Customer Reviews

Matthew for Everyone: Chapters 1-15

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Tom Wright is a brilliant scholar, and a true student of the Word, as well as the "words." And while there are a number of books authored by him that require intense mental powers to grasp in one sitting (though two or three sittings of any of his works is simple pleasure, resulting in many rich insights), this series, true to it's title, is "For Everyone."

Each volume focuses on either one New Testament book, or splits that book into two different volumes (Matthew, John), or gathers a few Pauline letters into the same size volume. With the fresh, "everyman" translation of Scripture, the Word itself enjoys new-found reach and depth that other translations on the market currently lack due to cultural and linguistic changes. And if the Scripture isn't enough for you, Tom Wright's incredible ability to take any portion of God's Word and bring it to bear on today's world is given full reign as he breaks each book into 50 or so sections, similar to devotional writings. And at 2 pages per section, they are just enough to get you thinking, teach you a valuable new lesson, and still leave time to pray before heading out the door.

This is a book that can be used as a sermon resource (and what a resource it is!), a daily devotional guide, or simply a new, exciting path through the New Testament. Regardless of the availability wait or the lack of preview information on this web-site, this is an order to place today!

Tom Wright is one of the finest biblical scholars in the world (though he writes his scholarly tomes under the name N.T. Wright). Whether one agrees with all his ideas or not, one must acknowledge his phenomenal insight and his encyclopedic grasp of the data. But what makes Wright unique among scholars is his ability to take his academic insights and make them truly readable for lay people.

Recently I recommended this commentary to a couple of friends (a woman who is a marriage and family counselor and a man who works in a parachurch ministry). Both of these friends have raved about this book. They have learned much about Matthew, but also about how to relate Matthew's insights to contemporary issues and personal faith.

If you're looking for an academic commentary, this is not for you. But if you're looking for an academically grounded, biblically faithful, and wisely popular commentary on Matthew, you need look no further. This is the Wright commentary for you! (Sorry. I couldnt' resist the pun.)

Tom Wright (aka N T Wright) has written a commentary that is very scholarly in that it takes interpretation very seriously, but has put that at a level that everyone can read and understand. Wright has put his translation in this little book, then and illustration that brings out the meaning of the test and then he goes into interpreting the text which he always does an excellent job, and he also asks few modern day application questions at the end of each section. Wright is a great interpreter of Jesus (Paul too for that matter) and he does not let down in this popular commentary. Even if you have or have not read his mammoth work Jesus and the Victory of God you will still benefit from this commentary. He makes sense of Matthew and stays consistent with his interpretations. The grid he uses over and over again is that exile has ended, YHWH is returning to Israel and being installed as King, the promises to Abraham, David and the prophets are being fulfilled, the new exodus is happening and it is coming about in Jesus. This more or less is always Wright's grid and I think that it is arguably the best grid around.

I found only two weaknesses that I would like to point out and these are not major. I point them out, not so much in disagreement as to, in a humble manner, enhance Wright's position and not weaken it. First, he does not always deal with every passage in a clear way. This most likely being due to the fact that he is writing for a popular audience and these books can only take so much space and I understand that fact, but I was a little disappointed when I got to the passage "the kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force" and there was really no comment on the meaning. I am still uncertain whom he thinks the violent are in that passage.
The second problem I found was with his treatment of the genealogies in Matthew. On page 4 he says about the women that appear in the genealogies that "If God can work through these bizarre ways, he seems to be saying, watch what he's going to do now." Actually, this is not what Matthew is saying at all. The point of the women being mentioned is that they are all foreigners. Tamar (Genesis 38) and Rahab are both Canaanites, Ruth a Moabite, and Bathsheba (who is actually not mentioned by name) was a Hittite. The point being that the vocation of Israel was to be the light to the world and bring others in like the women mentioned who did get into the promise and move of God. This point is illustrated several times throughout the book of Matthew with the Magi (foreigners getting in), the Centurion (a Roman soldier), and the Syro-Phoenician woman in Matthew 15 who had the daughter that was vexed of the Devil all got in on the promise even though they were outsiders or not ethnic Israel.
This, however, is an excellent commentary and I am looking forward to reading Part Two, which cover chapters 16-28. Get this book and it will help you understand Matthew better.

Questions or comments contact me at darrengjohnson38@yahoo.com

I bought this as a Christmas gift for my husband and he has not put it down. We are studying the Book of Matthew in our bible study group and it has helped him uncover a much deeper and more meaningful understanding of Matthew.

Just to give you a few of my credentials, which are not many. I have a Bachelor's Degree in ministries. I am almost finished with my master's degree in theology at Liberty University. I have been involved in the ministry for many years. I also own many complete series of commentaries. If there is a series I try to own it in book form, including "Adam Clarke Commentary," "Beacon Bible Commentary," "The Daily Study Bible Series," and others.

The book is very conversational and really easy to read. Matter-of-fact, almost too easy. A young child could read this and understand it for the most part. It gives many down-to-earth illustrations that are up to date. To really grasp my meaning it would be beneficial to read as long of a section before buying. This will really illuminate what I am trying to tell you. The only downfall is there it does seem to stray away from theology and the harder issues. The major strength, due to the readability, would have to be the ability for the reader to grasp the basics of what the scripture means, for the most part. These books are almost perfect for "the average Joe" and for those people I would probably rate it a 4 to 4.5 star rating. The lower rating is because of the lack of theology and avoidance of the hard issues. This book would be a great resource for the average Joe who wants to delve more into the scriptures, Sunday School teachers, laymen and women, or anyone without a theology degree.

For the theologian, that wants to really delve more into the scriptures and study word meanings, theology, or anything in depth, this is probably not the book or books for you. There are some great illustrations that one might be able to use at the pulpit, though. For the pastor, or anyone who has went to seminary, this is probably not the set of books that you want to invest the money to buy. However, it would not be bad if you get asked a lot of times to let someone borrow a book this might be good to purchase for that purpose. If you fall into this category I would have to give this a rating of about 1.5 of 5 stars.

"Matthew for Everyone" is part of the New Testament series of books by N.T. Wright, which includes "Mark for Everyone" all the way through "Revelation for Everyone." The series is nothing less than sensational and, in spite of his contributions to theological debates, is one of Wright's most important contributions to the good of the Church.

I'm studying various commentaries and devotionals to find those that are most profitable for God's people, including myself, and Wright's "_______ for Everyone" series is a magnificent set of commentaries I highly recommend. One of the most remarkable aspects of the series is Wright himself who is not only a world-class theologian and scholar but also, it turns out, an exceptional popular writer. In each volume in the series, Wright makes use of his academic knowledge of the language of the Bible (he provides his own translation of each book!) and the historical and literary background and combines it with an enjoyable, readable style. He has accomplished something that I as a priest, teacher, and writer can only hope to imitate in a less monumental way.

Wright's commentaries have a different flavor from most commentaries. He doesn't comment on or explain each verse but looks at each passage as a whole, making comments on the key themes and most important points. He brings to life the distant ancient world of the New Testament in a way that Everyone can understand. One of the things that helps him do this is the useful illustrations that he uses throughout. While the books in the series are not exactly devotional commentaries, the fact that they are popular, use illustrations, and offer brief reflections on the meaning of the passage for today, they can be used in devotional way. They occupy approximately the same ground as the classic commentary set by Barclay's, which is still very useful but which is also marred with some degree of liberalism.

"Matthew for Everyone: Part One" covers Matthew chapters 1-15, and you will want to get Part Two as well, since Matthew should be read in its entirety to properly understand it. One of the things Wright does in "Matthew for Everyone: Part One" is to help us to learn to be surprised by Jesus again. One example of the way Wright makes things surprising for us again is in his translation of the famous Beatitudes. Instead of the traditional and perhaps too familiar, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," Wright translates Matthew 5:3 as "Wonderful news for the poor in spirit!" He continues to help us see Jesus' teachings in a fresh way by connecting the Beatitudes to the Lord's Prayer, so that we understand that those who follow Jesus are to begin to live by His rule here and now. So often in "Matthew for Everyone" he gets to the heart of a passage that weightier commentaries can miss or obscure.

Although sometimes Wright's comments can be ordinary and not so fresh, this is a remarkable first book in this wonderful series.

For those unfamiliar with Wright's "______ for Everyone" series, they are a series of commentaries on the New Testament books by Bishop Wright based on his extensive historical scholarship. He provides his own translation (based on his study of the source languages) which is a very engaging paraphrase. The text is divided up into chronological topic-based segments, followed by a 2-3 page sermonette/commentary based on that section.

This edition is volume 1 of a two-volume set, containing chapters 1-15 of the Gospel of Matthew.

Wright's commentaries are filled with interesting insights. In this volume, the last is one of the best, when he uses an analogy of 3-D glasses and Bible study: if we don't understand the story of Jesus in terms of first-century Palestine and God's plan for saving the world, the gospel accounts can seem confusing and difficult, like looking at a 3-D movie without the special glasses. But after we put them on, then things come into focus in depth. Throughout this volume, Wright gives us a set of 3-D specs for understanding Matthew's gospel and the depths and nuances of the story.

The Gospel of Matthew contains a series of "mountaintop experiences" and five "discourses." Throughout, they are a story of authority: Jesus' authority displayed on the Sermon on the Mount, and exercised in his various healings. His anointing as king is contrasted with the illegitimacy of the Herods. (One allusion to this is Jesus' allusion to the "reed shaking in the wind" in Matthew 11 - an image, Wright relates, which was found on Herod's coinage as his symbol.)

Wright reveals interesting insights. For example, Jesus' reference to "tying up the strong man" so that his house can be robbed is an allusion to overcoming Satan in Matthew 4 during his 40-day wilderness fast. The parables of the weeds in the field, the mustard seed, and leaven in bread are symbols of having to wait for the unfolding of God's kingdom, like letting a field of tares and wheat grow to maturity. Another insight Wright reveals is to suggest Jesus' compassion on the crowds during the feeding of the 5,000 was tied up with his tender feelings of grief over the death of his cousin John, when the crowds intruded upon his solitude during his wilderness retreat.

I recommend that you have volume 2 in hand before you begin volume 1, because you will want to continue with it right away.

N.T. (Tom) Wright is one the world's foremost New Testament scholars. Wright has taken C.S. Lewis's seat at the table. I've not read anyone that can relate difficult biblical concepts better than Wright. Lewis is actually lucky Wright was not his contemporary. He might not have had a job beyond writing books for kids

Matthew for Everyone Part One is Wright's commentary on the first fifteen chapters of Matthew's Gospel. The Genealogy of Jesus through The Feeding of the Four Thousand is the ground he covers.

Wright is a Greek scholar and Bible interpreter. He gives his translation of the text in very accessible language and terms which, of course, was the intention of the Gospel's authors; to reach common people with the message of Jesus.

Wright has taken the time to examine the historical context of the text. He is able to bring out nuances, political implications, and present day application often glossed over in our church culture of sin management. We often get so bogged down in avoiding sin, the way the Pharisees tried to (and failed) that we often miss the point. Wright brilliantly brings the message home.

If you are looking for a fresh perspective in New Testament Bible Study, check Tom Wright's For Everyone Commentary Series. The charming and beautiful Susan and I have signed up for it. In fact, two more books just arrived in the mail today.

If you have never experienced the exegesis and analysis of the Gospels from Bishop Wright of Durham, England, you have really not studied the life and teachings of Jesus. The Anglican Bishop, even though one of the top five theologians in the world, brings it down to the level of the 'common' person and makes it seem like you are there. What is particularly amazing is that he has contemporary examples to introduce each section, each of which is different even though Matthew, Mark and Luke may be talking about the same event. You will have your Bible study revolutionized by Bishop Wright.

This book series by NT Wright is great! An easy to read and helpful resource for preaching and lay people alike.