IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament

Christianity Today's Books of the Year Preaching's Preacher's Guide to the Best Bible ReferenceThis 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.

"Keener succeeds in being informative and, this reviewer thinks, more than fair in trying not to impose his views on the texts. . . . Keener, as he promised, wrote a 'popular' rather than a scholarly book. Keener's scholarly credentials are strong and his book is a God-send to busy pastors. As already indicated, it is of great help to Bible students who do not have access to a theological library.", "So far as this reviewer can discern, Keener knows his ancient sources and knows the best recent ideas on how to interpret them. . . . Teachers, pastors and students of the Bible will find it immensely helpful; I will probably include it in my next revised list of eight to twelve books recommended for a 'Basic Home Christian Library.'", "A fine tool for personal Bible study. It analyzes the historical-cultural background of every passage of the New Testament in clear, non-technical language, making it especially useful for those without expertise in Greek or ancient history. Unlike a typical commentary, which interprets the meaning of each text, Keener's book offers insights which enable readers to study individual texts with greater personal involvement and practical gain. The author, an evangelical Protestant, is remarkably balanced and unbiased in his analysis, making this quite suitable for Catholic use--a valuable supplement to a good concordance, commentary, and Bible dictionary.", "An excellent resource for pastors and teachers. The impressive volume contains a verse-by-verse look at cultural, religious, and social issues that come into play in the New Testament context. This is background information that most pastors' libraries will not contain, which makes it a vital tool for serious Bible study and preaching.", "Whether you preach sermons, teach Sunday school, lead a small group, or read the Bible for personal study, your understanding of God's word can be deepened and enriched by learning more about the context of each passage from this valuable book."

Craig S. Keener (PhD, Duke University) is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary. Some of his seventeen books include Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels and commentaries on Matthew (The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary), John (2 vols.), Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Revelation, and a currently-being-published four-volume commentary on Acts. Four of his books, including The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament have won Christianity Today book awards.