Matthew

by G. Jerome Albrecht, Michael J. Albrecht

Many people have found The People’s Bible to be the most reliable Bible commentary series published. It’s the laypeople’s Bible—down to earth, clearly written, easy to read and understand, filled with practical and contemporary applications. Each volume includes that book’s complete text from the NIV Bible. The Christ-centered commentaries following the Scripture sections contain explanations of the text, historical background, maps, illustrations, and archaeological information. The People’s Bible commentaries are great for personal or group study.

When Matthew left his tax collector's booth in Galilee to follow Jesus, he became an eyewitness to the Savior's ministry. His record gives the teachings of Jesus special attention and assures believers that Jesus is the Messiah foretold by so many Old Testament prophecies. For these reasons, his gospel has become the first book of the New Testament.

456 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Kristin Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of Scriptural truths and really good historical background in this book. I did feel like the authors were trying too hard to make poetic connections, like connecting the earthquake when Jesus died to the earthquake at his resurrection. Food for thought, but are we overthinking it?

[Spacek Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew is one of four Gospels discussing the life of Jesus Christ, our savior. It was written to speak to the Jews concerning who Christ was and his purpose on earth. Once again the authors get to the heart of Christian faith! (2nd Reading)

In this reading, I learned that the devil is not omnipresent. Unlike God, the devil cannot be at all places at once. The devil may influence our thoughts, but it is our sinful flesh that carries them forward. This challenges us every day to remember and be thankful for Jesus suffering for us. (3rd Reading)

Jesus speaks to all directly and with clarity. He teaches us the Lord's prayer, which is an act of love and forgiveness. Through thanking God in this prayer, we realize that God provides everything for us. Through His mercy and forgiving us through Jesus, se become renewed to love God and our neighbors as we love ourself. The Beatitudes and Seven Woes reinforce this. (4th Reading)

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a standalone Bible (NIV 84) with built in commentary for the New Testament book of Matthew. The authors break the book into 8 sections so that it is possible to read a single segment of the book instead of the whole book.

This is a rather long commentary at 444 pages for a 28 chapter Bible book. It is extremely detailed and often there are pages of commentary for just a few Bible verses. The authors are very good about adding other details to accounts that are found in the other three gospels for comparison. They also bring in a lot of background information about the Pharisees and other Jewish customs that Matthew would have assumed that his Jewish audience already knew.

Overall, this is a great commentary that is geared toward lay people.