Customer Reviews:
A Good Locator of Paul.......2000-04-03
Ben Witherington makes a strong contribution to the field of scholarship on Galatians. Witherington shows two main strengths in this commentary. First, he makes a strong case for an early dating of Galatians, placing this polemical book solidly before the Jerusalem council. Second, he brings his rhetorical skill to the text, and creates a first-rate rhetorical framework for the letter in a remarkably readable effort. There is room to disagree with Witherington on his conclusions, especially on his early dating of Galatians, and the amount of historicity he places with Acts. Yet, one appreciates the strength of his argument, and the flow of his presentation.
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The Purpose Of The Gospel Of Mark In Its Historical And Social Context (Supplements to Novum Testamentum)
Hendrika Nicoline Roskam
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
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ASIN: 9004140522 |
Book Description
Paul's two letters to the Thessalonians stand as some of the very earliest Christian documents, yet they appear well into Paul's missionary career, giving them a unique context well worth exploring. In this first full-scale socio-rhetorical commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Ben Witherington gleans fresh insight from reading Paul's text in the light of rhetorical concerns and patterns, early Jewish theology, and the first-century historical situation in Macedonia.
Witherington's distinctive socio-rhetorical approach helps unearth insights that would otherwise remain hidden using only form criticism, epistolary categories, and traditional criticism. Witherington details Thessalonica's place as the "metropolis" of Macedonia, and he carefully unpacks the social situation of Paul and his recipients. Scholars will appreciate the careful analysis and rhetorical insights contained here, while Witherington's clear prose and sensitivity to Paul's ideas make this work ideal for all who desire a useful, readable commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
Customer Reviews:
A heavily researched, scholarly, in-depth examination.......2007-03-05
Written by Ben Witherington III (Professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary), 1 and 2 Thessalonians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary is a full-scale discussion of Paul's two letters to the Thessalonians, applying a socio-rhetorical approach specifically to examine aspects that might remain hidden using only form criticism, epistolary categories, or traditional criticism. Subjects given an extra-close study include "Holy Wedlock and Unholy Alliances", "A Christian Manual on Manual Labor", "Exercising Restraint: Apocalyptic Answers to Difficult Questions", and more. A heavily researched, scholarly, in-depth examination written for intermediate to advanced students and fellow professors of the New Testament, highly recommended for its thoroughly reasoned interpretations keen attention to detail.
Thessalonians ... Witherington style.......2007-02-11
Ben Witherington appears to be a unique combination of an updated and expert ancient linguist, master of the Bible as we know it + hundreds of Gnostic and ancient commentaries, and a "what were they thinking" inquisitiveness that transports the time and place of Paul's world into current focus.
His Thessalonians I & II is consistent with his other `graduate level' books of the Bible deep dives. The pastoral overtones and eschatological response to a worried congregation are well narrated.
Paul's Thessalonians has been dangerously controversial when taken out of context. Witherington does a masterful job putting context back in the book.
Stick with it. It's good work.
Book Description
This book offers the first sustained attempt to read the Gospel of Mark both as an ancient biography and as a form of ancient rhetoric. Ben Witherington applies to Mark the socio-rhetorical approach for which he is well known, opening a fresh new perspective on the earliest Gospel.
Written when the fledging Christian faith was experiencing a major crisis during the Jewish war, Mark provides us with the first window on how the life and teachings of Jesus were presented to a largely non-Jewish audience.
According to Witherington, the structure of Mark demonstrates that this Gospel is biographically focused on the identity of Jesus and the importance of knowing who he is—the Christ, the Son of God. This finding reveals that Christology stood at the heart of the earliest Christians' faith. It also shows how important it was to these earliest Christians to persuade others about the nature of Jesus, both as a historical figure and as the Savior of the world.
Customer Reviews:
One of the Best on Mark.......2007-04-04
This is the way a commentary should be done. Witherington has written a beautiful interpretation of Mark's Gospel that I found particularly helpful for preparing sermons. In my practical experience this is one of the better commentaries and belongs on every pastor's shelf. I only wish it were in hardback.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty Helpful Tool.......2007-05-21
If you are a student taking Acts or Luke-Acts in an undergrad or grad class, you really cannot afford to ignore this book. If you are teaching a bible class on Acts or Luke-Acts, this book is packed with goodies that will help you. If you are a pastor preaching through Acts or Luke-Acts this volume is surprisingly helpful. (that's what I am doing...preaching through Acts).
For example, Witherington gives a 35 page bibliography with all kinds of books and articles on Acts that give you more if you need or want it. In his 102 page introduction to Acts he deals with everything from the symmetrical balance of the book with Luke (well illustrated...and photos of those illustrations are really easy to find online), all the way to the hermeneutical application of Acts in contemporary theology.
His bibliography and introduction alone are probably worth the price of the book.
I have found in my limited research in Acts (I have only had an undergrad course in Acts and then done my own studies for sermon prep)...but I've found that Witherington adds helpful insight in his textual exegesis. I think so far I like Marshall and Witherington's stuff the best. I only wish Bock was done with his Acts BECNT...but it won't be on the market until I am done with my Acts series...such is life.
After I spent all my book money on Acts books, I had one regret. I wish I had purchased Witherington. I interlibrary loaned it instead. I did that because one time I borrowed a Witherington commentary on another book, and ended up not really using it much. But this one of his is far superior in my view. I don't know why, but I suppose another reviewer who said this is is best work may be correct? It's over 850 pages of well organized and very helpful material.
His stuff is fresh and carefully nuanced. I feel he complements Marshall's commentary well.
Here is his comment on part of Acts 1:8, which some believe references Rome in the phrase 'end of the earth'.
"...vs. 8 is seen as to a certain extent to be programmatic for Acts. Yet it is possible to see this verse as programmatic without identifying Rome with the ends of the earth, since Acts 28 is an intentionally open ended conclusion. It is programmatic in the sense that it alludes to a worldwide mission, and probably also to a mission to both jew and gentile in the Diaspora, not that it alludes to Rome."
This net effect is slightly different than Marshall's and in my view makes one pause and truly reflect. Acts 1:8 and it's meaning has been the subject of many dissertations...and I have to say that Witherington's perspective was fresh and perhaps somewhat convincing.
This also gives you a feel for how he handles most situations in the book. Although he did not interact in 1:8 on why he feels the 'end of the earth' cannot be Rome as much as I wanted(see Marshall for that)...he does give you his view and some support for why he likes it.
Overall I would encourage the use of his commentary as one of your top two or three on Acts. It's an A plus work in my view. I wish I owned a copy for myself. Buy this one if you have funds to work with!
Also worth noting is the fact that C.K. Barrett & Joel Green endorse this particular commentary!
Required Text.......2007-03-28
This was required text for a college class on the Acts of the Apostles. Technically, this book is superior, and yet on a level where most undergraduates should not have any trouble. Personally, I prefer a commentary that not only addresses the technical but also leads me in the direction of application. On the latter, I felt that brother Witherington was a bit weak. Still, he does an exhaustive job!
The exhaustive Acts commentary.......2007-02-24
This has to be as complete as a commentary can get. Witherington's translational based socio-rhetorical dissection to understand the intent of meaning is convincing and thought provoking. His use of extensive 1st century Jewish, historical, pagan, and biographical sources contemporary to Luke to squeeze every drop of meaning from Scripture is gifted.
I'm dumbstruck to know how any one person or team could compile and matrix so much knowledge. I know of no better material to enable a state of the art understanding of the mechanics of the incredible and incomprehensible Christian emergence into 1st century society, and the miracle that it can be studied today at the fidelity Witherington amplifies. Witherington may be debated in academic circles but it is hard to imagine how effectively a material criticism could be mounted. I'd be interested in other reader comments in this regard.
This is a monster read and worth it.
Perhaps Witherington's Best -- One Stop Shopping for Acts.......2004-08-18
Perhaps Witherington's best work, and one of the best commentaries on Acts to date.
There simply are no weaknesses in this commentary. It is well written and easy to read. It covers all of the issues you would expect, and more. It is up to date, engaging the most recent scholarship on Acts in an effective and informed manner. The organization is first rate and its special notes are consistently interesting and informative.
Witherington begins with over 100 pages of introduction that begins where most commentaries should--the issue of genre. Genre criticism is one of the underexplored areas of New Testament studies. Not so here. After exploring the prefaces in Luke and Acts, as well several categories of ancient historiography and examples of each, Witherington persuasively demonstrates that "Luke-Acts bears some strong resemblances to earlier Greek historiographic works in form and method of general arrangement of material, as well as some similarities to Hellenized Jewish historiography in content and genera apologetic aims." The introduction goes on to make a strong case for Lukan authorship and a date in the 70s or early 80s. Another feature of the introduction that is somewhat unusual is discussions of Acts and Pauline chronology. Though some may think this out of place, given the nature of Acts and its relationship with Paul's travels and letters, I enjoyed its content and placement.
The commentary on the text is excellent. Acts and Paul are Witherington's areas of speciality and it shows. He brings out the meaning of the text clearly and places it in its context. His analysis of ancient rhetoric -- something Witherington has pioneered in his commentaries -- is very helpful and delivers a better understanding of the intent of the author's text and purposes. Interspersed throughout the text are features titled, "A Closer Look." These sections delve deeper into issues raised by the main commentary, but are set apart and independently explored. I love them. They are topical, scholarly, and informative. I would have bought the commentary for these sections alone. The topics covered by "A Closer Look" are:
The Speeches in Acts
Luke's Use of the OT
Multiple Pentecosts
Salvation in Luke-Acts
Luke's Christology
The Summaries in Acts
Luke's Use of Sources in Acts
Lukan Eschatology
The Social Status and Level of the Early Christians
Miracles in Acts
Luke, Josephus, and Historical Reliability
The Hellenists
Synagogues?
Luke, Women, and Ministry
Gentile God-fearers--The Case of Cornelius
A Novel Approach to Acts
"The Way" and Other Religions: Competition and Conflict
The Paul of Acts and the Paul of the Letters
Of "We" Passages and Sea Passages
Altars to Unknown Gods
Claudius, Jews, and a Religio Licita
Miracles and Magic in Antiquity and Acts
"Paul's Departure"
The Pauline Perils: Travels and Travails in Antiquity
Paul and Lysias, Roman Citizens
Justice, Citizenship, and Appeals in the Provinces
Witherington concludes with two worthy Appendicies. The first examines reasons for dating Galatians as the earliest of Paul's letters. (Witherington is one of the leading proponents of this dating of Galatians). The second is an examination of Luke's view of salvation in its first century setting. Both are valuable additions to the commentary.
In short, no single commentary has ever added as much to my understanding of the New Testament book at issue as this one has for Acts. I highly recommend it.
An excellent new commentary for the serious student of Acts.......2001-05-10
This 850+ page book is a great introduction for the serious student of Acts. Witherington begins with a hundred pages of crucial background information covering traditional topics such as genre of Luke and Acts, authorship, date, audience, purpose, chronology, text, etc. He also shows the need for new literary criticism in Acts that looks specifically at Luke's use of rhetoric and the diverse social setting of the ancient world. He also includes an extensive bibliography of significant books and articles on Acts. Witherington's divisions of the text are orderly and easy to follow. He deals with the first chapter of Acts separately, then comments on Pentecost, the work in Jerusalem and the surrounding area, the Antioch church and its missionary efforts, the trials of Paul, and his subsequent journey to and imprisonment in Rome. Perhaps the most unique and helpful features are Witherington's "A Closer Look" sections. The commentary contains over 25 of these 4-8 page asides that deal with a specific topic in Luke-Acts scholarship mentioned in the text, but not eseential for reading Acts. You may want to read them all, but you will likely read some closely and skim over others. Another advantage of this work is that it is written from a very balanced position. Witherington believes that Acts is in some way inspired by God and treats it accordingly. But he is also a serious scholar and deals with problems related to the text or its interpretation. This commentary is not bedtime reading, but it's not impossible. Knowing Greek helps, but it is not necessary. Witherington is a good writer, and has produced a great volume of work in recent years. The book includes a great deal of information. You would have to buy several books and commentaries to cover this much ground in Acts.
Customer Reviews:
Not to be Disregarded.......2007-09-21
Most readers will learn quite a lot reading this book. Some might just have their perspectives changed on the interpretation of Biblical texts. A lot depends on what you bring to the book. If you are broadly acquainted with inter-disciplinary textual analysis of ancient literature, this work will be less striking than if this is your first exposure to such an analysis. That being said, this is a remarkably good starting point for any reader to gain an acquaintance with socio-rhetorical commentary on ancient texts. The author, Jerome Henry Neyrey, is Professor of New Testament Studies at Notre Dame University and is a member of the Society of Jesus and an ordained Roman Catholic Priest. He is also the Executive Secretary of "The Context Group: A Project on the Bible in Its Cultural Environment."
And indeed, this entire book attempts to place the text of the gospel of Matthew into its proper cultural setting in a society where honor and shame were vital social determinatives. To do this, the author leads us through a ground up education on the rhetorical conventions of ancient Mediterranean society and its fixation with honor and shame. These rhetorical conventions when coupled with honor and shame values current in the first century CE as applied to the Matthean text explain much of the gospel that generally remains otherwise obscure. Like it or not, the thought patterns and value structures of the world of antiquity were radically different than those of the Post Modern world in which we live. Reading ancient texts through the lens of our anachronistic values and cultural assumptions renders them opaque at best and grossly misinterpreted at worst.
Substantively the following struck me: The author of the gospel of Matthew was in all likelihood a very highly educated Greek speaker with a formal classical education; When analyzed by the socio-rhetorical methods used by Neyrey, Jesus' teachings are extremely demanding of his followers, then as well as now, far more demanding than we would normally assume; and, Jesus' maxims were entirely unique and very out of step with the antique Mediterranean society he lived in and that includes the specific contemporary Jewish world which he spent his entire life in. To some degree the later may explain Matthew's critical attitudes towards certain sectors of Jewish society and their practices. However, I perceive other factors based on the Matthean community and the location of the gospel in time and place as pivotal to the author's acrimony with certain elements of Judaism. Lastly, I became convinced while reading this book that Matthew's author was far more skilled at Old Testament exegetics than I had previously been willing to grant. I found this book straight forward and easy to understand but worth deep consideration and study. This is a must read for any New Testament scholar or student.
Read this one!.......2003-05-28
I've been preparing, over the last several months, to teach a class at my church on the New Testament in its historical/cultural setting. Out of the dozen plus books I read this was one of the most informative and best written of them. Certainly one needs many other sources to get a full picture of what is going on in the NT and in Matthew in particular, but this book gives a great amount of info you probably won't get from anywhere else. Also, since the author is writing about the context in which Matthew was written, he seems to have no interest in the traditional critical questions such as authorship, date, sources, etc. This makes it friendly to those interested in the Bible from either side of the conservative/liberal divide.
A fresh understanding of Matthew's text.......2000-03-25
Prof. Neyrey brings fresh insight to the text of Matthew using resources from otherwise ignored classical sources. With the tools of classical literature and social science criticism, Neyrey writes clearly, arguing cogently for Matthew as encomium literature. A must for every bookshelf.
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Endurance in Suffering: Hebrews 12:1-13 in its Rhetorical, Religious, and Philosophical Context (Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series)
N. Clayton Croy
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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ASIN: 0521593050 |
Book Description
Hebrews 12:1-13 portrays the suffering of its readers with two images: an athletic contest, and God's fatherly discipline. N. Clayton Croy places this important passage in the context of Jewish and Greco-Roman traditions. He argues that the idea of "training" unites the passage, which presents Jesus as the supreme athlete. It also supports a nonpunitive understanding of discipline, in which God's children undergo a positive process of education. These ideas combine to support a call in Hebrews to faithful endurance rather than repentance.
Customer Reviews:
Walking the Streets of Corinth.......2007-09-14
I really appreciated this commentary greatly. It helped we to get a feel for 1st Century Corinth and to understand the motivations behind the actions of the Corinthian Church. It was a significant reference too in a post graduate essay on "Discernment in the Corinthian Church".
wonderful.......2007-05-30
I used this text for a class in seminary. Witherington has helped me wrestle with the difficulties of Paul's often controversial Corinthian correspondence. Witherington helps the Corinthian exegete to understand the culture bound context from which Paul was writing from and writing to (he offers 75+ pages of helpful guidance to navigate the Corinthian correspondence). Placing the letters in their social and rhetorical contexts, Paul's words spring to new life. I would highly recommend this text paired with Fee's commentary on 1 Corinthians as conversation partners.
Commentary about People, for People.......2005-09-22
Ben Witherington's work exemplifies the goals of good socio-rhetorical commentary--describing people, where they live, how they talk, what they do. The tools he uses help us fill in the gaps that scripture leaves out and give us a fuller picture of the New Testament world, especially Corinth and Paul's church there. Because I am a pastor whose job is a people job, his work makes my job easier and helps me to focus on the message for my people well.
I am grateful for his description of a church fragmenting in confusion, and how the Gospel Paul preaches can heal it!
Book Description
Continuing his series of highly regarded and innovative socio-rhetorical commentaries on the New Testament, Ben Witherington now tackles Romans, perhaps the most profound — and difficult — book of the New Testament.
Interacting with recent treatments of this Pauline letter and with ancient Christian commentators, Witherington shows that the interpretation of Romans since the Reformation has been far too indebted to Augustinian readings of the text as filtered through Luther, Calvin, and others. Instead, Witherington urges a reading of the text in light of early Jewish theology, the historical situation of Rome, and Paul's own rhetorical concerns.
Offering a new translation of the Greek text and new insights into Paul and his world, this commentary sheds fresh light on the meaning of Romans for its original audience and for Christian readers today.
Customer Reviews:
Superb! Very helpful study of Romans........2007-07-13
While not without a few minor faults, this work on Romans is a wonderful commentary to use for understanding the book of Romans. Romans is not so much a tractate on systematic theology by Paul, as if Paul sat down to write up a theology text. Many protestants and especially reformed christians have treated Paul's letter to the Romans as such. Paul's Romans correspondence is a letter though, occasioned by a certain historical concern pertaining to Paul in relation to the Roman christian's of his day. Paul's "theology" in Romans flows from this. Witherington for the most part does an outstanding job of zeroing in on the actual flow of and nature of Paul's letter, what was Paul getting at, why was Paul saying what he was saying and what did it mean in it's original setting back then. THis is true biblical study. What did the text mean in it's original setting. What was going on then, not just theologically, but also socially and historically in whatever it was that occasioned the writing in the first place. Witherington's study of Romans strives to lead the reader section by section through Romans with just such a purpose in mind. He procedes more or less section by section, but pretty much treats almost each "verse" along the way. He does an amazing job of not missing the forest for the trees. Witherington just about gets you feeling as if you were transported back into Paul's day in his situation and helps the letter to the Romans make sense according to it's own structure, content and meaning in it's first century setting. Witherington strives to unravel and explain Romans as it really is- correspondence from an ancient time between Paul and Roman christians wherein Paul is applying and explaining pastorally the gospel to them. The gospel meaning of Romans is really brought out by Witherington in it's fullness as well. There are a few minor small points to quibble with here or there, but honestly- they are far, far outweighed by the overall excellent work as a whole. Must reading for wrestling with Romans. Also worth checking out is Romans by Paul Achtemeier which is sort of similar to Witherington's in some ways, or for a more traditional reading of Romans along typical (ho-hum) reformed protestant lines, Robert Mounce's commentary on Romans.
The Best Arminian Commentary on Romans.......2006-06-30
This was a very interesting commentary. He wrestles with the text in the body of the book, and concludes each section with thoughts toward how the text applies to our lives.
He says that Paul is responding to the fact that the Jewish believers are returning to Rome and how he is trying to get the Gentile believers to accept their Jewish brothers and sisters in the faith (Romans 15:7).
He has some interesting readings of the text that part company with some of the more recent (and retro) Calvinist interpretations. He rejects the notion that Christ's righteousness is imputed to us through faith. He also sees Romans 7:7-13 as Paul personifying the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden, and he sees Romans 7:14-25 as the unsaved Jewish person (or unconverted person) struggling with their inability to live up to the good that they desire to do.
He also rejects the Calvinist reading of Romans 9, saying that it has nothing to do with election to salvation, but that it is dealing with how God has chosen individuals to play certain roles in salvation history (whether we're talking about protagonists like Jacob or antagonists like Esau and Pharoah).
He also interprets the 'all Israel' of Romans 11:25 as all the Jewish people alive at the time of Christ's return.
Though I might wonder about the interpretation of controverted texts such as Romans 8:29 and Romans 9:22, I thought that Ben's work was very solid, and he did a nice job of showing how this epistle works as a piece of Greco-Roman rhetoric. With the plethora of Calvinist commentaries on Romans that are available, it is refreshing to see another take. Get this commentary and use it along side the larger work of Douglas Moo and the equally impressive application commentary in the BST series by John R.W Stott.
Don't Panic!.......2005-12-29
On the front of this book in large, friendly letters, should be the words, `Don't Panic.' Anytime someone sees scholarly words like `socio' and `rhetorical,' especially when they are combined with a hyphen, I've found that they will normally go into a catatonic state that can only be broken by a beer or two.
All kidding aside, this is a great book about Romans. I appreciate Ben Witherington's writing style and so, for me, this was an easy book to slide into. Unlike many commentaries, Witherington presents his material in the same blocks of thought as the original writer rather than dissecting every single verse into individual components. That's not to say that he doesn't give information critical to individual verses. But, refreshingly, he does this in a manner which maintains the overall thought structure of the material.
Witherington's main proposition is that Romans was written to Gentile Christians who were having a hard time recognizing the value of their Jewish Christian brothers and sisters and thus causing disunity within the church in Rome. Witherington maintains that the book is written in a rhetorical format that was designed to prove a point - namely that the wonder of the new covenant is that it equally includes both Jew and Gentile.
His explanation of the place of Romans 9-11 in the total context of Romans is the best argument to date that I've seen. Also, his explanation of how the original listeners would have understood Romans 7 is quite intriguing and has many positive impacts upon the Christian life. Contrary to some of the other comments, it is critical for us to understand what the original listeners would have understood this letter to be saying (which may require an understanding of language and rhetoric) first, prior to applying the material. Though this is an oft-held hermenuetical principle, Witherington actually attempts to stick to it.
Like most of Witherington's other material, I still have not been convinced by him that a person is able to lose their salvation, which is a topic that comes up periodically in this commentary. However, it is not so imbued into the material that one cannot still attain great insights and gems of truth.
I would highly recommend this commentary to any student of Romans.
For a longer review, go to the blog listed in my nickname and click on the 'Readings' category.
Some Comments on Witherington's Commentary.......2005-12-27
I am not a Bible scholar or even an evangelical Protestant, and thus am not competent to evaluate the scholarship of Witherington's book. However, I have read it with interest and feel moved to make the following comments.
First, it seems to me that the scholarship tradition in which Witherington works is awfully scholastic, putting the interpretation of the Bible far beyond anything that the ordinary believer can partake in, requiring that an exegete be strongly grounded in the study of languages, ancient rhetoric and the minutiae of history. The implications of this view for Protestant theology are obvious and worrisome.
Secondly, this modern approach to the Bible makes the Scriptures toothless, by treating its texts as local, historically conditioned and concerned with a time and issues that are very far away from us and our modern lives and thus correspondingly hard to generalize when it comes to belief or practice. This is not what traditional exegetes took the Bible to be or to be read and it is difficult to see the Bible, read as Witherington reads it as very relevant to our modern situation, let alone the basis for Christian doctrine and practice. Witherington's chapters all end with a section called "Bridging the Horizons" (sic) that are supposed to discuss the implications of Romans for Christian praxis but, by and large, this is a thin gruel of ideas that are "radical" in their long-ago context but for us merely comfortable platitudes reflecting our our own contemporary view of things.
Finally, Witherington makes a good deal out of the supposed rhetorical structure of Romans, which he supposes that his exegetical opponents did not understand. This is hard to credit. Augustine was a trained rhetor and municipal professor of rhetoric at both Milan and Rome prior to his conversion. Calvin also received a humanistic education and had a thorough grounding in rhetoric. It is very likely that both of these men would have been thoroughly familiar with classic treatises of rhetoric, such as Quintillian's, Witherington's constant point of reference when discussing the supposed rhetorical structure of Romans. It is not credible that Augustine and Calvin would have been unable to recognize the rhetorical elements in Romans or have misunderstood their significance. I am more inclined to think that Witherington must be exagerrating the significance of these elements in Paul's epistles. At any rate, I would like to see some further discussion of this point.
Athough I find myself attracted to Witherington's reading of Romans,for the reasons given I am not entirely persuaded by what he has written. Since my scholarship in this area is limited, I would probably recommend this book to others despite my misgivings. Others more competent to judge, however, might well disagree.
A fresh view of Romans.......2005-12-17
As Ben Witherington says in the Preface, this commentary does not pretend to be exhaustive or the definitive work on Romans. Nevertheless, it is a notable one in that most readers will gain a fresh view of Paul's most important letter, even readers who are already familiar with the intricacies of Romans. How so? W. demonstrates convincingly that Paul used known Greco-Roman rhetorical principles and techniques to specific ends. The whole letter, in its structure and development, is seen as an example of deliberative rhetoric, designed to persuade or dissuade, or "the rhetoric of advice and consent." W. contends that failure to recognize the rhetoric at play has led to many misinterpretations of the letter since early times. On some points he bravely takes on Augustine and Luther and, among the moderns, such prominent interpreters of Romans as Cranfield and Kasemann.
One may cite many features of the commentary, but a few should suffice here. W.'s theological comments and notes are not new, but necessary for his argument. Imputed righteousness is a "received concept" stemming from the Latin translation of Erasmus but is not what Paul meant. Interesting are various passages that call attention to the radical nature of Paul's thinking. So is the explanation of the rhetorical technique of personification - of sin, death, Law, even grace. Sometimes W. sparkles, as when he says the effect of the contrast between Adam and Christ in Romans 5 "is like a Rembrandt painting - the dark backdrop of Adam's sin serves to highlight the brightness and clarity of God's grace gift." Two consecutive chapters on Romans 7, Retelling Adam's Tale and Adam's Lost Race, in my view make up one of the best moments of the commentary. Paul never neglected the ethical side in his letters, nor does our good author, to which matter he devotes ample comment. A minor annoyance is that W's translation does not include verse numbers, although the comments constantly refer to specific verses. A more serious blemish occurs in one Bridging the Horizons section (p. 97), where W. speaks of some scholars' "posturing," "insecurities," "lack of ego strength," and "feelings of low self-worth" - disappointing remarks in a commentary of this worth. Yet the overall excellence of the commentary makes one overlook the faux pas.
Has W. then conclusively proven his case (shared with other scholars of similar bent)? No, for that would close the book on Romans. This letter has engaged interpreters for many hundreds of years and one would expect it will continue to do so, informed by more research and study, or even - why not? - surprising new perceptions. But what W. has written is remarkable. It's been a long time since I found a commentary so engrossing.
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- Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany
- Hello from Heaven: A New Field of Research-After-Death Communication Confirms That Life and Love Are Eternal
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The World Is Flat
- Missing You
- Computer Accounting with Peachtree Complete 2006, Release 13.0 with Student CD-ROM
- Controlled Open Economies: A Neoclassical Approach to Structuralism
- Information Technology Project Management, Fourth Edition
- My Sister's Keeper: A Novel
- Learn New Testament Greek,
- Accounting Standards: Original Pronouncements : Issued Through June 1973/1989-90
- Essays on Philosophical Subjects
- The Problem of Dark Cutting in Beef
Paul's Letter to the Romans: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary
Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 41, Galatians
Conflict and Community in Corinth: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians
1 and 2 Thessalonians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary
John's Wisdom: A Commentary on the Fourth Gospel
