Books in the IVP New Testament Commentary series

For people beginning to doubt the uniqueness and supremacy of Christ, the author of the book of Hebrews provided one of the longest, most profound arguments in the New Testament. Christians today will find their understanding stretched and their loyalty confirmed by this rich presentation of our great High Priest, the Son of God, whose sacrifice of himself took away our sins and gave us continual access to God.Written in a fresh, succinct style, this commentary from influential evangelical pastor Ray C. Stedman supplies helpful background information that paves the way for our seeing what the text means for us today as well as what it meant for its original hearers.

"More than any other book of the Bible, Ephesians displays the great purpose and plan of God for the church," Walter Liefeld writes. "It provides a perspective that is unique: God's--and the believer's--view from the 'heavenly realms.'"For those who long to delve into the mind and purposes of God, few books are more helpful than Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Here the apostle paints in broad strokes the great plan of God for his church, centered on its head, Jesus Christ, and living out its calling in praise of God's glory. Beginning with doxology, Paul calls on the church to support its words of praise with deeds to match. Christians today will find here inspiration and insight that will confirm their allegiances and shape their lives.

Most interpretations of Revelation fail to take seriously what John saw and consequently fail to comprehend the value of his vision to Christians of every age. J. Ramsey Michaels strives to restore Revelation to its rightful status as a prophetic letter of testimony--a testimony of striking relevance to the church today.

If ever there was a hostile environment for the gospel, it was the strife-torn, ethnically diverse backwater of the Roman Empire known as Palestine following the ascension of Jesus. But the gospel thrived--beginning from Jerusalem and spreading throughout Judea, Samaria and the rest of the known world. In Acts, the sequel to his Gospel, Luke tells how the Holy Spirit transformed a ragtag band of believers into a unified, world-engaging church. And as William Larkin explores this narrative of the early church, he offers inspiration and insight for readers who wonder how the gospel may be advanced in the increasingly divided and skeptical culture of the late twentieth century. In this clear, incisive commentary, readers will find an introduction with background material concerning authorship, date and purpose, as well as a summary of important theological themes. A passage-by-passage exposition follows that focuses on understanding what significance Acts had for its original readers in order to see its relevance for the church today. Students, pastors, Bible teachers and everyone who wants to understand the message of Matthew for the church will benefit from this excellent resource.

To the Colossians, preoccupied with legal codes and intellectual disputes, Paul wrote a letter stressing not only the centrality of Christ but also the need for Christians to live out their faith in genuine community. Paul's antidote to a privatized and intellectualized faith will provide relief to many Christians today.To Philemon, a powerful church leader, Paul wrote a strong personal letter asking him to embark on a new relationship with his slave Onesimus. As a model for conflict resolution and mutual relations within the Christian community, Paul's letter has much to offer the church today.Throughout this commentary, Robert W. Wall explains what each letter meant to its original hearers and its application for us today.

"Wherever ethnic rivalries are destroying societies, the book of Galatians calls Christians to express the truth of the gospel in communities where there are no ethnic or social or gender divisions." With this strong admonition, Walter Hansen introduces his IVP New Testament Commentary on Galatians.Unlike many other commentaries, Hansen's volume highlights not only the individual dimensions of justification by faith but also its social implications. His bold, careful interpretation challenges students and teachers of this important Pauline letter to move beyond merely the question "How can I, a sinner, be right before a just and holy God?" and to find in Galatians a healing word addressed to the ongoing tensions of race, class and gender--a word worked out in the life of the whole church.

The miracle of being forgiven is perhaps equaled only by the wonder of also being trusted again. That wondrous experience in the life of Simon Peter ultimately produced remarkable letters, full of warning and hope, solemn instruction and glorious promise. Because of that grace in Peter's past, his words in the book of 2 Peter are able to strengthen we who are his brothers and sisters in faith. Jude follows 2 Peter, yet because of its brevity and difficult message it is one of the most neglected books of Scripture. Still, it too reflects God's redemptive story and offers important insight for God's people. In this volume, Robert Harvey and Philip H. Towner delve into 2 Peter and Jude, exploring issues of authorship, canonicity, purpose and themes and ultimately showing how they relate to the life of the church.

Presents a commentary on Paul's first letter to the Corinthians.

Matthew was the most popular gospel in the early church, widely read for its clear emphasis on Jesus' teaching. Craig Keener expounds the text as a discipleship manual for believers today. Now in paper.

In this passage-by-passage commentary on 2 Corinthians, Linda Belleville shows how Paul's response to the commercial and hedonistic hotbed of Corinth can serve as model for all disciples who are confronted with a culture of individualism and materialism. Now in paper.

Questions about the nature of Christian leadership and authority, attitudes toward wealth and materialism, proper responses to cults, the role of women in the church, and even the validity of the institution of marriage are not new. Paul addressed these issues in personal letters to Timothy and Titus as leaders of first-century congregations in Ephesus and Crete. What he had to say to them is as relevant to us as today's newspaper headlines.

What is the proper relationship between faith and deeds? How do Christians mature in the faith? What hope can we offer to those who face trials of various sorts? How do we learn to control our tongues and not get bogged down with riches?The apostle James faced these questions in profound ways and offered sound pastoral advice to his readers, scattered by persecution. His word to them can become a vital word to us if we are prepared to listen.In this keen, pastorally oriented commentary, readers will find exposition focused on what James had to say to his original readers in order to see its relevance for the church today.

The Gospel of John declares its purpose clearly--"these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." Thus it fulfills a dual function, encouraging believers and providing them with evidences for proclaiming that Jesus is God's Messiah, the divine, incarnate Son of God.Christians today, as in the first century, can draw strength and courage from John's telling of the story of Jesus, a telling that consistently reflects not only the words and deeds of Jesus but their inner significance. We are called to worship as we find the Father, Son and Spirit revealed in the Gospel. And as in Jesus we discover God's light, life and love, we learn to respond in faith, humility and obedience.Throughout, Whitacre explains what the gospel meant to its original hearers and its application for us today.

As a young church in a hostile environment, Peter's first readers found in his first letter encouragement, not just for facing suffering, but for living responsibly in the world as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Christians today will also find in Peter's letter a wealth of practical counsel on how to conduct themselves in family and social life, as well as in relation to a society that makes it tough to follow Jesus Christ.

The Gospel of Mark is widely regarded today as the first Gospel to be written. Until recent decades, its fast-paced, seemingly straightforward presentation led most readers to overlook its subtle theological sophistication.Probing its depths, Ronald Kernaghan invites readers into a fascinating exploration of Mark's Gospel as a parable, an open-ended story that invites us on a lifelong journey of discipleship. Throughout, Kernaghan explains what the gospel meant to its original hearers and its application for us today.

In Luke's vivid narrative, Jesus comes into Galilee proclaiming "good news to the poor ... freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind." More than any other Gospel, the Gospel of Luke shows Jesus' great concern for the downtrodden, the oppressed and the marginalized--including women and children and even those outside the house of Israel.Darrell Bock shows why Luke's Gospel is "tailor-made" for the world we live in - a world often divided along ethnic, religious, economic and political lines. After all, the Jesus portrayed by Luke is a source of unity for his disciples and for believers from every walk of life. Tax collectors, Roman soldiers, prostitutes, city officials, religious leaders, widows and fishermen were among the diverse group brought together in the early Christian church.Bock's dual focus on understanding what Luke wanted to communicate to his original readers and on how that message is relevant for today makes this an excellent resource.