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A glorious high throne:Hebrews simply explainedFix your eyesA GLORIOUS HIGH THRONE The Letter to the Hebrews is an outstanding New Testament instance of a continuously sustained argument. Thus it is best served by teachers who can grasp and communicate the total picture, without flattening the nuances of each component. Professor Andrews brings Christian devotion, theological maturity, teaching skills and pastoral warmth to this task. Structurally, the commentary consists of 58 chapters grouped in five sections - corresponding to paragraph divisions in modern translations. Each chapter is cumulative, digestible and nourishing. Unobtrusive references are provided to full-scale commentaries, both classic and modern, but the author is 'his own man' and his writing has a distinctive freshness and spirituality. Edgar Andrews has an exalted view of God, and of his Son, as the title indicates. Verse by verse, he displays the glory of this God by unfolding his providence, manifest in creation and centred upon redemption of the Christian church. He gives full weight to the recurring themes in the letter of cosmic creation and God's pre-temporal plan, in accordance with which God's 'Adamic' purposes are fulfilled in Christ. A little more detail on this would have been welcome, though, in the otherwise excellent treatment of tabernacle-symbolism. Fully commensurate with this over-arching perspective, however, Andrews also highlights the major differences seen in Hebrews between the Old and New Covenants. He skilfully explains and applies the complex argumentation of the central chapters on the radical Christ-centredness of Christian existence. This supplies real ministry of the Word to every hungry pilgrim. The commentary is contemporary in its applications - for example, to the theme of sexuality and its distortions (13.4 ff). In this connection, the author challenges ecclesiastical authorities who tolerate and promote evil. So this volume conveys to the real and messy world the standards and the grace of the real God. Prof. David Watts, © Evangelicals Now - May 2004 |