Great culturally-informed insights. ( )

I was looking for something that would simply take me through the Gospels of the New Testament, something without a fancy cover and a website full of Flash videos and glitz, something understated and thus retaining a sense of scholarly erudition.

Tom Wright’s book is all of this and more. Written very simply and yet very profoundly, Matthew for Everyone really is Matthew for everyone. He writes so engagingly, so straightforwardly and so simply that you never find yourself wondering what he’s talking about or what you’re supposed to be getting from his writing. It’s very refreshing in an age where even material to help you study the Bible is subject to the same crass media-driven hype as any other segment of the publishing industry.

This book comes in two volumes and, in each, Wright has broken Matthew’s Gospel down into short sequences that can easily be read in 15 minutes. Perfect for that meditative escape from the busy-ness of life. You don’t even need a Bible to read it because Wright has also written his own translation of the passage in focus. This is followed by a few pages of teaching including historical and cultural insights, references to other key biblical passages, some form of story to relate it to modern life and a challenge for further thought.

This is an excellent, thorough and well-balanced study. I was very glad to find that he has in fact completed these studies for the entire New Testament. I’m already in Mark for Everyone. Revelation here I come! ( )

The beginning of Tom Wright's approachable yet magisterial commentary series on the New Testament.

In the "For Everyone" series the Biblical text is broken down into sections; each section begins with Wright's translation of the text, some vignette or story intended to provide a means by which to discuss the text, an explanation of the text in its context in light of Second Temple Judaism and the Greco-Roman world, and then concluding with some possible points of application.

These commentaries excel at providing a basic understanding of the text while drawing out some compelling connections and associations, and the commentary on Matthew 1-15 does not disappoint.

Highly recommended both for the reader or student of the text as well as anyone who would teach Matthew 1-15 in a Bible class context. ( )

http://www.wordandspirit.co.uk/blog/2004/09/12/january-book-reviews/ ( )