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Commentary on the New Testament

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"A magnum opus that reflects a life-long engagement with the text. . . . This volume will be a valuable resource for busy preachers and faith formation leaders who need reliable and accessible authority for their preparation, and it will likely be a useful starting point for lively discussion among scholars."--Peter J. Judge, Review of Biblical Literature 
 
Shouldn't a Bible commentary clarify what God's Word actually says? Going beyond questions of authorship, date, sources, and historicity, respected linguist and teacher Gundry offers a one-volume exposition of the New Testament that focuses on what is most useful for preaching, teaching, and individual study--what the biblical text really means. Providing interpretive observations in a "breezy" style that's easy to read and adaptable for oral use in pulpit or classroom presentations, Gundry directs his book to an evangelical audience. His crisp translation of the New Testament inserts various phrasings of passages in brackets, allowing for smooth transition from original text to alternative and contemporary readings.

SAMPLE TEXT OF TRANSLATION

JOHN'S PREDICTING A MORE POWERFUL BAPTIZER THAN HE (Mark 1:1-8) 1:1-3: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, God's Son, according as it's written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I'm sending my messenger before your face [= ahead of you], who'll pave your way [= the road you'll travel], [the messenger who is] the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.'"

Pastors, Sunday school teachers, small-group leaders, and laypeople will welcome Gundry's non-technical explanations and clarifications. And Bible students at all levels will appreciate his sparkling interpretations of the NT Scriptures. A trustworthy guide for anybody wanting to delve deeper into God's Word.

SAMPLE TEXT OF COMMENTS

"Gospel" means "good news." Jews would associate this good news with Isaiah 52:7. Non-Jews would think of the good news of an emperor's accession to power, birthday, visit to a city, military victory, or bringing of prosperity to the empire. But Mark's good news has to do with the salvation and victory brought by Jesus over evil in all its demonic and physical forms. "The gospel of Jesus Christ" therefore means "the gospel about Jesus Christ" and refers to a proclaimed message ("the voice of one crying out"), not a book (though because books like Mark's contain that proclaimed message, the term came to refer to those books in the capitalized form of "Gospels" to distinguish them from the message, kept uncapitalized as "gospel").


Endorsements

"This is a great resource in a great format for a great purpose from a great scholar. Bob Gundry has been a treasure for people who love the Bible for many years, and this is one of his richest gifts to us yet."--John Ortberg, author and senior pastor, Menlo Church, California

"Like having a wonderful tour guide to a foreign country, Gundry's study of the New Testament introduces and guides one through the many joys and causes for reflection that are a part of a trip through the New Testament. The guidance provided is judicious in its choices of what to comment on and skilled in its presentation of the key ideas. It will surely serve well those who use it."--Darrell Bock, executive director of cultural engagement and senior research professor of New Testament studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

"There is no better single-volume commentary on the New Testament than the one Bob Gundry has written. It offers succinct, fast-paced commentary, yet without neglecting the important points of interpretation. Busy pastors, students, laity, and even veteran scholars will find much in this commentary to appreciate. It belongs in every library and study."--Craig A. Evans, John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins, Houston Baptist University

"This is not just another ho-hum commentary, the product of someone reading and repackaging previous commentaries. This is rather the fruit of a lifetime of close, intense attention to the text of the Greek New Testament; the upshot is that one happily finds on every page of this exegetical treasure fresh readings and independent judgments."--Dale C. Allison Jr., Richard J. Dearborn Professor of New Testament Studies, Princeton Theological Seminary

"Gundry's magnum opus culminates the life's work of one of our generation's preeminent New Testament scholars. The weight of this commentary is matched by the substance of Gundry's interpretation within its pages, reflecting his lifetime of scholarship. This one-volume commentary on the New Testament is a rare accomplishment that must find a place on the bookshelf of every serious preacher, teacher, and student of Scripture."--Karen H. Jobes, Gerald F. Hawthorne Professor of New Testament Greek and Exegesis, Emerita, Wheaton College and Graduate School


The Author

  1. Robert H. Gundry

    Robert H. Gundry

    Robert H. Gundry (PhD, Manchester University) is scholar-in-residence and professor emeritus of New Testament Greek, the Gospels, and New Testament at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. He is the author of the bestselling classroom text A Survey...

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Reviews

"This one-volume, single-author commentary is a rare and prodigious feat of scholarship and productivity. Veteran evangelical scholar Robert Gundry provides the student and educated lay reader a fresh translation and verse-by-verse exposition of every verse of every book in the New Testament. . . . In many ways the careful literal translation Gundry provides is key to the character of this work. He tries scrupulously to hew to the style and intent of the original Greek text; his commentary on the verses often takes its lead from the implications of the translation. One does not find here expansive theological or pastoral reflection on the NT passages but solid comments on a more narrowly focused literal meaning of the text."--The Bible in Review

"Gundry offers skilled, succinct, yet attentive commentary directed to pastors, students, and laity alike."--CBA Retailers + Resources

"Gundry discusses every verse in the New Testament in this 1,072-page magnum opus. . . . Gundry distills decades of scholarly experience in working paragraph-by-paragraph through the New Testament--focusing on the divinely inspired human author's meaning with an eye to modern-day explication of the passage. . . . Gundry writes in a clear, engaging style and demonstrates a wealth of knowledge. I think it very likely that I will refer to this book in the future--especially when I am looking for a respected New Testament scholar's concise opinion on a thorny text. . . . Few persons have the expertise to produce a one-volume tour-de-force of this sort. Gundry clearly does. . . . I commend this work as containing many helpful reflections on the New Testament from a highly respected scholar."--Robert L. Plummer, Southern Baptist Journal of Theology

"[Gundry] has had a long and distinguished career as a meticulous scholar and dedicated classroom teacher. . . . As a one-volume commentary from a single author, [this work] truly is a magnum opus that reflects a life-long engagement with the text on the levels of translation, exegesis, hermeneutics, theology, and pastoral sensitivity. . . . I found working through Gundry's translation rather energizing, even entertaining in a very positive sense. . . . [An] admirably thorough work of engaging closely with the New Testament text. Gundry's translation makes the reader really read the text; his comments are not for the faint of heart but for those who are really willing to work through the text detail by detail. Yet the commentary is inviting and colloquial. . . . Comments on the first-century writers' language often flow nicely into thoughts of how the text is quite applicable to hearers of today. This volume will be a valuable resource for busy preachers and faith formation leaders who need reliable and accessible authority for their preparation, and it will likely be a useful starting point for lively discussion among scholars."--Peter J. Judge, Review of Biblical Literature

"In a day when biblical studies is marked by increasing specialization and swelling bibliography, it is refreshing to see a NT scholar at the zenith of his career venture a one-volume exposition of the NT. It is doubly refreshing to see such an effort designed to 'serve Christian ministers, Bible study leaders, and serious-minded lay students' who lack the time or training to profit from the very kind of technical scholarship that has marked so much of Robert H. Gundry's output. . . . Commentary on the New Testament is an exegetical achievement. It comprises a digest of the life-long labors of a careful and seasoned student of the NT. As such, it deserves a place on the shelves of serious students of the Scripture. In a day when many commentaries offer the reader parvum in multo (very little content in many words), it is refreshing to see a work that offers multum in parvo (much content in a few words). . . . Gundry's Commentary will richly repay the reader."--Guy Prentiss Waters, Themelios

"This is not your standard translation, and it is very much worth consulting."--Michael W. Holmes, Religious Studies Review

"An impressive accomplishment, which will be very useful. Gundry provides a literal translation of the New Testament along with commentary. . . . A helpful resource."--Ray Van Neste, Preaching

"Quite a bold undertaking. . . . This is the translation and commentary of a single scholar. Robert Gundry has spent his career in research and writing on the NT and in teaching it to undergraduates. He has never lost sight of his service to the scholarly guild, the undergraduate student, and the Christian church. We have here the fruit of his study. . . . Pastors and teachers will doubtless consult this volume for help with difficult passages and Gundry will not disappoint them. . . . Gundry manages to write simply and clearly, explaining the thrust of each passage along with thorny interpretive issues. . . . Gundry's volume will likely be a great gift for pastors and teachers who will find it an immensely valuable resource."--Timothy G. Gombis, Bulletin for Biblical Research

"[Gundry] has produced an outstanding one-volume commentary on the New Testament which represents the culmination of his years of study and teaching. This volume will be particularly useful to expository preachers, given its easy-to-read style that focuses on the meaning of the biblical text. . . . This volume will form a useful addition to the library of the busy pastor who needs quick and easily understandable help on the meaning of the New Testament from a scholar who has devoted his life to the study of that text."--W. Hall Harris III, Journal of the Evangelical Homiletics Society

"One-volume commentaries in general are well known for their advantages and their disadvantages. . . . Thankfully, Gundry's one-volume tome on the entire New Testament maximizes the advantages and minimizes the disadvantages characteristic of the genus. . . . Gundry treats most of the significant exegetical issues with the deftness of a seasoned New Testament scholar. . . . If the best that you can hope for in a one-volume commentary is to have a knowledgeable commentator, comments which are neither superficial nor exhaustive, a reasonably accessible text, and at a reasonable price, then Gundry's contribution should make an excellent choice for the time and financially challenged pastor, Bible study leader, or biblically interested lay persons."--Charles H. Savelle, Criswell Theological Review