Preaching the Word Upgrade 3 (4 vols.)
by 4 authors Ajith Fernando, Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., James H. Grant Jr., James M. Hamilton Jr.
Crossway 2011–2012
Overview
Preaching the Word commentaries are written by pastors for pastors, as well as for all who teach or study God’s Word. With pastor R. Kent Hughes as the series editor, experienced pastors and teachers model expository preaching and practical application. This series is noted for its steadfast commitment to biblical authority, clear exposition of Scripture, and readability, making it widely accessible for both new and seasoned pastors, as well as men and women hungering to read the Bible in a fresh way.
In the Logos edition, each Scripture passage links to your favorite translation, and the series is easy to study side by side with your other commentaries. You can search by topic or Scripture with remarkably fast results.
Want the whole series? Order the Preaching the Word Collection (19 Vols.), Preaching the Word Upgrade (2 vols.), and Preaching the Word Upgrade 2 (3 vols.)!
Key Features
- Exegesis and word study on 5 books of the Bible
- Lucid commentary perfect for students, pastors, and the general reader
- Over 1,600 pages of insight
Praise for the Print Edition
It is a pleasure to commend this series of homiletical commentaries. They fill an enormous vacuum that exists between the practical needs of the pastor/teacher and the critical exegetical depth of most commentaries.
—Walter C. Kaiser Jr., emeritus president and distinguished professor of Old Testament and ethics, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
This series will minister to a pastor's soul as well as giving him an immense resource for his preaching. And it will minister to the parishioner wonderfully in personal Bible story. The reader will be filled with fresh thoughts about our Lord as well as joyful encouragement for himself. That is what happened to me in reading this.
—Kenneth N. Taylor, translator, The Living Bible
This series resonates with the priorities of the pulpit. No academic aloofness here, but down-to-earth, preacher-to-preacher meat for God’s people.
—Bryan Chapell, distinguished professor of preaching, Knox Theological Seminary
The single best resource for faithful biblical exposition available today. A great boon for genuine reformation!
—Timothy George, dean and professor of divinity history and doctrine, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University
There is a long history of informed, edifying biblical expositions that have been mightily used of God to shape and strengthen the church. These volumes admirably fit this tradition.
—D. A. Carson, research professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Throughout the Christian centuries, working pastors have been proving themselves to be the best of all Bible expositors. Kent Hughes stands in this great tradition, and his exciting expositions uphold it worthily.
—J. I. Packer, Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology, Regent College
Individual Titles
- Deuteronomy: Loving Obedience to a Loving God by Ajith Fernando
- Proverbs: Wisdom that Works by Raymond C. Ortlund Jr.
- 1 & 2 Thessalonians: The Hope of Salvation by James H. Grant Jr.
- Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches by James M. Hamilton Jr.
The book of Deuteronomy is a call to obedience—the proper response to God’s faithfulness and love. Consisting primarily of speeches that Moses gave to the Israelites shortly before they entered the Promised Land, Moses’ words proclaimed God’s covenant faithfulness in hopes of motivating the Israelites to obey God despite the coming temptation to conform to the Canaanite culture.
The challenges they faced then are remarkably parallel to those facing Christians today as we grapple with the issue of obedience in a world that offers other attractive ways of life. We wonder: How can we be faithful to God? And how do we help our children and the people we lead to be faithful? This book tells us how Moses tackled these challenges and, as Paul confirms in the New Testament, Deuteronomy serves “as an example…written down for our instruction” (1 Cor. 10:11).
Ajith Fernando unpacks the relevance of Deuteronomy and captivates us with rich anecdotes from his 35 years of ministry to first-generation Christians in Sri Lanka. He offers concrete examples of how the truths contained in Deuteronomy can be applied, and he teaches us that obedience is the necessary response to the God who loves and saves us.
Out of his broad experience of expounding the Scriptures, Dr. Fernando has given us a commentary that will appeal to all those who preach the Word. The work breathes a love for God, a deep understanding of Biblical theology, and a warmly poignant grasp of human nature—with its failings and its potentials. His applications of Deuteronomy’s teaching are both perceptive and relevant. While showing an awareness of scholarly treatments, the work is very accessible to those who do not have scholarly training. It is highly recommended.
—John Oswalt, visiting distinguished professor of Old Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary
Vintage Fernando. Like all of his preaching, this book is a model of the wonderful gift that God has given to Ajith Fernando for simple, clear, and challenging exposition of the Word of God. Without evading the more difficult questions and problems that scholars have wrestled with in the book of Deuteronomy, he does not allow them to dominate but stays close to the thrust of the text, patiently explaining and applying it step by step. The rich infusion of illustrations that are mostly drawn from the challenges and stresses, joys and sorrows of his own experience in ministry add a wonderful earthy texture to the whole book as we constantly weave between the Biblical world and today’s world in a way that listens to and engages with both. This book is a deep well of Biblical study, ethical challenge, practical advice, pastoral wisdom, and spiritual warmth. It breathes love for God, God’s Word, God’s world, and God’s people.
—Christopher J. H. Wright, director, Langham Partnership International
Ajith Fernando is the teaching director of Youth for Christ in war-torn Sri Lanka after serving as the ministry’s National Director for 35 years. He and his wife, Nelun, are active in a church ministering primarily to the urban poor. His ministry includes mentoring younger staff and counseling Christian workers. He is the author of 15 books published in 18 languages.
How exactly does one become wise? With the overwhelming flood of information and opinion in our times—much of it a mixture of spin, sound bites, and trivialities—it is crucial we turn back to the Bible and pay close attention to the deep insights that have stood the test of time.
Proverbs 1:20 tells us that “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice.” The wisdom of God does not stand aloof, but instead graciously moves toward us, into the world where we live and struggle day by day—offering us her very best, if we will only listen.
Pastor and teacher Ray Ortlund unpacks the book of Proverbs in 21 straightforward sermons, providing a biblical worldview on everything from money, sex, and power to that of the daily routines of an average life. Drawing relevant parallels from ancient culture to present day, he helps us understand how the book of Proverbs is practical help for ordinary people going through everyday life.
Most importantly, Ortlund shows how the Proverbs point to Jesus and his counsel for the perplexed, his strength for the defeated, his warning to the proud, his mercy for the broken. With careful treatment of the Scriptures and uncomplicated language, Proverbs: Wisdom that Works bridges the gap between real-life experience and the scholarly depth of many commentaries.
I simply cannot say enough about Ortlund’s treatment of the book of Proverbs. There is depth here—scholarship disguised as pastoral advice. There is breadth here—quoting diverse people from Descartes to Sherlock Holmes. There is heart here—the heart of an evangelist, a pastor, a friend, and one who truly understands the Word. Proverbs: Wisdom that Works shines God’s light on your day in every area of life.
—Woodrow Kroll, senior Bible teacher, Back to the Bible
Ortlund not only speaks wisdom, he models how to speak it. He not only lights the way on how to preach Proverbs, but on how to walk in wisdom—and he makes me want to do both! Almost immediately I had two reactions: ‘Why am I not preaching Proverbs right now?’ and ‘Why am I not wiser by now?’ Turn here not just to hear about wisdom, but also to taste it. You’ll find the savor reverently worshipful, theologically rich, and relentlessly practical.
—John Kitchen, senior pastor, Stow Alliance Fellowship, Ohio
The strength of Ray Ortlund’s study of Proverbs is its Christ-centeredness. The wisdom of Proverbs loses none of its practical value, but rather is given its ultimate fulfillment as an expression of the wisdom of Christ.
—Graeme Goldsworthy, emeritus lecturer in Old Testament, biblical theology, and hermeneutics, Moore Theological College
Proverbs: Wisdom that Works models powerful, profound, relevant expository preaching. The expositions are God-centered, Christ-centered, practical, evangelistic, life-changing, and life-giving. For Proverbs 1–9, each exposition digs deeply into the meaning of the passage in its original context, connects it with the New Testament (especially with Jesus Christ), and demonstrates astutely its contemporary relevance with illustrations and quotations. The last seven chapters bring together various proverbs under seven topics: the tongue, humility, family, emotions, friendship, money, and life and death. The oral style provides easy reading for deep, wise insights. A superb source for preachers preparing a series of Christian sermons on the book of Proverbs and for Bible study groups interested in studying biblical wisdom.
—Sidney Greidanus, emeritus professor of preaching, Calvin Theological Seminary
For the pastor who desires to preach Proverbs, this book will prove to be an important tool. Ortlund’s scholarly giftedness and his pastoral passions combine to create an accurate, readable, and Christ-centered guide to Solomon’s great book of ‘love and faithfulness.’
—George W. Robertson, senior minister, The First Presbyterian Church, Augusta, Georgia
I have been an appreciative reader and user of R. Kent Hughes’ series of Preaching the Word. It is therefore a joy to commend the most recent addition to that series in Raymond C. Ortlund Jr.’s Proverbs: Wisdom that Works. It goes without saying that we in the evangelical Church have long needed an exposition of this book, for it really does deal with ‘where the rubber meets the road’ on the hard realities of living the Christian life. I enjoyed each chapter of Ray’s exposition and with thanksgiving to our Lord commend this work to all of God’s people—both pastors, leaders, and laypersons. It touches on the basic fabric of life with a note of divine authority and practicality.
—Walter C. Kaiser Jr., emeritus president and distinguished professor of Old Testament and ethics, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Raymond C. Ortlund Jr. is the pastor of Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the author of several books, including the Preaching the Word commentary on Isaiah, as well as a contributor to the ESV Study Bible.
Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica to encourage them to live in the light of the gospel. In his two letters he addresses a number of topics, including the persecution they were enduring, the second coming of Christ, and how they were to live in the present times. While the letters were written nearly two thousand years ago, Pastor James H. Grant Jr. insists that Paul’s audience includes us as well as the Thessalonians.
Grant applies Paul’s message to contemporary churches by moving expositionally through 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Twenty-five sermons examine each passage of the books as the gospel and its implications are unpacked in light of Christ’s second coming.
This is no dry and ponderous commentary, but a unique window into the feelings, the textures, the times, the very hearts of the New Testament writers.
—Frank E. Peretti, author, This Present Darkness
James H. Grant Jr. is pastor of Trinity Reformed Church in Rossville, Tennessee. He also teaches theology at Westminster Academy and lives in Tennessee with his wife, Brandy, and their four children: Macy, Trey, Nate, and Addie.
In the book of Revelation, God unveils the world as it really is, identifying an unseen spiritual war and announcing a very real day of judgment. As the end approaches, we need to be convinced that Jesus is reigning as the risen King. We need to have him speak to the situation in our churches. We need to see how God will pulverize wickedness, answer those who oppose him, and establish his eternal kingdom. Revelation has exactly what we need.
Useful for personal study, as well as for preaching and teaching, the 37 sermons in this volume have a clear structure and even include helpful charts and tables to highlight key themes and literary elements. In each sermon, professor and pastor James Hamilton grabs the reader’s attention, raises awareness of a real need, and states the main point of the biblical text. In addition to explaining the meaning of each passage, Hamilton connects the main ideas to applicable analogies and actionable points.
Revelation is a prophecy of epic proportions and Hamilton invites readers to love God and his people by expositing this revelation of Jesus, and to say along with the apostle John, “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Hamilton has done his homework—and numerous footnotes reveal his scholarship—but he keeps the plot moving as he focuses on the pastoral duty of preaching the book. When exegeting difficult texts he presents the best case for differing viewpoints and then argues persuasively for his, all with an eye on preaching. Pastors will find here an inspiring foundation to craft their own sermons (and check their work), and laypeople will discover a pastoral guide through the minefield that is Revelation. Do you have a question about a passage in Revelation? Look here first.
—Michael Wittmer, professor of systematic theology, Cornerstone University
In a day when most preachers appear to be terrified by the prospects of preaching any text beyond the third chapter of the Apocalypse, I find Dr. James Hamilton’s Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches to be an oasis in the wilderness. Though my own interpretation of the book is light years removed from that of Professor Hamilton, the purity of his love for Christ, for his church, and for the Word of God makes every page a delight to read regardless of his eschatological position.
—Paige Patterson, president, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
James M. Hamilton Jr. is associate professor of biblical theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is author of God’s Indwelling Presence and numerous articles and essays.
Product Details
- Title: Preaching the Word Upgrade 3
- Editor: R. Kent Hughes
- Series: Preaching the Word
- Publisher: Crossway
- Volumes: 4
- Pages: 1,676
About the Editor
R. Kent Hughes, emeritus senior pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, earned his DMin from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has authored numerous books, including Disciplines of a Godly Man and Mastering the Pastoral Role.