Luke - People's Bible Commentary

THIS BOOK WAS VERY HELPFUL. IT READS THE GOSPEL OF LUKE THEN THE AUTHOR EXPLAINS IN SIMPLE TERMS WHAT THAT PARTICULAR SCRIPTURE MEANS. IT'S SO EASY TO READ. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK.

Victor Prange is an ordained pastor in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) serving in the state of Wisconsin. He has also published Bible studies and contributed to anthologies. This work, a commentary on Luke, is a volume in the People's Bible Commentary Series--a series intended for lay people. The commentaries in this series emphasize a) the historical context of the writing, b) the Christocentricity (Christ-centeredness) of all 66 canonical books, and c) the devotional value of the particular book. In these goals, Prange does an excellent job. It is clear that Prange has his audience in mind throughout this commentary. He effectively balances a gentle explanation of Jesus' "difficult" parables (Rich Man and Lazarus, Dishonest Manager) while going more in-depth for the familiar and easy to understand accounts (Jesus' work of healing, the Parable of the Lost Sheep). This reader especially appreciated the fact that Prange kept Luke's overall structure in mind as he wrote this commentary. He frequently points out the fact that Luke often puts similar stories next to one another to draw out specific similarities and differences. While pastors and other trained theologians will benefit from "getting back to the basics of Luke" through this book, they will not find much value beyond it. Yet, it is not intended for such trained professionals; this book is intended to strengthen the faith and understanding of those who have not been able to pursue a theological degree. In that respect, the book hits its target audience well. It is readable, devotional, practical, and makes Luke more accessible. This book is recommended.

I used the Book as a daily devotional. I just took a section or two at a time. It was very enlightening. Written in an understandable way it helped with passages that were a little more difficult to understand by providing a little history surrounding the time. I am definitely going to read another one of the People's Bible Commentary Books.