Ben Witherington is simply one of the finest Christian scholars of our day. This work on Acts is another of his colossal achievements. The introduction covers all the ground one would expect (authorship, date, audience, structure, theology, purpose, etc), as well as a tremendous amount of detailed background information regarding Luke's use of rhetoric and the sociological situation of the day. The huge treatment of the question of whether Luke-Acts is biographical or historical monograph is extremely helpful. The detail of this work is immense.

The thing I like about Ben Witherington's work is that it is obvious that he is not merely reshaping the work of other writers. He seems to have combed through the text with careful thought and emerged with provocative insights in some areas, and helpful reiteration of historic viewpoints in others. His sections, A CLOSER LOOK, provide detailed information not found in other commentaries. Another great benefit of this work is that Witherington has surely plumbed the depths of the difficult work of C.K. Barrett, which likely influenced his research at times along the way. Barrett's work (ICC) is too difficult for most of us, but we can enjoy some of it through Witherington's work.

This commentary is a treasure that will yield great riches to the pastor/teacher in a study through Acts. Use it along with Bruce and Marshall (and, perhaps, Fitzmeyer), for an exhaustive study of Acts.

This 850+ page book is a great introduction for the serious student of Acts. Witherington begins with a hundred pages of crucial background information covering traditional topics such as genre of Luke and Acts, authorship, date, audience, purpose, chronology, text, etc. He also shows the need for new literary criticism in Acts that looks specifically at Luke's use of rhetoric and the diverse social setting of the ancient world. He also includes an extensive bibliography of significant books and articles on Acts. Witherington's divisions of the text are orderly and easy to follow. He deals with the first chapter of Acts separately, then comments on Pentecost, the work in Jerusalem and the surrounding area, the Antioch church and its missionary efforts, the trials of Paul, and his subsequent journey to and imprisonment in Rome. Perhaps the most unique and helpful features are Witherington's "A Closer Look" sections. The commentary contains over 25 of these 4-8 page asides that deal with a specific topic in Luke-Acts scholarship mentioned in the text, but not eseential for reading Acts. You may want to read them all, but you will likely read some closely and skim over others. Another advantage of this work is that it is written from a very balanced position. Witherington believes that Acts is in some way inspired by God and treats it accordingly. But he is also a serious scholar and deals with problems related to the text or its interpretation. This commentary is not bedtime reading, but it's not impossible. Knowing Greek helps, but it is not necessary. Witherington is a good writer, and has produced a great volume of work in recent years. The book includes a great deal of information. You would have to buy several books and commentaries to cover this much ground in Acts.

Witherington has written an excellent history in this fine book. It is a 10,000 foot view of New Testament issues hung on the framework of a history.

He sets up the meat of the book with the history from Alexander the Great through the Hasmoneans to the time of Christ. It is here that the dynamics and some of the later players are introduced, such as the Hasmoneans, the politicization of the high priesthood and Herod and his family are introduced. It sets the stage and makes the context of the New Testament very understandable. The primary source he uses for his historical framework is Hayes and Mandell's "The Jewish People in Antiquity". They provide the bulk of his footnotes and explanations. He utilitzed them to the extent that I also purchased their book for further reading.

Witherington is not content to give a "just the facts" narrative of the years of Christ and the spread of Christianity. He gives an introduction to Jesus and how His message and ministry was seen as radical. He demonstrates that it was no accident that Jesus went to the cross. The brilliant part in all of this is that he does it without the academic tedium. If you want it, he points you to fuller discussions through the footnotes. These usually point to his other works, primarily "Christology of Jesus" and his commentaries on Mark, Acts, and Galatians. The point is that the text holds together without the fuller discussion. I have the books mentioned and have read Christology. It is interesting reading, but isn't necessary to get full benefit from this book.

Witherington spices up the text and story with theories and other research. For instance, he states that the "Beloved Disciple" is a Judean disciple, not a Galilean, thus ruling out John, son of Zebedee. He presents the Last Supper as a furtively held celebration that would be seen by the powers that be as insurrection. He doesn't stick to the main roads in his presentation while presenting plausible and thought-provoking narratives of the ministry of the Lord.

His presentation of the spread of Christianity presents a lot of great material on the social, cultural and political context into which Christianity spread. These insights almost become a Biblical backgrounds resource. The discussion of the North/South Galatian theory and his background on the major cities and the churches therein make the New Testament come alive. He has many "Closer Look" sections and backgrounds on principle cities that add much insight to the narrative. During the last few chapters, he goes into the writing of the New Testament books. You may disagree with his dates and theories, but he gives his rationale and you understand where he is coming from and how he got there.

I agree with the previous reviewer that the illustrations are sub-par as to quality. Also, there is no bibliography. But, this is a profitable introduction and guide to the history of Christianity and a valuable general resource book. I have read the detailed treatises on Jesus and New Testament studies and still found this book as informative as it was delightful to read.

Ben Witherington has written a superb book about the emergence of Christianity. He begins by putting his narrative in appropriate cultural context, and to do this takes the reader back beyond the time of Christ to the days of Alexander the Great and his immense hellenizing influence over the Midlle East. Once the stage has been set, author Witherington meticulously, but without being tedious, takes the reader through Christ's life in the eyes of the gospel writers, appropriately dwelling on Paul's works, then describes the differences between the the Jerulasem Church and the gentile churches denying Judaic influence, the fractiousness of early Christianity, the sporadic, convenient, and, focused violence of the Roman Empire toward the early Church, the origins of apocalytic literature, and finally leaves the Church in the grips of Domitian. Witherington has a firm grasp of the historical contingencies that shaped Chhristianiy's infancy, and uses dialogue boxes effectively to aid the reader in understanding the cultural undercurrents and contexual idioms that guided and limited the gospel writers' efforts.

One small criticism is worth noting: the quality of illustrations does not match the quality of the author's writing. Aside from that small quibble, this is a scholarly work that treats its complex subject with depth and insight and yet is accessible to the general reader. This work is clearly good news about good news. The authors of the gospels would definitely be proud, and, perhaps, actually they are.

I really appreciate this series of socio-rhetorical commentaries. They are extremely helpful in understanding the cultural and sociological background, as well as the use of ancient rhetoric in the New Testament. The commentary is very unique and includes brief yet detailed studies at points throughout the exegesis. These brief sections are called A CLOSER LOOK in his Acts commentary, but they are not identified as such in this work. At any rate, these sections provide lots of information and discussion not found in most commentaries. Witherington closes each section with BRIDGING THE HORIZONS which provides a summary and practical application. Dr. Witherington's work on Mark's gospel is so good that I have to rank it along side the more detailed commentary of William Lane (NICNT). Using the two together will provide you with a clear and detailed understanding of Mark's gospel. We can only hope to be blessed with more volumes in this series.

It might be said that in writing The Paul Quest, Dr. Witherington embarked upon a quest impossible to complete in a satisfactory fashion: to identify and characterize Saul of Tarsus in such a way as to make him accessible to the average person. This is a lofty aim, to say the least, but one that I think Dr. Witherington nearly arrives at. His aim is not solely to present a theology of Paul, but rather to introduce the reader to the person of Paul the apostle. He does so by analyzing various aspects of the man, from his identity as an apostle and theologian, to his training in rhetoric and his ability as a letter-writer. The end result is a balanced work that achieves Dr. Witherington's primary goal almost flawlessly.

If there is a weakness to Dr. Witherington's approach, it is simply that the book begins with some very poignant arguments regarding Paul's use of rhetoric in his speaking and writing, but seems to taper off toward the end when the discussion has turned to Paul's theology. Dr. Witherington also does not really include the Pastorals in his discussion of Paul's theology, due to the controversy surrounding the authorship of those letters. This is understandable; however, whether one subscribes to the Pauline authorship side of that debate or not, the Pastorals could provide another perspective on Pauline theology that should earn them a place in any discussion relating to that topic. Other than this, Dr. Witherington has crafted a very balanced treatise of Paul the man. It is a fine introduction and tribute to the second most influential person in Christian history.

Dr. Witherington has prepared a well crafted, engaging study on the complex qualities that comprise the New Testament figure Paul. He discusses Paul as prophet, as an apostle, as a Jewish man, and as an ethicist, but where Ben really succeeds is in showing just how profound an impact Paul's conversion experience on the Road to Damascus had on how he saw himself and his role in life. Dr. Witherington also demonstrates how Pauls' conversion affected his entire understanding of salvation and the Christian life.

This is a great read, and is recommended as a good place to start learning about the apostle Paul.

The Paul Quest. By Ben Witherington III. InterVarsity Press, 1998. 347 Pages..

Witherington structured this book into 8 nearly equal chapters dealing with what he sees as the essential elements of a quest for the historical Paul. Along with a very brief introduction and conclusion, he includes a very informative appendix, "Timely remarks on the life of Paul," which attempts to devise with a timeline for Paul's life. The eight areas that Witherington considers foundational are as follows: 1) On Constructing an Ancient Personality, 2) The Trinity of Paul's Identity, 3) Paul the Writer and Rhetor, 4) Paul the Prophet and Apostle, 5) Paul the Realist and Radical, 6) Paul the Anthropologist and Advocate, 7) Paul the Story teller and Exegete, 8) Paul the Ethicist and Theologian. This book is second in sequence to The Jesus Quest and, in some ways, is also a continuation of Paul's Narrative thought World. (Steve, I'm assuming that these are books and therefore should either be in all italics or underlined, not in quotation marks. Quotation marks are only used for article titles.) As Witherington states the quest for this historical Jesus, leads us to Paul since he is one of our greatest sources about Jesus. It is, therefore, logical to leave The Jesus Quest and embark on a new search that leads to The Paul Quest. As a result, it has many aims and goals. Those goals are best summed up as follows: a short study on the four sources for Paul, exposing readers to new developments in the quest for the historical Paul, and an examination of Paul's different roles and how those would have shaped him. Witherington also proposes to sample relevant Pauline literature in each of his eight foundational areas. I have often heard it asked, "Why another book on Paul?" With the quantity of books published yearly, it appears that no one in the publishing industry is asking the same question. However, I would say this is a book of great value to the large canon of Pauline literature. It is a very good book written in a fun and engaging style. Witherington tends to present a few of the different opinions on each topic and then states his personal view. He uses the Scriptures as his primary starting point, but then supports his views and premises from a historical perspective. I found it invaluable to have Witherington begin with his study of the ancient personality, specifically in regards to the three aspects of Paul: Paul as Jew, Paul as Christian, and finally, though of lesser import, Paul as Roman citizen. This sets all readers on a level playing field for the rest of the work. Each reader has a very clear view of how Witherington is approaching Paul, why, and where he intends to lead us as we search for the historical Paul. In presenting his different topics, Witherington draws upon numerous sources that include both modern and ancient. When criticizing an outside source, he does so in a fair way, evaluating both the strengths and weaknesses of a particular book or theory. He then goes on to support his opinions with Pauline sources or other contemporaries. I believe this would be an ideal book for a new student to Pauline studies. It has a strong historical approach. It includes a valid use themes and archetypes; not those of modern psychology, but instead those of the ancient world, Prophet, Storyteller, Jew, Greek, etc. It raises many of the contemporary issues in Pauline theology, as well as those necessary for an understanding of the man himself. It deals with the opposing views in a balanced way, presenting both sides of an argument fairly. For example on women, it presents both views of Paul as liberator and feminist, and Paul as the patriarchal repressor of women. In Paul's Narrative Though World (Westminster/John Knox Press, 1994), Witherington was hard to read and even harder to understand. However, in this effort he is a masterful wordsmith who leaves you hungering for more. It was hard to put the book down; it is such a compelling read. Through its many referenced sources, it also allows you to continue further into any area that piques your interest in an easily accessible way. The greatest strength of the book is its balanced approach and equal treatment of the different topics and views. I was very impressed that he did not over-focus on the storyteller or "narrative thought world" given his previous writing in this area. The greatest weakness is the last chapter. In my opinion, Witherington does not do a good job of presenting Paul the theologian, or of presenting a clear view of Paul's theology. (Steve, you may want to include an example here that illustrates your point or at least some further explanation as to why he is unclear. It would make a stronger statement then simply stating your opinion without any obvious backup.) Since he has made an strong presentation in every other section, I would still say that this is an excellent book which is a good read, and well worth anyone's time and money to pursue it. I believe this book achieved its stated aims. Much like a gemologist working with a raw diamond cuts and shapes the stone into a beautiful thing that radiates and reflects light from its many facets, so too has Witherington shown each of the differing views of the separate facets of Paul, and through them brings clarity, light and vision to the reader.

Very good commentary. Well written and insightful. Ben handles the symbolism and the sociology behind the 4th Gospel better than most and engages you every step of the way.

My only complaint regarding Witherington is that he too often lets his baises slip into his otherwise excellent work. His unecessary remarks about groups that practice foot-washing as an ordinence is one example (p 237). But otherwise very good.

Ben Witherington has written an excellent commentary on the Gospel of John! It is well-written and argued. It is Witherington's contention (other scholars also agree with him) that the author of the Gospel of John portrays Jesus as Wisdom personified. Witherington amasses plenty of evidence to support this position. He uses evidence from the Old Testament (including the Apocrypha)and ancient Greco-Roman literature.

Witherington's commentary is very understandable and useful for the person who wants to have a deeper understanding of the Gospel of John. Each section of the Gospel of John in Witherington's commentary is covered as follows: NRSV translation, commentary on the NRSV translation, and then implications for preaching and ministry. He also has excursuses on special topics in the Gospel of John, (e.g. Pontius Pilate and symposiums).

I am currently teaching a class on the Gospel of John. I rely on this book the most,(Raymond Brown's 2 volume commentary on The Gospel of John is also excellent, but it is very academic) because not only is the scholarship very sound and current, but it also successfully bridges the gap between scholarship and faithful living.

Witherinton is good at what he does--plays the historial critical game and uses it against them.

Here his aim is clear: "I intend to state as much as I think is plausible about how Jesus viewed himself, particularly with respect to christological matters, in an attempt to associate Christian faith with the life of the Jesus of history."

He concludes that Jesus thought of himself as having a unique relationship with God, his Son and anointed with the eschatological Spirit, above all humans and angels. He saw himself taking on Isaiah's prophecy of Israel's representative suffering servant. Especially does all this tie in his title "son of man." When he comes to the question of deity, he hedges and waffles a bit.

Interesting read in the continuing search for the historical Jesus.

A very sound book. Clealrly demonstartes that there is enough biblical evidence to suggest that Jesus saw himself as the Messiah. He defends the historical integrity of key verses and does a good job of explaining the use of the title "son of man." Good book.

Ben Witherington makes a strong contribution to the field of scholarship on Galatians. Witherington shows two main strengths in this commentary. First, he makes a strong case for an early dating of Galatians, placing this polemical book solidly before the Jerusalem council. Second, he brings his rhetorical skill to the text, and creates a first-rate rhetorical framework for the letter in a remarkably readable effort. There is room to disagree with Witherington on his conclusions, especially on his early dating of Galatians, and the amount of historicity he places with Acts. Yet, one appreciates the strength of his argument, and the flow of his presentation.

Witherington is a noted NT scholar and prolific writer. In this volume he seeks to answer the hypothesis if Jesus and Paul believe that the apocalyptic kingdom was to appear very soon.

He is conservative in his approach and conclusions, and exhaustive in his consideration of others' conclusions as well.

I agree that Paul walked a tightrope between realized and unrealized eschatology, or the now but not yet tension. He considers the important topic of the kingdom of God, one of Jesus' favorite sermon topics.

He correctly concludes that the intermediate state (what is going on with the departed between the Ascension and Return of Christ) is silent in Scripture.

He is afterall a academic exegete, so he is careful with his conclusions, and meticulous in his exegesis. He turns to no hyper millenial speculation.

Only serious NT students and those interested in eschatology will enjoy this study. Not a place to begin.

ben witherington is a conservative evangelical who has written many works on nt theology. this book on the "third quest: ( a term first used by tom wright to describe the resurgence of interest in the historical jesus in the past few decades; the first quest started in the mid 1800's with renan and ended with the works of schweitzer ). in this work, witherington examines the works of notable scholars in the field, including crossan, borg, sanders, wright, meier, schussler-fiorenza, theissen, horsley, vermes, and raymond brown. while witherington is polite, fair, and essentially accurate in his critiques, he does use his viewpoint as the measuring stick, making this work biased but still very good. he is quite kind to nt wright as well as jp meier (whose work A MARGINAL JEW )is considered to be the best work on the subject available today. he is much less so to the jesus seminar as well as elizabeth schussler fiorenza (who are on the far left in the debate). one reviewer said that one should read the individual works and truly ther is no substitute for this; but this book was not wriien for the advanced scholar. overall, this work will be of most value to conservative christians who want a good introduction to the various authors in the field.

Yes, Ben Witherington is a (relative) conservative, but don't hold that against him. Yes, he has strong opinions, but don't hold that against him, either, because they are well argued. The fact remains that this is the best overview of "Third Quest" Jesus scholarship I have been able to find. Admirers of the Jesus Seminar may not appreciate his critique, but it is very fair and well-thought out. One of the benefits from a book like this, besides giving interested parties a launching pad for further research, is that the different views of Jesus can help one achieve a well-rounded portrait of the Savior. No one scholar gets it right all the time (not even Witherington, with his own view of Jesus as God's wisdom), but the different insights are valuable, because Jesus is bigger than what any one person can comprehend. That should be a cause for humility (something some Jesus scholars have lacked, at least in print). I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in contemporary Jesus scholarship.

Dr. Witherington's fair and just survey of Jesus, the multitude of material written about him and his opposition to the Jesus Seminar seems to be causing discomfort for some. Whenever Biblical scholars interpret Scripture without using a variety of the tools (including historical data accepted by the majority of the world) they obviously must also have a "secret" agenda. Why also will they not welcome a mixture of scholars from a variety of institutions and nations?? Astute authors who are on their toes critique their peers.

Aside from this book I have also read several of his other books Christology of Jesus, Jesus the Sage, and find that his commentaries continually hit the mark. Dr. Witherington is a noteworthy New Testament scholar who has written some excellent books on women in the New Testament as well!

This book by Ben Witherington III is a useful study of the Jewish semi-divine, semi-spiritual concept of Wisdom which, at its greatest, was conceived of as a hypostatization of God himself. But I'm not at all sure that it tells us anything at all about Jesus. The best Witherington could claim, it seems to me, is that this book relates the Jewish concept of Wisdom TO Jesus. And as a study with that aim it does the job fairly well. It covers vast ground, from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes from the Hebrew Bible, through the extracanonical Jewish texts of Ben Sira and that known as the Wisdom of Solomon, and on to New Testment Wisdom in the shape of Q, James and the Gospels of Matthew and John (not forgetting Paul of course!). Yet only chapter 4 is really anything to do with Jesus himself. Now maybe I am being harsh, maybe that's not what this book is meant to be about and maybe I'm looking for (a Jesus of) history when Witherington wants to be more theological, relating Wisdom in its various historical guises and then addressing the "Sage Jesus" he sees to that. But this book is not about Jesus as an historical person. It is a theology of Wisdom. As such, it is a useful book to have if one is interested by such things. It is not overly useful if one wants a study of Jesus as an historical person.

PoSTmodERnFoOL

Ben Witherington III has contributed a marvelous work to the study of one of the key, yet obscure leadership roles in Scripture. While we often think of kings, priests, and prophets in the Old Testament, this book gives the reader some very convincing proof of the sage's crucial role in leading and influencing society. With great skill (and tremendous footnotes!) the author weaves the sage's role from Old Testament, through the inter-testamental period, and climaxes with the picture of Jesus as Sage. But he doesn't stop there and adds several New Testament persons to the list of those we can consider "sage." For anyone looking to deeply study the role of sage and the nature of divine wisdom would spend their money wisely in getting this book.