Studying the Bible. 1. People's reasons for studying the Bible—and therefore for using a biblical commentary—are many and various.
The great majority of Bible readers have a religious motivation. They believe that the Bible contains the' words of life', and that to study it is a means of deepening their understanding of the ways of God.
They turn to the Bible to inform them about how God desires human beings to live, and about what God has done for the human race.
They expect to be both challenged and helped by what they read, and to gain clearer guidance for living as religious believers.
Such people will use a commentary to help them understand the small print of what has been disclosed about the nature and purposes of God.
The editors' hope is that those who turn to the Bible for such religious reasons will find that the biblical text is here explained in ways that make it easier to understand its content and meaning.
We envisage that the Commentary will be used by pastors preparing sermons, by groups of people reading the Bible together in study or discussion groups, and by anyone who seeks a clearer perspective on a text that they hold in reverence as religiously inspiring.
Jews, Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox Christians have different expectations of the Bible, but we hope that all will find the Commentary useful in elucidating the text.
