New Testament Commentaries

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology
• Detailed bibliography

DESCRIPTION

No New Testament book has caused as much confusion and been subjected to as many varied interpretations as Revelation. Today we continue to witness a surge of popular interest in Bible prophecy and questions concerning such matters as the “last days” and the second coming of Christ. Scholarly debates continue as well, especially regarding the occurrence, timing, and theological significance of the “tribulation” and the “millennium.” It is therefore the special task of the commentator on Revelation to address such difficult questions in a scholarly and responsible manner while also remaining accessible to pastors, students, and general readers.

When first published, this volume on Revelation by Robert H. Mounce was widely praised as a standard commentary on the Apocalypse. In this new edition, now based on the NIV and Nestle-Aland, Mounce has revised and expanded his work to reflect more than twenty additional years of mature thought on Revelation and to bring his work up to date with the latest scholarship. As in the original edition, Mounce here engages seriously with the various approaches to interpretation and with the conventions common to apocalyptic literature. In affirming more directly his own reading of the Apocalypse, Mounce steers a middle course between an extreme literalism and a highly imaginative subjectivism, believing this to be the way the ancient text spoke to the first-century churches to whom it was addressed—and the way it still speaks to us today.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology
• Detailed bibliography

DESCRIPTION

The three Epistles of John, according to I. Howard Marshall, are concerned with the fundamentals of Christian belief and life—faith and love. The reader who grasps the message of these short but essential letters will have a sound basis in Christian doctrine. This group of Epistles, says Marshall, is also a good starting point for the study of the Gospel of John. This important commentary, then, was written not only so that students of the Bible might master the content of John’s Epistles, but that they might come to a proper understanding of Johannine theology as a whole.

This volume includes an “invitation” to general readers and an “introduction” addressed to students and specialists. Another fresh feature is a rearrangement of the traditional order of the three letters: 2 John and 3 John are studied before 1 John. This structure assures that the two shorter letters are not relegated to the position of appendices but are treated as important documents of early Christianity in their own right.

See excerpt of NIC Epistles of John

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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology
• Detailed bibliography

DESCRIPTION

The First Epistle of Peter constitutes an important work of New Testament theology and pastoral care, serves as an example of how the early church applied Jesus’ sayings and the Old Testament writings to contemporary concerns, and presents some extremely useful perspectives on living the Christian life today. This commentary by Peter Davids does an excellent job of mining the rich wealth of instruction to be found in this very significant section of Scripture.

Davids’s commentary contains several notable features: a unique grasp of 1 Peter’s structure, a systematically arranged introduction that summarizes the commentary proper, a perceptive excursus on suffering in 1 Peter and the New Testament, Davids’s own study translation, thorough and incisive comments on each verse of the text, frequent parallels to ancient literature, an exceptionally clear and lively writing style, and one of the most comprehensive bibliographies on 1 Peter available anywhere.

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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology
• Detailed bibliography

DESCRIPTION

The author of the Epistle of James, a letter distinguished for its passionate commitment to Jewish Christianity, has been dubbed “the Amos of the new covenant.” As a guide to Christian behavior, the letter deals with themes of universal importance, among which are the nature of God and man, the evils of lust and pride, the virtues of faith and hope, and the fruits of faith and love.

James B. Adamson, in contrast to many scholars, is convinced that James was a master writer whose knowledge and choice of Greek bestow on his epistle a sustained unity of style and content that bears a close affinity with the Synoptic Gospels and the sayings of Jesus. The substance and authoritative tone of this epistle follow in the tradition of Elijah and Moses, and the style and diction resemble some of the outstanding qualities of the Psalms the prophets.

In this thorough exegesis of his own working translation, Adamson combats some prevalent notions and corrects misunderstandings of the nature of this unique epistle, which, he says, cannot really be understood apart from the whole context of the New Testament.

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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology
• Detailed bibliography

DESCRIPTION

For many readers the Epistle to the Hebrews is among the most difficult books of the New Testament. Understanding its message calls for a great familiarity with its Old Testament background and a good knowledge of certain phases of first-century biblical exegesis. When first published in 1964, this commentary on Hebrews by F.F. Bruce received critical praise for providing the expertise needed on both these fronts.

The last volume on which Bruce was able to complete revisions before his death in 1990, this edition of The Epistle to the Hebrews evidences twenty-five years of further study on Bruce’s part—especially through thoroughly updated and embellished footnotes that take into account the numerous publications on Hebrews that have appeared in the intervening years. Bruce also replaced the commentary’s use of the American Standard Version of 1901 with his own translation of the original Greek text to make his verse-by-verse exposition as clear as possible.

Sample 1

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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology
• Detailed bibliography

DESCRIPTION

The most accessible, most broadly pitched full-length commentary on Timothy and Titus, this NICNT volume explores Paul’s three letters to Timothy and Titus within their historical, religious, and cultural settings.

In his introduction, Towner sets out the rationale for his historical approach, questions certain assumptions of recent critical scholarship, and establishes the uniqueness and individuality of each letter. Significantly, Towner’s work displays unprecedented interaction with four recent major commentaries on these Pauline letters. Centered on an outstanding translation of the Greek text and including thorough footnotes and bibliographical citations, Towner’s commentary on Timothy and Titus is sure to become a standard reference for busy pastors, students, and scholars.

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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology
• Detailed bibliography

DESCRIPTION

In this commentary Gordon Fee aims first and foremost to offer a fresh exposition of the text of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. He shows the reader what is in the biblical text, what the text meant in the first century, and what it means now. Fee reveals the logic of each argument or narrative before moving on to the details of each verse, and he concludes each section with a theological-practical reflection on the meaning of the text today. Among other things, Fee explores the occasion for writing for each epistle, restoring 2 Thessalonians to the place it deserves as a full companion to the first letter, rather than merely a tagalong to 1 Thessalonians.

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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology
• Detailed bibliography

DESCRIPTION

This collection of three commentaries in one volume completes F. F. Bruce’s lifelong study of Paul’s writings. With the publication of this volume, Bruce—one of the most respected New Testament scholars in the world—finished writing commentaries on all the Pauline epistles except the Pastorals.

According to Bruce, there are important reasons for linking Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians together in one work. The study of both Ephesians and Colossians, says Bruce, confirms his belief that Ephesians continues the line of thought followed in Colossians—in particular because it draws out the implications of Christ’s cosmic role (set forth in Colossians) for the church, which is his body. At the same time Ephesians constitutes the crown of Paulinism, gathering up the main themes of the apostle’s teaching into a unified presentation sub specie aeternitatis. The letter to Philemon, too, has a close association to Colossians, and is appropriately included in this volume.

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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology
• Detailed bibliography

DESCRIPTION

This commentary by respected New Testament scholar Gordon D. Fee is a scholarly yet thoroughly readable study of Paul’s letter to the suffering community of believers in Philippi.

Working directly from the Greek text but basing his comments on the New International Version, Fee sets Paul’s letter to the Philippians squarely within the context of first-century “friendship” and “moral exhortation” to a church facing opposition because of its loyalty to Jesus Christ. At the same time Fee gives equal concern to the letter’s theological and spiritual relevance.

Important features of this commentary include a remarkable comparison of Philippians to two well-known types of letters in the Greco-Roman world: the letter of friendship and the letter of moral exhortation; an introduction that discusses the occasion, authenticity, and theological contributions of Philippians; and scholarly insights that resolve many of the formal and structural issues that have long puzzled New Testament scholars.

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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology
• Detailed bibliography

DESCRIPTION

This commentary by Ronald Y.K. Fung has been added to the NICNT series to address significant new questions regarding the study of Galatians that have arisen since the publication of Herman N. Ridderbos’s commentary—the original NICNT volume on Galatians—in 1953.

Begun under the mentorship of F.F. Bruce at the University of Manchester, England, Fung’s work on Galatians offers solid, reliable exposition of the text while also providing a fresh assessment of the large number of interpretive questions—past and present—raised by Paul’s letter. This work also examines Galatians specifically as Paul’s most direct defense and exposition of justification by faith, which Fung says is the central motif of Paul’s understanding of the Gospel.

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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology
• Detailed bibliography

DESCRIPTION

This excellent commentary on 2 Corinthians by Paul Barnett illumines the historical background of the church at Corinth and clarifies the meaning of Paul’s passionate letter both for those first-century Christians and for the church today.

Assuming the unity of the letter, for which extensive argument is offered, Barnett takes the view that Paul is, in particular, addressing the issue of triumphalism in Corinth. This triumphalism is expressed by the newly arrived missionaries who portray Paul as “inferior” to themselves; it is also endemic among the Corinthians. According to Barnett, the recurring theme of the letter is “power-in-weakness,” based on the motif of the Resurrection of the Crucified, which lies at the heart of the Gospel of Christ. Also fundamental to the letter is the theme of fulfillment of the “promises of God” by Christ and the Spirit under the New Covenant.

Written for scholars, pastors, and lay readers alike, this commentary on 2 Corinthians will be a lasting reference work for those interested in this important section of Scripture.

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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology
• Detailed bibliography

DESCRIPTION

This award-winning commentary on 1 Corinthians by Gordon D. Fee has been lauded as the best study now available of Paul’s exciting and theologically rich first letter to the Corinthians.

Writing primarily for pastors, teachers, and students, Fee offers a readable exposition of 1 Corinthians that clearly describes the meaning of Paul’s ideas and their larger theological relevance. The more scholarly dimension of the work, including Fee’s considerable interaction with other commentators, is found in the footnotes.

Several features make this commentary unique. First, Fee takes great care to establish the all-important historical/literary context of this letter by including numerous sectional introductions that reconstruct the historical background and trace the flow of Paul’s argument. Fee is also concerned to exegete the whole book from a consistent perspective as to the historical situation. Second, Fee’s expertise in textual criticism has led him to discuss every exegetically significant variant, some at considerable length. Third, Fee concludes almost every paragraph with some observations about application—illustrating his deep concern that the Word of God be a living word for today.

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