Kregel has done something in their Kerux commentary series that not many other commentary series have tried: they match up an established biblical scholar with a proven preacher in each volume. This allows the volumes in the series to be deeply academic and practically helpful for pastors who are trying to craft careful sermons from the text. For Kregel’s new volume on the gospel of Matthew, Dallas Theological Seminary professor Darrell Bock is paired up with pastor Timothy Sprankle.
The commentary is 799 pages and covers the entire gospel. The authors break up Matthew into individual preaching pericopes, and for each section provide a summary, literary structure, exposition, theological focus, and preaching and teaching strategies section. Bock and Sprankle bring a “big idea” concept to their studies reminiscent of Haddon Robinson. I appreciate this as a pastor because it forces the commentators to boil each text down into what they believe is the main idea of that text. This brings a unifying element to each section of the commentary.
I found the summary section at the beginning of each text and the exposition sections to be the most helpful. Bock does thorough research and makes the most of his page allotment, giving the reader a good understanding of the text and the background of the passage. Likewise, the summary section at the beginning of the text offers a great one page overview of the exegetical and theological flow of the text and helps the reader see the bigger picture before digging into the individual verses.
The “contemporary connections” and “creativity in presentation” sections are a mixed bag. Some are very helpful and offer excellent ideas on how to best present a text. Others seem to drift into creativity at the cost of preaching the text itself. If these sections had been simplified, the book probably could have been trimmed down by 50 pages.
Overall though, the book is solid and helpful for anyone seeking to better understand the Gospel of Matthew. It will be a great resource for pastors and Bible study leaders alike. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.