Amg Concise Bible Commentary

by Don Fleming

Book Overview

" The AMG Concise Commentary" bridges the gap between a technical Bible commentary and the person who has little technical knowledge when it comes to understanding the Bible. The commentary is based... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0899576729
• ISBN13: 9780899576725
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: AMG Publishers
• Length: 604 Pages
• Weight: 1.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Great resource for teachers and Bible students

It's too bad that this book isn't more widely known. As most readers will know, there are hundreds of Bible commentaries out there written from many different perspectives, and varying widely in quality, detail, etc., and along with the Harper Collins Bible Commentary and a couple of others, this is one I've ended up always having on the desk while I'm studying. This particular commentary has a great strength which distinguishes it from other commentaries: it excels in giving the reader a concise but adequately comprehensive bird's eye view of everything that's going on in any given area of the Bible. It doesn't include the Byzantine detail or academic probing of something like the Oxford Bible Commentary, but then again, that's the point. The best way I can describe it is to imagine that reading the Bible is like making your way through a hundred miles of thick forest, stream, field, etc. Many of the gigantic commentaries will give you details on every tree and fern and stump, which is great - but reading the Bible with this book by your side is the equivalent of having photos taken from a helicopter up above every mile of the area. It really helps keep you oriented. In the interests of specificity, I should note that this book includes theological, historical, and textual information, written in an easy to understand style, and follows along with each book of the Bible. I very much appreciate in particular the way that Don Fleming has approached the Gospels - he has organized this part of his commentary to chronologically follow Jesus's life, and listed the various passages in each gospel in like order. In this way one can gain a real sense for the actual flow of Jesus's ministry, rather than reading all the way through Matthew, then all the way through Mark, etc., losing track of what happened when. His material on Jewish history between Malachi and the time of Jesus's birth is also valuable. While the author is clearly a believer, he deserves praise for avoiding the kind of crushing dogmatism and theological "score-settling" that is the feature of some faith-based commentaries. Because of this, this commentary will be appreciated by members of all denominations. Another feature that distinguishes this from other faith-based commentaries is that the mild historical explanations Fleming includes are totally in line with the latest archaelogical and historical scholarship. Whether you are a Sunday School teacher, or are merely interested in "getting to know" the Bible, Fleming's book provides a rich guide. Good luck.

This Commentary Shines

"Lucid" is the word that springs to mind to describe this one-volume Bible commentary. I have several single-volume Bible commentaries on my shelves, and this is one of my favourites. It originated in the Thai language through the missionary work of Don and Gae Fleming, and was written particularly with ease of understanding in mind. It is complemented by a few simple maps (e.g. Palestine in New Testament times), charts (e.g. David's family and relatives), and brief introductions to each of the books of the Bible - typically each a page. As a matter of interest, the commentary is available in at least eight languages. The commentary shines from a number of points of view. Firstly, it has spiritual clarity. Fleming has an impressive ability to cut through the complexity of a Bible passage, and to touch its spiritual core. I frequently reach for this commentary when I am unable to see through a passage, and need spiritual insight. Secondly, Fleming has an extraordinary ability to summarise the spiritual truth contained in a passage. Thirdly, he has an extraordinary talent for summarising historical events. And fourthly, he has the special ability to bring balance to bear on the text, where it would seem all too easy for a commentator to go off on favourite tangents. He casts his eye widely over biblical truth. Fleming also makes some interesting observations on science and the Bible, clearly with a view to giving practitioners some basic apologetic tools. In Fleming's own words, he seeks simply to "let the Bible speak for itself". With only half the number of pages that the Bible itself contains, one needs to understand of course that this commentary has its limitations. Yet all in all, it brings both factual and spiritual clarity, it flows beautifully, and it has been greatly used by God. Not least, it may serve as an ideal gift as "a first commentary for Bible study", as it claims to be.