The Concordia Commentary Series has been an indispensable resource for pastors, church workers, and biblical scholars for decades—enabling them to share and understand the Gospel with greater insight, clarity, and faithfulness to the original, God-given biblical text. The new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series, a companion to the Concordia Commentary Series, expands the reach of the Concordia Commentaries and distills their wealth of biblical knowledge.
About the Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series
Each volume of this new series covers one of the Concordia Commentaries and breaks up its deep theological content into easily accessible sections. Features of the series include the following:
- Space for individual notes
- Historical, theological, and practical insights into the text
- Participant guide and answer key printed in one volume
- Opening prayer and hymn for each session
- Direct quotes from the Concordia Commentaries
Each Bible study is designed to stand on its own, with all the necessary information included within the volume. Whether used by a congregation, small group, or individual learner, each study provides users with an accessible way to engage with the insights of the Concordia Commentaries.
Matthew 1:1–11:1 Concordia Commentary Bible Study and Revelation Concordia Commentary Bible Study are available now.
Using Matthew 1:1–11:1 Concordia Commentary Bible Study
This Bible study on the Gospel of Matthew answers questions about Jesus’ identity, birth, teachings, and miracles.
Pastor Josh Ulm of Ascension Lutheran Church in North Olmsted, Ohio, who has used the Concordia Commentary on Matthew 1:1–11:1, written by Jeffrey A. Gibbs, shared how Matthew 1:1–11:1 Concordia Commentary Bible Study, written by Daniel E. Paavola, helped him share the commentary’s wealth of knowledge with his congregation. Ulm shared the following:
The Concordia Commentary [series] has always been my most important resource for sermon preparation. This study allowed me to share the insights of Gibbs’s commentary with my congregation in an accessible way. The study walks participants through the commentary’s main points and best insights without the intimidation of its length or original-language notes.
As Ulm noted, Matthew 1:1–11:1 Concordia Commentary Bible Study makes the insights of the Concordia Commentary accessible for laypeople. The example below shows how the study presents and applies Gibbs’s insights in its discussion of historical consideration in the Gospel of Matthew.
Our first consideration concerns the identity of the author of the book of Matthew. The Concordia Commentary author on Matthew, Jeffrey Gibbs, gives this summary supporting the traditional view that the Gospel was written by Matthew, the former tax collector who was called by Jesus to be one of the twelve disciples:
The uniform testimony of early church writers (such as it is) and the hard evidence of the manuscript titles alone make the traditional view of authorship by Matthew of Capernaum far and away the most likely. The arguments against that view have remarkably little substance. It is true that historical certainty eludes us; we cannot prove that Matthew was the author. Nor does confessional faithfulness require that we conclude that he wrote our first canonical Gospel, since the text of the Gospel nowhere claims such authorship. Nevertheless, the most likely answer to the question of authorship is that the testimony of the early church is to be trusted. By the grace of Christ, the despised tax gatherer became a disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ. Even more, he became the author of the Gospel that bears his name. (Jeffrey A. Gibbs, Matthew 1:1–11:1, Concordia Commentary (Concordia Publishing House, 2006), 63)
A Guiding Hand Through Scripture
Matthew 1:1–11:1 Concordia Commentary Bible Study brings the same insight, clarity, and faithfulness of the commentaries to congregations, Bible study groups, and individual learners through its accessible format. In doing so, it helps learners engage Scripture and provides them with a deeper understanding of the text and a greater appreciation of its message.
Explore the Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series—and see upcoming releases—to discover a deeper understanding of Scripture through trusted theological insight and guided Bible studies.
