Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (BECNT) (8 vols.)

In the first of two volumes on the Gospel of Luke, Darrell L. Bock offers students of the New Testament a substantive yet highly accessible commentary. With extensive research and thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, Bock leads readers through all aspects of the third Gospel--sociological, historical, and theological. The result is a guide that clearly and meaningfully brings the first part of this important New Testament book to life for contemporary readers.

Bock's two volumes on the Gospel of Luke are the inaugural volumes of the acclaimed BECNT series. As with all BECNT volumes, Luke features the author's own translation of the Greek text, detailed interaction with the original text, and a user-friendly design. This informative, balanced commentary also includes extensive introductory notes. It admirably achieves the dual aims of the series--academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility--making it a useful tool for students, professors, and pastors.

In the second of two volumes on the Gospel of Luke, Darrell L. Bock offers students of the New Testament a substantive yet highly accessible commentary. With extensive research and thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, Bock leads readers through all aspects of the third Gospel--sociological, historical, and theological. The result is a guide that clearly and meaningfully brings the second part of this important New Testament book to life for contemporary readers.

Bock's two volumes on the Gospel of Luke are the inaugural volumes of the acclaimed BECNT series. As with all BECNT volumes, Luke features the author's own translation of the Greek text, detailed interaction with the original text, and a user-friendly design. This informative, balanced commentary also includes extensive introductory notes. It admirably achieves the dual aims of the series--academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility--making it a useful tool for students, professors, and pastors.

In this major new commentary on the Gospel of John, Andreas Köstenberger presents comprehensive and up-to-date analysis. His detailed study of one of the most important books in the New Testament is sure to become a standard resource for preachers, students, and scholars. A well-respected New Testament scholar, Köstenberger begins with a thorough introduction to John and the topics relevant to its interpretation. He discusses the book's authorship, date of writing, theological emphasis, and relation to other New Testament writings.

In the commentary proper, each exegetical unit is introduced and translated by the author. A full verse-by-verse exposition is followed by additional notes of a more technical nature. Throughout the commentary, Köstenberger interacts with the best recent scholarship and presents his conclusions in an accessible manner. When dealing with particularly problematic sections, he considers the full range of suggested interpretations drawn from a broad spectrum of commentators before offering his own understanding.

In the latest addition to BECNT, Pauline scholar Thomas Schreiner presents a fresh analysis of the substantive Book of Romans. It features many distinctives. "I have tried to write a scholarly commentary that fulfills the goals of brevity and lucidity," Schreiner explains. "One of my goals has been to trace the flow of thought in the letter so that the reader can understand how the argument unfolds. I have also tried to wrestle with the meaning of Romans theologically. . . . In particular, I have attempted to demonstrate inductively that the glory of God is the central theme that permeates the letter."

Each exegetical unit of the commentary is divided into four parts:

1. Introduction, theme summary, and structural outline
2. Translation
3. Paragraph-by-paragraph exegesis and exposition
4. Additional notes that comment on unique themes of a passage, interpretive problems, textual variants, and other critical issues.

Romans includes these helpful design features:

• Shaded text gives a broad overview of each exegetical unit, its place in Romans, and the way Paul expected his readers to respond to his words.
• Unshaded portions dissect the intricacies of the Greek text.
• A running outline at the top of each page keeps readers aware of their position in the overall structure of the book.

Pastors, students, and scholars will find Romans an easy-to-use, yet comprehensive, resource.

David Garland has written a major new commentary on Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians. His detailed study of one of the most important epistles in the New Testament is sure to become a standard resource for pastors, students, and scholars. After an introductory chapter that considers the context of the epistle and what is known about the social setting and cultural world of Corinth, Garland turns to his exegetical study. In order to maintain the overall flow of Paul's thought and show the larger themes more clearly, the verse-by-verse comments are organized in larger exegetical units. For each unit, the author provides a summary that locates it within the broader context of the surrounding material, and he provides his own translation of the Greek text.

The author's wealth of knowledge and exhaustive research is evident in his exposition. To clarify the meaning of the text, he incorporates references from parallel material in the Pauline corpus and from extrabiblical sources that highlight relevant aspects of the religious, cultural, and social context. Throughout his study, Garland interacts with notable previous commentators and provides extensive notes for the reader's consideration and further research. Relevant text-critical issues are discussed in a section labeled "Additional Notes." There biblical scholars will find comments on the more technical aspects of the text, including variant readings and grammatical issues.

With its user-friendly design, this commentary by Moises Silva provides a substantive yet accessible discussion of Philippians to help pastors, students, and teachers understand and explain this letter. Each passage is presented in three parts: Silva's own translation of the Greek text; exegesis and exposition of each unit of thought; and additional notes on textual matters. Throughout the commentary, Silva asks what is distinctive about this letter and shows how each passage contributes to Paul's overall argument.

In this addition to the acclaimed BECNT series, Karen H. Jobes provides a fresh, insightful commentary on 1 Peter that will help students and pastors understand and apply this important letter to the world in which we live. Throughout the commentary, Jobes emphasizes the Christian's relationship to culture and the place of suffering in the Christian life. She also presents a new suggestion about the original recipients of the letter, highlights the insights provided by the use of the Septuagint in the letter, and challenges prevailing assumptions about the nature of the Greek in the letter.

As with all BECNT volumes, 1 Peter features the author's own translation of the Greek text and detailed interaction with the original text. This commentary admirably achieves the dual aims of the series--academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility.

The Book of Revelation contains some of the most difficult passages in Scripture. Grant Osborne's commentary on Revelation aims to interpret the text while also introducing readers to the perspectives of contemporary scholarship in a clear and accessible manner.

Osborne begins with a thorough introduction to Revelation and the many difficulties involved in its interpretation. He discusses authorship, date of writing, and the social and cultural setting of the work. He also examines elements that complicate the interpretation of apocalyptic literature, including the use of symbols and figures of speech, Old Testament allusions, and the role of prophetic prediction. Osborne surveys various approaches commentators have taken on whether Revelation refers primarily to the past or to events that are yet future.

Osborne avoids an overly technical interpretative approach. Rather than exegeting the text narrowly in a verse-by-verse manner, he examines larger sections in order to locate and emphasize the writer's central message and the theology found therein. Throughout, he interacts with the best recent scholarship and presents his conclusions in an accessible manner. When dealing with particularly problematic sections, he considers the full range of suggested interpretations and introduces the reader to a broad spectrum of commentators.