Christianity Today's Books of the YearPreaching's Preacher's Guide to the Best Bible Reference
This revised edition of the standard reference work in its field has been expanded throughout to now provide even more up-to-date information by Craig Keener, one of the leading New Testament scholars on Jewish, Greek and Roman culture.
To understand and apply the Bible well, you need two crucial sources of information. One is the Bible itself. The other is an understanding of the cultural background of the passage you're reading.
Only with the background can you grasp the author's original concerns and purposes. This unique commentary provides, in verse-by-verse format, the crucial cultural background you need for responsible—and richer—Bible study. It includes a glossary of cultural terms and important historical figures, maps and charts, up-to-date bibliographies, and introductory essays about cultural background information for each book of the New Testament.
Based on decades of in-depth study, this accessible and bestselling commentary is valuable for pastors in sermon preparation, for Sunday-school and other church teachers as they build lessons, for missionaries concerned not to import their own cultural biases into the Bible, for college and seminary students in classroom assignments, and for everyday Bible readers seeking to deepen and enhance their study of Scripture.
Craig S. Keener (Ph.D., Duke University) is professor of New Testament at Palmer Theological Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. He is the author of many books including the widely acclaimed IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament.
Table of Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations How to Use This Commentary The Need for a Cultural-Historical CommentaryGospels Matthew Mark Luke John ActsNew Testament Letters Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galations Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation Glossary Maps Charts Old Testament Scripture Index
What People are Saying About This
Todd Hunter
"I never study a New Testament passage without consulting this excellent work, and do commend it at every opportunity! . . . For us 'working communicators' it is often a great shortcut to a quick remembrance of the background to passages and at other times, truly enlightening."
Gary Shogren
"One of the most useful available reference tools for pastors and laypeople alike, and I frequently recommend it from the pulpit. The reader simply has to look up his comments on a passage to find out, for example, why it was momentous that the prodigal son received sandals and a ring when he returned to his father. Although background material is often notoriously slippery and debatable, Keener makes it useful for students of the Scripture."
Cheryl Sanders
"A phenomenal work. I know of no other New Testament reference that brings together so much information and insight into one volume. Keener has gathered a host of background material from a broad range of ancient and modern sources and put them literally at the preacher's fingertips."
Charles Blake
"A rich and lucid resource for understanding God's Word. This work is presented in a way that serves the needs of pastors in their sermon preparation, as well as lay members in personal Bible studies."
D. Moody Smith
"The book is a rich and accessible mine of important information and a remarkable accomplishment."
Christopher Hall
"Specifically designed to meet the needs of pastors and students who have less access to scholarly resources and less time to mine exegetical details. As such, it is extremely accessible and user friendly, a welcome addition to the pastor's bookshelf."
D. Stuart Briscoe
"We can no more ignore the humanness of the writers of the [Bible's] written word than we can discount the humanity of the living Lord. But their humanness had cultural connotations. . . . It is therefore not only helpful but also necessary for us to know of their cultures the better to understand the inspired word. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament will prove most helpful in this regard."
George O. Wood
"Carefully researched yet accessible for the busy pastor or other reader, this commentary puts years of research at the reader's fingertips, passage by passage, in a single volume."
Clinton E. Arnold
"This book will meet a significant need. . . . The discerning reader will detect how well Keener has drawn on the results of much recent research and presented it in a way that pastors and laypeople will be able to grasp."
Gordon Fee
"Here is a book many people have been waiting for. . . . The IVP Bible Background Commentary should prove to be a truly useful book."
Craig Blomberg
"Most one-volume, single-author Bible commentaries or study Bibles are erratic in their coverage. . . . Craig Keener's work is an astonishing exception. . . . He can be trusted in almost every statement he makes, and even his more interpretative opinions are consistently well-grounded. Keener has given preachers and lay Christians alike an invaluable resource for years to come."
Darrell Bock
"Every biblical text has cultural assumptions. Like an intriguing archaeological dig, Keener's work surfaces the cultural and worldview assumptions of the New Testament. This work brings background to the foreground, so the text's meaning is more accessible to all."
