Reformation Commentary on Scripture | RCS: Old Testament (9 vols.)

by Timothy George; Scott M. Manetsch; Herman J. Selderhuis; John L. Thompson

and

7 more

Publisher:

IVP Academic

, 2012–2024

Overview

The Reformation Commentary on Scripture (RCS) follows an ancient practice of biblical commentary, in which the scriptural texts are elucidated by chains of passages collected from the authoritative insights of the church’s great exegetes. Each volume consists of the collected comments and wisdom of the Reformers collated around the text of the Bible. Here is a unique tool for the spiritual and theological reading of Scripture and a vital help for teaching and preaching.

With the Reformation Commentary on Scripture you have centralized access to treasures that very few can gather for themselves. The series introduces you to the great diversity that constituted the Reformation, with commentary from Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Anabaptist, and even reform-minded Catholic thinkers, who all shared a commitment to the faithful exposition of Scripture.

The Reformation Commentary on Scripture provides a crucial link between the contemporary church and the great cloud of witnesses that is the historical church. The biblical insights and rhetorical power of the tradition of the Reformation are here made available as a powerful tool for the church of the twenty-first century. Like never before, believers can feel they are a part of a genuine tradition of renewal as they faithfully approach the Scriptures.

In each volume of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture you will find insights of the leaders of the Reformation—from the landmark figures such as Luther and Calvin, to lesser-known commentators, such as Peter Martyr Vermigli, Johannes Oecolampadius, Martin Bucer, Johannes Brenz, Caspar Cruciger, Giovanni Diodati, and Kaspar Olevianus. Many of these texts are being published in English for the first time.

Each volume is designed to facilitate a rich research experience for preachers and teachers, and contains a unique introduction written by the volume editor, providing a reliable guide to the history of the period, the unique reception of the canon of Scripture, and an orientation to the thinkers featured in the volume. Volumes also contain biographies of figures from the Reformation era, adding an essential reference for students of church history.

Key Features

• Catalyzes the renewal of contemporary biblical interpretation through exposure to Reformation-era biblical interpretation
• Initiates the renewal of contemporary preaching through exposure to the biblical insights of the Reformation writers
• Provides a deeper understanding of the Reformation and the breadth of perspectives represented within it
• Advances Christian scholarship in the fields of historical, biblical, and pastoral studies
• Includes a wealth of Reformation-era commentary on Scripture previously unavailable in English
• Edited by scholars from around the world known for their command of the history of biblical interpretation in the Reformation era

Praise for the Reformation Commentary on Scripture

Discerning the true significance of movements in theology requires acquaintance with their biblical exegesis. This is supremely so with the Reformation, which was essentially a biblical revival. The Reformation Commentary on Scripture will fill a yawning gap, just as the Ancient Christian Commentary did before it, and the first volume gets the series off to a fine start, whetting the appetite for more. Most heartily do I welcome and commend this long overdue project.

—J. I. Packer, Board of Governors Professor of Theology, Regent College

The Reformation Commentary on Scripture is a major publishing event—for those with historical interest in the founding convictions of Protestantism, but even more for those who care about understanding the Bible . . . this effort brings flesh and blood to ‘the communion of saints’ by letting believers of our day look over the shoulders of giants from the past. By connecting the past with the present, and by doing so with the Bible at the center, the editors of this series perform a great service for the church. The series deserves the widest possible support.

—Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame

The Reformation Scripture principle set the entirety of Christian life and thought under the governance of the divine Word, and pressed the church to renew its exegetical labors. This series promises to place before the contemporary church the fruit of those labors, and so to exemplify life under the Word.

—John Webster, former chair of systematic theology, University of Aberdeen

Detached from her roots, the church cannot reach the world as God intends. While every generation must steward the scriptural insights God grants it, only arrogance or ignorance causes leaders to ignore the contributions of those faithful leaders before us. The Reformation Commentary on Scripture roots our thought in great insights of faithful leaders of the Reformation to further biblical preaching and teaching in this generation.

—Bryan Chapell, senior pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, Illinois, president emeritus of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri

After reading several volumes of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture, I exclaimed, ‘Hey, this is just what the doctor ordered—I mean Doctor Martinus Lutherus!’ The church of today bearing his name needs a strong dose of the medicine this doctor prescribed for the ailing church of the sixteenth century. The reforming fire of Christ-centered preaching that Luther ignited is the only hope to reclaim the impact of the Gospel to keep the Reformation going, not for its own sake but to further the renewal of the worldwide church of Christ today. This series of commentaries will equip preachers to step into their pulpits with confidence in the same living Word that inspired the witness of Luther and Calvin and many other lesser-known Reformers.

—Carl E. Braaten, emeritus professor, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

The Reformation was ignited by a fresh reading of Scripture. In this series of commentaries, we contemporary interpreters are allowed to feel some of the excitement, surprise, and wonder of our spiritual forebears. Luther, Calvin, and their fellow revolutionaries were masterful interpreters of the Word. Now, in this remarkable series, some of our very best Reformation scholars open up the riches of the Reformation’s reading of the Scripture.

—William H. Willimon, bishop, North Alabama Conference, United Methodist Church

Since Gerhard Ebeling’s pioneering work on Luther’s exegesis seventy years ago, the history of biblical interpretation has occupied many Reformation scholars and become a vital part of study of the period. The Reformation Commentary on Scripture provides fresh materials for students of Reformation-era biblical interpretation and for twenty-first-century preachers to mine the rich stores of insights from leading Reformers of the sixteenth century into both the text of Scripture itself and its application in sixteenth-century contexts. This series will strengthen our understanding of the period of the Reformation and enable us to apply its insights to our own days and its challenges to the church.

—Robert Kolb, director, Institute for Mission Studies, Concordia Theological Seminary