Mark: A Theological Commentary for Preachers

by Abraham Kuruvilla

A Theological Commentary for Preachers engages hermeneutics for preaching, employing theological exegesis that enables the preacher to utilize all the narrative units of Mark to craft effective sermons. This commentary unpacks the crucial link between Scripture and the theology of each preaching text. The Gospel of Mark is therefore divided into twenty-five narrative units, with the theological focus of each clearly delineated. The specificity of these theological ideas for their respective texts makes possible a sequential homiletical movement through each pericope of the book, progressively developing the theological trajectory of Mark's theme of discipleship, and enabling the expositor to discover valid application for sermons. While the primary goal of the commentary is to take the preacher from text to theology, it also aids in the advance from theology to sermon by providing tips for preaching and two possible sermon outlines for each of the twenty-five units of the Gospel. The unique approach of this work results in a theology-for-preaching commentary that promises to be useful for anyone teaching through Mark's Gospel with an emphasis on application.

Genres: Theology

426 pages, Paperback

First published February 24, 2012

About the author

Abraham Kuruvilla (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas, and is a practicing dermatologist. He is the author of several books, including Privilege the Text! A Theological Hermeneutic for Preaching, and has written a number of preaching commentaries. A past president of the Evangelical Homiletics Society, he blogs regularly at homiletix.com.

Reviews

[Caleb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent, but not great. I felt like the sermon outlines weren't super helpful, and I'm not a fan of how it all was worded. Unfortunately, this is more of an intuition than objective measurement, so I have to admit it is purely opinion. But, I found the book overly wordy, and not as helpful as other commentaries for exegesis. The main caveat is that I prefer to come up with my own outlines and wording, and it felt like this commentary was trying to get me to phrase the theology of the passage a very specific way (and most of the time ways I didn't like)

I'm a current DTS student, so this was a required textbook of mine. I have loved the classes and professors (mostly), but I just found this book unhelpful. I can tell Dr. Kuruvilla put a lot of thought and energy into it, so I hope it is beneficial to others. But I did not find it so.

[Nickolas Wingholt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine commentary in its own right. I think Dr. K's exegetical insights are clear and impactful, and I have come to appreciate Mark's gospel for its unique voice. The lower rating really comes from some reservations I have with his preaching method as I have continued to study his work. Nothing blatantly wrong, just veers a bit towards idiosyncracy - and that sometimes confuses a young preacher more than encourages. Still a fan, and I still could be fully convinced to his framework, given time. 1st time read. 3/5.

[Tony Villatoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn’t get to read the complete book, but the commentary on the following passages that I got to preach were the ones I read. Does reading 75% of the book count as the whole book? Hmmm. For commentaries, I’ll say so! 😬🤷🏽‍♂️😂

Mark 1:1-8
Mark 1:9-15
Mark 1:21-45
Mark 3:13-35
Mark 4:1-20
Mark 6:30-44
Mark 7:31-37
Mark 8:11-21
Mark 9:2-13
Mark 9:38-49
Mark 11:1-11
Mark 11:12-26
Mark 14:12-31
Mark 14:1–15:47
Mark 16:1-8

[Sujay Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly Enjoyable

Dr. Kuruvilla seeks to show what the author is doing with the text, not merely what the author is saying. And what Mark appears to be doing should convict and comfort any self-proclaimed disciple.

This is not just a commentary for preachers, but a devotional for disciples.

[Mallory Lozoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for a commentary to help me delve beneath the surface of the Bible and I was not disappointed. I came away with a deeper understanding of the gospel of Mark. Written well and easy to understand.

[Timothy Dison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This quickly became a primary source for my study as I preached through the Gospel of Mark. Having finished the commentary, I would say Kuruvilla's work is an indispensable resource for any preacher seeking to communicate Mark's authorial intentions.

[Jonathan Lloyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for school.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

1/29/2015
Well crafted detailed account of Mark's gospel both theological and literary aspects coming into play to help the reader understand Mark's message.