Louis Jonker's section-by-section commentary on 1-2 Chronicles is the newest volume in the Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. This user-friendly commentary series helps readers navigate the sometimes difficult terrain of the Bible. These volumes offer solid research in an accessible way, breaking down the barriers between the ancient and modern worlds so that the power and meaning of the biblical texts become clear to contemporary readers. The contributors tackle the task of interpretation using the full range of critical methodologies and practices, yet they do so as people of faith who hold the text in the highest regard. In this commentary, Jonker reads 1-2 Chronicles as literature which negotiates a new socio-religious identity in a period of political transition.

This volume provides a comprehensive, accessible introduction to the Gospel of Mark, now widely considered the first recorded treatment of Jesus. Darrell Bock explains how this text, once the least-used gospel, came to be regarded as the starting point for understanding Jesus. Drawing together previous arguments and discussion in a constructive summary, he traces the significance of Mark and addresses key features such as its cultural and historical background, its narrative flow, and the role of Greek in supplying meaning. This commentary highlights the issues Mark's gospel raises and develops Mark's message surrounding Jesus' claims of kingdom authority and salvation, the call to disciples to follow him, and the preparation of those disciples to face suffering in light of their choice. Mark will be a valuable resource for students, teachers, and pastors alike.

THE NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY is for the minister or Bible student who wants to understand and expound the Scriptures. Notable features include:* commentary based on THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION;* the NIV text printed in the body of the commentary;* sound scholarly methodology that reflects capable research in the original languages;* interpretation that emphasizes the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole;* readable and applicable exposition.

In this insightful, readable commentary, Michael Wilcock shows how the various characters in Chronicles make vivid the truth by which the Lord's people in every generation are to live. This thoughtful exposition on Chronicles sheds light on great overall pattern of God's hand in history, making the book come alive for students, teachers, and anyone seeking to delve deeper in the text.

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context. To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's world, each passage is treated in three sections: Original Meaning. Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context. Bridging Contexts. A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible. Contemporary Significance. This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved. This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

This latest volume in the Reformation Commentary on Scripture (RCS) series offers biblical commentary from numerous Reformation-era theologians, pastors, and preachers from a variety of theological traditions—Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Radical, and Roman Catholic—on six Old Testament books: 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, and 1-2 Chronicles.

The Old Testament provides powerful ways of thinking and seeing. Preeminent Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann considers the artistry of 1 and 2 Kings as it mediates between history and faith. Walter Brueggemann has spent many years engaged with the composition and imagination of the Old Testament, pondering the ways of power in church and society, and he makes clear that those issues of in the ancient texts pertain to contemporary times. The chronology of the kings is complex and fractured in detail. Brueggemann reports upon the length of years of rule for each king as given in the text. At the same time, he situates each king according to a critical chronology. While the book proceeds text by text, special focus is placed upon Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, and Josiah as models of faith. Brueggemann provides a useful guide for the reader to maneuver between flat history and absolute faith. Written in commentary form, 1&2 Kings invites the reader to view fresh ways of faithful insight and wisdom. Written by accomplished scholars with all students of Scripture in mind, this innovative new commentary series is designed to make quality Bible study more accessible. Pastors, professors and students of Scripture are discovering that this commentary is a wonderful new tool for enhancing interpretation. Walter Brueggemann served as the William Marcellus McPheddeis Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Seminary in Decatur, Georgia.