Photo Credit: Zondervan
David E. Garland's contribution to Zondervan's new Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament of the Gospel of Luke is a welcome resource for looking deeper into Luke's perspective of the historical narrative of Jesus' life and ministry and all of its implications for us who live in a time far removed from the events recorded by Luke. I've always found Luke fascinating, especially since Luke writes somewhat like an investigative reporter on the story of Jesus and his first followers.
I've read many commentaries, and I really enjoyed the format of the ZECNT. Each section gives a summation of the main idea, a translation of the Greek text, as well as an outline of the text structure. This is followed by verse-by-verse commentary specifically based on the Greek text. One of the most helpful features for anyone teaching the Bible is the Theological Application, bringing the text's implications for our present context to the forefront.
The Luke commentary is easy to read. Some of the parts I enjoyed most were:
• the discussion of the connection between Luke and Acts
• the possibility that Luke may have been a Jew (it's commonly thought he was a Gentile)
• Luke's intention to record history
• Luke portraying Jesus the Jewish Messiah as the savior of Gentiles as well
With any commentary you probably won't agree with every single interpretation of the commentator. There were a few areas I disagreed with, but overall I found Garland's commentary enjoyable and illuminating.
The Luke Commentary, as well as all the others in the ZECNT, is a great addition to anyone who studies the Bible specifically to teach it. It's a great tool for anyone studying for personal spiritual growth as well. The format is great, and it has a fantastic ease of use. I'll be interested to check out some of the other commentaries in this series.
I received this book for free for review from Zondervan
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