The most comprehensive volume ever produced in defense of the Gospels and Acts.
The four Gospels and the book of Acts tell stories of Jesus’ life and the birth of Christianity. Are these stories true history or just religious fiction? Christians accept the stories as true and say that the entire Bible is a reliable communication inspired by God. Against this, non-Christians have argued that the Bible is a book of legends, myths, and historical inaccuracies—just another example of human religious endeavor. In this volume, four world-class New Testament scholars address challenges to the reliability of the Gospels and Acts. In order to identify the most important challenges, the authors drew from the literature of skeptics and New Testament critics, plus they included questions that many Christians ask as well. The result is the most comprehensive defense of the Gospels and Acts that has ever been published.
The primary purpose of the Holman Apologetics Commentary on the Bible is to equip readers to defend the reliability of Scripture and the historic evangelical understanding of its teachings. It is designed for use by general readers, though scholars will find it a probing and welcome resource as well. A secondary purpose is to encourage awareness and discussion of Bible difficulties that are not commonly mentioned from the pulpit or even the seminary lectern.
This is not a verse-by-verse commentary. The authors were provided an index that identified verses known to be relevant to the topics of apologetics and biblical reliability. They restricted their comments to these verses, plus any others that they recognized as germane to the aims of this project. Typically, each commentary note begins by stating the challenge or challenges regarding the text at hand. We attempt to state the case in all its potency, as a critic would state it. This approach takes seriously the critical viewpoint and helps ensure that the reader feels the full weight of the challenge. The contributors take each challenge seriously and seek to describe viable solutions that support faith and align with a high view of Scripture.
Reviews
"Jesus said, 'your word is truth,' and this invaluable Bible commentary answers questions and objections to that claim. Pastors, students, and laypeople will be encouraged and strengthened as they see that the historical and philosophical objections to the four gospels and book of Acts lack credibility." - Thomas Schreiner, Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Biblical Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
"The Holman Apologetics Commentary on the Bible is a splendid series that I am very pleased to recommend. Students, pastors, campus workers, professors, and any serious-minded Christian will profit greatly from it. Indeed, it is a resource for all truth-seekers!" - Paul Copan, Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University
"This is a much-needed and immensely valuable resource. The Holman Apologetics Commentary on the Bible: Gospels and Acts is written by leading scholars in the field who have a knack for answering tough questions in a way that is highly academic and yet understandable and helpful to the non-specialist as well. Get a copy, study it, and find practical ways to communicate its truth to our generation." - Sean McDowell, Director of Worldview Ministries
"This is a serious project produced by first-rate scholars. As I began paging through, I noticed that many of the questions I've had about particular passages were addressed with focus and careful discussion that often doesn’t make it into other commentaries. I find the authors to address many, many passages in the Bible that are strange, obscure, and otherwise difficult to understand. The writers show an unflinching engagement with critical scholarship. Frequently the explanation includes helpful background from extrabiblical writings and early church sources. The scholar and others who are interested in understanding the Bible will find much that is valuable to sort out the Gospels and Acts. At a length of 764 pages plus bibliography, this project goes a long way to open up the Bible for clear understanding of even the strangest passages." - John McKinley, Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies, Biola University
"The Holman Apologetics Commentary on the Bible is an amazing tool for pastors and students. Many commentaries, in an effort to address a wide variety of topics and concerns, fail to adequately address many of the questions that people are asking. Finally, there is a resource that provides clear and concise answers to these tough questions. I highly recommend this valuable resource." - Benjamin L. Merkle Associate Professor of New Testament and Greek, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Michael J. Wilkins is Distinguished Professor of New Testament Language and Literature and Dean of the Faculty, Talbot School of Theology, LaMirada, CA
Craig A. Evans is the Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Acadia Divinity College of Acadia University, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
Darrell L. Bock is executive director of Cultural Engagement and senior research professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary.
Andreas J. Köstenberger is senior professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC and director of acquisitions, B&H Academic.
