Acts

We begin by congratulating BRF on finishing their People's Bible Commentary and Loveday Alexander's book on Acts is one of the last to be published. These snapshots of the Bible are excellent starting points for Bible study and studies but this does not mean they are short on theological astuteness as Alexander, professor at Sheffield University and Canon Theologian at Chester cathedral, demonstrates. The PBC remains easily the most complete (at last!) and accessible starting point for discovery more about the Bible. Christian Marketplace The publication this year of four further volumes in the People's Bible Commentary series from BRF brings the total number of volumes to 32. Each volume is priced GBP8.99 although the publishers operate a voucher scheme whereby purchases of four volumes may request a fifth free of charge: each book contains the necessary vouchers. The last is the latest quartet are: Genesis, by Dr Gerald West, of the University of KwaZulu- Natal, South Africa; Isaiah, by Dr Jo Bailey Wells, a past Dean of Clare College, Cambridge and Tutor in Old Testament at Ridley Hall, Cambridge; Daniel, by Dr Doug Ingram, of St. Johns College, Nottingham; and Acts by Rev Canon Prof Loveday Alexander, of Sheffield University. Each book is produced in the same easy-to-read format with daily two-page sections devoted to a chosen group of verses and concluding either with a prayer or a reflection. Accessible and helpful Methodist Recorder 'This is a commentary for lay people and preachers, written in simple language with few technicalities. The text of Acts is divided into 87 passages, each of which gets two pages on which the text is explained. Some devotional thoughts are always included, while at the end a prayer, a thought for reflection or a question for discussion appears. At the beginning of the book a concise introduction provides the necessary background and a bibliography. Alexander thinks Acts was written after AD70 by a former traveling companion of Paul and she argues that the speeches stem from him rather than from the book's characters. Despite the straitjacket of the format, Alexander manages to pay attention to issues such as the larger structure of Acts and relevant background information. At the same time, her comments show much pastoral wisdom and the awareness that application 2000 years on is not straightforward. I enjoyed her treatment of the sensitive issue of the position of the Jewish people. The one point I would question is her interpretation of 'the ends of the earth' as a reference to Rome. Anybody who wants to read Acts devotionally will profit greatly from this gem. I will recommend it to members of my church, to participants in lay training courses and to beginning students.' -- Pieter J. Lallerman Journal for the Study of the New Testament Review from: Fransiscan magazine - January 2008 If you're tired of reading William Barclay for the umpteenth time ,and Tom Wright doesn't quite speak on your wavelength, then this series of commentaries may be just the thing for you. Scholarship and devotion are here, lots to ponder and chew upon, and just enough for a day's reading to get you interested but not discourage you with endless detail or mystify you with obscure Greek or Hebrew terms. It would, however, be a disciplined person who restricted themselves to just the day's reading, taking around three months to complete each book. These two volumes (Genesis and Acts), together with others on Isaiah and Daniel, bring to completion the People's Bible Commentary series in 32 volumes covering all the books of the Old and New Testaments. Each day a short reading of typically five to 15 verses is given two sides of comment and reflection. The authors are recognised biblical scholars from around the world - Gerald West (Genesis), for example, is a South African professor from the University of Natal. The comments do not shy away from critical issues, but are aimed at a non-academic audience, with an underlying reverence for the scriptures that you would expect from the publishers BRF. Each day's reading ends with a short prayer or reflection. The price is very reasonable, and there are even vouchers in the back so that for every four volumes you buy you can send off for one extra volume free. Even the covers are tastefully designed and would make an aesthetic contribution to any bookshelf. For the thinking man or woman in the pew: altogether, a highly recommended series. Reviewed by Nicholas Alan SSF -- Nicholas Alan SSF The Franciscan