NIV Application Commentary - Hebrews

Now that the semester is drawing to a close, I am beginning to finish up many books, all the text books that I have to read over the past few months. This, the NIV Application Commentary - Hebrews, has been one of the books that I have read this semester. Now I have not yet finished this book, but I only have 1 or 2 chapters left to read.

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George Guthrie, the author of this book and my professor, wrote this commentary about 10 years ago. This commentary does a good job in going through each passage verse-by-verse so that the reader can gain a better understanding on the book of Hebrews. But what aids this book are the the two other sections found in each chapter: Building Contexts and Contemporary Significance.

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I am assuming that other commentaries in this series have these same divisions, and if so then it might also be worth your while to look into those books as well. But as for Hebrews, these two sections really help in further understanding the text found in the book of Hebrews. For instance, Guthrie begins each chapter by doing his verse-by-verse analysis, discussing the original meaning of the text. What did the author mean in accordance with his original audience? How did this text apply to their lives? But then he moves into the Bridging Contexts section where he shows how the text is still applicable today. What is it that we can gain from this text in our daily lives? Does this text still apply to our lives? Finally, he provides numerous examples on how to live out the teachings of Hebrews. If Hebrews teaches me to live in this manner, how can I be sure that I apply these lessons to my life? When put altogether, Guthrie walks his readers through the book of Hebrews by showing them the meaning of the text and why it is applicable to our lives today.

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I find this process very helpful. The Bible has obscure passages that people do not always know how to interpret. We find ourselves lost in the text and wonder how it can help us in our spiritual life. It has been great to dive deeper into the Word, discovering the meaning of the text and also learning how that text can apply to my life.

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As I said, I only have a couple chapters to go, but I will have to finish the book within the week (for class). I cannot wait to see what else lies in the pages of this book. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to study the book of Hebrews. Whether you are just reading through the book or preparing to teach about one of the passages, this commentary can help aid you in your studies.

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Matt