Acts (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) (Hardcover)

by Darrell L. Bock (Author)
Key Phrases: closing summary, gezerah shewa, enough attested, The Early Church, The Arrest, Jerusalem Moves the Message (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Respected New Testament scholar Darrell L. Bock provides a substantive yet highly accessible commentary on Acts in this latest addition to the acclaimed BECNT series. With extensive research and thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, Bock leads readers through all aspects of the book of Acts--sociological, historical, and theological. His work blends academic depth with readability, making it a useful tool for students, teachers, scholars, and pastors alike. A user-friendly design with shaded text and translations of the Greek text make this commentary engaging and easy to use. The result is a guide that clearly and meaningfully brings this important New Testament book to life for contemporary readers.

From the Back Cover
"Darrell Bock's long-anticipated sequel to his fine and detailed work on the Gospel of Luke is now available. Written in a clear and engaging manner that most anyone can grasp, yet without skimping on interaction with scholarly discussion, Bock manages to critically analyze the huge corpus of literature on Acts with grace and finesse and to make his own contributions along the way. This commentary will serve us well for many years to come."--Ben Witherington III, Asbury Theological Seminary and St. Andrews University

"Acts provides an enormous challenge to commentators, and we must be thankful to Darrell Bock for this fine, accessible commentary on the book. He is particularly strong in giving careful attention to the exegetical payoff of the meanings of words and syntax. He provides judicious and accurate summaries of a wide range of scholarly viewpoints in English, French, and German--particularly valuable for those who read only English--and good critical engagement with these views. The commentary is well organized, and it is easy to navigate to a particular section or point of discussion. It will be of great value to pastors, students, and their professors."--Steve Walton, London School of Theology

"This commentary on Acts is a worthy complement to Darrell Bock's fine commentary on Luke's Gospel. While unfailingly traditional in its interests and scope, Bock remains in touch with today's church by seeking to facilitate a robust conversation between Acts and contemporary readers. I especially appreciate his attention to the theological cast of Acts. Judicious, learned, reverent, as clearly written as it is clear headed in exegetical decisions, Bock's commentary makes a fine contribution to Acts criticism. I recommend its use for the seminary classroom and the pastor's study."--Robert W. Wall, Seattle Pacific University

"Bock has written a superb commentary on this pivotal New Testament document. He has mastered the narrative of Acts as well as contemporary scholarship, and he has done so in a manner that is eminently accessible to the pastor and serious nonspecialist. He draws on the disciplines of theology, history, and sociology to bring the text to life. I recommend this book with enthusiasm."--W. Ward Gasque, Pacific Association for Theological Studies, author of A History of the Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 880 pages
• Publisher: Baker Academic (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801026687
• ISBN-13: 978-0801026683
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,437 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Commentary Available on Acts, October 18, 2007

By	From North Dakota "Jazz Lover" (USA) - See all my reviews

I have used a number of commentaries on Acts over the years. Previously my favorites were Haenchen and Fitzmyer. Both had the most exegetical material available until the recent publication of Bock's wonderful commentary. Bock is thoroughly Evangelical and this will be helpful for those who previously had so few options for a good Evangelical commentary on Acts. Bock also does an excellent job of summarizing the findings of previous works. He is highly readable and has much to offer both laity and pastors. I am currently preaching through the book of Acts, and even though I was on chapter 9 when Bock's commentary was finally available, it has quickly become the first commentary I turn to each week!

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not the best for the non-professional., February 3, 2008

By	B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The `Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament' for `Acts' or `Acts of the Apostles' by Darrell L. Bock, the research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary is a generally good commentary on one of the less well appreciated books of the New Testament. In the spectrum of commentaries which range from very pastoral - friendly such as the `New Interpreters' Bible' to the heavily scholarly volumes which are practically worthless for pastoral use, such as those in the `Word Biblical Commentary' series, Bock's volume falls about two - thirds of the way toward the scholarly side. The book's greatest strength, as well as its greatest weakness, is that it seeks to be a scholarly study of all the latest commentaries on `Acts', most especially the Anchor Bible contribution from Joseph Fitzmyer, the Sacra Pagina contribution from Luke Timothy Johnson, The New International Commentary on the New Testament volume by F. F. Bruce, and `The Acts of the Apostles, A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary' by Ben Witherington. In fact, Bock refers so often to Fitzmyer and Witherington that I seriously wonder what I'm doing reading Bock, when I can be getting the goods from the horse's mouth. Surveys of the best (and worst) of scholarly opinions are great, but such books become books about the research rather than books about the scripture. As I read Bock, I often find myself vainly seeking to find what Bock himself thinks about a passage. And, there are times when I find Bock expressing an original opinion, only to find other experts disagreeing with him, and I agree with the other writers.
One of the better reasons for picking Bock is that he also did a commentary on the Gospel of Luke, the first of the Luke - Acts combination, written by the same author. I have not used Bock's commentary on Luke, because those by Fitzmyer, Johnson, and Joel Green are so good, and, Fitzmyer and Johnson have also done commentaries on both works.
A `simple' reason for picking Bock is that his book is quite new, so it covers all the major works written in the last fifteen years. Another simple reason for picking Bock is that in addition to pointing out the good stuff, he gives us what we need to know to avoid the bad commentaries. But, both of these reasons are a bit weak. If you happen to read this review and go with Fitzmyer, Johnson, Witherington, or Bruce, you really don't need Bock at all.
Since I always find it best to work with at least two commentaries on scripture for my lay Bible study teaching, I strongly recommend Robert W. Wall's commentary in volume X of the New Interpreter's Bible plus either Fitzmyer or Witherington. If Johnson has a point, Fitzmyer will have it in spades. Wall is especially good for lay study, and Fitzmyer is a good partner, as Fitzmyer (or the 'Word Biblical Commentary' volume) will have all the study critical material Wall avoids.
Last but not least, I found the Baker style of presentation just a bit difficult to follow; however, I must commend them on excellent typefaces for their readability. Otherwise, this is a book almost exclusively for scholars and teachers of courses on `Acts'.

5.0 out of 5 stars unbeatable, May 2, 2009

By	D. Huey (Bakersfield) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This commentary is amazing. Bock is the best out there on Luke and Acts. Conservative, and very scholarly. He will open your eyes. Also read his book, Jesus according to Scripture.