—a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope. Translation—the author’s own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and tenses, yet in reasonably good English. Notes—the author’s notes to the translation that address any textual variants, grammatical forms, syntactical constructions, basic meanings of words, and problems of translation. Form/Structure/Setting—a discussion of redaction, genre, sources, and tradition as they concern the origin of the pericope, its canonical form, and its relation to the biblical and extra-biblical contexts in order to illuminate the structure and character of the pericope. Rhetorical or compositional features important to understanding the passage are also introduced here. Comment—verse-by-verse interpretation of the text and dialogue with other interpreters, engaging with current opinion and scholarly research. Explanation—brings together all the results of the discussion in previous sections to expose the meaning and intention of the text at several levels: (1) within the context of the book itself; (2) its meaning in the OT or NT; (3) its place in the entire canon; (4) theological relevance to broader OT or NT issues. General Bibliography—occurring at the end of each volume, this extensive bibliographycontains all sources used anywhere in the commentary.

In Reading the Bible Across Contexts Esa Autero offers a fresh perspective on Luke’s poverty texts. In addition to an historical reading, he conducted an empirical investigation of two Latin American Bible reading groups – one poor and the other affluent – to shed light on Luke’s poverty texts. The interaction between historical reading and present-day readings demonstrates the impact of socio-economic status on biblical hermeneutics and sheds new light on Luke’s views on wealth and poverty. At the same time Esa Autero critically examines liberation theologian’s claim that poor are privileged biblical interpreters.

Now in a revised edition, this book examines the Old Testament roots of trinitarian thought, the historical developments that gave rise to the doctrine of the trinity and contemporary thinking about trinitarian issues.

Biblical theology is the discovery and development of doctrine as found and emphasized by a specific book of the Bible. Instead of beginning with a subject and then searching the scriptures broadly to assemble what may be relevant and illuminate ones understanding of that specific topic, biblical theology starts with a particular author and focuses upon a specific scriptural unit. The objective is to let the Bible speak for itself and discover what the original writer(s) wanted readersor those listening to the readingto understand. Therefore, New Testament biblical theology assists the student in understanding the distinctive doctrinal enrichment each book in the Christian canon brings to the collection of authoritative literature. The Theology of the Four Gospels is designed to engage an individual or group in a fresh study of the teachings of Jesus and the distinctive perspectives of the Four EvangelistsMatthew, Mark, Luke and John. Even though everyone participating in the study is examining the same literature, the conclusions may vary widely, which may contribute to a very fruitful discussion. Why should one anticipate a variety of interpretations? Each person comes to the study of the Bible with prior opinions, judgments, and beliefs. These presuppositions have been formed by our culture (e.g., ethnicity, political, social, economic, and religious background), critical knowledge (educational background in history, literature, language, natural abilities, life experiences, and age), and character (moral values, belief in the supernatural, human immortality, accountability, rational choices, and spiritual maturity). This is the goalto let the Four Gospels speak for themselves. The theological outcome may be tentative and provisional; however, the reader or student becomes engaged in the process of building a sound, personal theology and a steadfast, living faith in Jesus Christ.

What happens when God turns up? 'Has God become as familiar and forgettable as a fridge magnet? That's the danger Krish Kandiah faces up to in this wonderfully readable and very challenging book. Bible stories come to life as Krish tells them afresh, richly illustrated with personal experience and social relevance, and in each case the living God turns up - strange, dangerous, and, like Aslan, not safe but good.' CHRIS WRIGHT, LANGHAM PARTNERSHIP In an age of social and political uncertainty, Krish Kandiah turns to less familiar and more uncomfortable parts of the Bible to discover the true character of God - but be warned: he may be stranger than you think. Building on the challenges he explored in PARADOXOLOGY, Krish strips us of our comfortable assumptions and invites us to look afresh at God's character. When Abraham welcomes three men for dinner, he ends up pleading for the life of a city. When Jacob meets God by the river, they end up in a fight. And when two forlorn disciples meet a stranger on the road, their lives are turned upside down. GOD IS STRANGER challenges us to lay down our expectations of God and delight in the power that is proven by his very strangeness. 'Be warned: this book could seriously affect your view of yourself, of the world and of God - I highly recommend it to you!' PAULA GOODER, BIBLE SOCIETY 'An important and timely book from someone who lives out its message.' PETE GREIG, 24-7 PRAYER INTERNATIONAL

In Glory, Grace, and Truth, Alexander Tsutserov argues that three concepts of the revelation of God as Jesus are unfolded throughout the Gospel of John in terms of a ratification of the covenant of the presence of God. The covenantal aspects of "glory," confirming the presence of God, are evident in Jesus: the visible appearance of God; the intrinsic character of God; the miraculous splendor of God (in Jesus's incomparable signs, deeds, wonders, and marvelous acts); and the divine honor of God (in the Son glorified by the Father). "Grace upon grace" alludes to the requests to confirm the presence of God. All believers gained the grace of the presence of God in Jesus, rather than Moses alone encountering the grace of the presence at Sinai. The Gospel of John depicts ratification of the covenant of the presence of God in Jesus according with the covenantal articles. "Grace and truth" alludes to Exodus 34:6. Each allusion in John depicts the full graciousness and integrity of God's character. The Son possesses and bestows the Father's character onto believers by means of the Holy Spirit, who is full of "grace and truth." The divine character and the divine Law complement each other in believers, thus fulfilling the Scripture. In essence, the revelations of God at Sinai and in Jesus are the same. In quality, the latter surpasses the former in all three aspects: glory, grace, and truth.

This Theology of Work Bible Commentary is an in-depth Bible study tool put together by a group of biblical scholars, pastors, and workplace Christians to help you discover what the whole Bible—from Genesis to Revelation—says about work. Business, education, law, service industries, medicine, government—wherever you work, in whatever capacity, the Scriptures have something to say about it. Previously released in a boxed-set 5-volume edition, this version contains the complete content from that set in a single hardcover volume.

This ground-breaking volume examines the presentation and role of children in the ancient world, and specifically in ancient Jewish and Christian texts. With carefully commissioned chapters that follow chronological and canonical progression, a sequential reading of this book enables deeper appreciation of how understandings of children change over time. Divided into four sections, this handbook first offers an overview of key methodological approaches employed in the study of children in the biblical world, and the texts at hand. Three further sections examine crucial texts in which children or discussions of childhood are featured; presented along chronological lines, with sections on the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, the Intertestamental Literature, and the New Testament and Early Christian Apocrypha. Relevant not only to biblical studies but also cross-disciplinary scholars interested in children in antiquity.

In Luke-Acts, Jesus can be seen to take on the attributes of the Davidic shepherd king, a representation successfully conveyed through specific narrative devices. The presence of the shepherds in the birth narrative can be understood as an indication of this understanding of Jesus. Sarah Harris analyses the multiple ways scholars have viewed the shepherds as characters in the narrative, and uses this as an example of how the theme of Jesus' shepherd nature is interwoven into the narrative as a whole. From the starting point of Jesus' human life, Harris moves to later events portrayed in Jesus' ministry in which he is seen to enact his message as God's faithful Davidic shepherd, in particular, the parable of the Lost Sheep and the Zacchaeus pericope (19:1-10). Harris uses this latter encounter to underline that Jesus may be hailed as a King by the crowds as he enters Jerusalem, but he is not simply a king. He is God's Davidic Shepherd King, as prophesied in Micah 5 and Ezekiel 34, who brings the gospel of peace and salvation to the earth.