Acts

New Cambridge Bible Commentary

by Craig S. Keener

As the earliest narrative source for the origins of Christianity, Acts is of unrivalled importance for understanding early Christianity and the mission that originally brought it from Judea and Galilee to gentiles, and even the heart of the Roman Empire. This volume is an abridged version of Keener's monumental, four-volume commentary on Acts, the longest and one of the most thorough engagements with Acts in its ancient setting. Sensitive to the work's narrative unity, Keener's commentary is especially known for its direct engagement with the wide range of ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman sources. The original commentary cited some 45,000 references from ancient extrabiblical sources to shed light on the Book of Acts. This accessible edition, aimed at students, scholars, and pastors, makes more widely available the decades of research that Keener has devoted to one of the key texts of Early Christianity.

633 pages, Hardcover

Published January 31, 2020

About the author

Craig S. Keener (PhD, Duke University) is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is the author of many books, including Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, the bestseller The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels, Gift and Giver, and commentaries on Matthew, John, Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, and Revelation.

Reviews

[Christian Wermeskerch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad this edition exists - I'm not sure I would've had the patience (or the interest) to work through the four volume, thousands-of-pages long edition.

This is a great read on Acts, especially if you're interested in the Greek and Rome context of the book. A lot of work on rhetoric and ancient maps. Not a lot of interaction with the story of the Hebrew Bible, but still learned a lot about the world in which Paul operated.

[Earl Pestano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great aid for me to have a deeper understanding on the book of Acts!

[Braeden Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keener’s research is simply invaluable for any exegetical or historiographical study on the Book of Acts.