Matthew for Everyone: Part One, Chapters 1-15 by Tom Wright

Matthew for Everyone: Part One, Chapters 1-15 Reviews

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  Neil R. Coulter

  N. T. Wright's For Everyone series of New Testament commentaries is so helpful. Wright is capable of writing at a very high theological level--and I'm not really on that level, so I haven't gotten all I should out of a book like The New Testament and the People of God. But he is also able to write for the average person, and he's usually really good at it. I've been using Matthew for Everyone as my primary text in leading an adult evening Bible study, and it's been perfect. The book would be great for individual study, also, as Wright includes challenging application questions at the end of each small section of scripture/commentary.
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  Eric

  There is no small amount of Bible studies and commentaries available in Christian bookstores. What sets this book apart are 1) Wright's own translation of the text, which replaces or changes some words which carry baggage they have picked up over time (such as "Satan" to "the satan"); and 2) Wright's divergent perspective from the common evangelical narrative so popular today. Wright isn't afraid to suggest that there is a lot more going on in Jesus' ministry than just "saving" people from sin. He came to encourage humanity to repent and turn to God, and that means a lot more than having sins pardoned.
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  David Holford

  Always my first resource
  
  When preparing to preach or teach on any New Testament text, I first go to Wright's For Everyone series. It is not my only stop, and there are certainly commentaries that are more technical, but that is not the purpose of these books. While being theologically sound and useful to the most unlearned reader, taking a broad pericope-by-pericope approach with out breaking down individual verses, even for the trained theologian they provide a good framework for pursuing more detailed study. Wright's anecdotal introductions to each section encourage the lay reader toward their own personal application and the preacher toward integrating the practical with the exegetical.
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  Jeff

  I suggest you read everything you can get your hands on by Wright. This book and its companion volumes are a specific type of the genre "biblical commentary" that pretty much fits its title "For Everyone." Great companion to daily bible reading; much more so than the usual commentary (reference book).
• 
  Evan Hays

  I decided to read this one as a companion to my pastor’s summer sermon series going through Matthew with the lectionary readings. I am glad I did to get more out of these complex passages. I will also be using Matthew as my primary text for my chapels this year at my school.
  
   
  
  I don’t believe I have ever read this particular For Everyone volume before, although I have definitely read his Lent For Everyone one that goes through Matthew, although not every word of the whole book. For that reason as well, it was nice to read this through, to try to get a big picture view of what Matthew was trying to convey with his book.
  
   
  
  And as I probably say every time I review one of the volumes in this series, I am by no means a Bible scholar or theologian. These, therefore, are just right for me. I have read most of the books of the Bible at least a handful of times, and some I have read probably at least a dozen times. Over the years, I was finding that I needed more to help me along in my reading. I kind of reached a point where I wasn’t comfortable just saying, “well, I don’t really understand that passage” anymore. But I’m also not ready or interested in going to seminary or learning Greek at this point. These books kind of hit the sweet spot in between, and plus add in the devotional side of things as well.
  
   
  
  Wright is my favorite Bible scholar by far, and I love that he approaches things from a historical perspective (it also helps that I’m also Anglican). He is always asking you, as the reader, how you are going to apply what you learn from the text about Jesus and living life as a Christian. I need that. I also love that he is open if he doesn’t know exactly how to interpret a passage. He mentions what others have done to interpret it, and usually gives you the place that he is most comfortable landing on, but never talks down to you as the lay reader.
  
   
  
  I would say I am giving this 4 stars because I am yet to really get an idea of how all of these stories of Jesus combine together to make a certain point. I may very well get that in the second half of Matthew, which I will go right on and read. I mean, I understand the general idea that it is written mainly to the Jews. I am also starting to get the idea that he is framing Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy and correcting the people of Israel to what was always their true task: to be a light to the nations. There is a lot of judgment going on, though, in Matthew, and the judgment aspect as being necessary for this process to take place is a pretty tough pill to swallow. Wright points out that this only works because Jesus ultimately takes it all on himself. I need to understand more about that, and I believe I will get more about that in the second half version of the book.
• 
  Julianna

  Reviewed for
  THC Reviews
  Matthew for Everyone: Part 1 is a Bible study or devotional book that covers the first half of the Gospel of Matthew. It breaks down chapters one through fifteen of this biblical book into short snippets that have been specially translated by the author. Following each scripture passage is a brief mini-sermon that gives additional interpretation and insights on those verses, offering the reader something upon which to ponder.
  
  I can’t recall for certain where I first heard about Rev. N. T. Wright, Anglican minister and renowned theologian, but I believe his work was cited in some other book I read, perhaps Rob Bell’s What Is the Bible?. In any case, upon looking him up, I discovered that he’d written a full series of study books that cover the entire Bible. I was looking for something that would encourage me to read the Bible more regularly and that might offer helpful interpretation in easy-to-understand language and thought this looked like a good place to start. First of all, I like that, unlike other traditional devotional books, this one doesn’t have days of the week that make me feel like I’m failing if I don’t keep up. I can just read it when I have time and not feel guilty if I don’t.:-) I also like how the book breaks the Gospel of Matthew down into easily digestible pieces and that Rev. Wright offers some of his own wisdom regarding each of these passages. Each little section is approx. 3-4 pages long, which as a slow reader takes me about ten minutes or so to finish. By doing this regularly the reader will eventually be able to read their way through the entire Bible, which is what I was hoping to do when starting this endeavor. It’s been coming along extremely slowly, though, because in the beginning, I was only picking it up occasionally. I’ve been trying to step up my efforts more recently and managing to read a passage at least a few times per week now, but it remains to be seen if that pace continues. Although some passages were more insightful and spoke to me more than others, overall, I enjoyed this first volume and my first foray into Rev. Wright’s work. I wouldn’t necessarily say that this book blew me away, but it generally met my needs in the way that I was hoping, so I definitely plan to continue with the series.
• 
  Jeremy Manuel

  I have read other entries of N.T. Wright's "New Testament for Everyone" series before and really enjoyed them. Admittedly they're kind of hard books to classify fully. When I first started using the series, I was using them as a commentary to help prepare for leading Bible Study at our church, but with this book I used it more as a daily devotional reading a section each day. They worked well as both to be honest.
  
  Matthew for Everyone: Part One, Chapters 1-15 is a look at the first half of the book of Matthew. Wright does a good job of connecting what Jesus is doing to the Old Testament, while also showing that what Jesus came to do was perhaps a bit more expansive than many Christians seem to give him credit for today. It was not just about personal salvation, but about something a bit bigger that he was calling those who followed after him to be a part of.
  
  While I can't say that I always agreed with Wright's takeaways, although I did more than I didn't, it always gave me something to think about. My hope is to keep going through this series as a personal devotional as it just seems to work very nice in that regard, with the bonus of being able to be used as a resource should I need to prepare a study on any of these passages.
• 
  Ethan

  The beginning of Tom Wright's approachable yet magisterial commentary series on the New Testament.
  
  In the "For Everyone" series the Biblical text is broken down into sections; each section begins with Wright's translation of the text, some vignette or story intended to provide a means by which to discuss the text, an explanation of the text in its context in light of Second Temple Judaism and the Greco-Roman world, and then concluding with some possible points of application.
  
  These commentaries excel at providing a basic understanding of the text while drawing out some compelling connections and associations, and the commentary on Matthew 1-15 does not disappoint.
  
  Highly recommended both for the reader or student of the text as well as anyone who would teach Matthew 1-15 in a Bible class context.
• 
  Jean Marie Angelo

  When you need to learn scripture, and learn it quickly, this series by Tom Wright is a God send.
  
  The author and theologian includes every chapter and verse and includes reflection on each. I can see these thoughts and teachings as good jumping off points for sermons and Bible study. They are strongest when they lead right back to scripture.
  
  There were many good insights and questions that are spot on, including this one:
  "Are we working to extend God’s kingdom in the world? Or are we standing in its way?"
  
  The story of Jesus' birth in Matthew's gospel is seen through the eyes of Joseph; in Luke's gospel, we see it through Mary's, the author notes.
  
  Matthew shows us the more sober Joseph, discovering that his fiancée is pregnant.
  
  "He will rescue his people, not from slavery in Egypt, but from the slavery of sin, the 'exile' they be suffered not just in Babylon but in their own hearts and he By contrast, the name 'Emmanuel;, mentioned in Isaiah 7:14 and 8.8, was not given to anyone else, perhaps because it would say more about a child than anyone would normally dare! It means 'God with us' Matthew's whole gospel is framed by this theme: at the very end, Jesus promises that he will be with people to the close of the age (28.20)."
  
  "No. If 'kingdom of heaven' means the same as kingdom of God, then we have a much clearer idea of what Jesus had in mind. Anyone who was warning people about something that was about to happen must have known that the people he was talking to would understand. And any first-century Jew, hearing someone talking about God's kingdom, or the kingdom of heaven, would know. This meant revolution."
  
  "Jesus grew up in the shadow of kingdom-movements. The Romans had conquered his homeland about sixty years befor he was born. They were the last in a long line of pas to do so. They had installed Herod the Great, a sons after him, as puppet monarchs to do their d them. Most Jews resented both parts of this and longed for a chance to revolt."
  
  "The Beatitudes news consists of success, wealth, long life, victory in battle. lesus is offering wonderful news for the humble, the poor, the mourners, the peacemakers.
  The word for wonderful news' is often translated 'blessed, and part of the point is that this is God's wonderful news. God is acting in and through Jesus to turn the world upside down, to turn Israel upside down, to pour out lavish 'blessings' on all who now turn to him and accept the new thing that he is doing. (This list is sometimes called 'the Beatitudes, because the Latin word 'beatus' means 'blessed?) But the point is not to offer a list of what sort of people God normally blesses. The point is to announce God's new covenant."
  
  "In Deuteronomy, the people came through the wilderness and arrived at the border of the promised land, and God gave them a solemn covenant. He listed the blessings and the curses that would come upon them if they were obedient or disobedient (chapter 28). Now Matthew has shown us Jesus, coming out of Egypt (2.15), through the water and the wilderness (chapters 3 and 4), and into the land of promise (4.12-25)."
  
  "Jesus wasn't intending to abandon the law and the prophets. Israel's whole story, commands, promises and all, was going to come true in him. But, now that he was here, a way was opening up for Israel—and, through that, all the world—to make God's covenant a reality in their own selves, changing behavior not just by teaching but by a change of heart and mind itself.
  This was truly revolutionary, and at the same time deeply in line with the ancient stories and promises of the Bible."
  
  "Has it ever struck you what a basically happy person Jesus was?"
  
  "Oh yes, we know that, according to the prophecies, he was a man of sorrow, and acquainted with grief? We know that the darkness and sadness of all the world descended on him as he went to the cross. The scene in Gethsemane, where he is wrestling with his father's will, and in agony wondering if he's come the right way, is one of the most harrowing stories ever told. We know that he wept at the tomb of Lazarus, and that he was sad when people refused to trust God and see the wonderful things he was doing."
  
  "But these are the exceptions, the dark patches painted on to the bright background. As we read a passage like this, we should see that it flows straight out of Jesus' own experience of life. He had watched the birds wheeling around, high up on the currents of air in the Galilean hills, simply enjoying being alive. He had figured out that they never seemed to do the sort of work that humans did, and yet they mostly stayed alive and well. He had watched a thousand different kinds of flowers growing in the fertile Galilee soil — the word translated lily' here includes several different plants, such as the autumn crocus, the anemone and the gladiolus—and had held his breath at their fragile beauty."
  
  "One of the main things Matthew wants to tell us is that Jesus is like Moses—only more so."
  
  "Jesus’s message was truly revolutionary, unlike all true revolutionaries he and his followers were regarded as very dangerous. The question we face is not so much, 'isn’t it a shame that the rest of the world isn’t as tolerant as we are?' But 'is this a sign that Christianity in the west the symbol compromised itself?'"
  
  "Which command is repeated most often in the Bible?… It’s the command we find in verses, 26, 28 and 31: don’t be afraid."
  
  "Matthew looks back over the ministry of Jesus, knowing where it would lead. He sees Jesus as the Servant, not only when he dies a cruel death, wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, but also in the style of what he was already doing in Galilee. He was going about bringing God's restoration wherever it was needed, not by making a fuss, but by gently leading people into God's healing love."
• 
  Phillip Howell

  Lots to Like...A Commentary for “Everyone”
  
  This commentary is for everyone. There are little gems of succinctly summarized theology and history for pastors and theologians to deeply ponder. There are also many helpful applications and illustrations for all types of readers who want to get the big idea and understand the basic meaning of a passage. This is a great book for a non-Christian who wants and introduction to who Jesus is. It is a great book for everyone, no matter what denomination or tradition of the Christian faith you are a part of.
• 
  Kyle

  It isn't any secret how much I admire NT Wright. He communicates himself clearly and cordially and has proven to be a capably engaging writer for readers at every level. His For Everyone series is no exception. This commentary on the first fifteen chapters of Matthew provided historical and theological insights which had never before occurred to me and helped me to approach the text with fresh eyes.
• 
  Joe Stevens

  This is very different than most commentaries as it is closer to reading little sermons on the selected text rather than Greek word or sentence studies or historical information. Once you adjust to this, Wright does a nice job of simply setting each passage in both Jesus world and in our own. Those looking for in-depth study will be better served by Wright's more scholarly works which usually occur under his initials NT. Those looking for a nice devotion will find it here.
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  Iain Bailey

  Really good! This is the first book in his set that I have read. I wouldn’t call it a commentary in the typical sense but an in depth devotional (which is a good thing). I have found that Tom Wright keeps the reader on track through the gospel and helped me keep the main point the main point.
  Now onto part 2!
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  Sarah

  My first experience with an N.T. Wright book has been fantastic--this commentary series is for the regular person, not a Bible scholar who knows Greek--perfect for me! I've loved reading this alongside my ESV Illustrated Journalling Book of Matthew.
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  Tim

  I read this devotionally, but it can also be helpful to provide a big picture perspective for sermons. Wright continually emphasizes the ongoing theme through the gospels of God's emerging Kingdom and unfolding plan of Salvation.
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  Adam Rylett

  Great for reading everyday to give an accessible insight into the your daily reading.
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  Denise

  This was well done. Actual explanations of what the text was saying and history at times. Not pure sermon good feel, but not too academic.
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  Steve Schwind

  One of my favorite devotionals ever! I can't wait to start Part 2.
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  Lena Morrison

  Super good and insightful devotional!
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  Harriette

  Lives up to its description of making the Bible accessible to everyday folks.