Polis Bible Commentary (3 vols.)

This volume is part of anticipated 30-volume set of commentaries for the entire Bible. Each volume will have Bible Exposition written by a capable Bible scholar and Urban Ministry Commentary sidebar insights written by an urban specialist. We have titled this series the Polis Bible Commentary, using the Greek word “polis,” the ancient designation for a city. Ancient cities were centers for commerce, manufacturing, government, the arts, architecture, religious sites, and education. While the cities of Bible times had none of the technological features of modern cities, the difference between urban settings and rural settings was just as huge. Talent, ideas, and trends flowed to the urban centers from the rural world, with the urban influence coming back to rural residents with the city’s stamp of influence. This commentary series is written from the perspective that much of the Bible was written with cities in mind and intended for an urban audience. Urbanists today have taught us that the cities of our world have great similarities and commonalities as opposed to their surrounding rural areas. Missions endeavors originating in the Western churches have long targeted rural populations in Africa and Asia. Now, the demographic trends that are building the urban populations have turned this focus to cities. It is the desire of the authors and editors of this series that the intentional inclusion of an urban perspective will better serve those who serve and live in these dynamic cities.

This volume is part of an anticipated 30-volume set of commentaries for the entire Bible. Each volume will have Bible Exposition written by a capable Bible scholar and Urban Ministry Commentary sidebar insights written by an urban specialist. We have titled this series the Polis Bible Commentary, using the Greek word polis, the ancient designation for a city. Dr. Linthicum describes his intent as follows: Deuteronomy is about doing justice—political justice, economic justice, social justice, and spiritual justice. It is about what it takes to build a society that is just in all its ways. Jesus was about declaring, acting out personally, and getting his followers to act out together, as a community and as individuals, the justice that God intends for all humanity to live. What the church is called to do and be in the city is not just to live out the faith in its worship, through its evangelism, in its provision of social services and works of charity, not even in simply doing community develop-ment, economic development, and providing housing. It must join with all people of good will to work for justice, defend the weak and challenge the strong, so that power will be distributed as God intends to build God’s kingdom in each city. And to do that—to articulate the values, to embrace the covenant, to create the political, economic, and religious systems, and to undertake the practices in both public and private life, in both the individual, corporate, and communal life—is what the book of Deuteronomy is all about.

Jeremiah is popularly known as the “Weeping Prophet” but to me he seems more like the “Suffering Servant.” He shed tears over the fate of his people, but he shed as many tears over his own fate. His life was in danger several times and he survived only because of powerful friends. The response to his preaching was negative and he was unable to stem the nations headlong rush to catastrophe. He not only had a message of doom and devastation, he experienced the fulfilment of his words, living through the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and exile.This volume is the second to be published anticipated 30-volume set of commentaries for the entire Bible. Each volume will have Bible Exposition written by a capable Bible scholar and Urban Ministry Commentary sidebar insights written by an urban specialist. We have titled this series the Polis Bible Commentary, using the Greek word “polis,” the ancient designation for a city. Ancient cities were centers for commerce, manufacturing, government, the arts, architecture, religious sites, and education. While the cities of Bible times had none of the technological features of modern cities, the difference between urban settings and rural settings was just as huge. Talent, ideas, and trends flowed to the urban centers from the rural world, with the urban influence coming back to rural residents with the city’s stamp of influence. This commentary series is written from the perspective that much of the Bible was written with cities in mind and intended for an urban audience. Urbanists today have taught us that the cities of our world have great similarities and commonalities as opposed to their surrounding rural areas. Missions endeavors originating in the Western churches have long targeted rural populations in Africa and Asia. Now, the demographic trends that are building the urban populations have turned this focus to cities. It is the desire of the authors and editors of this series that the intentional inclusion of an urban perspective will better serve those who serve and live in these dynamic cities.