Matthew: A Commentary, Volume 1: The Christbook, Matthew 1-12

Widely praised as a masterly commentary on Matthew when it first appeared, Frederick Dale Bruner's study of the First Gospel is being reissued as a greatly expanded two-volume work following six years of careful refinement, enrichment, and updating.Bruner's work is at once broadly historical and deeply theological. It is historical in its use of great church teachers through the centuries -- particularly Chrysostom, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Henry, Bengal, and Schlatter -- as well as of the classical Christian creeds and confessions. It is theological in that it seeks after the doctrines in each passage, chapter, and section of the Gospel. Consciously attempting to bridge past and present, Bruner asks both what Matthew's Gospel said to its first hearers and what it says to readers today.The first volume is called "The Christbook because Bruner sees Matthew 1-12 as focused on the nature and work of Christ. The second volume, titled "The Churchbook, presents the final chapters of Matthew as concerned primarily with the life of the church and personal discipleship. For Bruner, then, the Gospel of Matthew is profoundly relevant to contemporary congregations and to the pastors and theologians who guide them. His new work now stands among the best in the field.

Eugene Peterson
"This is the kind of commentary that I most want a"theological"wrestling with Scripture. Frederick Dale Bruner grapples with the text not only as a technical exegete (although he also does that very well) but as a church theologian, caring passionately about what these words tell us about God and ourselves. Here he places his considerable teaching gifts at the service of the Christian community, caring as much about us as he cares about the text. His Matthew commentary is in the grand traditions of Augustine, Calvin, and Luther expansive and leisurely, loving the text, the people in it, and the Christians who read it."
"Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society"
"It is hard to think of another commentary that is more fruitful in terms of stimulating the kind of thinking about the meaning of the text that is the prerequisite for good preaching and teaching."
"Themelios"
"A hugely stimulating read . . . holds the reader's attention better than many commentaries. Emphases on mission and formation of Christian character also make this an important and valuable contribution to scholarship on Matthew's gospel."
William H. Willimon
"Bruner is concerned with Christian formation, with the daily task of living faithfully within today's church. His applications of the Gospel of Matthew and his frequent excursions into contemporary dilemmas for the church, such as church-state relations, marriage, liberation theology, feminism, and war, provide many stimulating insights for contemporary Christians."
"Dialog"
"Often Bruner's expositions are so apposite that the preacher will be tempted to lift them whole into the sermon, for they bring the biblical message explicitly into the life of the congregation."
Samuel Hugh Moffett
"An excitingly readable and innovative commentary on Matthew by one of America's master Bible teachers."
"Perspectives in Religious Studies"
"The value of Bruner's work is that what he is doing is so desperately needed and so rarely done at the level of sophistication reflected in his two volumes."
"Currents in Theology and Mission"
"This is a practical commentary for preachers and teachers in congregations. . . Marvelously successful.""

Eugene Peterson "This is the kind of commentary that I most want a"theological"wrestling with Scripture. Frederick Dale Bruner grapples with the text not only as a technical exegete (although he also does that very well) but as a church theologian, caring passionately about what these words tell us about God and ourselves. Here he places his considerable teaching gifts at the service of the Christian community, caring as much about us as he cares about the text. His Matthew commentary is in the grand traditions of Augustine, Calvin, and Luther expansive and leisurely, loving the text, the people in it, and the Christians who read it.""Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society" "It is hard to think of another commentary that is more fruitful in terms of stimulating the kind of thinking about the meaning of the text that is the prerequisite for good preaching and teaching.""Themelios" "A hugely stimulating read . . . holds the reader's attention better than many commentaries. Emphases on mission and formation of Christian character also make this an important and valuable contribution to scholarship on Matthew's gospel."William H. Willimon "Bruner is concerned with Christian formation, with the daily task of living faithfully within today's church. His applications of the Gospel of Matthew and his frequent excursions into contemporary dilemmas for the church, such as church-state relations, marriage, liberation theology, feminism, and war, provide many stimulating insights for contemporary Christians.""Dialog" "Often Bruner's expositions are so apposite that the preacher will be tempted to lift them whole into the sermon, for they bring the biblical message explicitly into the life of the congregation."Samuel Hugh Moffett "An excitingly readable and innovative commentary on Matthew by one of America's master Bible teachers.""Perspectives in Religious Studies" "The value of Bruner's work is that what he is doing is so desperately needed and so rarely done at the level of sophistication reflected in his two volumes.""Currents in Theology and Mission" "This is a practical commentary for preachers and teachers in congregations. . . Marvelously successful.""

Eugene Peterson
-This is the kind of commentary that I most want -- a theological wrestling with Scripture. Frederick Dale Bruner grapples with the text not only as a technical exegete (although he also does that very well) but as a church theologian, caring passionately about what these words tell us about God and ourselves. Here he places his considerable teaching gifts at the service of the Christian community, caring as much about us as he cares about the text. His Matthew commentary is in the grand traditions of Augustine, Calvin, and Luther -- expansive and leisurely, loving the text, the people in it, and the Christians who read it.-

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
-It is hard to think of another commentary that is more fruitful in terms of stimulating the kind of thinking about the meaning of the text that is the prerequisite for good preaching and teaching.-

Themelios
-A hugely stimulating read . . . holds the reader's attention better than many commentaries. Emphases on mission and formation of Christian character also make this an important and valuable contribution to scholarship on Matthew's gospel.-

William H. Willimon
-Bruner is concerned with Christian formation, with the daily task of living faithfully within today's church. His applications of the Gospel of Matthew and his frequent excursions into contemporary dilemmas for the church, such as church-state relations, marriage, liberation theology, feminism, and war, provide many stimulating insights for contemporary Christians.-

Dialog
-Often Bruner's expositions are so apposite that the preacher will be tempted to lift them whole into the sermon, for they bring the biblical message explicitly into the life of the congregation.-

Samuel Hugh Moffett
-An excitingly readable and innovative commentary on Matthew by one of America's master Bible teachers.-

Perspectives in Religious Studies
-The value of Bruner's work is that what he is doing is so desperately needed and so rarely done at the level of sophistication reflected in his two volumes.-

Currents in Theology and Mission
-This is a practical commentary for preachers and teachers in congregations. . . Marvelously successful.-