The New Testament (Isis Series)

Rating:
Summary: Pastors must get this book!
Review: Craig Keener is a very good scholar. His use of source material (primary and secondary) is very judicious and sound. I have always wanted a book that tried as much as possible to avoid giving interpretation, but instead focused on background customs and "everyday" perspectives of the peoples of the first century. This book does just this. However, one cannot entirely avoid interpretation in a volume like this. Still, Keener's work will help you get more out of your Bible study and it will help you avoid esoteric explanations of the Scriptures. This book is especially good for those who are weary of commentaries. Thanks again to Keener for the work put into this book.

Rating:
Summary: Very helpful book for in-depth study of New Testament
Review: Craig Keener is a very good scholar. His use of source material (primary and secondary) is very judicious and sound. I have always wanted a book that tried as much as possible to avoid giving interpretation, but instead focused on background customs and "everyday" perspectives of the peoples of the first century. This book does just this. However, one cannot entirely avoid interpretation in a volume like this. Still, Keener's work will help you get more out of your Bible study and it will help you avoid esoteric explanations of the Scriptures. This book is especially good for those who are weary of commentaries. Thanks again to Keener for the work put into this book.

Rating:
Summary: A unique resource
Review: Finally, here's all the stuff I always wanted, but could never get in the notes of a study Bible. Keener's book is 831 pages of double-columned passage-by-passage commentary, readable but never "dumbed down." "Background" refers not only to history, but to society, culture, and everyday life, and the book is both interesting and illuminating.

IVP is an overtly Christian publisher, which might make some readers, those who want objective scholarship, wary. It need not. The vast majority of this commentary is concerned with documented fact. Not all, of course. Some events are matters of controversy among historians -- for example, Herod's "slaughter of the innocents," which is mentioned by no other document than the Gospel of Matthew, and which many scholars think never happened. But, on checking the relatively "liberal" HarperCollins Study Bible, I find this isn't mentioned there either, which indicates that the verdict is still out, and that Keener has acceptable reason for taking Matthew's word on the subject. If the objectivity question bothers you, you could use Keener's book in conjunction with an ecumenical study Bible, such as HarperCollins or New Oxford Annotated. But this volume seems, to me, to be that rare book that both faith-based Bible readers, and objective scholars could love.

My biggest complaint is that, while the binding and paper are high quality, the paper is heavy & the binding stiff. It will not open flat for easy back-and-forth referral between it and the Bible text you're using.

Other than that, it's a wonderful piece of work on all counts.

Rating:
Summary: A unique resource
Review: Finally, here's all the stuff I always wanted, but could never get in the notes of a study Bible. Keener's book is 831 pages of double-columned passage-by-passage commentary, readable but never "dumbed down." "Background" refers not only to history, but to society, culture, and everyday life, and the book is both interesting and illuminating.

IVP is an overtly Christian publisher, which might make some readers, those who want objective scholarship, wary. It need not. The vast majority of this commentary is concerned with documented fact. Not all, of course. Some events are matters of controversy among historians -- for example, Herod's "slaughter of the innocents," which is mentioned by no other document than the Gospel of Matthew, and which many scholars think never happened. But, on checking the relatively "liberal" HarperCollins Study Bible, I find this isn't mentioned there either, which indicates that the verdict is still out, and that Keener has acceptable reason for taking Matthew's word on the subject. If the objectivity question bothers you, you could use Keener's book in conjunction with an ecumenical study Bible, such as HarperCollins or New Oxford Annotated. But this volume seems, to me, to be that rare book that both faith-based Bible readers, and objective scholars could love.

My biggest complaint is that, while the binding and paper are high quality, the paper is heavy & the binding stiff. It will not open flat for easy back-and-forth referral between it and the Bible text you're using.

Other than that, it's a wonderful piece of work on all counts.

Rating:
Summary: Excellecent resource!
Review: I have been using this resource for more than four years in a variety of contexts--academic classes, Bible studies with high school and college students, and so on. This book is an invaluable resource.

Two main reasons to buy this book: 1) We are all very removed from the cultural perspective of the authors who wrote the New Testament. This book helps bridge that gap by pointing out details we would consider irrelevant and giving context to other details we would otherwise misunderstand. 2) The text is highly readable and accessible for a wide selection of readers. The scholarship is very strong, fair, and thought-provoking, and furthermore, the editorial team did an excellent job ensuring that the information was presented in a clear and interesting manner. I've often found myself provoked to curiousity and ended up reading more than I originally intended to (and, no, that is not a habit for me with most reference books!).

A brief word, too, about the fact that an evangelical publisher is responsible for this book being published. First, every publishing house has biases, so to judge an evangelical publisher for publishing work sympathetic to evangelical tendencies is a bit harsh. Secondly, as one who reads a fair amount from a variety of sources, I have often found that IV Press books exhibit an uncommon level of integrity and fairness in the way their books are written. Thirdly, it is a logical fallacy to argue that a book does not contain truth or is inaccurate due to its origin. Have an open mind and judge the accuracy of the material on its own merits.

Really, this is a great text, in some ways better than the Old Testament Bible Background Commentary. I know several dozen men and women who regularly use this book in their work and who consider it very helpful for the purpose of presenting the New Testament accurately. I strongly recommend this book to you.

Rating:
Summary: Best Bible study resource
Review: Keener, in my opinion, wrote the best Bible study resource available. What seperates this referance book from others is its thoroughness, and scholarly tone. This book reveals information based on complete cultural studies. The cultural point-of-view sheds light on confusing or seemingly outdated passages in the Bible. Keeners work puts Bible passages in its proper context--how the readers of the time would have read it. Keener manages to write thoroughly and concisely, rarely seen in the scholarly world of books. He writes what you need to know and not a word more. No long explanations, unless necessary. No elevated word choices(you don't need a dictionary to understand what he's saying, unlike the MATHEW HENRY COMMENTARY).

This book may also be used in place of a regular commentary. It may also be used as a referance for similar or related Biblical passages (many cross referances are given), or, a word study, as the cultural meanings and original usages of words are given.

Rating:
Summary: Pastors must get this book!
Review: This book does an awesome job of digging and ferreting out the important cultural nuances of the New Testament. It sheds light on even the more notoriously difficult passages. This book will save the busy pastor time and money. And it rewards close reading.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent resource for understanding the Bible.
Review: 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 ten years 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.