A new volume in The Kerux Commentary Set has recently been published. Acts: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching (2023) has been published by Kregel Ministry (an imprint of Kregel Publications). This volume is co-authored by John D. Harvey (exegetical author) and David Gentino (homiletical author).
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Acts: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching
Every passage (or preaching unit) in this commentary presents the following sections: Exegetical Idea, Theological Focus, and Preaching Idea, and Preaching Pointers. The layout of this book is exceptionally well done. Each passage (we could call it a chapter) begins with a grayed-out page that contains the text at the very top (for example, Acts 2:1-40). Each of these summaries contains the following sections: the Exegetical Idea, the Theological Focus, Preaching Idea, and Preaching Pointers. This is a one-page summary of what will follow. (FYI: another great feature of this book is the overview of all preaching passages found in the beginning of the book which lists these categories for every single passage in the book). Then the reader will find the Literary Structure and Themes section, usually a few paragraphs long. That is followed by the exposition section, typically the longest section in each chapter. In this section, the reader will find each verse (or group of verses) in bold, making it very easy to find a specific verse. The authors use the original Greek quite often (which, if you’re a pastor/teacher, you will surely enjoy that aspect, but if you’re not and you’ve never learned Greek, you’ll still be able to follow the argument of the author). Next, the reader will find the “Theological Focus” section which is then followed by the “Preaching and Teaching Strategies.” The preaching and teaching strategies section contains the following subsections: Exegetical/Theological Synthesis; Preaching/Teaching Idea; Contemporary Connections (which then contains “What Does it Mean?”, “Is it True”, “Now What”); and finally Creativity in Presentation. The dual-authorship is the most unique aspect of the Kerux commentary series. Dr. Harvey is the exegetical author who is an expert in biblical exegesis. Rev. Gentino is the homiletical author whose expertise is in the preaching of God’s Word. The expertise of both of these men shines through each and every chapter in this book, helping the reader to better understand the text and also helping the teacher or preacher to proclaim the text in creative ways that are true to the text.
In addition to the above sections, there are also “Textual Analysis” sections that provide paragraph-long comments on textual issues. There are also many other wonderful features sprinkled throughout the book, such as charts, key questions for study groups, photographs, maps, sidebars with historical background and other info, and more. The combination of all these features in one commentary makes it quite unique and very helpful.
I greatly enjoyed reading through this commentary. This work is well researched and interacts with an abundance of other scholarly works on the book of Acts. While this commentary is quite technical in its dealings with exegetical issues, it’s written very clearly and could surely be understood by a wide audience. The preaching sections were a joy to read. Gentino offers ample help to pastors in their preparation of sermons based on the book of Acts.
This will be a wonderful addition to the library of any pastor or bible teacher. The unique format, excellent scholarship, and practical preaching helps make this volume a fantastic resource. I commend it to you. Tolle lege, take up and read.
Disclaimer: My thanks to Kregel Academic for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Matt became a joyful follower of Jesus at the age of 21. He is very grateful to be a husband to Lindsey, and a father to four boys. He is an ordained minister (teaching elder) in the PCA. He previously served as a pastor of biblical counseling and is currently a corporate chaplain in southern Delaware. Matt received his Master of Divinity degree in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and holds an advanced certification in biblical counseling from the Association of Biblical Counselors. In his free time, he loves playing with his boys, traveling with his wife, and reading (and buying!) books.
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