Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians

Christ-Centered Exposition

by Mark Howell, David Platt (Editor), Daniel L. Akin (Editor)

Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians  is one volume in Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.  This series affirms that the Bible is a Christ-centered book, containing a unified story of redemptive history of which Jesus is the hero. It’s presented as sermons, divided into chapters that conclude with a “Reflect & Discuss” section, making this series ideal for small group study, personal devotion, and even sermon preparation. It’s not academic but rather presents an easy-reading, practical and friendly commentary. The series is projected to be 48 volumes.

Genres: Christian, Reference, New Testament, Christianity

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2015

Reviews

[Travis Agnew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howell's overview of Paul's letters to the Thessalonians is helpful and accessible. This often-overlooked section of Pauline literature is a treasure chest of instructing a healthy church to continue getting healthier. Howell does a good job of providing the needed information without getting bogged down in unnecessary details.

[Chris Amaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howell does a wonderful job of clearly explaining the intent & purpose of each of Paul's letters to the church at Thessalonica. I'm particularly fond of the emphasis and clarity provided in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. Solid commentary and exposition.

[Kyle Whitfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

Theologically sound, but one of the more boring writers in this series. It feels like chapters are stretched at times to give the book a size more comparable to others in the series. Still some of the chapters were really impactful, for me specifically the section covering 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.

[Paul (Linda) Dillow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Howell has a refreshing style in both his teaching and preaching. His depth of theological knowledge is reflected in this book.

[Barbara Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I gained a few insights from this book, I thought it was wordy and repetitive in some places. Not my favorite commentary.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a number of the Christ-Centrered Exposition Series and they have now become my go-to resource for studying scripture. I often use a second commentary for comparison and additional thought. The series editors mention that they have written these commentaries for the pastor, however, I consider them excellent for the layperson being one myself.

Thessalonians is a surprisingly challenging set of epistles as Paul deals with some meaty issues, in particular, the Day of the Lord and Second Coming, lazy distracting church members and purity. Mark Howell, author of this commentary, does an excellent job in presenting the issues and providing an expository understanding of them. He sources other well-known commentators including John Stott and Gordon Fee which adds to the work.

Even though it is not a verse-by-verse commentary this work is very detailed. The fact that it's almost 260 pages covering only eight reasonably short chapters of the Bible tells Howell covers the key themes in some detail.

As I've mentioned before when reviewing one of this series I recommend them highly and this one is no exception.

[Shirley Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

The process of sanctification is often uncomfortable and painful but 1&2 Thessalonians gave me encouragement and renewed hope! Walking through each verse reminded me of God's promises and was a lot of info to chew on...I had to bust out my highlighter:) I used this as part of my daily devotional and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!

[Jon Anderson]

Journey Group Spring/Summer 2018