David E. Garland

Fantastic resource. There are many parts of the Gospels that I never quite understood. In this, there are many moments where you read "ah ha!" and know that Garland presents a better, more complete understanding. The best parts are the temple discussions - the fig tree, the moneychangers, and render unto Caesar.

Garland uses the Original, Bridging, and current contexts effectively. I tend to read the Bible as a series of vignettes. I think many others do, too. This book helps to understand Mark as a cohesive unit itself, within the NT, the OT, and its time. He is highly effective at providing context. A brief rundown of quotations shows he quotes every book of the Bible except Obadiah and 2 John.

Additionally the author is well-read. The works he quotes are more than I've read over the last few years. Not only did Garland read them, but processed them well enough to apply.

This isn't a commentary where we get a verse followed by a sentence or paragraph, then another verse. Whole chunks are studied together. There's about a 1/2 chapter followed by @ 10 pages of commentary.

Finally, he presents and discusses various views of different commentators on particular verses, contemporary and past. I haven't read those works to know if Garland is presenting straw-man arguments, but I'm familiar with the general theologies to know the layout of the discussion.
This work is well-edited, a labor of love and a joy to read. This is not a page turner, but something you have to chew on. That's not a bad thing!! I generally read a section a day. I will turn back to it in the future as a reference.

I originally received this book as a free promo on Olive Tree software. I don't remember if it was pushed out, included, advertised, or what. I hadn't heard of this series so it doesn't seem like something I'd seek out with the crush of commentaries available. One night on vacation, my daughter asked why Jesus cursed the fig tree. I fumbled through the Olive Tree software (not a fan of the UI) and somehow this commentary popped up. It was the 1st explanation that ever just made sense. I was so impressed I bought the book ASAP. I'll definitely pick up other volumes of this series. Yay for providential promos!… (mer)

NCLA Review -An eye-opening look at family relationships that are found in the Bible and how they relate to the same problems found in present day families. With their thought-provoking interpretations of familiar Biblical characters and stories, the authors challenge the reader to take a fresh look at the actions of Bathsheba, Jacob, David, Abraham, Leah and others. God worked his grace through these flawed individuals and their less-than-perfect families as he continues to do in present day relationships. This book is not only thought-provoking but will lead to lively discussions and hopefully to more openness and compassion within church communities for flawed individuals and families. Rating: 4—AL… (mer)