Acts of the Apostles: Fortress Biblical Preaching Commentaries

Appendix 4: Suggestions for Further Reading

Appendix 4: Suggestions for Further Reading This brief bibliography lists some standard works on the Book of Acts—as well as some resources for preaching on the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts—that I think preachers would find helpful. In commentary series and in independent commentaries, separate scholars typically interpret the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, thus giving separate interpretations of the Gospel and the Acts. This bibliography includes some works by scholars who have written on both Luke and Acts and thereby bring a single interpretive perspective to both works. This list contains representative works from across the theological spectrum. Allen, Ronald J. Preaching Luke-Acts. Preaching Classic Texts. Saint Louis: Chalice Press, 2000. Explores developing sermons from themes that span both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. The theme functions as the “text” of the sermon. Themes considered in detail: Realm of God, Holy Spirit, great reunion of the human community, restoration of women, and use of material resources. Barrett, C. K. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles. International Critical Commentary. Historical-critical commentary based on the Greek text. Great attention to details. Bock, Darrell F. A Theology of Luke-Acts: God’s Promised Program Realized for All Nations. Biblical Theology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012. Survey of major theological themes in Luke-Acts: God, fulfillment, Messiah, Spirit, salvation, Israel, gentiles, ethics, Luke’s opponents, women, Torah, ecclesiology, eschatology, the Scriptures in Luke-Acts. ———. Acts. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007. Accessible commentary highlighting historical, sociological, and theological concerns. Borgman, Paul. The Way according to Luke: Hearing the Whole Story of LukeActs . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006. A professor of English (with an eye for biblical literature) reads Luke-Acts as a single narrative with attention to literary and rhetorical patterns. 229 Boring, M. Eugene, and Fred B. Craddock, The People’s New Testament Commentary. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2004, 174–282, 363–465. The best one-volume commentary on the Gospels and Letters reaches a high point with Luke and Acts. Eminently quotable for preaching. Cadbury, Henry Joel. The Making of Luke-Acts. New York: Macmillan, 1927. A classic work on the interplay of Luke and Acts. Foundational to much contemporary scholarship. Craddock, Fred B. Luke. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Preaching and Teaching. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1990. The dean of Eurocentric male preachers interprets Luke with great exegetical, hermeneutical and homiletical sensitivity. If a preacher can only afford one commentary on Luke, this is the one. Dunn, James D. G. The Acts of the Apostles. Narrative Commentaries. Valley Forge: Trinity International, 1997. Good basic commentary with focus on the narrative as narrative. Fitzmyer, Joseph. The Acts of the Apostles. Anchor Yale Bible Commentary. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998. A fine historical-critical commentary giving attention to issues of historicity and to Luke’s literary art. ———. The Gospel according to Luke I–IX. Anchor Bible. Garden City: Doubleday, 1982. Like the commentary on Acts (just above), a fine historical-critical commentary giving attention to issues of historicity and to Luke’s literary art. ———. The Gospel according to Luke X–XXIV . Anchor Bible. Garden City: Doubleday, 1985. Fleer, David, and Dave Bland, eds. Preaching from Luke/Acts. Abilene: Abilene Christian University Press, 2000. A collection of articles sermons by several scholars and preachers (headlined by Thomas G. Long) on texts and themes from Luke-Acts. Gaventa, Beverly Roberts. Acts. Abingdon New Testament Commentaries. Nashville: Abingdon, 2003. One of best commentaries on Acts. Views Acts as a narrative of God’s activity. A great eye for detail while keeping the sweep of Luke-Acts in view. Good on the connections within Acts (and reaching back to Luke). Haenchen, Ernst. The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1970. Although dated, I continue to be struck by many of Haenchen’s insights into particular passages. 230 | Acts of the Apostles Jacobsen, David Schnasa and Günter Wasserberg. Preaching Luke-Acts. Nashville: Abingdon, 2001. Views Luke-Acts as a grief document: grief in the church that Jewish contemporaries have not, in large numbers, recognized the work of God through Jesus. Using narrative exegesis, the authors explore seven key passages. Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina. Collegeville: Liturgical, 1992. With his The Gospel of Luke, the best combination of commentaries on Luke...