Matthew: A Commentary, Volume 1: The Christbook, Matthew 1–12 (Revised and Expanded Edition)

by Frederick Dale Bruner

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2007

Overview

Recognized as a masterly commentary when it first appeared, Frederick Dale Bruner's study of Matthew is now available as a greatly revised and expanded two-volume work -- the result of seven years of careful refinement, enrichment, and updating.

Through this commentary, crafted especially for teachers, pastors, and Bible students, Bruner aims "to help God's people love what Matthew's Gospel says." Bruner's work is at once broadly historical and deeply theological. It is historical in drawing extensively on great church teachers through the centuries and on the classical Christian creeds and confessions. It is theological in that it unpacks the doctrines in each passage, chapter, and section of the Gospel. Consciously attempting to bridge past and present, Bruner asks both what Matthew's Gospel said to its first hearers and what it says to readers today. As a result, his commentary is profoundly relevant to contemporary congregations and to those who guide them.

Bruner's commentary is replete with lively, verse by verse discussion of Matthew's text. While each chapter expounds a specific topic or doctrine, the book's format consists of a vivid, original translation of the text followed by faithful exegesis and critical analysis, a survey of historical commentary on the text, and current applications of the text or theme under study. In this revision Bruner continues to draw on the best in modern scholarship -- including recent work by W. D. Davies and Dale C. Allison Jr., by Ulrich Luz, and by many others -- adding new voices to the reading of Matthew. At the same time he cites the classic commentaries of Chrysostom, Jerome, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Bengel, and the rest, who, like Bruner himself, were not simply doctrinal teachers but also careful exegetes of Scripture. Such breadth and depth of learning assure that Bruner's Matthew will remain, as a reviewer for Interpretation wrote, "the most dog-eared commentary on the shelf."

Volume 1 of Bruner's commentary is called The Christbook because the first twelve chapters of Matthew are focused on the nature and work of Christ. As Bruner proceeds through these chapters, he shows how Matthew presents, step by step, central themes of Christology: Jesus' coming (chapters 1–4), his teaching (5–7), his miracles (8–9), his sermon on mission (10), and his person (11–12). Throughout the book there are also thoughtful discussions of significant topics such as baptism, marriage, Jewish-Christian relations, and heaven and hell.

Eminently readable, rich in biblical insight, and ecumenical in tone, Bruner's two-volume commentary on Matthew now stands among the best in the field.

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Draws on the writings of great teacher throughout church history
• Unpacks the theological content of each passage in Matthew
• Focuses on the first 12 chapters of Matthew’s gospel

Contents

Top Highlights

“‘Son of David, Son of Abraham.’ The two great baskets of promise in the Hebrew Scriptures are the promise to David of a son who would be a King forever (2 Sam 7; 1 Chron 17) and the promise to Abraham of a seed who would be a blessing for everyone (Gen 12; 18; 22)—that is to say, a temporal promise to David (‘forever’) and a spatial promise to Abraham (‘for everyone’), a promise meeting Israel’s longing for an eternal David, and a promise meeting the Gentiles’ yearning for a universal Savior. ‘Son of David’ says, ‘Israel, here is your Messiah!’; ‘Son of Abraham’ says, ‘Nations, here is your hope!’” (Page 5)

“The hungry-for-righteousness are blessed, note well! not for a possessed but for a desired righteousness; blessed not because they are righteous but because, in harmony with the other Need Beatitudes, they feel starved for and empty of a needed righteousness.” (Page 168)

“God helps people who need help simply because they need help, not because they meet spiritual conditions.” (Page 168)

“You Ares are plurals—‘You folks’ (hymeis)—meaning that Jesus is speaking as much of the way the Christian community lives corporately as he is of the way individual disciples live personally. ‘You folks are the salt of the earth! You folks are the light of the world!’ There is to be something about the way Christians ‘are,’ about the way they live together and talk about each other, and about the way they relate to the not always friendly surrounding world that is meant to catch the world’s attention, that is to cause people to ask, ‘What kind of people are these?’ ‘Who are these people?’” (Pages 190–191)

Product Details

• Title: Matthew: A Commentary, Volume 1: The Christbook, Matthew 1–12
• Author: Frederick Dale Bruner
• Edition: Revised and Expanded Edition
• Series: Matthew: A Commentary
• Volume: 1
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Print Publication Date: 2007
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Pages: 652
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. N.T. Matthew 1-12 › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780802845061, 9780802845078, 9780849906176, 0802845061, 080284507, 0849906172, 080284507X
• Resource ID: LLS:MATTHEWACOMM01
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-08-09T16:47:37Z

About Frederick Dale Bruner

Frederick Dale Bruner serves on the adjunct faculty at Fuller Theological Seminary, and is George and Lyda Wasson Professor of Religion Emeritus at Whitworth University, where he taught from 1975 to 1997. His other books include The Gospel of John: A Commentary and Matthew: A Commentary, Volume 1 and Volume 2.