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Welwyn Commentary #42
Luke: Saving a Fallen World
Saving a Fallen World. At the heart of Luke's Gospel is the truth that God sent his Son to 'seek and to save what was lost'. More than any of the other Gospel writers, Luke shows us the Lord dealing with individual people and how their lives were changed as a result of their personal encounter with him. These people came from all ranks of the rugged fisherman, the poor widow, the wealthy tax collector, the ruler of the synagogue, the Roman centurion. As the only New Testament writer who was not a Jew, Luke consciously writes his account for Gentiles as well as Jews, showing that the message of the Gospel is for all kinds of people in this fallen world.
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1993
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February 21, 2025
Are you looking for something more substantial than the usual two pages in daily Bible reading notes to guide you through Luke’s Gospel? Are you a preacher looking for ideas for illustrations or application in sermons or studies? Saving a Fallen World could be what you are looking for.
Like almost all in the Welwyn Commentary Series, this book is not a commentary in the traditional sense. The Welwyn Commentaries are written mostly by serving or retired pastors. They are not scholarly or academic but usually based on sermons or Bible studies the author has delivered. There is no verse-by-verse exegesis but devotional exposition of passages with simple explanations, apt illustrations and pointed applications. The commentaries are written from a conservative evangelical point of view with a reformed (or Calvinist) understanding of the sovereignty of God in all things, especially in saving sinners.
As a result, books in the Welwyn Commentary Series are not cumbered with lengthy introductions, discussions of authorship, date of writing, major themes, etc, or with detailed analysis of words, grammar or syntax. We are taken straight to the text, much as a pastor would do when embarking on a new series. The books are warmly pastoral and engaging. This book is based on the sermons that Michael Bentley preached as pastor of Great Holland Free Church in Bracknell, UK.
Saving a Fallen World (hereafter called the book) gives a chapter to each of the chapters in Luke’s Gospel. The chapters in the Gospel are long and Michael Bentley clearly did not cover each in one sermon. It seems clear that the main sections in each chapter of the book relate to the sermons as they were preached. Thus, the book’s chapter on Luke 2 is divided into three sections: The Birth of Jesus (2:1-20), Anna and Simeon (2:21-40) and The Boy Jesus in the Temple (vv41-52).
Each section begins with a paragraph to draw you in, as a preacher would do at the beginning of a sermon. Thus, the section on the temptations of Jesus (4:1-13) begins: “Is it sinful to be tempted? No because Jesus himself was tempted on at least three occasions, and we know that he was without sin.” The section on disputes about the Sabbath (6:1-11) begins: “When I was a boy Sunday was a rather miserable day. It was a day when I was not allowed to go out to play with the other children.”
The author’s explanations, comments and examples are always helpful, though if you want a difficult point worked through you will need a different commentary. Thus, on Jesus’ startling words about his disciples hating father and mother, wife and children, etc. (14:26), the author simply says:
“He pulled the crowd up in their tracks because he did not just want hangers-on. He wanted people to follow him who would be fully committed to him and learn from him, as an apprentice learns from his master. He was not saying that his disciples should turn against all of their loved ones; that would be contrary to the fifth commandment and also to his own teaching. He meant that all his followers should love him more than they loved their own families.”
There are a few slight anomalies and irritations. Why, for instance, does the author refer many times to Elizabeth’s, Mary’s and Zechariah’s prophetic utterances in Luke 1 as songs, when Luke tells us only that Elizabeth “exclaimed”, Mary “said” and Zechariah “prophesied” (vv42, 46 & 67)? The author does, after all, make a point of telling us that the angels in Luke 2 “spoke of glory to God in heaven”, pointing out that “the text does not say that they sang”.
The writer refers to the widow of Nain’s son as “the lad” but the word used by Luke is also used of the rich young ruler (Mt 19:20-21) and for the young man (or angel) in the tomb (Mk 16:5). He also refers to the centurion’s servant (7:1-7) as a boy, though the NIV translates the word the centurion used (7:7) as ‘servant’. The comment on Luke 14:18 uses a stereotype that grates: “Can we imagine a Jew (of all people) spending money on a field without seeing it first?” The writer later has Peter and John catch up with the man carrying a jar of water and give him Jesus’ message, whereas Luke says they were to follow him into a house and speak to the owner (22:10-13).
Despite these irritations, this is an excellent companion to walk with you through Luke’s Gospel. I have used it with real benefit both in personal devotions and as an aid in sermon preparation. It is warm-hearted and pastoral, helpful and challenging, clear and relevant. Above all it helps us to see Christ proclaimed in Luke’s Gospel as the Saviour of this fallen world.
Like almost all in the Welwyn Commentary Series, this book is not a commentary in the traditional sense. The Welwyn Commentaries are written mostly by serving or retired pastors. They are not scholarly or academic but usually based on sermons or Bible studies the author has delivered. There is no verse-by-verse exegesis but devotional exposition of passages with simple explanations, apt illustrations and pointed applications. The commentaries are written from a conservative evangelical point of view with a reformed (or Calvinist) understanding of the sovereignty of God in all things, especially in saving sinners.
As a result, books in the Welwyn Commentary Series are not cumbered with lengthy introductions, discussions of authorship, date of writing, major themes, etc, or with detailed analysis of words, grammar or syntax. We are taken straight to the text, much as a pastor would do when embarking on a new series. The books are warmly pastoral and engaging. This book is based on the sermons that Michael Bentley preached as pastor of Great Holland Free Church in Bracknell, UK.
Saving a Fallen World (hereafter called the book) gives a chapter to each of the chapters in Luke’s Gospel. The chapters in the Gospel are long and Michael Bentley clearly did not cover each in one sermon. It seems clear that the main sections in each chapter of the book relate to the sermons as they were preached. Thus, the book’s chapter on Luke 2 is divided into three sections: The Birth of Jesus (2:1-20), Anna and Simeon (2:21-40) and The Boy Jesus in the Temple (vv41-52).
Each section begins with a paragraph to draw you in, as a preacher would do at the beginning of a sermon. Thus, the section on the temptations of Jesus (4:1-13) begins: “Is it sinful to be tempted? No because Jesus himself was tempted on at least three occasions, and we know that he was without sin.” The section on disputes about the Sabbath (6:1-11) begins: “When I was a boy Sunday was a rather miserable day. It was a day when I was not allowed to go out to play with the other children.”
The author’s explanations, comments and examples are always helpful, though if you want a difficult point worked through you will need a different commentary. Thus, on Jesus’ startling words about his disciples hating father and mother, wife and children, etc. (14:26), the author simply says:
“He pulled the crowd up in their tracks because he did not just want hangers-on. He wanted people to follow him who would be fully committed to him and learn from him, as an apprentice learns from his master. He was not saying that his disciples should turn against all of their loved ones; that would be contrary to the fifth commandment and also to his own teaching. He meant that all his followers should love him more than they loved their own families.”
There are a few slight anomalies and irritations. Why, for instance, does the author refer many times to Elizabeth’s, Mary’s and Zechariah’s prophetic utterances in Luke 1 as songs, when Luke tells us only that Elizabeth “exclaimed”, Mary “said” and Zechariah “prophesied” (vv42, 46 & 67)? The author does, after all, make a point of telling us that the angels in Luke 2 “spoke of glory to God in heaven”, pointing out that “the text does not say that they sang”.
The writer refers to the widow of Nain’s son as “the lad” but the word used by Luke is also used of the rich young ruler (Mt 19:20-21) and for the young man (or angel) in the tomb (Mk 16:5). He also refers to the centurion’s servant (7:1-7) as a boy, though the NIV translates the word the centurion used (7:7) as ‘servant’. The comment on Luke 14:18 uses a stereotype that grates: “Can we imagine a Jew (of all people) spending money on a field without seeing it first?” The writer later has Peter and John catch up with the man carrying a jar of water and give him Jesus’ message, whereas Luke says they were to follow him into a house and speak to the owner (22:10-13).
Despite these irritations, this is an excellent companion to walk with you through Luke’s Gospel. I have used it with real benefit both in personal devotions and as an aid in sermon preparation. It is warm-hearted and pastoral, helpful and challenging, clear and relevant. Above all it helps us to see Christ proclaimed in Luke’s Gospel as the Saviour of this fallen world.
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