Two Horizons New Testament Commentary

The letters from John written to churches at the end of the first century CE possess meaningful theological insight for Christians today-in a sense, they were written for us. Working from this standpoint, Thomas Andrew Bennett keeps historical speculation to a minimum and delves into the theological depths of 1—3 John in this commentary. He begins by providing a new translation of the text from the Greek, along with verse-by-verse exegesis, and then moves into an extended reflection on a litany of relevant theological topics, including questions of trinitarianism, creation, faith, atonement, eschatology, salvation, the nature of divine and human love, and the composition of the church. In these pages, readers challenged by Johannine metaphors ("walking in the light," "children of God," etc.) will find clarity, and pastors will find detailed guidance for teaching and preaching. Bennett's scholarship is critical but confessional, academic but accessible, and, above all, rooted in a faithful reverence that seeks not to read 1—3 John as a detached outsider to the text, but as the author's fellow believer, so that the text's theological concerns can be spoken to once again in a fresh and compelling way.

In this fine new commentary on Paul's letter to the Philippians, Stephen Fowl notes that for the great pre-modern commentators of the Christian tradition, the literal sense of Scripture is always regulated by theological concerns. Thus, unlike commentaries that simply append theology to historical criticism, Fowl's volume displays disciplined attention to the text of Philippians in ways that enhance rather than frustrate theological inquiry. While Fowl engages the great scholars of the past, John Chrysostom and Thomas Aquinas among them, he also draws a novel theology of friendship from Paul's letter and unpacks how the teachings of Philippians might be embodied today, by Christians in the West.

The book of Revelation is perhaps the most theologically complex and literarily sophisticated -and also the most sensual -document in the New Testament. In this commentary, John Christopher Thomas's literary and exegetical analysis makes the challenging text of Revelation more accessible and easier to understand. Frank Macchia follows up with sustained theological essays on the book's most significant themes and issues, accenting especially the underappreciated place of the Holy Spirit in the theology of Revelation.

This theological commentary on 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus by Robert Wall powerfully demonstrates the ongoing relevance and authority of the Pastoral Epistles for the church today. Wall uniquely employs an apostolic "Rule of Faith" methodology for interpreting these texts as sacred Scripture. Three successive historical case studies by Richard Steele vividly instantiate key themes of the Pastorals. This innovative yet reverent volume will help revive the interest of students, pastors, and other Christian leaders in the Pastoral Epistles.

The book of Joshua is often troubling - what should we make of the fact that the violent occupation of land is not simply presented, but celebrated? How can we reconcile that with the key role the book plays in the biblical drama of salvation? What should we make of the God of Joshua? / In this volume Gordon McConville and Stephen Williams interpret Joshua in relation to Christian theology, addressing such questions and placing the book in its proper place in the canonical whole. McConville deals specifically with the commentary and exegesis of the text. Williams then moves in to focus on issues of interpretation. He addresses key theological themes, such as land, covenant, law, miracle, judgment (with the problem of genocide), and idolatry. / The authors posit that the theological topics engaged in Joshua are not limited to the horizons of the author and first readers of the book, but that Joshua is part of a much larger testimony which concerns readers yet today.