This is a refreshing attempt to produce a new type of commentary, one that is synchronic rather than diachronic. It is well researched, carefully crafted, and eminently readable. It would function as a complement, a sometimes a corrective, to the traditional redaction critical commentary.
This is a commentary that maintains a constant freshness and sense of direction as issue succeeds to issue. It is one to use and to read, especially if you are interested to see how the Gospel of Luke fares in the light of the two fruitful questions: How does the narrative go? And how does it go as a Jewish-influenced Christian work of late first-century Graeco-Roman society, with its own ways of looking at the world, many of them fascinatingly different from our own, though intelligible, not least if we attend to books like this.
This is among the best volumes in an impressive conservative commentary series on the Greek text and RSV translation.... The author constantly throws new light on the text by being unusually sensitive to Old Testament echoes and to the evangelist's narrative strategies.
Green has given a great gift to NT scholarship. His book is a full-scale critical commentary characterized by substantial interaction with international scholarship.... Green has written the state-of-the-art book on the Third Gospel.
IZBG: Issues in Law & Medicine
This is a significant contribution to the study of Luke. The general concentration in more recent years on the theological message of Luke and the coherence of his two-volume work is to be welcomed, and it is important that full account should be taken of social attitudes and relationships in the ancient world in trying to assess the impact Luke intended the gospel to have. This commentary contains a wealth of material which subsequent students of the gospel will have to address and insights at many points for which they will be grateful.
Journal of Theological Studies
This is an approach for which the Lukan scholar ought to be truly grateful, a timely contribution to studies of Luke-Acts that expounds the text in detail for what it claims to be, a narrative, and not an archeological tel.
Reviews in Religion & Theology (U.K.)
"An outstanding contribution to Lukan scholarship. The methodology is a refreshing alternative to several more familiar approaches.... This book will be warmly received by scholars.... This is a fine reference tool that will well serve the preacher or teacher in the pursuit of literary connections and theological meaning."
This major new commentary on the Gospel of Luke is exceptionally fine.... A thorough and finely balanced study of the context and message of Luke's Gospel.
...[A] strict and complete example of a recent trend to abandon the methods of tradition history, form criticism, and redaction criticism....[A]part from a few points, such as those noted in the two preceding paragraphs, I found the overall perspective on Luke to be convincing. It is very similar to my own. Green's interpretation of Luke is presented clearly, in full detail, and in a format that will be useful not only to the specialist but to a broader public.Society of Biblical Literature
Christianity Today , Number 11 on the Top 25 Books of the Year list (1998)Biblica "This is a refreshing attempt to produce a new type of commentary, one that is synchronic rather than diachronic. It is well researched, carefully crafted, and eminently readable. It would function as a complement, a sometimes a corrective, to the traditional redaction critical commentary."Church Times (U.K.) "This is a commentary that maintains a constant freshness and sense of direction as issue succeeds to issue. It is one to use and to read, especially if you are interested to see how the Gospel of Luke fares in the light of the two fruitful questions: How does the narrative go? And how does it go as a Jewish-influenced Christian work of late first-century Graeco-Roman society, with its own ways of looking at the world, many of them fascinatingly different from our own, though intelligible, not least if we attend to books like this."Expository Times "This is among the best volumes in an impressive conservative commentary series on the Greek text and RSV translation. . . The author constantly throws new light on the text by being unusually sensitive to Old Testament echoes and to the evangelist's narrative strategies."Internationale Zeitschriftenschau für Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete (IZBG) "Green has given a great gift to NT scholarship. His book is a full-scale critical commentary characterized by substantial interaction with international scholarship. . . Green has written the state-of-the-art book on the Third Gospel."Journal of Theological Studies "This is a significant contribution to the study of Luke. The general concentration in more recent years on the theological message of Luke and the coherence of his two-volume work is to be welcomed, and it is important that full account should be taken of social attitudes and relationships in the ancient world in trying to assess the impact Luke intended the gospel to have. This commentary contains a wealth of material which subsequent students of the gospel will have to address and insights at many points for which they will be grateful."Reviews in Religion & Theology (U.K.) "This is an approach for which the Lukan scholar ought to be truly grateful, a timely contribution to studies of Luke-Acts that expounds the text in detail for what it claims to be, a narrative , and not an archeological tel."Stone-Campbell Journal "An outstanding contribution to Lukan scholarship. The methodology is a refreshing alternative to several more familiar approaches. . . This book will be warmly received by scholars. . . This is a fine reference tool that will well serve the preacher or teacher in the pursuit of literary connections and theological meaning."The Bible Today "This major new commentary on the Gospel of Luke is exceptionally fine. . . A thorough and finely balanced study of the context and message of Luke's Gospel."
