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Hebrews (Commentaries for Christian Formation
The Letter to the Hebrews is one of the most enigmatic and distinctive documents in the New Testament. It is also an important window, along with the Gospels and the letters of Paul, into how the earliest Christians understood Jesus in light of the religious texts and practices of Israel. As such, it is a vital source for Christian life and thought today. In this volume Amy Peeler mines the riches of the Letter to the Hebrews for insight into Christian formation in today’s world.
- GenresTheology
448 pages, Hardcover
Published May 21, 2024
22 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Amy Peeler
13 books60 followersRev. Amy Peeler, Ph.D. is the Kenneth T. Wessner Chair of Biblical Studies and Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, IL and an Associate Priest at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Geneva, IL. Peeler researches, writes, and speak on the relationship between women and men in the Christian faith, particularly through the lens of the incarnation. She received her BA in Biblical Languages from Oklahoma Baptist University, M. Div. and Ph. D. in New Testament from Princeton Theological Seminary, and served as a Senior Research Fellow with the Logos Institute at the University of St. Andrews. She is an active member of the Society of Biblical Literature, Institute for Biblical Research, and a Fellow with the Center for Pastor Theologians.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 11, 2024
Here’s a nice commentary on what many would agree is one of the most challenging books of the New Testament. Thoughtfulness and tone are its two most prominent strengths. Its weaknesses are few, especially if you consider the aims of the series. I don’t see how you couldn’t consider this volume a success for faith formation.
If you read Peeler’s preface you will get a feel for her writing. She’s got quite a humble knack for self reflection. She’s tenacious in her digging for exegesis while remaining gracious to opposing viewpoints throughout. She might be a bit left of me theologically, but not nearly as much as I expected.
The Introduction was delightful. With the needed depth, it read so well. It led with probing, on-target theology. Hebrews’ place in the canon transitioned nicely to the always thorny issue of authority. While so much has been written on authorship, Peeler was surprisingly lucid in less pages than most major commentaries who rarely escape the fog. The other outstanding feature of the Introduction was her contribution to the discussion of Hebrews’ Warning Passages. From there I delved into her commentary on those passages and they were original without being strangely speculative. I’m not sure I fully agree with her line of reasoning, but that was the most new, interesting material that I’ve had to process on them in a long time.
All of the commentary was consistently good. Most of us have two or three of our favorite big exegetical commentaries as our go-to, but I’ll likely add this one to my short list.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
If you read Peeler’s preface you will get a feel for her writing. She’s got quite a humble knack for self reflection. She’s tenacious in her digging for exegesis while remaining gracious to opposing viewpoints throughout. She might be a bit left of me theologically, but not nearly as much as I expected.
The Introduction was delightful. With the needed depth, it read so well. It led with probing, on-target theology. Hebrews’ place in the canon transitioned nicely to the always thorny issue of authority. While so much has been written on authorship, Peeler was surprisingly lucid in less pages than most major commentaries who rarely escape the fog. The other outstanding feature of the Introduction was her contribution to the discussion of Hebrews’ Warning Passages. From there I delved into her commentary on those passages and they were original without being strangely speculative. I’m not sure I fully agree with her line of reasoning, but that was the most new, interesting material that I’ve had to process on them in a long time.
All of the commentary was consistently good. Most of us have two or three of our favorite big exegetical commentaries as our go-to, but I’ll likely add this one to my short list.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
July 18, 2024
The Book of Hebrews is at the same time compelling and off-putting. It contains beloved passages such as the definition of faith in Hebrews 11 and the word about hospitality and entertaining angels unawares. Yet, it's discussions of Temple rites and what can be read as supersessionism, in that the New Covenant Christ institutes replaces and abolishes the Old Covenant. It's a complicated letter, or perhaps better, sermon. Lectionary preachers will have many opportunities to delve into its message, with nineteen different readings over three years, including Christmas Eve/Day. Having a quality guide to interpretation is always helpful, making good commentaries very valuable.
The Commentary on Hebrews in the Commentaries for Christian Formation Series from Eerdmans is what readers of Hebrews desire. The author of the Hebrews commentary in this series is Amy Peeler, who serves as a professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and is associate rector at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Geneva, Illinois. She is the author of several other books and has made Hebrews a central focus of her scholarly work, including her doctoral studies.
This commentary is part of a series designed to support preaching and teaching in the local congregation. While some commentaries are highly technical diving deep into the original languages and textual variants, which is an important contribution to biblical studies, those commentaries often do not provide the help that preachers and Bible teachers need to communicate the message of a passage to their community. This commentary and series is rooted in solid scholarship but serves a different audience or at least a different purpose. The authors of these commentaries are top scholars, including N.T. Wright, who wrote the commentary on Galatians. This commentary gives evidence of the author's scholarly aptitude but does so in a way that makes the commentary accessible to a non-specialist.
The introduction to the series makes it clear that this commentary series is designed to promote Christian formation. The editors note that the series is founded on the presupposition that the commentaries in the series can serve the "church by showing how sound theological exegesis can underwrite preaching and teaching, which in turn forms believers in the faith" (p. ix). It is the theological component of this work that proves extremely helpful to readers/users.
Peeler offers the reader a helpful, though not lengthy introduction to Hebrews, noting its theology, place in the canon, setting, and usefulness for Christian formation. She acknowledges that while traditionally the letter/sermon has been attributed to Paul it is essentially anonymous. She covers the various suggestions of authorship that includes Priscilla and Apollos. While she is attracted to the idea that the author might be a woman, she concludes that the evidence doesn't lend itself to that interpretation so she speaks of the author as he. As for the setting, the references to the Temple could point to a pre-70 CE date, but there is also room for arguing a post-70 date, such that the focus is not on the physical Temple in Jerusalem but on a spiritual Temple.
When it comes to the theology of Hebrews, she points out that it centers on Christ and his work. It assumes that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and that Jesus reveals or embodies God's faithfulness. As she reads Hebrews, she sees in it an affirmation of Jesus's divine nature as well as his human nature. Thus, it offers seeds of what will emerge over time. Since the sermon focuses on Christ's role as High Priest and the sacrifice of himself, it has implications for how the church understands atonement. As we discover throughout the commentary Peeler believes that the cross stands at the center of the sermon's message. When it comes to the passages that seem to disparage Judaism and the Old Covenant, which the letter assumes has been abolished, she wishes to disabuse us of reading Hebrews as a supersessionist text. She does recognize that the author of Hebrews would not have accepted a Jew who did not affirm Jesus as the Messiah to practice a viable form of faith.
In laying out her commentary, Peeler notes that the traditional elements of a letter are not present, especially at the beginning. There are elements of Chapter 13 that are letter-like, but she acknowledges that the chapter could have been added later or simply is an additional element added by the author for identification. As a sermon, it is meant to be read out loud or heard by an audience. It is a sermon that focuses on Christ's priestly vocation. She writes in her opening commentary on Chapter 1 of Hebrews that the first sentence of the sermon tells us that the sermon assumes that the speaker and audience share a common theology, but the community itself "needs a bold reminder that God is faithful, particularly that God is faithful to the promises given in Scripture. For this author, Jesus' priesthood is the prime example of God's faithfulness." (p. 37). As we'll see later, the author understands that Jesus does not claim Aaronic priesthood as he is not from the tribe of Levi, but instead embodies the priesthood of Melchizedek.
I always find it difficult to review commentaries. How do you summarize something like this? What I can say is that even if the reader/user doesn't always agree with the interpretation, what Amy Peeler does here is offer us a very helpful interpretation of a rather complicated text, the setting and authorship of which remains unknown. She believes and communicates that this is an important part of the biblical witness that has much to say about the Christian faith.
The Commentary on Hebrews in the Commentaries for Christian Formation Series from Eerdmans is what readers of Hebrews desire. The author of the Hebrews commentary in this series is Amy Peeler, who serves as a professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and is associate rector at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Geneva, Illinois. She is the author of several other books and has made Hebrews a central focus of her scholarly work, including her doctoral studies.
This commentary is part of a series designed to support preaching and teaching in the local congregation. While some commentaries are highly technical diving deep into the original languages and textual variants, which is an important contribution to biblical studies, those commentaries often do not provide the help that preachers and Bible teachers need to communicate the message of a passage to their community. This commentary and series is rooted in solid scholarship but serves a different audience or at least a different purpose. The authors of these commentaries are top scholars, including N.T. Wright, who wrote the commentary on Galatians. This commentary gives evidence of the author's scholarly aptitude but does so in a way that makes the commentary accessible to a non-specialist.
The introduction to the series makes it clear that this commentary series is designed to promote Christian formation. The editors note that the series is founded on the presupposition that the commentaries in the series can serve the "church by showing how sound theological exegesis can underwrite preaching and teaching, which in turn forms believers in the faith" (p. ix). It is the theological component of this work that proves extremely helpful to readers/users.
Peeler offers the reader a helpful, though not lengthy introduction to Hebrews, noting its theology, place in the canon, setting, and usefulness for Christian formation. She acknowledges that while traditionally the letter/sermon has been attributed to Paul it is essentially anonymous. She covers the various suggestions of authorship that includes Priscilla and Apollos. While she is attracted to the idea that the author might be a woman, she concludes that the evidence doesn't lend itself to that interpretation so she speaks of the author as he. As for the setting, the references to the Temple could point to a pre-70 CE date, but there is also room for arguing a post-70 date, such that the focus is not on the physical Temple in Jerusalem but on a spiritual Temple.
When it comes to the theology of Hebrews, she points out that it centers on Christ and his work. It assumes that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and that Jesus reveals or embodies God's faithfulness. As she reads Hebrews, she sees in it an affirmation of Jesus's divine nature as well as his human nature. Thus, it offers seeds of what will emerge over time. Since the sermon focuses on Christ's role as High Priest and the sacrifice of himself, it has implications for how the church understands atonement. As we discover throughout the commentary Peeler believes that the cross stands at the center of the sermon's message. When it comes to the passages that seem to disparage Judaism and the Old Covenant, which the letter assumes has been abolished, she wishes to disabuse us of reading Hebrews as a supersessionist text. She does recognize that the author of Hebrews would not have accepted a Jew who did not affirm Jesus as the Messiah to practice a viable form of faith.
In laying out her commentary, Peeler notes that the traditional elements of a letter are not present, especially at the beginning. There are elements of Chapter 13 that are letter-like, but she acknowledges that the chapter could have been added later or simply is an additional element added by the author for identification. As a sermon, it is meant to be read out loud or heard by an audience. It is a sermon that focuses on Christ's priestly vocation. She writes in her opening commentary on Chapter 1 of Hebrews that the first sentence of the sermon tells us that the sermon assumes that the speaker and audience share a common theology, but the community itself "needs a bold reminder that God is faithful, particularly that God is faithful to the promises given in Scripture. For this author, Jesus' priesthood is the prime example of God's faithfulness." (p. 37). As we'll see later, the author understands that Jesus does not claim Aaronic priesthood as he is not from the tribe of Levi, but instead embodies the priesthood of Melchizedek.
I always find it difficult to review commentaries. How do you summarize something like this? What I can say is that even if the reader/user doesn't always agree with the interpretation, what Amy Peeler does here is offer us a very helpful interpretation of a rather complicated text, the setting and authorship of which remains unknown. She believes and communicates that this is an important part of the biblical witness that has much to say about the Christian faith.
February 10, 2024
When reviewing a commentary, I tend to be reviewing the series as much as a specific volume. Recently I received an advance copy of Amy Peeler's new work on Hebrews in the Commentaries for Christian Formation series, and I'll provide my reflections on first the aims of the series and then second on Peeler's work with Hebrews itself.
Commentaries for Christian Formation
I'll let the series introduction speak for itself about its aims:
Some series focus on exegesis, some on preaching, some on teaching, and some on application. This new series integrates all these aims, serving the church by showing how sound theological exegesis can underwrite preaching and teaching, which in turn forms believers in the faith. ...If a commentary cannot help Christians negotiate a faithful path through life and deepen their love for God and all their neighbors, it is not clear that it is truly a theological commentary.
This description of other commentaries is self-evidently true; a focus on exegesis or linguistics or preaching or teaching or theology or historical retrieval or application or whatever else is often the selling point of a given commentary. As a pastor, scholar, student, etc., you'll find yourself studying a passage or a book of the Bible and a question arises in your mind such as:
- I wonder how other NT authors use this word...?
- What is the train of thought here? Why is the author bringing up angels? What role do angels play in his theology as a whole?
- What is the main verb in this sentence in the original language?
- I understand what this passage meant and why the author included it, but could someone please help me see how it's at all relevant to today?
These kinds of questions fall into exegetical or theological or linguistic or applicational buckets, and it's helpful to pick up a book off the shelf that doesn't try to be everything but instead has a singular focus. It can save hours of hunting when you have a linguistic question to have a linguistic commentary. If you're preparing a sermon and you're banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why the passage would matter to your people, it's helpful to grab an application-oriented commentary.
When I was a young pastor needing to prepare a brief homily every week on a given passage, I loved the NIV Application Commentary because it basically did my homework for me and allowed me to skip over the hard textual work straight to the part my audience would perceive as the payoff. This isn't how the NIV Application Commentary was intended to be used, of course—I share the story to my own shame—but the format of that series made it quite easy to do. I view the Commentaries for Christian Formation as something of an evolution on the same idea: aimed at the need for formation, but in a way that seeks to be theologically integrative rather than clearly separating out exegesis from theology from application.
The proof is in the pudding, though, and I admit that I'm always a bit skeptical of a book that tries to be all things to all people in a reasonable page count. Adequately addressing the linguistic and exegetical and theological and applicational issues for every single verse in an entire book is a very tall order. Consequently, I'll now turn to Peeler's volume on Hebrews and evaluate how well it covers issues of exegesis, preaching, teaching, and application.
Hebrews
Though I've never done it, I imagine the Book of Hebrews would be tricky to preach through for a few reasons:
1. It's a mystery who wrote the book, which has the knock-on effect of making it trickier to get a good idea of precisely what that author's intention was.
2. It leans heavily on the Old Testament references, and I wouldn't count on a modern American audience getting those references. You'd somehow need to be able to explain all that OT background and what Hebrews then does with it all at once.
3. If a church member does have familiarity with Hebrews, it's likely with the warning passages. As a result, you'd need a way to communicate that what the author is doing there is probably a little different than what the average Christian thinks is going on, but you'd need to communicate that in a way that doesn't completely remove the teeth from the warnings.
A Hebrews commentary aimed at formation, then, needs to be something that guides me through its use of the Old Testament, how that relates to its scheme of promise-fulfillment and its high christology, and how to make sense of the tone of warning in that context. It's a high bar!
For Peeler, a key theme of Hebrews is the notion of access to God. This access is the fulfillment of God's promises to his people, and is something that sits in a bit of a now/not yet tension—accessible now, but not fully. This access is for the community of God, and they persist in that faith together. The author of Hebrews is both teaching this didactically and affirming them in that they're already doing it. She sees the warning passages, then, as almost a portal into an alternate universe where the people have fallen apart and fallen away from Christ. This is not what these people have done, but it's a picture of what could be to a congregation that falls off course.
As Peeler progresses through the text, she takes it pericope by pericope, first offering her own translation and then a relatively brief explanation. She works both to explain how they fit into the overall flow of Hebrews as well as to address any incidental questions that may arise (e.g. when God swears, she examines the rightness or wrongness of swearing in both the Old and New Testaments).
She tries to maintain a relatively non-technical, accessible tone, keeping everything in English for the most part (and when she does need to share a Greek word, she uses only an English transliteration of the word). If you're a busy pastor and you've lost your Greek, or you're a layperson who never learned it, this commentary should not feel too intimidating. It mostly feels like the sort of conversation you'd get if you had the chance to sit down with a New Testament professor and ask questions about Hebrews.
At the top, this commentary promised to avoid being narrowly focused on exegesis, on theology, on preaching help, on application, etc., and instead to take an integrative approach. How well does this commentary execute on that vision? The results are mixed. Because the commentary takes a more conversational approach rather than a heavily structured approach, some sections are stronger in one area than others. At times, her treatment of a verse will major on what it implies for Christian formation today. At other times, her treatment instead majors on exegetical and theological matters to the exclusion of modern relevance.
To be honest, this is about what I expected—there are only so many words you can fit into a paragraph, after all—and it isn't even necessarily that big of a problem. It is worth being aware of this, though, so you can set your expectations well. You'll likely have questions that simply aren't addressed, and for best results you'll be reading this commentary in conversation with others. No surprise there, really—that's pretty standard practice for a pastor preparing a sermon. If you're a layperson, you've probably run into that feeling before when reading a study Bible. There's just no way to address every last detail that every last individual might be curious about, so read other commentaries too and keep digging!
Overall, I appreciate the commentary quite a bit. I think it will probably prove most helpful to preachers and teachers, though I could see a relatively fearless layperson picking it up for personal study and profiting from it. It provides helpful context on tricky texts while mostly sticking at a level that'll be helpful for preaching and application.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of a fair, unbiased review.
Commentaries for Christian Formation
I'll let the series introduction speak for itself about its aims:
Some series focus on exegesis, some on preaching, some on teaching, and some on application. This new series integrates all these aims, serving the church by showing how sound theological exegesis can underwrite preaching and teaching, which in turn forms believers in the faith. ...If a commentary cannot help Christians negotiate a faithful path through life and deepen their love for God and all their neighbors, it is not clear that it is truly a theological commentary.
This description of other commentaries is self-evidently true; a focus on exegesis or linguistics or preaching or teaching or theology or historical retrieval or application or whatever else is often the selling point of a given commentary. As a pastor, scholar, student, etc., you'll find yourself studying a passage or a book of the Bible and a question arises in your mind such as:
- I wonder how other NT authors use this word...?
- What is the train of thought here? Why is the author bringing up angels? What role do angels play in his theology as a whole?
- What is the main verb in this sentence in the original language?
- I understand what this passage meant and why the author included it, but could someone please help me see how it's at all relevant to today?
These kinds of questions fall into exegetical or theological or linguistic or applicational buckets, and it's helpful to pick up a book off the shelf that doesn't try to be everything but instead has a singular focus. It can save hours of hunting when you have a linguistic question to have a linguistic commentary. If you're preparing a sermon and you're banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why the passage would matter to your people, it's helpful to grab an application-oriented commentary.
When I was a young pastor needing to prepare a brief homily every week on a given passage, I loved the NIV Application Commentary because it basically did my homework for me and allowed me to skip over the hard textual work straight to the part my audience would perceive as the payoff. This isn't how the NIV Application Commentary was intended to be used, of course—I share the story to my own shame—but the format of that series made it quite easy to do. I view the Commentaries for Christian Formation as something of an evolution on the same idea: aimed at the need for formation, but in a way that seeks to be theologically integrative rather than clearly separating out exegesis from theology from application.
The proof is in the pudding, though, and I admit that I'm always a bit skeptical of a book that tries to be all things to all people in a reasonable page count. Adequately addressing the linguistic and exegetical and theological and applicational issues for every single verse in an entire book is a very tall order. Consequently, I'll now turn to Peeler's volume on Hebrews and evaluate how well it covers issues of exegesis, preaching, teaching, and application.
Hebrews
Though I've never done it, I imagine the Book of Hebrews would be tricky to preach through for a few reasons:
1. It's a mystery who wrote the book, which has the knock-on effect of making it trickier to get a good idea of precisely what that author's intention was.
2. It leans heavily on the Old Testament references, and I wouldn't count on a modern American audience getting those references. You'd somehow need to be able to explain all that OT background and what Hebrews then does with it all at once.
3. If a church member does have familiarity with Hebrews, it's likely with the warning passages. As a result, you'd need a way to communicate that what the author is doing there is probably a little different than what the average Christian thinks is going on, but you'd need to communicate that in a way that doesn't completely remove the teeth from the warnings.
A Hebrews commentary aimed at formation, then, needs to be something that guides me through its use of the Old Testament, how that relates to its scheme of promise-fulfillment and its high christology, and how to make sense of the tone of warning in that context. It's a high bar!
For Peeler, a key theme of Hebrews is the notion of access to God. This access is the fulfillment of God's promises to his people, and is something that sits in a bit of a now/not yet tension—accessible now, but not fully. This access is for the community of God, and they persist in that faith together. The author of Hebrews is both teaching this didactically and affirming them in that they're already doing it. She sees the warning passages, then, as almost a portal into an alternate universe where the people have fallen apart and fallen away from Christ. This is not what these people have done, but it's a picture of what could be to a congregation that falls off course.
As Peeler progresses through the text, she takes it pericope by pericope, first offering her own translation and then a relatively brief explanation. She works both to explain how they fit into the overall flow of Hebrews as well as to address any incidental questions that may arise (e.g. when God swears, she examines the rightness or wrongness of swearing in both the Old and New Testaments).
She tries to maintain a relatively non-technical, accessible tone, keeping everything in English for the most part (and when she does need to share a Greek word, she uses only an English transliteration of the word). If you're a busy pastor and you've lost your Greek, or you're a layperson who never learned it, this commentary should not feel too intimidating. It mostly feels like the sort of conversation you'd get if you had the chance to sit down with a New Testament professor and ask questions about Hebrews.
At the top, this commentary promised to avoid being narrowly focused on exegesis, on theology, on preaching help, on application, etc., and instead to take an integrative approach. How well does this commentary execute on that vision? The results are mixed. Because the commentary takes a more conversational approach rather than a heavily structured approach, some sections are stronger in one area than others. At times, her treatment of a verse will major on what it implies for Christian formation today. At other times, her treatment instead majors on exegetical and theological matters to the exclusion of modern relevance.
To be honest, this is about what I expected—there are only so many words you can fit into a paragraph, after all—and it isn't even necessarily that big of a problem. It is worth being aware of this, though, so you can set your expectations well. You'll likely have questions that simply aren't addressed, and for best results you'll be reading this commentary in conversation with others. No surprise there, really—that's pretty standard practice for a pastor preparing a sermon. If you're a layperson, you've probably run into that feeling before when reading a study Bible. There's just no way to address every last detail that every last individual might be curious about, so read other commentaries too and keep digging!
Overall, I appreciate the commentary quite a bit. I think it will probably prove most helpful to preachers and teachers, though I could see a relatively fearless layperson picking it up for personal study and profiting from it. It provides helpful context on tricky texts while mostly sticking at a level that'll be helpful for preaching and application.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of a fair, unbiased review.
January 28, 2024
The Commentaries for Christian Formation series have the expressed purpose of integrating exegesis, preaching, teaching, and application with the ultimate aim of faith development. This commentary by Amy Peeler is accessible to the average reader - it is serious and weighty in its treatment of the text, it is practical and applicable but not heavily technical. I particularly appreciate the series' commitment to engage with the broader canon of Scripture and the ancient Creeds. I found Peeler’s valuing of the Creeds encouraging to my journey and desire to connect my faith with the wider Christian community present and past.
The Book of Hebrews is challenging for skilled and learned minsiters let alone the average reader, with one of the most significant difficulties being handling the five warning passages. A casual reading of these passages can cause the most moral of us to question our salvation! Peeler treats these passages soberly but with pastoral care that integrates the entire narrative of Scripture.
A unique feature of this commentary is the conclusion section which gives a summary of key aspects and themes of the Book of Hebrews. I can see this being very useful in understanding the book's orientation for preaching and teaching. I recommend this commentary for all serious readers of Scripture along with ministers and teachers wanting to teach this book. I will recommend this commentary and will be using it extensively myself.
The Book of Hebrews is challenging for skilled and learned minsiters let alone the average reader, with one of the most significant difficulties being handling the five warning passages. A casual reading of these passages can cause the most moral of us to question our salvation! Peeler treats these passages soberly but with pastoral care that integrates the entire narrative of Scripture.
A unique feature of this commentary is the conclusion section which gives a summary of key aspects and themes of the Book of Hebrews. I can see this being very useful in understanding the book's orientation for preaching and teaching. I recommend this commentary for all serious readers of Scripture along with ministers and teachers wanting to teach this book. I will recommend this commentary and will be using it extensively myself.
July 9, 2024
There are plenty of commentaries on the Bible today. There are the technical ones such as critical, exegetical, and expository types which can be rather academic. There are also the more practical types such as the Application and Devotional ones which are more appropriate for laypersons. We are spoilt for choice. Recently there has been a growing desire among many to incorporate spirituality into the heavier theological texts. This commentary is one such contribution. It not only incorporates theology with practical applications, but it also helps in faith formation. In other words, the commentary is a way to spur spiritual growth via constant communal conversation with the text. Due to the mysteries and lack of certainties, Hebrews is one of the most challenging books to understand. This calls for patient study and repeat readings. Genre awareness can also help the interpretive process. The way to learn from the text is to practice what it says. For instance, Hebrews spoke about endurance and perseverance. We should also cultivate these virtues in understanding and applying the text. It gives several warnings that we should heed diligently. Throughout Hebrews, we learn of the interplay between comfort and warning, and no matter what phase we are in, a Christological perspective guides us through the long and narrow way. Amy Peeler calls this book a "Christian sermon."
The commentary follows a passage-by-passage sequence from chapters 1 to 13. There is no rush toward spiritual interpretation. Peeler diligently applies exegetical and expository styles to describe and interpret the texts. She then describes the contexts and cultural awareness to illuminate the meaning. While the subtitle of the commentary says "Christian Formation," readers need to be patient to work through the texts properly. One shouldn't rush into faith formation without properly understanding the Word of Faith. No skipping basic rules of reading and interpretation.
My Thoughts
==============
This is a commendable effort to infuse spirituality into a regular commentary. There are pros and cons to the use of such commentaries. Let me first offer the pros. Peeler's singular conviction is that the Word of God is for those who want to know God deeper and trust God more. Only a love for the Word can one venture into such diligent work of excellent scholarship and deep spirituality. She teaches us to be patient in reading, diligent in studying the contexts, and comfortable in the mysteries that require waiting upon the Lord. This presents ample opportunities to infuse prayer moments amid the pauses. I like the Christological lens that Peeler has advocated. Even amid the uncertainty of authorship, audience, date, location, and other archaeological details, the Christological lens helps us see certainties of faith themes such as endurance, warnings, and mutual support. As we focus on the certainties of Christ, the mysteries's uncertainties will become strangely dim. The conclusion brings together the different themes mentioned in the commentary. It is a good summary of the spiritual formation themes mentioned in the book. Any reader wanting a quick overview of the themes should read this chapter first.
As for the cons, my main concerns are: Are such commentaries attempting to do too much? Is it biting off more than it can chew? Will readers in their search for explicit instructions on faith formation become unwittingly distracted from the meaning of the text? Such temptations are real, especially for an impatient generation. It would have been good for Peeler to present a chapter entitled: "Notes on How to Read this Commentary" to manage expectations and to provide reading guidance. As for commentaries that try to do too much, I think Peeler's commentary of over 453 pages in length is evidence of that. This is a big volume and should be a reference book in itself. It is not easy to understand Hebrews, which is why such commentaries are essential for many of us.
Overall, I think the author has given us much food for thought and resources for study. Apart from the concluding chapter, this commentary looks a lot like the many conventional commentaries we have in the market.
Amy Peeler is professor of New Testament and the Kenneth T. Wessner Chair of Biblical Studies at Wheaton College. She also serves as associate rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Geneva, Illinois. She is the author of Women and the Gender of God and You Are My Son: The Family of God in the Epistle to the Hebrews and the coauthor, with Patrick Gray, of Hebrews: An Introduction and Study Guide.
Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Wm. B. Eerdmans via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
The commentary follows a passage-by-passage sequence from chapters 1 to 13. There is no rush toward spiritual interpretation. Peeler diligently applies exegetical and expository styles to describe and interpret the texts. She then describes the contexts and cultural awareness to illuminate the meaning. While the subtitle of the commentary says "Christian Formation," readers need to be patient to work through the texts properly. One shouldn't rush into faith formation without properly understanding the Word of Faith. No skipping basic rules of reading and interpretation.
My Thoughts
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This is a commendable effort to infuse spirituality into a regular commentary. There are pros and cons to the use of such commentaries. Let me first offer the pros. Peeler's singular conviction is that the Word of God is for those who want to know God deeper and trust God more. Only a love for the Word can one venture into such diligent work of excellent scholarship and deep spirituality. She teaches us to be patient in reading, diligent in studying the contexts, and comfortable in the mysteries that require waiting upon the Lord. This presents ample opportunities to infuse prayer moments amid the pauses. I like the Christological lens that Peeler has advocated. Even amid the uncertainty of authorship, audience, date, location, and other archaeological details, the Christological lens helps us see certainties of faith themes such as endurance, warnings, and mutual support. As we focus on the certainties of Christ, the mysteries's uncertainties will become strangely dim. The conclusion brings together the different themes mentioned in the commentary. It is a good summary of the spiritual formation themes mentioned in the book. Any reader wanting a quick overview of the themes should read this chapter first.
As for the cons, my main concerns are: Are such commentaries attempting to do too much? Is it biting off more than it can chew? Will readers in their search for explicit instructions on faith formation become unwittingly distracted from the meaning of the text? Such temptations are real, especially for an impatient generation. It would have been good for Peeler to present a chapter entitled: "Notes on How to Read this Commentary" to manage expectations and to provide reading guidance. As for commentaries that try to do too much, I think Peeler's commentary of over 453 pages in length is evidence of that. This is a big volume and should be a reference book in itself. It is not easy to understand Hebrews, which is why such commentaries are essential for many of us.
Overall, I think the author has given us much food for thought and resources for study. Apart from the concluding chapter, this commentary looks a lot like the many conventional commentaries we have in the market.
Amy Peeler is professor of New Testament and the Kenneth T. Wessner Chair of Biblical Studies at Wheaton College. She also serves as associate rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Geneva, Illinois. She is the author of Women and the Gender of God and You Are My Son: The Family of God in the Epistle to the Hebrews and the coauthor, with Patrick Gray, of Hebrews: An Introduction and Study Guide.
Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Wm. B. Eerdmans via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
February 7, 2025
Summary: A commentary for Christian formation focused on the greatness of Christ, Christian faithfulness, and Christian community.
The Epistle to the Hebrews alternately inspires, puzzles, and sometimes alarms. It’s portrayal of Christ’s greatness ands great saving work leaves us in awe and wonder. Yet we don’t know who wrote it and the discussions of sacrifices and covenant takes some background understanding. Meanwhile, the warnings for those who drift away are alarming, especially to those of tender conscience. Amy Peeler, in this contribution to the Commentaries for Christian Formation, addresses all these aspects and more.
The series focuses on Christian formation, the fostering of growth in faith, holiness, and Christian discipleship that ought to be the aspiration of every believer. Peeler does this, albeit at a level of scholarship that is accessible, but will probably stretch many lay readers. The commentary takes sections of the text and first gives a brief overview and then walks through the text verse by verse, using Peeler’s translation. What is striking is her readable prose, which is not simply notes elaborating the biblical text. In addition, she offers an introduction to the book, thoroughly covering the ground, but not excessively. Finally, there is a concluding section, framed in the form of ten questions that both offer a thematic summary of the commentary and address pastoral concerns in Christian formation. The final question focuses on how one might prepare to teach Hebrews.
There were three great themes I noted running through her commentary. First, was her development of the superior character of the person and work of Christ, greater than angels, greater than the levitical priesthood, ushering in a new and greater covenant through the greater sacrifice of himself as high priest of the order of Melchizedek. Yet his greatness embraced humility and learning obedience.
Second is the theme of Christian faithfulness and the warnings to “sluggish” Christians not to drift, not to harden their hearts, and especially not to apostatize. In this regard, Peeler addresses both the tender conscience wrestling with sin, and the complacent, who need to be concerned lest they presume upon God. Rather, Hebrews offers this vision of the race of faith, inspired by the cloud of witnesses who have run ahead of us, foremost being the Lord Jesus himself.
Finally, Peeler emphasizes that this is a sermon to a community. Already we have our solidarity with those who ran before us. But in addition, there are those who run with us and the call to instruct and encourage one another. We are to continue in love, and to imitate the way of life of our leaders.
Peeler, in her concluding summary, addresses the “liminality” of Hebrews. She notes the parallel between the audience of Hebrews and being a Christian in the present time. What does it mean to live faithfully in this “in between” space? How do we neither retreat from nor accommodate the culture? What does it mean to keep confessing Jesus and our great salvation in him alone? These are questions that arise because of the portrait of the person and work of Christ in Hebrews, and its call to Christian faithfulness. These are questions I will continue to ponder….
_____________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
The Epistle to the Hebrews alternately inspires, puzzles, and sometimes alarms. It’s portrayal of Christ’s greatness ands great saving work leaves us in awe and wonder. Yet we don’t know who wrote it and the discussions of sacrifices and covenant takes some background understanding. Meanwhile, the warnings for those who drift away are alarming, especially to those of tender conscience. Amy Peeler, in this contribution to the Commentaries for Christian Formation, addresses all these aspects and more.
The series focuses on Christian formation, the fostering of growth in faith, holiness, and Christian discipleship that ought to be the aspiration of every believer. Peeler does this, albeit at a level of scholarship that is accessible, but will probably stretch many lay readers. The commentary takes sections of the text and first gives a brief overview and then walks through the text verse by verse, using Peeler’s translation. What is striking is her readable prose, which is not simply notes elaborating the biblical text. In addition, she offers an introduction to the book, thoroughly covering the ground, but not excessively. Finally, there is a concluding section, framed in the form of ten questions that both offer a thematic summary of the commentary and address pastoral concerns in Christian formation. The final question focuses on how one might prepare to teach Hebrews.
There were three great themes I noted running through her commentary. First, was her development of the superior character of the person and work of Christ, greater than angels, greater than the levitical priesthood, ushering in a new and greater covenant through the greater sacrifice of himself as high priest of the order of Melchizedek. Yet his greatness embraced humility and learning obedience.
Second is the theme of Christian faithfulness and the warnings to “sluggish” Christians not to drift, not to harden their hearts, and especially not to apostatize. In this regard, Peeler addresses both the tender conscience wrestling with sin, and the complacent, who need to be concerned lest they presume upon God. Rather, Hebrews offers this vision of the race of faith, inspired by the cloud of witnesses who have run ahead of us, foremost being the Lord Jesus himself.
Finally, Peeler emphasizes that this is a sermon to a community. Already we have our solidarity with those who ran before us. But in addition, there are those who run with us and the call to instruct and encourage one another. We are to continue in love, and to imitate the way of life of our leaders.
Peeler, in her concluding summary, addresses the “liminality” of Hebrews. She notes the parallel between the audience of Hebrews and being a Christian in the present time. What does it mean to live faithfully in this “in between” space? How do we neither retreat from nor accommodate the culture? What does it mean to keep confessing Jesus and our great salvation in him alone? These are questions that arise because of the portrait of the person and work of Christ in Hebrews, and its call to Christian faithfulness. These are questions I will continue to ponder….
_____________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
March 9, 2024
The publisher's state: The Commentaries for Christian Formation (CCF) series serves a central purpose of the Word of God for the people of God: faith formation. Some series focus on exegesis, some on preaching, some on teaching, and some on application. This new series integrates all these aims, serving the church by showing how sound theological exegesis can underwrite preaching and teaching, which in turn forms believers in the faith.
The third entry into this series does just that. I would say those who would benefit from this are not those just in the ivory tower but those in the pew. Many can benefit from Amy Peeler's treatment of Hebrews.
In treating 6:20 Peeler says, "The tension between the Savior’s presence with God and his absence from the saved runs throughout the New Testament. Initially, it is helpful to recognize that the author does assert that they are fleeing forward to grasp, not that they have already done so. They are on the path to dwell in resurrected bodies with Jesus but are not there yet. Nevertheless, the author is aiming to give them the absolute assurance that as they continue on this path, they will arrive there. Much like he does in his treatment on faith, he is granting them assurance for what lies ahead by reminding them of what has come before. God has been faithful to their forebears, such as Abraham (6:13–15), and God has been faithful in the life of the Son, as other believers have told them (2:3)."
In the life of the recipients to the letter of the Hebrews and our lives are lived in the tension that Jesus has accomplished what we could not be we haven't received everything in full. It's like paying for a house but we still need to wait to for it to be built and move out of our old house. We as believers are still living in our old bodies waiting for the resurrected body waiting to live in the place Jesus is preparing for us. Yet Amy Peeler is so astute and comforting in her words to remind us of the hope and assurance we have.
The exegesis is there but what shines is the application for us to continue holding onto Jesus. She goes onto says regarding chapter 6, " In addition to this future dimension, it is true that they can hold on to Jesus now, even if not physically. With the imagery of an anchor of the soul, Jesus the forerunner serves not just as an example of possibility, nor only as a sympathetic and effective but distant representative, but as one to whom they remain deeply connected. They are tethered to him as a boat is connected to its anchor. Although it is not mentioned explicitly here, in light of other New Testament documents, the church will come to understand that intimate connection between Jesus and his people as the work of the Spirit. Christians may not be able to touch his resurrected body, but by the gracious power of the Spirit we are truly connected to him. Moreover, that connection is manifest in the tangible realities of baptism, Eucharist, fellowship, and service.
This is a highly recommended commentary on the book of Hebrews for the Church.
The third entry into this series does just that. I would say those who would benefit from this are not those just in the ivory tower but those in the pew. Many can benefit from Amy Peeler's treatment of Hebrews.
In treating 6:20 Peeler says, "The tension between the Savior’s presence with God and his absence from the saved runs throughout the New Testament. Initially, it is helpful to recognize that the author does assert that they are fleeing forward to grasp, not that they have already done so. They are on the path to dwell in resurrected bodies with Jesus but are not there yet. Nevertheless, the author is aiming to give them the absolute assurance that as they continue on this path, they will arrive there. Much like he does in his treatment on faith, he is granting them assurance for what lies ahead by reminding them of what has come before. God has been faithful to their forebears, such as Abraham (6:13–15), and God has been faithful in the life of the Son, as other believers have told them (2:3)."
In the life of the recipients to the letter of the Hebrews and our lives are lived in the tension that Jesus has accomplished what we could not be we haven't received everything in full. It's like paying for a house but we still need to wait to for it to be built and move out of our old house. We as believers are still living in our old bodies waiting for the resurrected body waiting to live in the place Jesus is preparing for us. Yet Amy Peeler is so astute and comforting in her words to remind us of the hope and assurance we have.
The exegesis is there but what shines is the application for us to continue holding onto Jesus. She goes onto says regarding chapter 6, " In addition to this future dimension, it is true that they can hold on to Jesus now, even if not physically. With the imagery of an anchor of the soul, Jesus the forerunner serves not just as an example of possibility, nor only as a sympathetic and effective but distant representative, but as one to whom they remain deeply connected. They are tethered to him as a boat is connected to its anchor. Although it is not mentioned explicitly here, in light of other New Testament documents, the church will come to understand that intimate connection between Jesus and his people as the work of the Spirit. Christians may not be able to touch his resurrected body, but by the gracious power of the Spirit we are truly connected to him. Moreover, that connection is manifest in the tangible realities of baptism, Eucharist, fellowship, and service.
This is a highly recommended commentary on the book of Hebrews for the Church.
April 23, 2025
Typically, commentaries function as reference tools. I read a lot of this one straight through, like you might read an academic monograph. It's insightful, readable, well written. This is a commentary that tries to bring together exegesis and theological interpretation into a seamless presentation. Some exegetes might wonder if some of the conclusions are driven by the theology in such a way that goes beyond the internal logic of the passages, but I was energized by Peeler's theologically driven readings of some key passages. This is a very good commentary that I'll use fruitfully for a long time.
August 28, 2024
Amy Peeler has been shaped by her belief that the Bible is God’s good word. Her fresh insights and her explanations of the book of Hebrews’ relevance to everyday Christian living have resulted in a trustworthy guide for study and for faith formation.
May 7, 2025
Excellent commentary. I appreciated a woman's pov studying it with a group of women. It did get a bit too in the weeds for my personal purposes, but it had a lot of great information and context nonetheless. It definitely increased my appreciation for the sermon to the Henrews.
March 25, 2025
I enjoyed this commentary. It was pastoral and easy to read in tone but didn't lack any of the scholarly rigor and depth that you would want from a good commentary.
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