Africa Bible Commentary Commentary - Afrika …

1 A One-Volume CommentaryWritten by 70 African ScholarsAfricaBibleCommentaryAfricaBible CommentaryAfricaBibleCommentaryTokunboh AdeyemoGeneral EditorFOREWORDSBY JOHN R. STOTTAND ROBERT K. ABOAGYE-MENSAHISBN 0-310-27407-9 Book of JamessamplerBook of Jamessamplersampler A MONUMENTAL WORK .. Rick Warren This monumental work of biblical scholarship is filled with helpful insights into God s Word that every pastor, Bible teacher, and Christian will benefit from. We ve needed this Commentary for a long, long time! Rick WarrenPastor, Saddleback ChurchAuthor, The Purpose Driven Life A publishing landmark .. Its foundation is biblical, its perspective African, and its approach to controversial questions balanced. I intend to use it myself in order to gain African insights into the Word of God. Indeed, I hope it will have a worldwide readership. John R. Stott, from the Foreword A rich and valuable contribution to biblical knowledge and understanding.

2 I commend it to Christian leaders, not only in Africa but the world over. Justice James Ogenyi Ogebe, High Court, Nigeria A good and readable blend of excellent scholarship, heartwarming spirituality, and relevant application. It challenges African Christianity, and wider, to a neces-sary commitment of heart, mind, and will. Its target audience and the wider church will find it to be a useful treasure. Dr. Douglas Carew, vice chancellor, Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology This outstanding volume is a landmark for African Christianity. Wherever the Bible is loved and read, this volume will enhance people s understanding and appli-cation of it. Dr. Christopher J. H. Wright, international director, Langham Partnership International A PUBLISHING LANDMARK .. John R. StottThe Africa Bible Commentary is a unique publishing event the first one-volume Bible Commentary produced in Africa by African theologians to meet the needs of African pastors, students, and lay leaders.

3 Interpreting and applying the Bible in the light of African cultures and realities today, it furnishes powerful and relevant insights into the biblical texts that transcend Africa in their significance. The Africa Bible Commentary gives a section-by-section interpretation that provides a contextual, readable, affordable, and immensely useful guide to the entire Bible . Readers around the world will benefit from and appreciate the Commentary s fresh insights and direct style that engage both heart and FEATURES Produced by African biblical scholars, in Africa , for Africa and the world Section-by-section interpretive com- mentary and application More than 70 special articles deal-ing with topics of key impor-tance to ministry in Africa today, but that have global implications 70 African contributors from both English- and French-speaking countries Transcends the African contextwith insights into the biblical text and the Christian faith for readers worldwide GENERAL EDITOR DR.

4 TOKUNBOH ADEYEMO is the executive director of the Centre for Biblical Transformation, having served previously as general secretary for the Association of Evangelicals in Africa . He received his ThD from Dallas Theological Seminary and his PhD from the University of Aberdeen, Bible COMMENTARYAFRICA Bible Commentary General Editor Tokunboh AdeyemoTheological Editors Solomon Andria, Issiaka Coulibaly, Tewoldemedhin Habtu, Samuel Ngewa Theological AdvisorsKwame Bediako, Isabel Apawo Phiri, Yusufu Turaki Published for distribution in Africa by WordAlive Publishers, PO Box 4547 GPO-00100 Nairobi, Kenya in Africa also provided by Oasis International Ltd. for distribution in the rest of the world by The Zondervan Corporation published in 2006 ABC Editorial Board, Association of Evangelicals of Africa (AEA)All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the appropriate Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible : New International Version.

5 NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. NIV is a registered trademark of the International Bible Society and is used by for information on all other English editions should be addressed to Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, USAR equests for information on translations should be addressed to the Piquant Agency, PO Box 83, Carlisle, CA3 9HZ, of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data has been applied for. Africa Edition ISBN-10: 9966-805-78-8 Africa Edition ISBN-13: 978-9966-805-78-2 Zondervan Edition ISBN-10: 0-310-26473-1 Zondervan Edition ISBN-13: 978-0-310-26473-6 Cover design: Projectluz oversight: Isoword oversight: Editorial Suite for distribution in Africa by WordAlive Publishers, PO Box 4547 GPO-00100 Nairobi, Kenya in Africa also provided by Oasis International Ltd.

6 For distribution in the rest of the world by The Zondervan Corporation published in 2006 ABC Editorial Board, Association of Evangelicals of Africa (AEA)All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the appropriate Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible : New International Version . NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. NIV is a registered trademark of the International Bible Society and is used by for information on all other English editions should be addressed to Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, USAR equests for information on translations should be addressed to the Piquant Agency, PO Box 83, Carlisle, CA3 9HZ, of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data has been applied for.

7 Africa Edition ISBN-10: 9966-805-78-8 Africa Edition ISBN-13: 978-9966-805-78-2 Zondervan Edition ISBN-10: 0-310-26473-1 Zondervan Edition ISBN-13: 978-0-310-26473-6 Cover design: Projectluz oversight: Isoword oversight: Editorial Suite 10: 0-310-27407-9 The Bible has an indispensable part to play in the church member s personal discipleship and in the pastor s preaching ministry. But this statement assumes that they can under-stand it. Hence the wonderful provision of the Africa Bible Commentary . One of the most significant recent develop-ments in the churches of Africa is the rise of sound biblical scholarship. The church is fortunate indeed to see this resurgence in the continent that gave us such interpreters as Augustine and Athanasius. The Africa Bible Commentaryis a publishing landmark, and I congratulate contributors and editors on their achievement.

8 Its foundation is biblical, its perspective African, and its approach to controversial questions balanced. I intend to use it myself in order to gain African insights into the Word of God. Indeed, I hope it will have a worldwide readership, so that we may better grasp with all God s people the full dimensions of Christ s love (Eph 3:18). John StottDecember 2005 FOREWORD BY DR JOHN STOTTThe phenomenal growth of the church in Africa brings with it many challenges. One of these challenges is how to sus-tain the numerical growth while ensuring that the faith of Christians is firmly grounded in the revealed and written word of God the Holy Bible . Grounding the people s faith in the Bible requires intensifying the teaching ministry of the church. This, in turn, creates a need for appropriate tools to assist pastors, seminarians, theologians, lay preachers and Christian Education teachers to teach effectively.

9 The AfricaBible Commentary written by African theologians has come at the right time!What makes the Africa Bible Commentary unique and relevant is the fact that it has been written by African theo-logians who love the Lord and are committed to the life of the church. They write out of their matured practical expe-rience in teaching the Bible within the Christian community. The content of the Commentary can thus be described as tried and tested material that will help others towards Christian maturity when prayerfully interpreting the biblical text, the authors have also been able to bring together Christian spirituality and the depth of their understanding of African culture and Bible Commentary will also be useful to Chris-tians outside the African continent who want to enrich their own understanding of the Bible by stepping outside their own culture and experience.

10 In so doing, they will gain insights into their own culture as well, for the African schol-ars who contributed to the Commentary also have a rich and varied experiences of the life of the church outside Africa . I wish to express my deepest appreciation to all those who contributed to the writing of this Commentary and enthusiastically recommend it to Christians everywhere who want to understand the Bible in order to live out and share their Most Rev. Dr Robert K. Aboagye-MensahPresiding BishopThe Methodist Church, GhanaFebruary 2006 FOREWORD BY DR ABOAGYE-MENSAHxAcknowledgementsWe praise God for all he has accomplished. And it is also important that we acknowledge the significant contribu-tions made by certain organizations and individuals without which the ABC could not have been born. The AEA for officially sponsoring the ABC and giving the editorial board the academic and management freedom to function.