Customer Reviews

Paul for Everyone: The Pastoral Letters : 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus

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Tom Wright has written a series of New Testament commentaries that are easy and enjoyable to read. He combines excellent scholarship and insight with reader friendly simplicity. I highly recommend the Everyone series to everyone. In each book a very readable translation of the New Testament book being discussed, is provided by Tom Wright. He follows this by a story or anectedote and then gives his insightful comments on the text itself. At the end of each book is a helpful glossary of terms.

The Pastoral Letters cover the books of the New Testament known as 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. Wright deals with some very difficult texts about women keeping silent and the qualifications of bishops and deacons. These books serve as a Pastor and or church leaders manuel. The letters also deal with what to do about difficult people and false teachers. If you are a church leader you will be helped by these epistles and Tom Wright's scholarship and experience.

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 covers 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, which together form Paul's "pastor's manual" containing advice to two of his young proteges as they organize and administrate the churches in Ephesus (Timothy) and Crete (Titus). Paul gives a short, succinct overview of practical instruction for church organization - how to choose elders and deacons, how to administrate provision for those receiving aid from the church, how to teach and admonish the flock, and especially how to conduct themselves so as to keep the image of the church and its leadership above reproach in a society where it is the strange new cult in a Greek world of emperor-worship.

Wright discusses how Paul's frequent emphases to Timothy about boldness and courage suggest that Timothy may have had a struggle with timidity. Paul encourages him to carry on as a soldier of Christ and take his share of suffering, using "savior" in a subversive way by appropriating a title normally used in that society to honor Caesar. The world's state reflects the final convulsive tantrums of hell, raging at Jesus' accomplished victory.

Wright frequently ties together little tidbits of info, giving us background on the individuals and societies from other sections of the Bible. This is what I enjoy most about the commentaries in this series, the little "color" details really help make the texts seem more immediate, allowing the reader to relate to the individuals in the first-century church and see that in many ways the issues they faced in their time were similar to our own.

I got this particular edition because I am currently in a Bible study group studying 2 Timothy, and we are encouraged to read the text in several different translations for comparison. I find having the "Wright Translation" at hand makes for an interesting resource that gives additional insights for the group. I hope that when the series of these commentaries are completed, someday the "Wright Translation" New Testament will be released.

If you've never experienced the 'magic' (pardon the non-Christian phrase) of Bishop Wright's commentaries on the New Testament, you have missed something marvelous. His insight and writing style are spellbinding, and, while not many Americans are Anglican, his theology fits in with virtually any evangelical denomination in America. You think you might know the New Testament, but I suspect you won't have it really 'come alive' until you read Tom Wright's take on the Bible.

I'm a beginner at putting together bible study materials for a small group of friends. This commentary is very helpful & goes a bit deeper than many others. It is understandable.

I am now using this book to guide our adult cell group through I & II Timothy and Titus.