Review of Theology of Work Bible Commentary, by Bible Study Magazine

This review of the Theology of Work Bible Commentary is from Bible Study Magazine, November 1, 2016, by Abram Kielsmeier-Jones.

Much of a church’s ministry takes place when its members are not gathered together. Preachers want to know how to, as Ephesians says, “equip the saints for the work of ministry”—namely, connecting weekend worship to Monday morning work.

The distinctive contribution of the Theology of Work Bible Commentary, edited by William Messenger of the Theology of Work Project, is that it seeks to explore “what the entire Bible says about work” (series foreword).

Each biblical book has a short introduction, including a summary of what that book says about work. There are long stretches of Scripture not discussed at all, but the commentary explains passages it sees as directly relating to the theology and practice of a Christian’s work.

Ephesians 4:1, for example, says, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” The commentary notes, “Every Christian shares in this calling. Thus our truest and deepest vocation (from the Latin word for ‘calling’) is to do our part to advance the multifaceted mission of God in the world” (5:101). Though its brevity may not always permit depth, the commentary provides unique and helpful theological and practical connections between the Bible and Christians’ working world.