Lexham Geographic Commentary on Acts through Revelation

by Barry J. Beitzel; Jessica Parks; Douglas Mangum

Publisher:

Lexham Press

, 2019

Explore the World of Paul’s Ministry

The Lexham Geographic Commentary on Acts through Revelation delivers fresh insight by drawing attention to the geographical setting for the spread of Christianity in the first century AD. Geography is a central concern in Acts, but the full significance of its geographical context is easily overlooked without a familiarity with the places, the types of transportation, the relative distances, and the travel conditions around the Mediterranean in the first century AD. Luke’s account mentions places from all over the known world, and Paul’s missionary travels covered an estimated 15,000 miles by land and sea.

Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8 literally map the future travels of the Apostles and provide the structure for the rest of the book: The Apostles will take the gospel from Jerusalem (1:1–8:3) to Samaria and Judea (8:4–40, 9:32–11:18), and finally throughout the Roman world and beyond (13:21–28:31). Geography also provides a new depth of insight into John’s letters to the seven churches in Rev 1–3. Their locations along key Roman mail routes suggest the letters may make up a single composite message to be received in stages as the letters are passed along from one church to the other. The references in Acts and Rev 1–3 cover the full geographical context for the first century Church since some of the cities Paul visits in Acts are later the locations of churches that receive his letters such as Ephesus (Acts 19; Eph 1:1; 1 Tim 1:3). The Lexham Geographic Commentary gives you insight into the importance of all of these locations—both culturally and spatially—and provides a deeper understanding of the spread of early Christianity.

Praise for Lexham Geographic Commentary on Acts through Revelation

What a resource! Whether you study the Bible, teach or preach it, or are planning to do a movie where you need to understand how people lived, the Lexham Geographic Commentary on Acts through Revelation is a treasure trove of information about first century life. This is up to date and full of detail that not only will inform you but fascinate you as well. Just very well done.

—Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament, Dallas Theological Seminary

Most New Testament professors are at best amateurs when it comes to geography and archaeology and for many of us the geographical information is inaccessible, but the Lexham Geographic Commentary on Acts through Revelation brings it all together. Just what Bible readers, pastors, and professors need! An abundance of images, excellent scholarly descriptions and narratives, and first-rate scholarship all bundled into an accessible format. I will not study any book from Acts to Revelation without having this volume at my side.

—Rev. Canon Dr. Scot McKnight, Professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary

The Lexham Geographic Commentary on Acts through Revelation is a worthy sequel to the award-winning Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospels. Over fifty entries by a range of scholars offer valuable insight into the geographical, social, and historical context of the book of Acts, the New Testament letters, and Revelation. An incredible amount of information that enables students to better understand the New Testament is available in this volume. Interspersed throughout are photographs, illustrations, and maps that enable the reader better to grasp the points being made in the text.

—Douglas J. Moo, Wessner Chair of Biblical Studies, Wheaton College

Lexham Geographic Commentaries

Geography is a central concern throughout Scripture, but the full significance of the geographical context is easily overlooked without a familiarity with the places, the relative distances, and the ancient setting. The Lexham Geographic Commentaries will not only place you in the sandals of the ancient writers of Scripture, but they will explain the significance of the geographic details in the biblical text for your life today.

Learn more about the other titles in this series.

A New Type of Commentary

To create an innovative, award-winning commentary on the geographic and physical background of the biblical text, we partnered with noted Bible scholar and cartographer Dr. Barry J. Beitzel. This commentary will not only place you in the sandals of the Apostles as they traveled throughout the Roman Empire, but it will explain the significance of the geographic details in the biblical text for your life today.

In the Lexham Geographic Commentary articles on each passage are enriched with relevant details that integrate the valuable resources of Logos Bible Software. So instead of being bound to the commentary text, you will be encouraged to explore Atlas maps of the region discussed, or conduct a Bible Word Study of a Greek word that was mentioned. And if reading through a commentary isn’t your thing, no worries! The wealth of information throughout the Lexham Geographic Commentary will be accessible from multiple angles within Logos Bible Software. So whether you’re studying a specific pericope using the Passage Guide or simply reading through your preferred Bible with the commentary linked together, the relevant information will be surfaced helping you further explore the acts of the Apostles and John’s letters to the seven churches.

Contents

• Typological Geography and the Progress of the Gospel in Acts
• The Topography of Jerusalem in the Book of Acts
• The Threefold Expansion of the Early Church: Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria
• Jesus’ Missionary Commission and the Ends of the Earth
• A Sabbath-Day’s Journey from the Mount of Olives
• The Location of Pentecost and Geographical Implications in Acts 2
• Early Church Demographics
• Geography of the Nations in Jerusalem for Pentacost
• The Jerusalem Temple in the Book of Acts
• The Geography of Worship: From Temple to Synagogue to Church
• The Persecution of the Earliest Christians in Geographical Perspective
• The Theodotus Synagogue Inscription and Its Relationship to the Book of Acts
• Samaria: Too Wicked to Redeem?
• The Roman Road System around the Mediterranean
• The Desert Road between Jerusalem and Gaza
• The Geography of Caesarea Maritima
• The Road from Jerusalem to Damascus
• Paul’s Missionary Work in Syria, Nabatea, Judea, and Cilicia
• Peter’s Ministry in Caesarea Maritima
• Peter and the Centurion Cornelius: Roman Soldiers in the New Testament
• The Geographic Importance of Antioch on the Orontes
• Famines in the Land
• The Death of Herod Agrippa I in Caesarea Maritima
• Paul’s Missionary Work in Cyprus, Galatia, and Pamphylia
• Barnabas, John Mark, and Their Ministry on Cyprus
• The Social and Geographical World of Pisidian Antioch

• Paul’s Missionary Work in Macedonia and Achaia
• Paul at the Areopagus in Athens
• What Has Athens to Do with Jerusalem? Paul’s Areopagus Speech in Context
• The Social and Geographical Significance of Alexandria
• Paul’s Missionary Work in the Provinces of Asia and Illyricum
• Paul as a Prisoner in Judea and Rome
• Paul’s Journey to Rome
• The Social and Geographical World of Rome
• Paul in Spain and Crete
• Paul’s Travels After Acts
• The Social and Geographical World of Roman Corinth
• The Geography of Galatia
• Paul’s Early Ministry in Syria and Cilicia: The Silent Years
• The Meaning of “Arabia” in Classical Literature and the New Testament
• The Social and Geographical World of Ephesus
• Paulus Geographicus? The Spatial (Somatic) World of Paul’s Letter to the Philippians
• The Social and Geographical World of Colossae
• The Social and Geographical World of Thessalonica
• Onesimus and the Social and Geographical World of Philemon
• Peter’s Christian Communities in Asia Minor
• Geography of the Island of Patmos
• The Social and Geographical World of Smyrna
• The Social and Geographical World of Pergamum
• The Social and Geographical World of Thyatira
• The Social and Geographical World of Sardis
• The Social and Geographical World of Philadelphia
• The Social and Geographical World of Laodicea

Product Details

• Title: Lexham Geographic Commentary on Acts through Revelation
• General Editor: Barry J. Beitzel
• Series: Lexham Geographic Commentary Series
• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 792
• Format: Logos Digital, Hardcover
• Trim Size: 6x9
• ISBN: 9781683593423

About Barry J. Beitzel

Barry J. Beitzel is Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, USA. He holds a Ph.D. in Ancient Near Eastern Studies from Dropsie University in Philadelphia. He obtained a postdoctorate in Ancient Near Eastern Geography from the Université de Liège, Belgium, and has engaged in postdoctoral archaeological work through UCLA in eastern Syria. Dr. Beitzel is the author of The New Moody Atlas of the Bible. His publications on Near Eastern geography have appeared in a variety of monographs and journals, from Biblical Archaeology Review and The Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research to Iraq: The British Institute for the Study of Iraq.