Westminster Bible Companion Series (33 vols.)
This collection is no longer available for purchase, but there is an updated Westminster Bible Companion Series collection.
Overview
The Westminster Bible Companion Series (33 vols.) assists laity in the study of the Bible as a guide to Christian faith and practice. This series, compiled by some of the best names in contemporary scholarship, is concise, yet non-technical. Each volume explains the biblical book in its original historical context and explores its significance for faithful living today. These books are ideal for individual study and for Bible study classes and groups.
The Logos Bible Software edition of the Westminster Bible Companion Series (33 vols.) helps you read and study the Bible more effectively for sermon preparation, research, or personal study. Every time you run a Passage Guide on a text, results from the series will appear—all opened to exactly the right page. What’s more, with Logos, every word is essentially a link. Scripture references are linked directly to the original language texts and English Bible translations in your library. That makes the Logos edition of the Westminster Bible Companion Series (33 vols.) the fastest, easiest, and most rewarding edition of one of the top evangelical commentaries available today.
- Contains concise introductions to each book
- Unfolds the various contexts and principles found in Scripture
- Helps prepare pastors, students, and laity relay the Bible's teaching in a clear way
- Title: Westminster Bible Companion Series
- Series: Westminster Bible Companion
- Publisher: Westminster John Knox
- Volumes: 33
- Pages: 8,076
Partially included
Not only does the book of Genesis begin our Bible, but it also can serve to begin the discussion of a variety of important topics as well: the question of origins, tensions between genders and between siblings, the reality of sin, the saga of human family, and the promise of God's covenant. In this perceptive and helpful commentary, W. Sibley Towner relates the theological issues in Genesis to faith issues in the church today.
W. Sibley Towner is Professor of Old Testament at Union Theological Seminary/Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia, and the author of Daniel in the Interpretation series.
The book of Exodus is literally a story about "going out," and as such, it touches on something all of us have in common: each of our lives is marked by different kinds of goings out and comings in. J. Gerald Janzen reads the Exodus story as both the story of a particular people and a revelation of God's concern for the liberation and redemption of all people. The lessons of Exodus are encouraging because they hold out hope for all who are oppressed by forces over which they have no control. But the lessons are sobering also, because they caution the liberated not to perpetuate the evils under which they suffered.
Praise for the Print Edition
Janzen has succeeded in producing an interpretation of Exodus that will help general readers appreciate some of the literary intricacies of the book and to understand some of the themes that run throughout the biblical texts.
—E. Theodore Mullen, Review of Biblical Literature
J. Gerald Janzen is MacAllister-Petticrew Professor of Old Testament at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. He is the author of Job (Interpretation series).
In this rich and thoughtful commentary Richard Boyce makes Leviticus and Numbers come alive for serious and lively preaching and teaching. In a clear and direct style, Boyce explains the various rituals and regulations in these books, while always showing what today's believers can learn from them. Attentive to the particularities of the text in its time, Boyce is nevertheless unabashed about seeing and hearing these books as a word to the church—a word that connects again and again with the New Testament and speaks in important ways to contemporary life.
Richard N. Boyce is Associate Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Leadership at Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education at Charlotte, North Carolina. A gifted teacher, preacher, and pastor, he served for many years as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Belmont, North Carolina.
Deuteronomy, Thomas Mann notes, is more than a relic of ancient history. It is a living document that deals with issues that have relevance for the modern-day reader, including justice and the vision of the Great Society, individual responsibility versus the importance of community, and the nature of loyalty to God and to the world. By examining these and other issues, readers will draw striking parallels between the world of Israel several millennia ago and today. This absorbing and readable book will stimulate discussion about the Deuteronomistic prescriptions for a healthy society and their applicability to contemporary life and society.
Thomas W. Mann is the pastor of Parkway United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Formerly, he was Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the author of The Book of the Torah: The Narrative Integrity of the Pentateuch.
Who is God? How does God act in our lives? How are we to act as God's faithful people? Joshua, Judges, and Ruth represent a chorus of voices reflecting on Israel's earliest days in its land. In Joshua, God empowers an obedient Israel to conquer the Promised Land. In Judges, Israel's faithlessness and God's wrath lead to a downward spiral of sin, subjugation, and social disintegration. Ruth narrates a story of divine blessing worked out through human loyalty.
Carolyn Pressler is Harry C. Piper Jr. Professor of Biblical Interpretation at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, New Brighton, Minnesota.
The power of story as God's Word to the community of faith is never more clear than in the books of Samuel. Emotion, drama, complexity of character, and mystery fill the pages of these two biblical books. Eugene Peterson's commentary emphasizes the resonance and interplay between these stories of kings and prophets and the social and cultural issues that concern us today.
Eugene H. Peterson is Emeritus Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of many best-selling books.
Old Testament scholar Terence Fretheim identifies the theology in the dramatic accounts of the books of Kings, which chronicles the reigns of more than forty kings over a period of nearly four hundred years. Interspersing theological reflections throughout, Fretheim trace's God's words of judgment and promise for Israel—and for us—across the entirety of Kings.
Terence E. Fretheim is Elva B. Lovell Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the author of Exodus in the Interpretation series.
In this volume, a part of the Westminster Bible Companion series, Paul Hooker suggests that First and Second Chronicles is not a "history of Israel," but rather a theological reflection on the story of Israel's faith. The Chronicler, according to Hooker, seeks to sketch the lines of Israel's future as the people of God by drawing on the resources of Israel's past.
Paul K. Hooker is an ordained Presbyterian minister and currently Executive Presbytery of St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Florida.
According to this well-known author, today's readers find much that is familiar in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, including the message of God's faithfulness in the face of prejudice, sexism, and patriarchy.
Johanna W. H. Van Wijk-Bos is Professor of Old Testament at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She is the author of Reimagining God: The Case for Scriptural Diversity and Reformed and Feminist: A Challenge to the Church.
Job is the quintessential study when it comes to questions of faith in the face of adversity and the universal human quest for meaning and order in a world that consistently mocks both. James Wharton concludes that the function of Job never has been to provide answers but to keep the questions urgent and contemporary for all who set out to honor and serve God.
Praise for the Print Edition
This is a most welcome contribution, especially given the intended audience of the work. . . . this book will be well-used and appreciated by its target audience. Admirably clear, well-constructed and thought provoking, it will serve readers in communities of Christian faith well.
—Michael S. Cheney, Review of Biblical Literature
James A. Wharton is Emeritus Professor of Homiletics at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.
In this insightful, informative, and easy-to-read volume, James Limburg takes us into the world of the Psalms and brings their world to us. Limburg studies each Psalm and shows how the Psalms confront the issues of our contemporary culture, transcending time, and transforming our faith and experience.
James Limburg is Emeritus Professor of Old Testament at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, California.
These books of the Bible, despite their differences, all treat the phenomenon of what it means to live wisely before God. In this readable commentary, Ellen Davis points out that the writers of these books considered wisdom—and the fruits of wisdom, a well-ordered life and a peaceful mind—to be within the grasp of anyone wholeheartedly desiring it.
Ellen F. Davis is Professor of Old Testament at the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia.
In this volume, Walter Brueggemann writes on Isaiah 1–39, which many scholars believe had a single author, Isaiah, of the eighth century BCE, who wrote in the context of the Assyrian empire between 742 and 701.
Praise for the Print Edition
Brueggemaun is widely known to be an excellent writer with a winsome, engaging, and “personal” tone, though not in any way sentimental or manipulative. His language flows as if from a deep well of thoughtfulness and reflection. In sum, the articulation of his thoughts on the book of Isaiah bristles with imaginative, poetic language and modern application.
—Stephen T. Hague, Review of Biblical Literature
Walter Brueggemann is Emeritus William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. He is the author of many books including First and Second Samuel and Genesis in the Interpretation series, and Cadences of Home: Preaching Among Exiles.
In this volume, Walter Brueggemann focuses on Second Isaiah (Isaiah 40–55), believed to be written by a second exilic poet, and Third Isaiah (Isaiah 56–66), a third group of texts that rearticulate Isaianic theology in yet another faith situation. Brueggemann discusses both the distinctiveness of the texts and their canonical relatedness.
Walter Brueggemann is Emeritus William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. He is the author of many books including First and Second Samuel and Genesis in the Interpretation series, and Cadences of Home: Preaching Among Exiles.
The prophet Jeremiah declared the word of the Lord at a critical time in the history of ancient Israel. In the first volume of a two-part commentary on Jeremiah, John Bracke provides a powerful interpretation of the prophet's message to a nation that refused to listen to the call to repent and to renew covenant living in obedience to God's commandments. Readers encounter God's anguish and pain over both the failure of the people and the suffering that they and Jeremiah were forced to endure.
John M. Bracke is Dean for Academic Life and Professor of Biblical Studies at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.
In part two of his commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations, John Bracke provides a powerful interpretation of the prophet's message to a nation refusing to repent and obey God and points beyond exile and suffering to God's restoration of the people and renewal of the covenant.
John M. Bracke is Dean for Academic Life and Professor of Biblical Studies at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.
The book of Ezekiel was written during a tumultuous time in Israel's history. It follows a period that began with Ezekiel's warning of Jerusalem's fall and his prediction of the destruction of the temple—a sanctuary regarded as so holy that its destruction was unimaginable. The period continues with Ezekiel's and others' exile to Babylon. Although much in the book of Ezekiel focuses on the consequences of Israel's rebellion against God that lead to the destruction of Jerusalem, even more deals with the hope of Israel's rebirth with divine assistance.
Praise for the Print Edition
Clements’s commentary is a fine introduction to Ezekiel for the ordinary, intelligent Christian. That it is of interest even to the specialist is a measure of Clements’s gifts.
—Steven S. Tuell, Review of Biblical Literature
Ronald E. Clements is Emeritus Professor of Old Testament Studies, King's College, University of London. He is the author of Jeremiah (Interpretation series) and Old Testament Prophesy: From Oracles to Canon.
The book of Daniel is concerned with religious persecution. Daniel's message in this apocalyptic text, however, assures that God will deliver those who trust God, refuse to worship other Gods, and keep Jewish tradition in the face of persecution. C. L. Seow examines this difficult and provocative book and explores its relevance to faith and the church today.
Praise for the Print Edition
To be sure, this commentary is supposed to engage Christian theology, but it is better to do so by showing how the book, interpreted critically in its historical context, speaks to the life of faith. The great merit of this excellent commentary is that. . . it does precisely that.
—John J. Collins, Holmes Professor of Old Testament, Yale University
Choon-Leong Seow is Henry Snyder Gehman Professor of Old Testament Language and Literature, Princeton Theological Seminary.
Often called "minor prophets," these first great classical prophets spoke to issues that dominated their times—love, redemption, fidelity, renewal, authority, justice, righteousness, and inclusivity—and that continue to have great relevance today.
Bruce C. Birch is Professor of Old Testament at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. He is the author of Let Justice Roll Down: The Old Testament, Ethics, and Christian Life.
Taken together, the nine prophets found in the books Obadiah through Malachi lived during a tumultuous two hundred years of Israelite history. Their communities dealt with the crisis of the impending Assyrian threat in the eighth century and the Babylonia exile in the sixth, as well as the hopeful age of restoration in the late sixth and early fifth centuries. Intimately connected to the travails and needs of their communities, these prophets had the responsibility of bringing God's message of hope—even in the bleakest times—to their people.
William P. Brown is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia.
The original audience for the Gospel of Matthew included converts from Judaism who wrestled with how to be faithful to Jesus Christ under difficult circumstances in a changing world. The Gospel of Matthew became a first-aid manual for this church in the midst of a struggle.
Thomas Long identifies this first audience and its faith within the social and religious context of the day and clarifies the structure of the Gospel. Providing examples of contemporary relevance, Long helps today's reader discern the significance of this guide for faithful living in today's church.
Praise for the Print Edition
I own a lot of biblical commentaries. I have shelves and shelves full of commentaries. As a pastor, I have a responsibility to make sure that the message I am proclaiming is a responsible, well-informed, theologically grounded interpretation of the biblical passage at hand that says something to us about who God is and what that means for how we are called to go about living our lives. . . . This volume can easily be read by an average lay person. There is no extended reference to the Greek text; there are no long critical notes that only but the heavy-duty scholar or preacher would find interesting or informative (though Long has enough training and knowledge that he could have provided both). . . . And what commentary! This is a commentary that dares to wonder what Matthew was trying to tell his audience about God, and what, in turn, that means for what we might tell our audiences about God today. I continually find myself amazed by the richness of this relatively slim little volume. Here is a book that I turn to again and again when I am getting ready to stare into the faces of a community of faith and try to tell them something about God.
—Rev. Bill Pinches, Mason First Presbyterian Church, Mason, MI
Thomas G. Long is one of the most popular preachers in the Presbyterian Church, as well as a premier teacher of preachers. He has pastored churches and taught homiletics at Columbia Theological Seminary, and most recently he was Francis Landey Patton Professor of Preaching and Worship at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is Director of Congregational Resources and Geneva Press for the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Long is author of Hebrews (Interpretation series), The Senses of Preaching, and The Witness of Preaching, and coeditor of Preaching as a Theological Task.
Mark, often eclipsed by the other Synoptic Gospels, is now considered by many biblical scholars to be the earliest written gospel. This conclusion would place Mark closest to the historical Jesus. In his book, Douglas Hare examines Mark for modern Christians who are in search of the Jesus portrayed in these earliest known writings. What emerges is a Jesus whose moral and religious teachings are of secondary importance to the very fact of his life, death, and resurrection. For it is the Jesus depicted in Mark that serves as the window through which we may see God. God's love for humankind, Hare contends, is made visible through Mark's Jesus.
Douglas R. A. Hare is Emeritus Professor of New Testament at Pittsburg Theological Seminary. Currently, he is an adjunct instructor at Bangor Theological Seminary. He is the author of numerous books on New Testament topics, including Matthew (Interpretation series).
The Gospel of Luke is arguably the most recognizable and beloved of the Gospel writings. It contains familiar stories such as the birth of Christ, and the parables of the good Samaritan and the prodigal son. Its message about inclusivity and economic justice continue to empower many in their struggles for liberation. Luke is also noted for the prominence of women in its narrative. The general familiarity with Luke, however, may impede a true sense of what this Gospel is about as a whole. Thus, New Testament scholar Sharon Ringe offers readers a thorough introduction to and a critical reading of Luke. Readers will gain a renewed understanding of this Gospel in light of its whole message.
Sharon H. Ringe is Professor of New Testament at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. She is co-editor of The Women's Bible Commentary.
The Gospel of John is one of the most beloved books in the Christian canon. Its stories and images have long captured the imaginations of Christians. Not only is it one of the most popular writings of the New Testament, but many aspects of its style and outlook are distinctive. In this clear, thorough, and accessible commentary on the Gospel of John, scholars Gail O'Day and Susan Hylen explore and explain this Gospel's distinctive qualities.
Gail R. O'Day is Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs and A. H. Shatford Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. She is the author of many books on John, including the volume in New Interpreter's Bible. She is also co-editor of The Access Bible.
Susan E. Hylen is Mellon Assistant Professor of New Testament at Vanderbilt University.
In this book, Paul Walaskay discusses Luke's description of the early church, its leadership, and its struggles as a people of God amid competing religious claims. He helps the reader understand Luke and his contemporaries and examines the first-century church's situation in light of today's issues.
Praise for the Print Edition
This commentary admirably succeeds in meeting its goals of providing a guided journey for the historical imagination of the laity.
—Robert K. McIver, Review of Biblical Literature
Paul W. Walaskay is Professor of Biblical Studies at Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia.
David Bartlett explores Paul's letter to the Romans and there discovers Paul's vision of the nature of God. Along the way, Bartlett also highlights Paul's thoughts on God's gift of Jesus Christ, the world of the first Christians, and the nature of faith. Fascinating and clearly written, this rewarding and uplifting book will encourage and enlighten the modern reader faced with contemporary issues, including pluralism and the meaning of faith.
David Lyon Bartlett is Lantz Professor of Preaching and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Yale Divinity School.
Galatians
- Author: Frederick W. Weidmann
- Series: Westminster Bible Companion
- Publisher: Westminster John Knox
- Publication Date: 2012
- Pages: 144
This book in the Westminster Bible Companion series explores one of Paul's most central letters. Frederick W. Weidmann observes the changes and developments in Paul's thought and practice in order to help pastors negotiate the distinction between their calling and self-identity.
Frederick W. Weidmann is Senior Pastor at Hillcrest Congregational Church in Pleasant Hill, California. Prior to that he was Director of the Center for Church Life and Professor of Biblical Studies at Auburn Theological Seminary, New York. He has authored two books and many articles related to early Christianity.
Paul's influence on Christian thought has been powerful and formative. The deutero-pauline epistles, attributed to but not written by Paul, were actually authored by early Christians in an attempt to apply Pauline insights to particular challenges not addressed specifically by Paul. According to Lewis Donelson, this rearticulation and reinterpretation of Pauline wisdom served these early communities by linking them more closely to their apostolic roots. It also provided them with a living gospel that had continuing relevance for their particular time and place.
Lewis R. Donelson is Associate Professor of New Testament at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Philippians, First and Second Thessalonians, and Philemon
- Author: Frederick W. Weidmann
- Series: Westminster Bible Companion
- Publisher: Westminster John Knox
- Publication Date: 2012
- Pages: 264
This book in the Westminster Bible Companion series explores some of Paul's most central letters, including his earliest letters (those to the Thessalonians), his friendliest letter (Philippians), his most personal letter (Philemon), and one of his most sustained autobiographical sketches (Phil 3:3–8). Frederick W. Weidmann observes the changes and developments in Paul's thought and practice in order to help pastors negotiate the distinction between their calling and self-identity.
Frederick W. Weidmann is Senior Pastor at Hillcrest Congregational Church in Pleasant Hill, California. Prior to that he was Director of the Center for Church Life and Professor of Biblical Studies at Auburn Theological Seminary, New York. He has authored two books and many articles related to early Christianity.
For believers who have grown weary or disillusioned with their Christian commitment, the letter to the Hebrews offers much practical assistance. In this day of dwindling church attendance and clergy burnout, a new reading of Hebrews offers an encouraging, renewed understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ. The letter of James deals primarily with the social and practical aspects of Christianity, reminding the reader that Christian faith touches every aspect of life. One of the most useful books in the New Testament, its concerns are grounded in day-to-day questions: how do we live? what should we live? and what are the implications of Christian faith for our lives? This epistle will challenge and encourage modern readers in search of a life of integrity.
Frances Taylor Gench is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Fred B. Craddock examines the letters of First and Second Peter and Jude, asking, what kind of literature is it? who wrote the letter? to whom was the letter written? and for what purpose was the letter written? Craddock's answers let us draw from these often undervalued epistles an awareness of what is involved in living a Christian life in this world. We also see the similarities and differences in how Christ is portrayed in these epistles as opposed to the depiction found in other New Testament writings.
Fred B. Craddock is Emeritus Bandy Distinguished Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Candler School of Theology. He is the author of numerous books, including two volumes in the Interpretation series: Luke and Philippians.
David Rensberger shows here how the Epistles of John spoke to the emerging concerns of an early Christian community that cherished John's Gospel. The Epistles apply many of the themes of the Gospel to new situations. In particular the elder, who writes these epistles, reminds his readers that their love of God must be made concrete in the love they show their fellow Christians. At the same time, Rensberger shows how these letters face the problems of theological disagreement and church division, and how they can help Christians today better understand theological diversity and the struggle for church unity.
David K. Rensberger is Professor of New Testament at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta and the author of Johannine Faith and Liberating Community.
Originally written to be read aloud in church and to offer comfort and hope to those struggling to be faithful in troubling times, Revelation sparks great interest with its mysterious symbols of numbers and beasts. Here, two foremost historians offer readers a highly accessible commentary perfect for Bible study leaders.
Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez is Professor of Church History at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia.
Justo L. Gonzalez has written many books. He is Director of the Comentario Bíblico Hispanoamericano, a projected forty-volume Bible commentary, and President of the Asociación para la Educación Teológica Hispana.
Reviews
16 ratings
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Josh Watford
10/7/2021
Suzanne Gorhau
6/8/2018
This set is very good, but it's not complete. You have to buy the Corinthians volume separately.
Gary Graff
11/3/2017
I find this series very helpful. The authors are usually very well known and present the material with an eye on what's most helpful for preaching and teaching.
Ralph A. Abernethy III
9/7/2017
Debra W Bouey
4/30/2017
Mark Keith Hillis
2/19/2015
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This is a very helpful series. I'm now a fan of Fred Craddock and a few others.
Fred Anderson
1/28/2014
Alexander
8/5/2013
