Luke 1-9: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition

by David A. Neale

Publisher:

Beacon Hill

, 2011

Overview

Many stories from the Gospel of Luke have entered our shared imagination. Only Luke tells us about Zechariah and Elizabeth and the birth of John the Baptist. Likewise, it is Luke who tells us about Mary's visit from Gabriel and the joyous encounter some months later with Elizabeth. Luke writes of Mary's song of joy, the shepherds at the manger, and the adoration of Anna and Simeon in the temple.

Other well-known stories are found only in Luke: the boy Jesus in the temple, the Good Samaritan, the prodigal son, the Pharisee and the tax collector praying in the temple, and the diminutive Zacchaeus high up in a tree. In his post-resurrection narrative, Luke alone portrays the disciples walking along the road to Emmaus after the resurrection, heads bent in conversation with the risen Jesus. And alone among the Evangelists, Luke describes the ascension of Jesus in detail in chapter 24 of the Gospel, and then further in Acts 1.

All of these stories are a rich part of the Christian heritage, and David A. Neale moves verse-by-verse through the Gospel of Luke after providing an in-depth introduction.

Key Features

• The latest scholarship from notable experts in the Wesleyan tradition
• Convenient introductory material for each book of the Bible including information on authorship, date, history, audience, sociological/cultural issues, purpose, literary features, theological themes, hermeneutical issues, and more
• Clear verse-by-verse explanations, which offer a contemporary, Wesleyan-based understanding derived from the passage’s original language
• Comprehensive annotation divided into three sections: 1. Background elements behind the text 2. Verse-by-verse details and meanings found in the text 3. Significance, relevance, intertextuality, and application from the text
• Insight into theological issues, word meanings, archaeological connections, historical relevance, cultural customs, and more
• Expanded bibliography for further study of historical elements, additional interpretations, and theological themes

Contents

Top Highlights

“ Luke teaches: Be like the fisherman and his friends, not like the Pharisees.” (Page 127)

“These stories demonstrate the authority of Jesus over the spiritual realm and the dawning of the kingdom of God. This struggle ‘lies at the very heart of Luke’s story’ (Garrett 1989, 58).” (Page 196)

“Mary’s hymn is a call to engagement in social action to right the wrongs brought on by pride and oppression, to right the wrongs visited on the downtrodden.” (Page 66)

“Ethnic purity is meaningless, if righteous conduct is not in evidence. God could make even stones serve him, if he chose (Isa 51:1).” (Page 94)

“The fisherman, for example, is sinful in his own eyes, but neither ill nor ritually impure” (Page 126)

Contributors

• Alex Varughese
• Roger Hahn
• George Lyons
• Joseph Coleson
• Robert Branson
• Jim Edlin
• Kent Brower
• Frank G. Carver

Product Details

• Title: Luke 1-9: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition
• Author: David A. Neale
• Series: New Beacon Bible Commentary (NBBC)
• Publisher: Beacon Hill Press
• Publication Date: 2011
• Pages: 220

About David A. Neale

David A. Neale is Vice President and Academic Dean of Booth University College in Winnipeg and professor emeritus at Ambrose University College (formerly Canadian Nazarene University College) in Calgary. He holds a B.A. in sociology from Idaho State University, and M.A. in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from the University of Sheffield, England.

Sample Pages from Luke 1-9: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition