Through this commentary, crafted especially for teachers, pastors, and Bible students, Bruner aims "to help God's people love what Matthew's Gospel says." Bruner's work is at once broadly historical and deeply theological. It is historical in drawing extensively on great church teachers through the centuries and on the classical Christian creeds and confessions. Consciously attempting to bridge past and present, Bruner asks both what Matthew's Gospel said to its first hearers and what it says to readers today. Volume 1 of Bruner's commentary is called "The Christbook" because the first twelve chapters of Matthew are focused on the nature and work of Christ. Throughout the book, there are also thoughtful discussions of significant topics such as baptism, marriage, Jewish-Christian relations, and heaven and hell. Eminently readable, rich in biblical insight, and ecumenical in tone, Bruner's two-volume commentary on Matthew now stands among the best in the field.
Frederick Dale Bruner is the George and Lyda Wasson Professor of Religion Emeritus at Whitworth University. His other books include A Theology of the Holy Spirit: The Pentecostal Experience and the New Testament Witness and commentaries on the Gospels of Matthew and John.
Chapters 1-4: The Coming Messiah: The Christmas StoriesChapter 1: Introduction to the Doctrine of GodChapter 2: Introduction to the Doctrine of Human NatureChapter 3: The Law of Repentance and the Gospel of BaptismTHE DOCTRINE OF INITIATIONChapter 4: The Doctrine of MinistryChapters 5-7: The Teaching Messiah: The Sermon on the MountINTRODUCTION TO THE DOCTRINE OF DISCIPLESHIPChapter 5: The Call of MercyChapter 6: The Call to FaithChapter 7: The Call to JusticeChapters 8-9: The Touching Messiah: The Ten MiraclesINTRODUCTION TO THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATIONChapter 8: The Five Miracles of GraceChapter 9: The Five Miracles of FreedomChapter 10: The Sermon on MissionChapters 11-12: The Six PortraitsTHE DOCTRINE OF THE PERSON OF CHRISTChapter 11: The Fish MessiahChapter 12: The Fire Christ
Eugene Peterson "This is the kind of commentary that I most want -- a theological wrestling with Scripture. Frederick Dale Bruner grapples with the text not only as a technical exegete (although he also does that very well) but as a church theologian, caring passionately about what these words tell us about God and ourselves. Here he places his considerable teaching gifts at the service of the Christian community, caring as much about us as he cares about the text. His Matthew commentary is in the grand traditions of Augustine, Calvin, and Luther -- expansive and leisurely, loving the text, the people in it, and the Christians who read it." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society "It is hard to think of another commentary that is more fruitful in terms of stimulating the kind of thinking about the meaning of the text that is the prerequisite for good preaching and teaching." Themelios "A hugely stimulating read . . . holds the reader's attention better than many commentaries. Emphases on mission and formation of Christian character also make this an important and valuable contribution to scholarship on Matthew's gospel." William H. Willimon "Bruner is concerned with Christian formation, with the daily task of living faithfully within today's church. His applications of the Gospel of Matthew and his frequent excursions into contemporary dilemmas for the church, such as church-state relations, marriage, liberation theology, feminism, and war, provide many stimulating insights for contemporary Christians." Dialog "Often Bruner's expositions are so apposite that the preacher will be tempted to lift them whole into the sermon, for they bring the biblical message explicitly into the life of the congregation." Samuel Hugh Moffett "An excitingly readable and innovative commentary on Matthew by one of America's master Bible teachers." Perspectives in Religious Studies "The value of Bruner's work is that what he is doing is so desperately needed and so rarely done at the level of sophistication reflected in his two volumes." Currents in Theology and Mission "This is a practical commentary for preachers and teachers in congregations. . . Marvelously successful."
