Insights On Luke: Swindoll's New Testament Insights [Hardcover]

Charles Swindoll does it again, putting forth his longest volume in his `Insights' series. As always, this teacher of pastors has lots of charts, graphs, Greek language exposition, pictures and maps, and brings out the intent, context (historical & biblical), and meaning, without reading things into the text or bogging you down to show off his scholarship. This is the commentary series to get, as it is all you'll need, yet easy to read and follow.

This was my 4th read of Swindoll's "Insights" commentary. Swindoll's approach is outstanding. Swindoll delivers a taxonomically dissected story and ascribes the major components as the original author likely approached the writing of books. It's a reading pleasure to get into the rhythm of Swindoll's commentary method that creates a level of anticipation for the reader. His use of a common template discipline across all of his commentaries adds a recognizable, up-beat cadence that contributes to absorbing the topics. The method brings life to the story.

I measure Luke commentary's in their consideration of the point between verses Luke 9:50 and Luke 9:51. The biblical verse numbering system breaks down hard at this specific juncture for reasons I've often wondered. An entirely different narrative begins mid-way in Luke 9 at Luke 9:51 and continues thru 19:27. The significance of the narrative change is adequate to rise to a new book in my opinion, yet a 'new' chapter was not even noticed by the old translators. I've often wondered if the original, verse numbering translators theologically understood that they had missed such a significant "new" grouping of chapters. Swindoll seizes on the curiosity of the `whole other story' that begins at 9:51. He seizes on several difficult passages in this 'long walk' story to render fresh and challenging opinions.

Swindoll's Luke is a lengthy commentary. It may be too much for a newbie as it explores the underlying Greek extensively. If you know biblical Greek, you will see that Swindoll is applying and contrasting the latest in-situ word meanings and highlights the Greek that has yet to be seen in use extra-biblically. Several examples that Swindoll captures have sent me to the references and I was excited to grasp the extended meanings that amplify the passages.

5-star superb commentary!

Chuck's down-to-earth, carefully researched,prayerfully thought-out commentary is extremely useful. The scriptures always take a new meaning with context, and Chuck leads the way! I highly recommend this product.