Designed to make the latest scholarship on Philippians accessible to a broader readership, this new commentary brings to life both the letter's historical setting and its vigorously theological purpose. A number of important recent studies of the social and religious context of first-century Philippi are here considered for the first time in a commentary, and the author offers a critical engagement with several of the newer approaches to Pauline interpretation, including questions of rhetoric and social convention. Theological highlights include the themes of Christian joy in all circumstances, the Philippians' active 'stake-holding' partnership in the gospel, and above all the pervasive passion for a union with Christ in following his self-humbling example of service. Giving due attention both to the theological heritage of St. Paul's Jewish background and to the Greco-Roman social and religious setting of his readership, this commentary relates a well-grounded understanding of the letter's first-century impact to the wider concerns of Christian theology.
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Book Description
Since its appearance nearly 35 years ago, Black's New Testament Commentary Series has been hailed by both scholars and pastors for its insightful interpretations and reliable commentary. Each book in the series includes: an insightful introduction to the important historical, literary, and theological issues; key terms and phrases from the translation highlighted in the commentary where they are discussed; explanations of special Greek or foreign terms; references to important primary and secondary literature; and a Scripture index.
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About the Author
Markus Bockmuehl presently serves as Lecturer in Divinity, Cambridge University. The author of numerous scholarly articles, he also wrote Revelation and Mystery in Ancient Judaism and Pauline Christianity and This Jesus: Martyr, Lord, Messiah. He is the translator and editor of G. Stemberger, Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash (2nd ed.), and is presently working on Halakhah in the Synoptics and Acts for the prestigious Compendia Rerum Iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum series.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was assigned this book for an undergraduate class I took for a theology degree. We were also assigned Warren Wiersbe's book, Be Joyful.
As it turned out, Wiersbe's book was the sort of "junior varsity" book where he wrote in simple language and made points that were relevant to modern culture. This made his little book quite valuable in that regard, and I made that book assigned reading for my girlfriend! But The Epistle to the Philippians is a much more in-depth literary work.
I give Marcus Bockmuehl's book a 5-star rating because the book hits every point any scholar would want touched upon. Bockmuehl provides a sort of verse-by-verse commentary - his style is to break the epistle into sections, write up the sections, and then comment on them in paragraph form. He points out the keywords of the passages, as well as the opinions of other scholars (even in regards to the Greek [and sometimes Hebrew] translations). This thorough exegesis is remarkable in and of itself, but Bockmuehl also provides excellent background. I learned so much regarding the church's, the Roman Empire's, and Paul's histories, which really enabled a true learning experience, even when coupled with theological study.
Bockmuehl's commentaries are great because he provides almost all sides of debates surrounding the epistle, including the interpretations of meaning. He also has a subtle way of letting the reader know when one of his peers is a little off. Such a professional...
I would recommend this book to only two types of people: (1) the theological and/or the Bible student (this is in the general sense of the word to include those with scholarly ambitions);, and (2) for the person who wants to really bolster their knowledge of Scripture so as to know more about the apostle Paul and his style, about the great work of the Holy Spirit at a deeper level, and about the Christian faith.
The Epistle to the Philippians (the Biblical text) is such a popularly quoted epistle, even by those who haven't even read it yet! But coupling your reading of Philippians with Bockmuehl's book will open your eyes to a greater understanding of your faith, your religious heritage, and even what it means to be a Christian.
I would not recommend Bockmuehl's book to those who won't read Philippians along with Bockmuehl, or to those who have a hard time with technical reading. Bockmuehl is a professional at this sort of stuff, as a lot of us aren't, so you'll find a thesaurus helpful at times. Also, the book is not made for entertainment (like Wiersbe's, as aforementioned) - it is intended for an in-depth study of the epistle to the Philippians!
If you do decide that you want to get to know more about Paul, the epistle to Philippians, and the Christian faith, I recommend that you read Bockmuehl's book alongside the Bible without reading other parts of the Bible at the same time, unless it is referenced in Bockmuehl's text. I recommend this only so that you can draw a greater focus on your study of this epistle. Again, if you are not into such focusing, Bockmuehl's book might overwhelm you. Search yourself to see how much you really want to know about this epistle. If you want to know just about everything anybody knows at this point, Bockmuehl's book is a "must have."
As it turned out, Wiersbe's book was the sort of "junior varsity" book where he wrote in simple language and made points that were relevant to modern culture. This made his little book quite valuable in that regard, and I made that book assigned reading for my girlfriend! But The Epistle to the Philippians is a much more in-depth literary work.
I give Marcus Bockmuehl's book a 5-star rating because the book hits every point any scholar would want touched upon. Bockmuehl provides a sort of verse-by-verse commentary - his style is to break the epistle into sections, write up the sections, and then comment on them in paragraph form. He points out the keywords of the passages, as well as the opinions of other scholars (even in regards to the Greek [and sometimes Hebrew] translations). This thorough exegesis is remarkable in and of itself, but Bockmuehl also provides excellent background. I learned so much regarding the church's, the Roman Empire's, and Paul's histories, which really enabled a true learning experience, even when coupled with theological study.
Bockmuehl's commentaries are great because he provides almost all sides of debates surrounding the epistle, including the interpretations of meaning. He also has a subtle way of letting the reader know when one of his peers is a little off. Such a professional...
I would recommend this book to only two types of people: (1) the theological and/or the Bible student (this is in the general sense of the word to include those with scholarly ambitions);, and (2) for the person who wants to really bolster their knowledge of Scripture so as to know more about the apostle Paul and his style, about the great work of the Holy Spirit at a deeper level, and about the Christian faith.
The Epistle to the Philippians (the Biblical text) is such a popularly quoted epistle, even by those who haven't even read it yet! But coupling your reading of Philippians with Bockmuehl's book will open your eyes to a greater understanding of your faith, your religious heritage, and even what it means to be a Christian.
I would not recommend Bockmuehl's book to those who won't read Philippians along with Bockmuehl, or to those who have a hard time with technical reading. Bockmuehl is a professional at this sort of stuff, as a lot of us aren't, so you'll find a thesaurus helpful at times. Also, the book is not made for entertainment (like Wiersbe's, as aforementioned) - it is intended for an in-depth study of the epistle to the Philippians!
If you do decide that you want to get to know more about Paul, the epistle to Philippians, and the Christian faith, I recommend that you read Bockmuehl's book alongside the Bible without reading other parts of the Bible at the same time, unless it is referenced in Bockmuehl's text. I recommend this only so that you can draw a greater focus on your study of this epistle. Again, if you are not into such focusing, Bockmuehl's book might overwhelm you. Search yourself to see how much you really want to know about this epistle. If you want to know just about everything anybody knows at this point, Bockmuehl's book is a "must have."
3 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
As I was writing a paper on Philippians 3 I came across several commentaries that cited this book, so I was compelled to buy it. It turned out to be a very useful reference and I'm glad that it is part of my library now.
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- New Testament Greek and Exegesis: Essays in Honor of Gerald F. Hawthorne by Amy M. Donaldson on 4 pages
- Cruciformity: Paul's Narrative Spirituality of the Cross by Michael J. Gorman on page 258, page 359, and Back Matter
- Her Master's Tools?: Feminist And Postcolonial Engagements of Historical-Critical Discourse (Global Perspectives on Biblical Scholarship) by et al Caroline Vander Stichele (Editor) on page 284, and Back Matter
- Jesus' Blood and Righteousness: Paul's Theology of Imputation by Brian Vickers on page 125, and Back Matter
- Belly and Body in the Pauline Epistles (Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series) by Karl Olav Sandnes in Back Matter
See all 27 books citing this book
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