It is amazing what a good commentary can do.
Some time back I attempted to read the Gospel according to Luke, and I found myself stumbling constantly. This was nothing more than a form of unfamiliarity – despite my upbringing and hearing passages from the New Testament (at least) once a week for as long as I can remember, I don’t get first century Galilee.
Fine, but aren’t the episodes and teachings timeless? If you’ll labor with the text, won’t it come alive in some way very near to your own life? Sure it will, but that can seem an awful lot like cherry-picking. And that’s probably not quite fair, because one does not usually want to cherry-pick, but to understand the gospel as a complete work, as though one had walked with Jesus and experienced Him.
Anyway, we’re veering off the course. Stay focused, you.
If the text must be understood – at least to some extent – from the perspective of a 1st century reader, Barclay has translated the social and historical (con)text into 20th century language.
Isn’t this the 21st century? The man died in 1978, dude. What do you want?
Once he has done this – . . . → Read More: Jesus Digest
