The Acts of the Apostles (New Testament Guides) [Paperback]

Marshall I. Howard (Author), I. Howard Marshall (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1850753725 | ISBN-13: 978-1850753728 | Publication Date: June 1984

A straightforward introduction to Acts for students, addressing the major scholarly topics raised by this frequently discussed New Testament book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Sheffield Academic Press (June 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1850753725
• ISBN-13: 978-1850753728
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,638,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Commentary!!!, December 13, 2001

By 

John DePoe (Iowa City, Iowa USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Acts (The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) (Paperback)

I. Howard Marshall does an absolutely amazing piece of scholarly work and wisdom in this commentary. This book has some detailed analysis of the text, however, if you do not know Greek, you won't be lost (if you do know Greek it will be helpful though). His commentary defends much of what has been called a "conservative view" of the book of Acts (however, he does offer some innovative (and good) interpretations himself). This is an invaluable tool, not just because of the scholarship of Marshall, but also because of the scholarship Marshall engages in. His main academic task is to engage the influential liberal commentary on Acts recently published by Ernst Haenechen. This interaction is not only academically important, but as one can see, it is also vitally important to application. The background study material is excellent (even if you disagree with his conclusions), and his verse by verse discussion is probably the best work on the book of Acts in the last 15 years. I recommend this to anyone who wants to have a great resource for understanding the book of Acts.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of my better commentaries on Acts, May 16, 2007

By 

David A. Bielby "Ev Xpistw" (Normal, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Acts (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) (Paperback)

Honestly I have been surprised at the lack of great commentaries on the book of Acts. Maybe I've looked in the wrong places, but it seems that most of the works I've read so far are average to below average compared to the commentaries I have on other books of the bible (say Romans or 1 Corinthians). Even my commentaries on Luke, the first book in this 2 volume set, (Luke-Acts) far outstrip my Acts commentaries.

I said all of that to show that when I came to Marshall's stuff on Acts, I was pleasantly surprised that he offered lots of useful insights on every verse. His commentary is one that I will pick up over and over again.

For example, on Acts 1:8 he gives a quick review of the position that many hold regarding the term 'end of the earth' to mean something like all roads lead to Rome. This interpretation of Acts 1:8 then enables 1:8 to be a thesis within a story...a stroke of brilliance if that is what Luke is doing. But Marshall rejects this popular view because of the influence of Luke 24 (Acts 1 recapitulates part of Luke 24). So the overlap of the end of volume 1 is correctly seen to influence the exegesis of the opening of Volume 2. Simply put, 'end of the earth' cannot mean Rome in Acts 1:8 because of Luke 24:46ff..that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.

So Marshall basically says in so many words that the Rome theory does fit with the general outline of Acts, but because it doesn't fit with Luke 24's focus on all nations he cannot agree with that view.

He's really pretty good.

Witherington has a massive work on Acts that is worth reading, but for preaching and exegetical notes I have found Marshall's shorter volume on Acts to be more helpful.

When Bock's work comes out through Baker Exegetical Commentaries (if it is at all like his Luke work), then I suspect it will surpass everything I have in my library. But that is not for a few more months-and I will be finished with my Acts series by then. So for now, Marshall is the best thing I can recommend for Acts studies.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Solid Commentary from the Tyndale Series, May 5, 2008

By 

Andrew T. Alwine (Gainesville, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Acts (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) (Paperback)

Marshall's command of Scripture and of the scholarship on Acts makes itself known on every page. Critics may take issue with some of the principles underlying the book, but they can hardly insult Marshall's learned thoroughness. This is not to say that Marshall gives a comprehensive history of criticism on the Book of Acts, which would behond the scope of a book intended for a more lay audience, but that he rarely fails to mention the most widely accepted views and the most compelling arguments.

In this way, the commentary is, as other reviewers have noted, indeed "conservative" (although this term begs many questions and has very strong political overtones attached to it in the United States). It would be better to say that this commentary falls within the mainstream of classic Christianity, as it has been understood for the last two thousand years. Those who desire to be titillated by new theories which have interesting implications but a questionable basis in fact may seek gratification elsewhere. If you desire to understand the message of Acts as it has been interpreted throughout church history and is still interpreted in evangelical churches today, this is the place to look.

I must also mention that I have been reading Marshall's commentary alongside those of F. F. Bruce and John Stott (both of which are excellent also). I am continually amazed at some of the commonsense observations Marshall makes which are absent from Bruce and Stott. This aspect of the commentary makes it all the more valuable in my opinion.