Through this commentary, crafted especially for teachers, pastors, and Bible students, Bruner aims "to help God's people love what Matthew's Gospel says." Bruner's work is at once broadly historical and deeply theological. It is historical in drawing extensively on great church teachers through the centuries and on the classical Christian creeds and confessions. Consciously attempting to bridge past and present, Bruner asks both what Matthew's Gospel said to its first hearers and what it says to readers today. Volume 1 of Bruner's commentary is called "The Christbook" because the first twelve chapters of Matthew are focused on the nature and work of Christ. Throughout the book, there are also thoughtful discussions of significant topics such as baptism, marriage, Jewish-Christian relations, and heaven and hell. Eminently readable, rich in biblical insight, and ecumenical in tone, Bruner's two-volume commentary on Matthew now stands among the best in the field.
