Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary: Hebrews
(Tyndale House)
Finally! A readable commentary on the book of Hebrews in the Bible.
Author: Charles R. Swindoll
Genre: Bible Study Reference
Reader Appeal: All Ages
Footnotes, Maps, concise overview, timelines! These are a few of my favorite things. Charles Swindoll’s commentary of the book of Hebrews has all these and more. I enjoy biblical commentaries almost as much as I enjoy the bible. I like lists about lists, footnotes that take me on a three hour google tour, and don’t get me started on “At a Glance” charts!
The Hebrews commentary, like the rest of the 15-volume set is laid out in an easy to understand way. There is the introduction, which has maps, quick facts a timeline and an “at a glance” chart. I could hardly contain myself. Each chapter covers a section of scripture with key terms to look for, the actual scripture in both the NASB and NLT. The commentary begins almost verse by verse, each chapter will have an application, how to apply the text to your life, finally every few chapters will have a personal insight from the author, what a portion of scripture has meat to him how he has seen Christ work in his life.
There are as many commentaries as there are opinions that a person could own. Why would you want to buy a commentary, they’re expensive, for some they can be challenging to read, most information is just a google away. Commentaries are a way to check your interpretation of scripture, especially in this social media age when people use bible verses out of context to fit their narrative (this is as old as the word itself, it happened in the days of Jesus) It could be my untrusting nature or the student that lives in me but I want to see for myself what Jesus meant when he said so and so, or when Paul quotes the Old Testament what did it mean in the context of the time period. Aren’t we blessed that we live in a time where information is at our fingertips, that libraries are plentiful, that we have nice friends that lend us books (ok so I have nice friends, find a friend to lend you books) Don’t always trust what you hear.
Charles Swindoll’s commentaries are for not only students but for everyone. They have humor and personal touches throughout. Not once did I feel like I was being talked down to or that I needed to first get a seminary degree.
So get your highlighters, dictionaries, bibles and notebooks out, or just grab a warm spot to sit and enjoy. Either way you’ll learn something new in this book.
Let's Talk About It
Use these questions to spark discussion among family members who are interested in this book:
• What are the benefits of commentaries for the average person?
• How could going to a commentary make the bible more interesting or more boring?
• Do you think the average bible reader uses commentaries? Should they? How would it affect the way they interact with the bible?
--JH
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