Matthew for Everyone Part One Chapters 1-15

N.T. (Tom) Wright is one the world's foremost New Testament scholars. Wright has taken C.S. Lewis's seat at the table. I've not read anyone that can relate difficult biblical concepts better than Wright. Lewis is actually lucky Wright was not his contemporary. He might not have had a job beyond writing books for kids Matthew for Everyone Part One is Wright's commentary on the first fifteen chapters of Matthew's Gospel. The Genealogy of Jesus through The Feeding of the Four Thousand is the ground he covers. Wright is a Greek scholar and Bible interpreter. He gives his translation of the text in very accessible language and terms which, of course, was the intention of the Gospel's authors; to reach common people with the message of Jesus. Wright has taken the time to examine the historical context of the text. He is able to bring out nuances, political implications, and present day application often glossed over in our church culture of sin management. We often get so bogged down in avoiding sin, the way the Pharisees tried to (and failed) that we often miss the point. Wright brilliantly brings the message home. If you are looking for a fresh perspective in New Testament Bible Study, check Tom Wright's For Everyone Commentary Series. The charming and beautiful Susan and I have signed up for it. In fact, two more books just arrived in the mail today.

If you have never experienced the exegesis and analysis of the Gospels from Bishop Wright of Durham, England, you have really not studied the life and teachings of Jesus. The Anglican Bishop, even though one of the top five theologians in the world, brings it down to the level of the 'common' person and makes it seem like you are there. What is particularly amazing is that he has contemporary examples to introduce each section, each of which is different even though Matthew, Mark and Luke may be talking about the same event. You will have your Bible study revolutionized by Bishop Wright.

Tom Wright (aka N T Wright) has written a commentary that is very scholarly in that it takes interpretation very seriously, but has put that at a level that everyone can read and understand. Wright has put his translation in this little book, then and illustration that brings out the meaning of the test and then he goes into interpreting the text which he always does an excellent job, and he also asks few modern day application questions at the end of each section. Wright is a great interpreter of Jesus (Paul too for that matter) and he does not let down in this popular commentary. Even if you have or have not read his mammoth work Jesus and the Victory of God you will still benefit from this commentary. He makes sense of Matthew and stays consistent with his interpretations. The grid he uses over and over again is that exile has ended, YHWH is returning to Israel and being installed as King, the promises to Abraham, David and the prophets are being fulfilled, the new exodus is happening and it is coming about in Jesus. This more or less is always Wright's grid and I think that it is arguably the best grid around. I found only two weaknesses that I would like to point out and these are not major. I point them out, not so much in disagreement as to, in a humble manner, enhance Wright's position and not weaken it. First, he does not always deal with every passage in a clear way. This most likely being due to the fact that he is writing for a popular audience and these books can only take so much space and I understand that fact, but I was a little disappointed when I got to the passage "the kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force" and there was really no comment on the meaning. I am still uncertain whom he thinks the violent are in that passage. The second problem I found was with his treatment of the genealogies in Matthew. On page 4 he says about the women that appear in the genealogies that "If God can work through these bizarre ways, he seems to be saying, watch what he's going to do now." Actually, this is not what Matthew is saying at all. The point of the women being mentioned is that they are all foreigners. Tamar (Genesis 38) and Rahab are both Canaanites, Ruth a Moabite, and Bathsheba (who is actually not mentioned by name) was a Hittite. The point being that the vocation of Israel was to be the light to the world and bring others in like the women mentioned who did get into the promise and move of God. This point is illustrated several times throughout the book of Matthew with the Magi (foreigners getting in), the Centurion (a Roman soldier), and the Syro-Phoenician woman in Matthew 15 who had the daughter that was vexed of the Devil all got in on the promise even though they were outsiders or not ethnic Israel. This, however, is an excellent commentary and I am looking forward to reading Part Two, which cover chapters 16-28. Get this book and it will help you understand Matthew better. Questions or comments contac

Tom Wright is one of the finest biblical scholars in the world (though he writes his scholarly tomes under the name N.T. Wright). Whether one agrees with all his ideas or not, one must acknowledge his phenomenal insight and his encyclopedic grasp of the data. But what makes Wright unique among scholars is his ability to take his academic insights and make them truly readable for lay people. Recently I recommended this commentary to a couple of friends (a woman who is a marriage and family counselor and a man who works in a parachurch ministry). Both of these friends have raved about this book. They have learned much about Matthew, but also about how to relate Matthew's insights to contemporary issues and personal faith.If you're looking for an academic commentary, this is not for you. But if you're looking for an academically grounded, biblically faithful, and wisely popular commentary on Matthew, you need look no further. This is the Wright commentary for you! (Sorry. I couldnt' resist the pun.)

Tom Wright is a brilliant scholar, and a true student of the Word, as well as the "words." And while there are a number of books authored by him that require intense mental powers to grasp in one sitting (though two or three sittings of any of his works is simple pleasure, resulting in many rich insights), this series, true to it's title, is "For Everyone."Each volume focuses on either one New Testament book, or splits that book into two different volumes (Matthew, John), or gathers a few Pauline letters into the same size volume. With the fresh, "everyman" translation of Scripture, the Word itself enjoys new-found reach and depth that other translations on the market currently lack due to cultural and linguistic changes. And if the Scripture isn't enough for you, Tom Wright's incredible ability to take any portion of God's Word and bring it to bear on today's world is given full reign as he breaks each book into 50 or so sections, similar to devotional writings. And at 2 pages per section, they are just enough to get you thinking, teach you a valuable new lesson, and still leave time to pray before heading out the door.This is a book that can be used as a sermon resource (and what a resource it is!), a daily devotional guide, or simply a new, exciting path through the New Testament. Regardless of the availability wait or the lack of preview information on this web-site, this is an order to place today!