Matthew: A Commentary on the New Testament (Volume 1) (The IVP New Testament Commentary Series)

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I like this whole conservative commentary series. It is not highly technical but brings to light many background cultural issues that helps to bring the Scriptures to life. The authors also bring relevant applications to today's Christian. It is also structured very well especially for daily Bible study.

This Bible Commentary is excellent. I am very glad that I now have it in my library. I can reach right into my bookcase to receive great help in understanding certain portions of Scripture.

This was the very first commentary I read through and I frequently go back to reference it. Keener's emphasis on the social-historical context of this Gospel is helpful yet concise. His passion for preaching is quite apparent in his expository that truly spoke into my heart, and convicted me in many areas of my life. Keener has a more in depth commentary on Mathew that would be better suited for those who are more academically minded; however, this commentary is still scholarly and will provide the reader with much incite.

This volume is a precursor to Craig Keener’s large socio-rhetorical commentary on Matthew’s Gospel. Over the last several years he has garnered quite a reputation as a voluminous writer of large commentaries. After that large Matthew commentary, Keener gave us a large 2-volume commentary on John and then a massive 4-volume commentary on Acts that is so big it could be made into a piece of furniture. Before all of those prolific writings, Keener tried his hand on Matthew here in the respected IVP New Testament series. This series is geared toward “solid, biblical exposition and helpful explanatory notes in … user-friendly format.”He begins his almost 30-page Introduction with a discussion of his approach and desire that the shock value of Jesus’ statements remain. He then explains how source, form, and redaction criticisms have the study of Matthew. I’m not sure that would be as important to his target audience as he feels, but he is clear in his presentation. In different ways he discusses Matthew, his historicity, as well as the structure, authorship, provenance, and date. He is better, in my view, discussing unique features of Matthew’s Gospel.The commentary is competent and helpful. It is more in line with the aims of the series than the Introduction. I believe it could be an asset to pastors and teachers. It’s the right length for this type of series and provides the right level of help. Worth checking out.I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Craig Keener is a brilliant man. He is also passionate about Jesus and about ministry. The professor at Asbury Seminary has written a two-volume commentary on John that has become a standard of quality biblical scholarship. Several years ago Keener also wrote a great little commentary on Matthew, which I was recently given the opportunity to review. It was recently re-released in paperback.What is great about Matthew by Craig S. Keener is that is really sharp and on point with the academic work, and yet at the same time it is really very conversational and accessible. It is even, at some points, surprisingly humorous,such as when it warns against preacher puns with the parable of the wheat and the tares (p. 242).Keener keeps to the basics in this commentary. He organizes his understanding of Matthew around the themes of the Kingdom of Heaven and discipleship, which are perfectly appropriate. Very few passages are written about for more than two-four pages.The strength of this commentary is that it really says in plain language what each passage in the gospel of Matthew in its social and literary context. When you read the words that Keener has to say about each specific passage, you can clearly relate to the time it was written, and see what was happening through the gospel by the way Keener opens up his readers' mind to understanding.The one weakness about this commentary is that it is really does not communicate much in most passages about what the specific text means in everyday life. In other words, Matthew helps its readers observe and understand the text, but the author leaves it to his readers to figure out how to apply what they have learned.All in all, this is a good commentary. It would be especially good if someone was teaching from a curriculum about something in Matthew, and wanted to use this commentary to add in insightful background information.(This book was reviewed after the publisher provided me with a complimentary review copy. Thanks IVP!)

Some of the footnotes don't quite line up with the placement of the commentary but it's not a big issue. An index would have been helpful. Easy to understand and follow. Some sections would have been better with more in depth analysis but I guess that's only to be expected for a mere 400 page commentary!