Bible Commentary from

Jenny Hawke, an artist herself, suggested to her father over a number of years that he write a book about art. After his death his daughters found a box full of scraps of paper on which he had jotted thoughts in preparation for a book such as this. Making a Mark’ is therefore truly the realisation of Eddie Askew’s own… Read more about this item

Throughout the centuries the book of Revelation has been subjected to wildly different interpretations. Why? 'Its symbolism belongs to the first century, not to our own age,' says Leon Morris in the preface to his commentary. Here he explains the ancient metaphors and symbols - most important, a slain lamb - in ways that demonstrate their compelling significance for the… Read more about this item

John's affection for the recipients of his letters is clear: 'They are his "dear children", his "dear friends",' as John Stott points out. He continues, '[John] longs to protect them from both error and evil, and to see them firmly established in faith, love and holiness. He has no new doctrine for them. On the contrary, he appeals to them to… Read more about this item

Peter's short letter to the 'exiles of the Dispersion' addresses many topics: holiness, the sufferings of Christ, suffering as a Christian, God's sovereignty in salvation and life, the grace of God, the work of the Holy Spirit, the church as the new people of God, the reality of the unseen spiritual world, and trusting in God in the midst of… Read more about this item

Many aspects of the letter to the Hebrews are a mystery. Who wrote it? To whom? When? Under what conditions? Though the answers to these questions largely remain an enigma, the letter's place in the biblical canon stands as a testament to its inherent power and authority as a treatise on the nature of Jesus Christ. As such, Donald Guthrie… Read more about this item

In his letters to Timothy and Titus, the apostle Paul is concerned with church order, defending correct doctrine and passing on the faith. Donald Guthrie's introduction to the volume, along with a helpful appendix, provides a strong defence of Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles, setting them in the distinct historical context of Paul's later ministry. Guthrie's commentary bears out… Read more about this item

Unlike Paul's letters to the Galatians or the Corinthians, the letter to the Ephesians contains almost no clues about the situation and issues its recipients faced. Nevertheless, the letter vividly depicts how God's will revealed in Christ reorients believers' lives toward unity, mutual respect, submission and love - in short, new life in Christ. Francis Foulkes expounds with clarity and… Read more about this item

Paul's epistle to the Romans changed the lives of many great Christian thinkers, including Augustine, Martin Luther, John Wesley and Karl Barth. However, while Romans has been among the most influential books of the New Testament, it has also been the subject of some of the church's most heated debates. What is justification by faith? What is the relationship between… Read more about this item

In the book of Acts, the story of Jesus begun in the Gospel of Luke broadens into the story of the Holy Spirit, guiding the fledgling church to proclaim the saving reality of Jesus. While attentive to Luke's roles as a literary artist and theologian, I. Howard Marshall focuses primarily on Luke's role as a historian. He provides the reader… Read more about this item

Among the Gospels, John's is unique. It has a unique structure with long conversations and extended debates, and much of its content is not found elsewhere. Jesus' relationship to the Father and his teaching on the Holy Spirit are given special prominence. Ultimately, faith, believing in Jesus, is at the centre - with signs highlighted to provoke faith and stories… Read more about this item

Who is Jesus? What is salvation? What is the good news? Our earliest written account of Jesus' ministry is widely acknowledged to be that of the Gospel of Mark. If so, it remains key in our answering these questions. Alan Cole treads a careful path between exclusively this-worldly or other-worldly interpretations of this landmark Gospel. His commentary provides a helpful… Read more about this item

Matthew - the visit of the Magi, the Sermon on the Mount, the Great Commission: these are only a few of the well-known passages that draw readers specifically to Matthew's gospel. Yet it begins with a forbidding list of unknown names and apparently irrelevant 'begettings'. In fact, the early church may have placed Matthew first in the New Testament because… Read more about this item

For Francis Andersen, the Old Testament book about Job is one of the supreme offerings of the human mind to the living God, and one of the best gifts of God to humanity. 'The task of understanding it is as rewarding as it is strenuous ... One is constantly amazed at its audacious theology and at the magnitude of its… Read more about this item

These commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means. The Introduction to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting and purpose. Following a structural Analysis, the Commentary takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on… Read more about this item

It is, perhaps, the most unique marriage in history; one that was based upon, and thoroughly saturated with God's covenant; the purpose of God's revelation. Hosea heard God's call to marry, what Israel herself was, a prostitute. As we enter this book, which unlike other prophets who are often powerful untouchable voices, or mysterious and enigmatic figures speaking from the… Read more about this item

The book of Isaiah is perhaps the most compelling of all Old Testament prophecy. No other prophet rivals Isaiah's brilliance of style, powerful imagery and clear vision of the messianic hope. Unlike many commentators who divide Isaiah between chapters 1 - 39 and 40 - 66, J. Alec Motyer instead identifies three messianic portraits: the King (1 - 37), the… Read more about this item

Despite the return of the Hebrews from the Babylonian exile, selfishness, apathy and despair crippled their community spirit. In response to this distress, God raised up three prophetic voices in Jerusalem. Haggai rallied the people to rebuild the Second Temple. Zechariah was given visions of the return of the glory of the Lord to Zion. Malachi preached repentance, covenant justice… Read more about this item

Traditionally, Jeremiah is thought of as a book of judgment, doom and destruction. But the message Jeremiah prophecies describe a God who will never give up on those he has called to be his people – a God of love, grace and justice. While Lamentations documents a distressing and dark age for the Israelites, it too provides rays of hope and… Read more about this item

Next volume in the new TOTC replacement programme

God's persistence in speaking to an age that persistently contradicts or questions his every word is a clear and timely picture of the sin and grace in close proximity in our own times. God's people neither serve him enthusiastically nor turn away in blatant disobedience, but this is not neutral territory; it’s a minefield of self-deception. Through this BST commentary Malachi,… Read more about this item