The Navarre Bible: Saint Luke’s Gospel

by Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre

Publishers:

Four Courts; Scepter

, 2005

Overview

In the early 1970s the theology faculty of the University of Navarre embarked on the project of making a new Spanish translation of the Bible—a volume accompanied by commentary designed for the general reader. This project was entrusted to the faculty by St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei and the university’s first chancellor. The first volume, St. Matthew, appeared in 1976; the project was completed February 2005. The Navarre Bible series is considered by many the best Catholic commentary on the Bible available today.

More comprehensive than the The Navarre Bible: New Testament, this volume features notes and introductions—rarely very technical—designed to illuminate the spiritual and theological message of the Bible. The Standard Edition is replete with quotations from commentaries by the Fathers, as well as excerpts from other spiritual writers—not least among them, St. Josemaría Escrivá—provided to show how they read Scripture and made it meaningful in their lives.

The Gospel of Luke is unique in the fact that almost half of its content is not found in the other Gospels; this content includes Jesus’ infancy, certain parables, and the appearance of the risen Christ to his disciples at Emmaus. Luke highlights Jesus’ preparation for ministry: his baptism and temptation. This Gospel provides a narrative for Jesus’ extensive ministry in Galilee, where he began his preaching, called the 12 disciples, and worked many miracles, as well as for his ministry in Jerusalem. Luke presents universal salvation through Jesus Christ and this underlying theme is evident throughout the Gospel.

The Navarre Bible New Testament, Standard Edition is both scholarly and readable, presenting an intellectual, historical, and applicable survey of the riches of the New Testament. In the Logos edition of St. Luke’s Gospel, each Scripture passage links to your favorite translation, and is easy to study side-by-side with your other commentaries. You can search by topic or Scripture with split-second results!

Key Features

• Provides an introduction to the Gospel of St. Luke
• Draws on numerous Catholic resources
• Contains a table of sources cited, maps, and informative notes

Contents

• Map
• Preface and Preliminary Notes
• Abbreviations
• Introduction to the Gospel According to Luke
  • The Author
  • The Apostolic Figure of St. Luke
  • Canonicity
  • Date of Composition
  • Historical Accuracy
  • Content
  • Theological and Literary Features
  • Jesus Making his Way to Jerusalem
  • The Importance of the Ascension
  • Catholicity of the Gospel and of the Church
  • Jesus the Prophet and Savior
  • The Blessed Virgin Mary
  • Encouragement of Christian Living
• The Gospel According to Luke: English Version, with Notes
• New Vulgate Text
• Explanatory Notes
• Headings Added to the Biblical Text
• Sources Quoted in the Commentary

Top Highlights

“St Athanasius explained these words of our Lord: ‘A person who lives as if he were to die every day—given that our life is uncertain by definition—will not sin, for good fear extinguishes most of the disorder of our appetites; whereas he who thinks he has a long life ahead of him will easily let himself be dominated by pleasures’ (Adversus Antigonum).” (Page 123)

“These words indicate simply that we cannot be half-hearted when it comes to loving God.” (Page 135)

“‘There is no doubt about it: a person who loves pleasure, who seeks comfort, who flies from anything that might spell suffering, who is overanxious, who complains, who blames and who becomes impatient at the least little thing which does not go his way—a person like that is a Christian only in name; he is only a dishonour to his religion, for Jesus Christ has said so: Anyone who wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross every day of his life, and follow me’ (St John Mary Vianney, Selected Sermons, Ash Wednesday).” (Pages 97–98)

“Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it […]. There is no other way. Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else we shall never find him.” (Page 112)

“Rightly, therefore, the Fathers see Mary not merely as passively engaged by God, but as freely cooperating in the work of man’s salvation through faith and obedience’” (Page 30)

Praise for the Series

[The Bible is] presented unambiguously as the inspired Word of God and, with the help of the commentaries, we are introduced to 2,000 years of contemplative Christian reading and living of the sacred Word.

—Osservatore Romano

. . . Superb volume for adult Bible Study . . . most helpful, enlightening, and fascinating.

—Catholic Transcript

Product Details

• Title: The Navarre Bible: Saint Luke’s Gospel
• Translator: Michael Adams
• Edition: Revised
• Publisher: Four Courts Press
• Publication Date: 2005
• Pages: 218

About Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre