Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The New Testament Hardcover – October 1, 2014

For it's price and size it's a great commentary to add to your collection. It probably shouldn't be your first or primary commentary simply because it doesn't go into detail about a number of specific passages. Some of the commentary sections cover a whole chapter or two, and so individual passages get overlooked and not written about. I realize that in order to address all passages in detail would require a much bigger book or multiple volumes or smaller type, and that would increase the price.The scholarship is sound and I really appreciate the Interpretive and Contemporary sections. I highly recommend it as complement to a more thorough commentary.

Solid source or preliminary research into specific biblical texts. Aymer is great.

It is the best one volume commentary on the New Testament I have found so far.

arrived as expected, text thoughtful & authoritative background and commentary

I wonder why it says it contains the real page numbers when it does not ...

I'd like to thank Fortress Press for providing a digital review copy of the commentary.I received both the Old & New Testament Commentaries close to 30 days ago and love the scholarship. I will be publishing a review of the Old Testament Commentary separately.The editors are: Margaret Aymer is associate professor of New Testament and Chair of Biblical Studies at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where she teaches courses in New Testament, exegesis, and biblical hermeneutics.Cynthia Briggs Kittredge is the president, dean, and professor of New Testament at Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas.David A. Sanchez is associate professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. He specializes in New Testament studies with an emphasis on the Apocalypse of John and contemporary Guadalupan iconography.Including the above mentioned editors there are total of 28 contributors in this volume.In the introduction the reader is invited to "study and seek conversation regarding the ancient text which is complex and compelling". Then continues on by saying, "As biblical scholars, we wish students of the Bible to gain a respect for the antiquity and cultural remoteness of the biblical texts and to grapple for themselves with the variety of possible meanings...the Fortress Commentary on the Bible offers general readers an informed and accessible resource for understanding the biblical writings in their ancient contexts; for recognizing how the texts have come down to us through the meditation of different interpretive traditions; and for engaging current discussion of the Bible's sometimes perplexing, sometimes ambivalent, but always influential legacy in the contemporary world".The commentary has Topical Articles that set the stage on which interpretation takes place, naming the issues and the concerns that have shaped historical and theological scholarship down to the present. The articles also include issues that arise when two different religious communities claim the same body of writings as Scripture, though interpreting those writings quite differently.The commentary has Section Introductions articles introducing the Gospels, Acts, the letters associated with Paul, Hebrews, the General Epistles, and Revelation. The reader can expect the articles to address the literary and historical matters, as wells as theological themes, that the books in these collection hold in common.The commentary has Commentary Entries which present accessible and judicious discussion of each biblical book, with an introduction to the current thinking regarding the writing's original context and it's significance in different reading communities down to the present day. What follows next is a three-level commentary for each sense division of the book. This is the most distinctive aspect (in my opinion) of the commentary.The first level is titled "The Text in Its Ancient Context", the intent here is to convey some sense of the historical and cultural distance between the text's original context and the contemporary reader.The second level is titled "The Text in Its Interpretive Tradition", which discusses themes including Jewish and Christian tradition as well as other religious, literary and artistic traditions where the biblical text have attracted interest. This level is shaped by the conviction that does not apprehend these texts immediately or innocently, rather, even the plain meaning we may regard as self-evident which may have shaped by centuries of appropriation and argument to which we are heirs.The third and final level is titled "The Text in Contemporary Discussion" which follows the history of interpretation into the present, drawing brief attention to a range of issues. The aim here is not to deliver a single answer--"what the text means"--to the contemporary reader, but to highlight unique challenges and interpretive questions. Special attention to paid to with respect to occasions of dissonance, injurious, or even intolerable to some readers today. The goal is not to provoke a referendum on the value of the text but to stimulate reflection and discussion and, in this way, to empower the reader to reach their own judgements about the text.The approach of the commentary articulates a particular understanding of the work of responsible biblical interpretation. The editors and contributors seek through this commentary to promote intelligent and mature engagement with the Bible, in religious communities and in academic classrooms alike, among pastors, theologians, and ethicists, but also especially among nonspecialists.This review covers the introductory section of this commentary. It is my opinion after only 30 days of use the additional insights I have been introduced to will stay with me the rest of my life. I am and will be indebted to everyone who has made this volume possible.

Fortress Commentary on the Bible New Testament is a commentary that takes a different approach than what is found in most commentaries. Rather than just telling the reader what to believe, it analyzes the setting and discusses how the text has been interpreted throughout history. The New Testament edition follows the same structure as the Old Testament edition:How the Commentary is StructuredTopical ArticlesThese set the stage for interpretation and discuss issues surrounding the text and setting. It covers historical and theological scholarship issues to the present time. It shows how different religious communities interpret the same passage.Section IntroductionsNT sections include Gospels, Acts, Letters of Paul, Hebrews, General Epistles, and Revelation. The introductions addresses literary and historical matters and theological themes that they hold in common.Commentary EntriesThere are three levels of commentary:The first is The Text in it Ancient Context. This level looks at the lexical, exegetical, and literary aspects of the text. It also looks at the historical context with a focus on cultural and archaeological information.The second level is The Text in the Interpretive Tradition. This looks at Jewish and Christian tradition and approaches the text with the idea that the common, plain understanding of a text may have been influenced by tradition. Rather than just accepting the traditional interpretation, it examines the interpretation.The third level is The Text in Contemporary Discussion. This level looks at the difficulties of interpretation in the present day. Rather than telling the reader what to believe, it looks at current interpretations and shows how they were developed.Each of these sections give cited works for further study.How I used the CommentaryI did a study on the Logos in John 1:1. The commentary covered John 1:1-18. It discusses the staircase parallelism with Genesis 1:1 with the beginning, life, and light. The Text in its Ancient Context includes information about the poetic style and wisdom imagery. And makes comparisons to Wisdom in the book of Proverbs. It shows how it sets the stage for John’s use of metaphors, figures, and themes throughout the Gospel of John. The Text in Interpretive Tradition discusses Augustine, Jerome, RE Brown, and others. The Text in Contemporary Discussion advises raising questions and not just being compliant to traditional interpretations.ConclusionThis is a good approach to commentary. I’ve never liked a commentary that just told me what to believe. Fortress Commentary on the Bible New Testament analyzes various interpretations and compares them with the historical and cultural setting. It provides interesting insights on historical interpretation and gives you plenty of suggested resources to you can do your own study.Fortress Commentary on the Bible New Testament can be purchased here: Buy from AmazonFortress provided this ebook trial edition for review. I was not required to give a positive review – only an honest review.

On elf the best commentaries I have ever purchased or read. Contains substantial background to each book of the Bible whilst offering 3 different viewpoints through historical and modern lenses. Excellent.

Book itself is great, excellent content, but unfortunately the condition is not good. There are scratches on the rust jacket and a couple cuts, and where the cuts are the cover has been bent. Book good, condition bad.