General Epistles, 4 vols. (The New International Commentary on the New Testament | NICNT)

by James Adamson; Scot McKnight; Peter H. Davids; I. Howard Marshall

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 1976–2011

Overview

This collection includes the volumes on the General Epistles from The New International Commentary on the New Testament to provide an exposition of Scripture that is thorough and abreast of modern scholarship, yet at the same time loyal to Scripture as the infallible Word of God. This conviction is shared by all contributors to The New International Commentary on the New Testament and defines the goal of this ambitious series.

This decades-long project has become recognized by scholars, pastors, and serious Bible students as critical yet orthodox commentary marked by solid biblical scholarship within the evangelical Protestant tradition. The New International Commentary on the New Testament serves as an authoritative guide to the text of Scripture, bridging the cultural gap between today’s world and the world of the Bible. Each volume in the NICNT aims to help us hear God’s word as clearly as possible.

Scholars, pastors, and serious Bible students will welcome the fresh light that this commentary series casts on ancient yet familiar biblical texts. The contributors apply their proven scholarly expertise and wide experience as teachers to illumine our understanding of the New Testament. As gifted writers, they present the results of the best recent research in an interesting, readable, and thought-provoking manner.

Each commentary opens with an introduction to the biblical book, looking especially at questions concerning its background, authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology. A select bibliography also points readers to resources for their own study. The author’s own translation from the original Hebrew and Greek texts forms the basis of the commentary proper. Verse-by-verse comments nicely balance the in-depth discussions of technical matters—such as textual criticism and critical problems—with exposition of the biblical writer’s theology and its implications for the life of faith today.

Key Features

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introductions to each book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology

Endorsements

The NIC is an amazing scholarly, protestant, evangelical commentary series. It gives verse-by-verse commentary on almost every book of the Bible, including immensely helpful introductory information. The only thing better than the commentary series itself is being able to have the entire thing with you, on your laptop, wherever you go. The NIC for Logos is a great resource that every seminarian should consider.

—GoingtoSeminary.com review

Product Details

• Title: The New International Commentary on the New Testament: General Epistles (NICNT)
• Series: The New International Commentary on the New Testament
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Volumes: 4
• Pages: 1,338

The Letter of James

• Author: Scot McKnight
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2011
• Pages: 532

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Pastors and scholars have often found the letter of James particularly vexing both to interpret and to apply. Scot McKnight’s commentary expounds James both in its own context and in the context of ancient Judaism, the Greco-Roman world, and the emerging Christian faith. Though interacting with the best available scholarly work on James, McKnight first connects deeply with the text of the letter itself, striving to interpret James’ teaching rigorously in light of what he says elsewhere in his letter rather than smothering the epistle in extrinsic debates and theories. Shaped from beginning to end for pastors, preachers, and teachers, this accessible commentary—full of insight, good sense, and wit—will shed fresh light for those who want to explain James and its significance to their congregations and classes.

Scot McKnight has written a very readable, evangelical commentary on James. While covering the traditional bases and literature, he also includes a number of new readings of the data that make his work fresh and intriguing. This book will be viewed as a standard evangelical work that needs to be consulted in any future work on this letter.

—Peter H. Davids, professor of biblical theology, St. Stephen’s University

This commentary is scholarly, interesting, and timely—three things not often said about the same book! McKnight’s reading of James sees the first-century Jewish-Christian community battling over issues of personal equity and social justice and struggling to find godly and workable solutions. With today’s church struggling to find biblical solutions to the same kinds of problems, McKnight’s explanation of James is a welcomed voice in the conversation.

—Douglas S. Huffman, professor of biblical and theological studies, Talbot School of Theology

McKnight has produced a readable and carefully organized commentary packed full of concrete insights. He brilliantly blends the best thoughts of earlier scholarship with innovative thinking, and remains sensitive throughout to both ancient context and his modern audience.

—Craig S. Keener, professor of New Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary

Scot McKnight is Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University in Chicago, Illinois. His many other books include The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others; A Community Called Atonement; NIV Application Commentary volumes on Galatians and 1 Peter; and (co-edited with James D. G. Dunn) The Historical Jesus in Recent Research.

The Epistle of James

• Author: James B. Adamson
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 1976
• Pages: 227

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The author of the Epistle of James, a letter distinguished for its passionate commitment to Jewish Christianity, has been dubbed “the Amos of the new covenant.” As a guide to Christian behavior, the letter deals with themes of universal importance, among which are the nature of God and man, the evils of lust and pride, the virtues of faith and hope, and the fruits of faith and love.

James B. Adamson, in contrast to many scholars, is convinced that James was a master writer whose knowledge and choice of Greek bestow on his epistle a sustained unity of style and content that bears a close affinity with the Synoptic Gospels and the sayings of Jesus. The substance and authoritative tone of this epistle follow in the tradition of Elijah and Moses, and the style and diction resemble some of the outstanding qualities of the Psalms the prophets.

In this thorough exegesis of his own working translation, Adamson combats some prevalent notions and corrects misunderstandings of the nature of this unique epistle, which, he says, cannot really be understood apart from the whole context of the New Testament.

A noteworthy publishing event! If it leads to a rediscovery of the Epistle of James and its message by twentieth-century Christians, it will have performed a noble service. I take pleasure in warmly commending it to all students and preachers of the New Testament and its message.

—W. Ward Gasque, president, Pacific Association for Theological Studies

James B. Adamson was a senior pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Rosa, California. He studied at the University of Edinburgh and in 1954 was awarded a PhD from Cambridge University for a thesis on the Epistle of James.

The First Epistle of Peter

• Author: Peter H. Davids
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 1990
• Pages: 288

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The First Epistle of Peter constitutes an important work of New Testament theology and pastoral care, serves as an example of how the early church applied Jesus’ sayings and the Old Testament writings to contemporary concerns, and presents some extremely useful perspectives on living the Christian life today. This commentary by Peter Davids does an excellent job of mining the rich wealth of instruction to be found in this very significant section of Scripture.

Davids’ commentary contains several notable features: a unique grasp of 1 Peter’s structure, a systematically arranged introduction that summarizes the commentary proper, a perceptive excursus on suffering in 1 Peter and the New Testament, Davids’ own study translation, thorough and incisive comments on each verse of the text, frequent parallels to ancient literature, an exceptionally clear and lively writing style, and one of the most comprehensive bibliographies on 1 Peter available anywhere.

Davids’ commentary is well researched, conversationally written, and exegetically helpful. It is particularly perceptive in its treatment of “the spirits in prison” (3:19), the preaching to those who have died (4:6), and the role of Silas as Peter’s secretary (5:12). Especially useful for seminary students and intelligent laity, this book is a worthy addition to a distinguished series.

—E. Earle Ellis, emeritus research professor of theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

A comprehensive, up-to-date, and well-balanced presentation. This commentary adopts a moderate but enlightened approach to the interpretation of 1 Peter and will be a boon to all students of the New Testament, to teachers, and to pastors.

—Joseph A. Fitzmyer, professor emeritus of biblical studies, Catholic University of America

Not often will a biblical commentary offer both scholarly discussion and easy accessibility for nonspecialists, but Peter Davids on 1 Peter does just that. Scholars will profit much from his commentary. Pastors and serious-minded laypeople will profit equally much.

—Robert H. Gundry professor emeritus of New Testament and Greek, Westmont College

Peter H. Davids is a professor of biblical theology at St. Stephen’s University in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. He is also the co-editor of Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments.

The Epistles of John

• Author: I. Howard Marshall
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 1978
• Pages: 291

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The three Epistles of John, according to I. Howard Marshall, are concerned with the fundamentals of Christian belief and life—faith and love. The reader who grasps the message of these short but essential letters will have a sound basis in Christian doctrine. This group of Epistles, says Marshall, is also a good starting point for the study of the Gospel of John. This important commentary was written not only so that students of the Bible might master the content of John’s Epistles, but that they might come to a proper understanding of Johannine theology as a whole.

This volume includes an “invitation” to general readers and an “introduction” addressed to students and specialists. Another fresh feature is a rearrangement of the traditional order of the three letters: 2 John and 3 John are studied before 1 John. This structure assures that the two shorter letters are not relegated to the position of appendices but are treated as important documents of early Christianity in their own right.

The choice of Howard Marshall to write the volume on the Johannine Epistles is exceedingly fortunate. There is good balance between the technical and the practical, thus making the commentary useful to both the scholar and the Bible preacher and teacher. An outstanding commentary, probably the best which is available in English.

—Southwestern Journal of Theology

A clear and well-organized commentary. Dr. Marshall has provided a complete and up-to-date bibliography and has demonstrated his thorough acquaintance with all the various opinions of those current scholars of note who have worked in this area.

—Journal of Biblical Literature

I. Howard Marshall is professor emeritus of New Testament exegesis at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He is an editor of The New International Greek Testament Commentary.