Endorsements
Praise for Acts: An Exegetical Commentary
“This is the most expansive treatment of Acts in modern scholarship. Keener offers the reader a sweeping tour of the relevant ancient material and modern scholarship on Acts. He takes Acts seriously as a work of ancient history; at the same time, he is aware of the literary and rhetorical dimensions of the text.”
—Gregory E. Sterling, Yale Divinity School
“Somewhat surprisingly, a socio-historical approach to Acts still needs to be defended and its value demonstrated. No one does this better—is more informed about ancient literature, parallels, and precedents, and more interactively and fruitfully engaged with contemporary literature and issues—than Craig Keener. For anyone wanting to appreciate how Acts ‘worked’ in its original context and to get into the text at some depth, Keener will be indispensable and ‘first off the shelf.’”
—James D. G. Dunn, University of Durham
“Keener takes very seriously the claim of the book of Acts to be historiography. His encyclopedic knowledge of ancient literature and his intelligent skill as an exegete make this a magisterial commentary.”
—Richard Bauckham, University of St. Andrews; Ridley Hall, Cambridge
“Keener’s incredibly detailed mega-commentary on Acts is a scholarly achievement that is unlikely to be surpassed in the foreseeable future. The author has an enviable mastery over an amazing number of primary and secondary sources, and he provides in-depth discussions of various critical approaches to the major interpretive issues, revealing the strength and weakness of each position while carefully arguing his own position. Every serious student of Acts owes it to herself or himself to carefully work their way through this significant contribution to scholarship.”
—David E. Aune, University of Notre Dame
“Craig Keener, a master of primary and secondary sources, has crafted another meticulous commentary that is a joy to read. It is full of information that shows Keener’s unusual industriousness and precision. Highly recommended.”
—James H. Charlesworth, Princeton Theological Seminary
“Craig Keener has provided us with a rich gem of a commentary on Acts. One can use it and get a real sense of what this key work is all about.”
—Darrell L. Bock, research professor of New Testament studies, Dallas Theological Seminary
“Over the course of the last decade, Craig Keener has proved himself to be one of the greatest living commentators on the New Testament. This [commentary]—packed with an incredible amount of contextual information as well as wisdom about the text itself—is bound to become a standard reference work for many years to come.”
—Ben Witherington III, Asbury Theological Seminary; doctoral faculty, St. Andrews University
“Acts has now taken a new step forward . . . the starting point for all Acts scholarship from now on!”
—Scot McKnight, professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary
“Perhaps the largest commentary on any single biblical writing. . . . It will be consulted frequently in coming years to draw upon [Keener’s] commendable dedication to providing the results of his extensive acquaintance with the historical context of the NT.”
—Larry Hurtado, University of Edinburgh
“As one has come to expect from Keener, there is thorough knowledge and use of the best and most important secondary literature and abundant utilization of a wide range of ancient sources. This is a commentary that will continue to serve as a detailed resource for both scholars and students wishing to explore the book of Acts.”
—Stanley E. Porter, McMaster Divinity College
“A magnificent achievement. Without any shadow of doubt, an indispensable reference work for all students of Acts and early Christianity.”
—Christopher Tuckett, Pembroke College, University of Oxford
“The author proffers a very detailed and nuanced analysis of the text’s exegetical problems while also paying close attention to the Greco-Roman environment that shaped Luke’s narrative. Scholars of the New Testament, theologians, and classicists, but also laypersons, will want to consult and will benefit from Keener’s erudite, impressive work.”
—Andreas Bendlin, Department of Classics, University of Toronto
“This commentary is so thorough and comprehensive that it can truly be said to ‘leave no stone unturned.’ Keener has single-handedly wrought an encyclopedic work, the likes of which only whole teams of scholars have been able to produce in multivolume compendia. It therefore will be the first commentary to which scholars, students, and pastors will turn with any question on the text of Acts.”
—Seyoon Kim, School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary
“This commentary sets Acts in its ancient social and historical setting. Keener shows convincingly how broadly and deeply Acts participates in ancient Hellenistic and Jewish thinking. This meticulous reconstruction fits well with his deep insights on Lukan theology in Acts. Keener’s wide reading of scholarly discussion is stupendous. A marvelous, impressive, and inspiring commentary!”
—Manfred Lang, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg
“Keener’s scholarship and personal experience give a distinctive cross-cultural perspective to his commentary. His excursuses are treasure troves of cultural information. This detailed commentary will deservedly be a major resource on Acts in many libraries—personal and public—for years to come.”
—John J. Pilch, Johns Hopkins University
“This promises to be the most comprehensive commentary on Acts to date. Keener presents a socio-historical reading of the text with meticulous precision, and his knowledge of scholarly research is impressive. The book of Acts is read as a historiographical work in which its author rewrites traditions; the documentation from ancient Jewish literature is exceptionally rich. Keener treats hermeneutical issues and the historical reliability of the text astutely and clearly. From now on, any exegesis of Acts will need to take into account this major work.”
—Daniel Marguerat, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
“This book is a monumental exegetical commentary thanks to the amount of literary and social-historical information in it. Scholars and readers of the Acts of the Apostles will find it a precious source for consultation.”
—Fr. G. Claudio Bottini, Faculty of Biblical Sciences and Archaeology (Studium Biblicum Franciscanum), Jerusalem
“Craig Keener’s academic commentaries are among the most important in print, because they not only summarize former scholarship but also add so many new insights from primary literature of the time.”
—David Instone-Brewer, Tyndale House, Cambridge
“Keener’s commentary on Acts is a tour de force. One might be daunted by such hefty volume(s) on one book of the New Testament, but be reassured: this commentary may be all that you will ever need on Acts. It is not only exhaustive in its historical detail, it is rich in inspiring interpretation.”
—David E. Garland, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University
“Keener’s massive commentary on the book of Acts is a gold mine of valuable information. His socio-historical reading of the text demonstrates the crucial importance of interpreting Acts in the context of Greek and Roman historiography. In addition, the vast amount of references to ancient sources and literature will be helpful for anyone interested in doing serious research on Acts.”
—Samuel Byrskog, Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University
“Rich and detailed chapters, designed to immerse contemporary readers into the location of ancient readers, are the primary substance of this first of four volumes. . . . For anyone looking for a useful discussion of important features of ‘introduction’ to the Book of Acts, Keener’s 600-page introduction is extraordinary. And for one looking for ‘deep background’ or ‘thick description’ of details behind, and assumed by, the text, Keener’s work is without peer or parallel.”
—J. Bradley Chance, Interpretation
“Keener’s finished commentary will dwarf other modern commentaries, if measured by the quantity of either ink spilled or of citations of Greco-Roman texts. Beyond such metrics, Keener’s magnum opus is a rich resource that will serve Acts scholars for years to come. . . . A scholar with extensive knowledge of Jewish and Greco-Roman materials, Keener brings this expertise to his commentary, introducing scores of relevant citations to subsequent scholars of Acts. . . . This volume is the result of the careful, balanced work of a senior scholar. Any serious scholar will want to have this valuable commentary ready-to-hand.”
—Daniel L. Smith, Review of Biblical Literature
“This commentary is in a class by itself, not only because of its mega-size . . . but also because of its thoroughness and the meticulous scholarship it displays. Keener . . . summarizes past and current scholarly opinion on the historical and theological dimensions of Luke’s account [and includes] numerous and informative excursuses on various aspects of the Jewish and Greco-Roman cultural and social context contemporary with Luke’s work. For those desiring an encyclopedic analysis of the Acts of the Apostles, this is definitely the resource to turn to.”
—Donald Senior, CP, The Bible Today
“Those who have followed Keener’s career have come to expect learned comment and extensive bibliography undergirding his research. . . . The detail of historical inquiry involved in this commentary is quite fantastic and stimulating. . . . Great appreciation must be expressed to Professor Keener for what may well be his magnum opus!”
—Aaron W. White, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
“By almost any measure, Craig Keener’s commentary on Acts is a remarkable achievement. . . . He is thoroughly engaged with a wide range of critical studies of Acts and related writings. Keener also brings to the study of Acts a deep and extensive acquaintance with ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish literature, and the result is a rich, detailed commentary packed with abundant and useful information. . . . I am unable to agree with many of his convictions about Acts but am compelled to admire his well-conceived and well-documented arguments and interpretations.”
—Joseph Tyson, Review of Biblical Literature
“Recent years have seen a steady stream of Acts commentaries but, by its sheer size and scope, Keener’s contribution . . . promises to be a marker around which subsequent scholarly currents will be required to navigate. . . . In content and approach his work will stimulate further readings and rereadings of Acts. As such, I welcome it for its rejuvenation of what pedagogy calls the ‘threshold concepts’ informing our engagement with Acts. Keener’s work will prove to be excursive and recursive, inviting readers into new liminal spaces behind, within, and in front of the text.”
—Matthew Sleeman, Expository Times
“Written for academics, this work is equally accessible to pastors because of Keener’s clear and flowing style. . . . Its major contribution lies precisely in taking readers from questions and data through the reasoning process to probable answers.”
—C. Anthony Ziccardi, Catholic Biblical Quarterly
“Magisterial, meticulous, comprehensive, precise, impressively researched—these descriptors of Craig Keener’s commentary are by almost anyone’s standards not hyperbole. . . . Keener’s refusal to dismissively reject, as well as his ability to cull insights from, those with whom he disagrees is a helpful model for all biblical scholars. . . . Keener is not short on presenting creative insights regarding the purpose and theology of Acts. . . . Keener’s commentary is indeed an incredible contribution and will undoubtedly repay dividends to those who use it carefully.”
—Joshua W. Jipp, Bulletin for Biblical Research
“The references to primary and secondary sources mean that the research behind this book is positively encyclopedic. Keener’s work stands apart from other Acts commentaries because of its size, magnitude, and weight and is therefore more of a reference resource on Acts in commentary form. . . . If you want a one-stop shop for a thorough overview of issues, interpretation, and exegesis of the text of Acts, this is the way to go.”
—Michael Bird, Euangelion blog
“Keener’s massive commentary on Acts is certainly impressive. . . . It will probably be the most comprehensive commentary on Acts available for some time.”
—Joseph D. Fantin, Bibliotheca Sacra
“[Keener] has authored what may prove to be the lengthiest and most thorough commentary on the Acts of the Apostles in the English language. . . . Keener’s scholarship is replete with citations both of secondary literature and of ancient sources. As a result, many of his introductory discussions are encyclopedic in scope and will enrich one’s understanding not only of Acts but also of the world of the first century. . . . [This volume] paint[s] a rich tapestry of the world within which Luke lived and to which he wrote. Keener’s work therefore helps students of the Scriptures undertake the work of exegesis in living color.”
—Guy Prentiss Waters, Themelios
“A massive gold mine of information. . . . This is the go-to commentary on Acts. Keener amazingly combines attention to great detail with verve and clarity in writing.”
—Ray Van Neste, Preaching (The Best in Bibles & Bible Reference for 2014)
“The great and enduring strength of the work is Keener’s encyclopedic knowledge of the ancient world. He adduces not only many of the commonly referenced, but also a host of lesser-known yet relevant, passages and works. . . . In his commentary, Keener often highlights intertextual links between Acts and the Scriptures on which Luke so often drew, providing helpful and insightful analysis of this important aspect of Luke’s writing and theology. He also displays more consideration for non-Western perspectives than do many Anglo commentators. . . . An invaluable resource for scholars and advanced students.”
—Peter H. Rice, Stone-Campbell Journal
“One gains a new understanding of the word ‘comprehensive’ in commentary writing when this work of Craig Keener’s on Acts is consulted. . . . This commentary is best treated as more of an encyclopedia of information about almost any topic that is raised in Acts and related to the ancient world than an exegetical commentary. For scholars of Acts, Keener’s encyclopedia is indispensable!”
—Alan J. Thompson, Credo