The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary

As a lay person studying my way through the New Testament, I have tried to seek out scholars who combine reverence and apprectiation for the text with new insights and applications. Professor Craig Keener of Eastern Seminary is one of those gifted writers. This is a unique commentary; the stated purpose is to combine a social-historical study of Matthew with evaluations of the nature of Matthew's teaching to his intended audience. The end result is a rich tapestry that thoroughly grounds Matthew's gospel in the Old Testament yet shows how uniquely Jesus reinterpreted the scriptures to present Himself as the revelation of God.This commentary is a goldmine of wisdom for teaching (and I would assume for preaching, although as a layman I am very limited in that area). I have taught several Sunday school classes and led Bible studies on Matthew, and this is the text I find myself going back to time and time again for knowledge and insight. There are a number of excellent commentaries on Matthew, but this book is worth having to compliment almost any other commentary out there. My thanks to Professor Keener for his work on this volume and his tremendous two volume commentary of the Gospel of John. I am looking forward to reading more of his work in the future.

This is an outstanding commentary for those interested in further research. Craig Keener is a brilliant scholar. In this volume, Keener imports a vast amount of extra Biblical sources. His focus on social, rhetorical, and historical analysis is paramount. This commentary specializes in the social setting (sitz im leben) of the New Testament world. Keener's interest is not so much on the practical aspects of each passage as it is on the verification of the Biblical content. It does, however, come equipped with nicely structured, bold sub-headings that are insightful and practical. A working knowledge of Greek is not necessary.This commentary also gives "Excurses" (e.g., further insight on "Scribes and Pharisees" in Matthew 23) on topics that are major points of interest. These detours are very insightful. It is extremely generous on footnotes and references for those interested in research content. For those who don't mind parenthetical quotations (i.e., citing sources in the comments), this commentary will serve its academic and pastoral purpose. It is a great resource for any serious student, pastor, or scholar. I highly recomment it.

Craig Keener’s biblical knowledge is communicated clearly and accurately in this very accessible volume. I wish I had discovered this commentary earlier. I highly recommend it.

I own a couple of his commentaries. (still saving up for the Acts encyclopedia he's published). He provides an overview of traditions within Greek culture and rabbinic literature to help construct the context in which the New Testament is set. This commentary is my favorite resource when preaching from Matthew by far!

The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary is an New Testament commentary, written by Craig S. Keener and published by Eerdmands. Commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew can be either highly critical or devotional in nature. I therefore was pleasantly surprised when I read Keener work and found it to be more or less on the conservative side while still engaging with high criticism scholarship, mixed with application. It has been a long time since a scholarly mostly conservative work has been published on the Gospel of Matthew and France did not disappoint, weighing in at just under 1100 pages.This commentary is a created along the line of of the famous A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary by Ben Witherington, a series which is synonymous with excellent exegesis and superior application, this volume not only continues this legacy, but truly propels it to new heights. Yet while Keener does answer these critical issues, something he does flawlessly by the way, he interacts with critical scholarship in a way most conservative commentators don’t. From this it is easy to see why Keener is a highly regarded scholar and superior exegete.The Gospel of Matthew has two main sections the typical general introduction, and then followed by a insightful exegetical commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew. With regard to the general introduction it is the typical study into the introductory matters of the book and how they relate to the Bible as a whole. This is a serious scholarly work which dives into contextual as well as the as the different methodical approaches to study of this book Keener takes great care in carefully showing the original context of passage while applying it directly to the modern day reader. I do wish though that there was more application to some of the more difficult passages.While I disagree with Keener on a few minor issues the arguments he makes are sound. Keener is innovate in his interpretation and application while staying stalwart in his commitment to orthodoxy. In the vein of recommending, The Gospel of Matthew, to others I would recommend this commentary to pastors and scholars, yet I would highly recommend pastors, such as myself, to pair this scholarly commentary with one that is one that has more of a pastoral tone. There are many commentaries about Gospel of Matthew available at this moment but The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary is a very scholarly works worthy of your time.This book was provided to me free of charge from Eerdmans in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.

Professor Keener has captured both the Hebrew-Jewish context of Matthew in his presentation of the Messiah as well as revealing the Graeco-Roman influences that prevaded the first century Palestinian society in which he crafted his Gospel account. Only the magisterial work of the late R.T. France comes anywhere close to matching this work in exposition or in background analysis. I unabashingly recommend it for every pastor or Bible teacher to use. It also contains much new research material on the sociology of the first-century Jews living in the Roman Empire.

This is the best ever investigation into the Life and Times of Jesus. It is stunning. We all owe Craig Keener abundant thanks for his meticulous preservation of key points otherwise missed in the content of the Gospel of Matthew which he has harvested over decades of the highest of scholarly research.