1 & 2 Corinthians: Zondervan's Illustrated Bible: Book Analysis

It is a wonderful thing to be able to learn about the different contexts in which Scripture was written in, and while it may take a lot of work, it is encouraging to learn that there are many Christians that are eager to take the time to dig deep in their understanding of the Bible. But with the amount of Bible commentaries that are available, and the different types that have been written, it can be difficult to choose which would be the best help for the average Christian who isn’t necessarily interested in going to Bible College. In 1 & 2 Corinthians: Zondervan’s Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, coauthors David W. J. Gill and Moyer V. Hubbard combine different aspects of expository, exegetical, and historical-critical commentaries to write a commentary tailored to the average churchgoer. In the last page of the introduction, Clinton Arnold, the general editor, explains that the goal of the Illustrated Bible Background Commentary series is “to offer a reading and interpretation of the text informed by what we regard as the most relevant historical information for many in the church.” While they follow the typical verse-by-verse structure of most
Unlike most commentaries which immediately throw the reader into a verse-by-verse dissection of the epistles, the authors begin each half with a brief overview of the letter. The summary includes a brief history of the city of Corinth, an explanation of the cities religious practices, and the issues that are addressed in Paul’s letters as well as how the two relate to one another. These summaries are very well written and on their own, while they wouldn’t make much of a book, provide the reader with incredible insight of Corinthian culture and the context of the letters, and are perhaps the defining trait of this