Product Overview
Encounter Acts as a book that depicts the church as a hospitable and multicultural community on a journey in which it continues to be surprised by the new realities the Holy Spirit makes possible in the post-Easter world.
Acts: An Interpretation Bible Commentary is a lively, readable commentary that offers historical, literary, theological, and pastoral analysis of the Acts of the Apostles. It explores the biblical narrative’s potential to inform the theological imagination of ancient audiences and offers insights about how Christian readers and communities might constructively engage Acts today. In this fresh commentary, Matthew L. Skinner opens up both the text and the worlds of its first audience—communities of faith in need of a clear sense of identity and encouragement that the power of God was still with them. The commentary respects the complexity of difficult and significant themes that permeate Acts, such as the friction between Jesus’ followers and powerful Roman interests, depictions of opposition led by Jewish antagonists, humorous undertones in violent episodes, and storytelling flourishes, such as incredible coincidences and last-second escapes from danger.
This interpretation of Acts written by a scholar and preacher illuminates meaningful connections between the story Acts tells and challenges facing churches today, such as countering antisemitism, embracing inclusivity, articulating the good news in ways that respect the distinctiveness of different cultures, ensuring security for especially vulnerable members of society, living out values that challenge conventional political and economic assumptions, honoring the gifts and dignity of all people, promoting motives for evangelism that reject aspirations of dominance and colonialism, decrying unjust judicial and penal abuses, participating in respectful multifaith dialogue, and trusting God for the church’s future even when doing so seems ill-advised. Those who preach, teach, and study the book of Acts will learn to experience it as a work of pastoral theology, a narrative written to encourage believers by reassuring them of God’s faithfulness.
Emphasizing sound critical exegesis with strong theological sensibilities, the Interpretation Bible Commentary series features innovative interpretive approaches that help readers engage the biblical text as a source for participating in the larger social world. These new volumes, written by an array of new and diverse authors, are designed to meet the needs of clergy, teachers, and students by inviting readers into the lively work of careful biblical interpretation for the purpose of faithful exposition. Through its engagement with Scripture, the Interpretation Bible Commentary series illumines our relationship with God, one another, and creation so that readers are propelled with new understanding and energy for fulfilling God’s claims on us in our rapidly changing contexts.
Reviews
"Skinner admires the book of Acts for 'inviting readers to theologize for themselves.' With this exciting new commentary, he issues the same invitation to his readers. Refusing to reduce the book of Acts to a list of doctrinal claims, Skinner offers historically sensitive interpretive possibilities. He draws us into the narrative with energy and verve, reminding us that the spirit of this ancient story brings hope and healing still today."
—Michal Beth Dinkler, Associate Professor of New Testament, Yale Divinity School
"With Acts: An Interpretation Bible Commentary, Matthew Skinner has given a remarkably insightful and highly useful commentary for interpreting the Acts of the Apostles. In the introduction, Skinner lays bare the basic outlook of the book: 'God, who proved faithful to the people of Israel through Jesus Christ and faithful to the first generations of believers through the Holy Spirit, remains faithful still, even as the church finds itself confronted by new challenges and opportunities.' With crisp prose, the commentary that follows explicates this outlook in its various dimensions. Skinner, while thoroughly familiar with the secondary literature, refuses to be distracted by those debates. He is relentlessly devoted to reading the text itself for its narrative shape and theological claims for contemporary Christ-followers. A go-to resource for anyone tasked with teaching or preaching Acts."
—Mikeal C. Parsons, University Distinguished Professor and Macon Chair in Religion, Baylor University
"Keeping the preacher in mind, Skinner synthesizes his passions as scholar and proclaimer in this careful, critical companion to Acts. In this volume, Skinner does not allow the colonized, incarcerated, and marginalized to fade into obscurity. He instead expertly leads interpreters to extract how the Spirit stimulates a vision that embraces diversity and is oriented to justice. Skinner powerfully reminds us that such a vision is still relevant, perhaps even more so, for con
"Matthew Skinner's commentary on Acts paints beautifully, capturing the subtle textures and colors of this monumental book. His eye for the details is stunning, and his theological sensibilities are rare for a biblical scholar. Among the many commentaries on the book of Acts, add this one to the categories of the most beautiful and most insightful. You must add it to your library."
—Willie James Jennings, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies, Yale Divinity School
"Scholar, teacher, preacher Matthew L. Skinner offers a thoughtful, insightful, critical, and faithful theological commentary on Acts. His biblical interpretation reveals that ultimately Acts is about a God who faithfully acts to turn the world upside down, then and now, and he connects historical narratives to pertinent contemporary theological, sociological, and anthropological issues such that ancient texts intersect with modern day contexts. Skinner interprets Acts in such an illuminating manner that he demonstrates the brilliance of biblical stories as a reflection of the light of Easter shining on humans today."
—Luke A. Powery, Dean of Duke University Chapel and Professor of Homiletics, Duke University Divinity School