Acts: Volume 2B (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary)

by Clinton E. Arnold

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2002

Brimming with lavish, full-color photos and graphics, the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary walks you verse by verse through all the books of the New Testament. It’s like slipping on a set of glasses that lets you read the Bible through the eyes of a first-century reader! Discoveries await you that will snap the world of the New Testament into gripping immediacy. Things that seem mystifying, puzzling, or obscure will take on tremendous meaning when you view them in their ancient context. You'll deepen your understanding of the teachings of Jesus. You’ll discover the close, sometimes startling interplay between God’s kingdom and the practical affairs of the church. Best of all, you’ll gain a deepened awareness of the Bible’s relevance for your life. Written in a clear, engaging style, this beautiful set provides a new and accessible approach that more technical expository and exegetical commentaries don’t offer.

Key Features

• Explores Judaism, Roman culture, Hellenism, and other features of the world of the New Testament
• Features commentary based on relevant papyri, inscriptions, and archaeological discoveries
• Contains full-color photographs, color illustrations, and line drawings

Contents

Top Highlights

“While the coming of the Spirit marks the beginning of the age to come and the commencement of the last days, the signs in heaven will point to the conclusion of the present evil age and the return of the Lord in judgment.” (Page 18)

“The twelve apostles had a significant role in the beginnings of the church. They passed on to these new Jewish believers a full account of Jesus’ life and teaching. This would have included much of what came to be recorded in the four Gospels. In addition to this, they would have helped provide a new perspective on the Old Testament, explaining how Jesus was the fulfillment of many prophecies. Throughout the early history of the church, grounding new believers in the apostles’ teaching was a major priority.” (Page 21)

“Many Jews raised outside of Palestine, such as in North Africa, Egypt, and Asia Minor, would never have learned Hebrew. Their principal language would have been Greek. When they settled in Jerusalem, these ‘Hellenists’ would have enjoyed meeting together in a synagogue where the Scriptures were read in Greek, prayer was in Greek, and conversation was in Greek.” (Page 45)

“The verb tense for ‘selling’ (the imperfect) implies that there was not one big sale of goods upon a person’s conversion, but that individuals sold portions of their personal and real property as needs in the community surfaced. This was entirely voluntary and not mandated by the apostles.” (Page 22)

“Rabbinic literature testifies to the existence of both a daily and a weekly distribution of relief. The daily distribution (tamḥûy) typically consisted of bread, beans, and fruit. The weekly distribution (quppāh) consisted of food and clothing.” (Page 46)

Product Details

• Title: Acts
• Author: Clinton E. Arnold
• Series: Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary
• Volume: 2B
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2002
• Logos Release Date: 2020
• Pages: 288
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. N.T. Acts › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780310427438, 9780310287252, 0310427436
• Resource ID: LLS:ZIBBCNT02B
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-10-05T17:26:09Z

About Clinton E. Arnold

Arnold, author of Powers of Darkness: Principalities and Powers in Paul's Letters, earned his Ph.D. at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, and has done post-doctoral work at Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen in Germany. He is currently associate professor of New Testament at the Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California.