Acts: An Exegetical Commentary, Volume 1

Introduction and 1:1--2:47

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"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
 
Highly respected New Testament scholar Craig Keener is known for his meticulous and comprehensive research. This commentary on Acts, his magnum opus, may be the largest and most thoroughly documented Acts commentary available. Useful not only for the study of Acts but also early Christianity, this work sets Acts in its first-century context.

In this volume, the first of four, Keener introduces the book of Acts, particularly historical questions related to it, and provides detailed exegesis of its opening chapters. He utilizes an unparalleled range of ancient sources and offers a wealth of fresh insights. This magisterial commentary will be a valuable resource for New Testament professors and students, pastors, Acts scholars, and libraries.

Endorsements

"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. In the introduction (a monograph in itself), his treatment of the genre of Acts, especially his judicious discussion of the genre 'novel,' of the character of ancient historiography, and of the historical integrity and value of Acts, is unbeatable in today's market. 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.' Bring on volumes 2-4!"

James D. G. Dunn, Emeritus Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, 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, professor emeritus of New Testament studies, University of St. Andrews; senior scholar, Ridley Hall, Cambridge

"With a monograph-level introduction and solid, detailed use of background sources, 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

"This commentary sets Acts in its ancient social and historical setting with so many parallels that Johann Jakob Wettstein would have congratulated Keener even on this first volume of four! 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 and his introduction a monograph in itself. I expect this to be a marvelous, impressive, and inspiring commentary!"

Manfred Lang, associate professor of New Testament, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg

"This first volume promises to be the inaugural component of 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, professor of New Testament, University of Lausanne, Switzerland

"Early Christianity developed in a complex and multifaceted context, one that Craig Keener masterfully presents in this socially and historically oriented commentary on Acts. As one has come to expect from Keener, there is thorough knowledge and use of the best and most important secondary literature in the areas of concern 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 these crucial dimensions of the book of Acts."

Stanley E. Porter, president, dean, and professor of New Testament, McMaster Divinity College

"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. In addition, Keener's attention to the work of Luke-Acts and the comparison he draws with Paul's letters will greatly profit those who are interested in the Third Gospel and the person of Paul."

Fr. G. Claudio Bottini, professor of introduction and exegesis of the New Testament and emeritus dean, 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, senior research fellow in rabbinics and New Testament, Tyndale House, Cambridge

The Author

  1. Craig S. Keener

    Craig S. Keener

    Craig S. Keener (PhD, Duke University) is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is the author of many books, including Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, the bestseller The IVP Bible...

    Continue reading about Craig S. Keener

Reviews

"Acts has now taken a new step forward with the exhaustive (and exhausting) commentary by Craig S. Keener. . . . This will be the starting point for all Acts scholarship from now on!"

Scot McKnight,

Jesus Creed blog

"To my knowledge, Keener's four-volume project (running well in excess of 2.5 million words) is by far the largest single-author work on Acts to date. . . . Keener's strong suit has always been his impressive acquaintance with the literary environment of the New Testament. He is able to provide copious citations of texts (especially 'pagan' texts) of the time, offering readers many opportunities to ponder possible relevance for appreciating a given passage in the NT. He is also remarkably thorough in citing other scholars. . . . This initial volume (running nearly 1,100 pages) comprises an extensive Introduction in which . . . Keener addresses at length all the issues currently in play about Acts. . . . The remainder of this volume . . . is a detailed analysis of Acts 1:1-2:47. In this material as well, Keener conducts a dialogue with a rich assortment of other scholars (in the footnotes), as well as providing exegetical comments on the text of Acts. . . . Anyone concerned with Acts is best advised to take account of this extensive study from a widely read and dedicated scholar."

Larry Hurtado

(larryhurtado.wordpress.com)

"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

"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

"The abundant harvest of references to documents . . . warms the hearts of readers like me. . . . Compendious Keener certainly is, but he is not ponderous, nor is he cloudy."

Richard Pervo,

Review of Biblical Literature

"A work of great quality and value. . . . Keener provides numerous connections to pertinent Greco-Roman and Jewish sources, to archaeology and material evidence, and to the other writings of the New Testament, particularly the letters of Paul. . . . Keener's prodigious work offers a closely reasoned and thoroughly documented argument for the historical worth of Acts, that is, 'historical' judged by the canons of history prevalent in the ancient world. This is a very valuable resource work that will surely be a point of reference for all future discussions about Acts."

Donald Senior, CP,

The Bible Today

"Craig Keener's first volume on the book of Acts covers two chapters while containing decades' worth of extensive research. To dismiss the weight of this volume is to forego a severely missing component in any study on the Acts of the Apostles. . . . The introduction is a massive tome, some six-hundred pages, covering nearly every facet of a study of Acts. Keener is not lax when it comes to answering the student's questions, even preemptively. . . . The sources Keener draws from are numerous. . . . Added to this are the nearly 10,000 footnotes and citations between the covers and the nearly four hundred pages of works cited and indexes included with a separate CD, one cannot easily dismiss either the work nor the conclusions Keener has poured into this volume. I suspect, that by the end of the series on Acts, Keener will have left us his magnum opus and it will survive for a lot longer than other commentaries."

Joel Watts,

Unsettled Christianity blog

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