In keeping with the Pillar New Testament Commentary's distinctive character, this volume by James R. Edwards on Luke gives special attention to the Third Gospel's vocabulary and historical setting, its narrative purpose and unique themes, and its theological significance for the church and believers today.
Though Luke is often thought to have a primarily Gentile focus, Edwards counterbalances that perspective by citing numerous evidences of Luke's overarching interest in depicting Jesus as the fulfillment of God's providential work in the history of Israel, and he even considers the possibility that Luke himself was a Jew. In several excursuses Edwards discusses particular topics, including Luke's infancy narratives, the mission of Jesus as the way of salvation, and Luke's depiction of the universal scope of the gospel. While fully conversant with all the latest scholarship, Edwards writes in a lively, fluent style that will commend this commentary to ministers, students, scholars, and many other serious Bible readers.James R. Edwards's teaching career included teaching Bible and theology at two Presbyterian-related colleges for forty years, during which time he authored five books for Eerdmans, one of which, Is Jesus the Only Savior?, was awarded the 2006 Christianity Today Book of the Year in Apologetics. He is currently completing a major commentary on Genesis, also scheduled for publication by Eerdmans.