{"id":39174,"date":"2017-08-21T07:00:55","date_gmt":"2017-08-21T14:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/?p=39174"},"modified":"2023-03-15T13:58:16","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T20:58:16","slug":"reading-old-and-new-testament-commentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/reading-old-and-new-testament-commentary\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading the Old &#038; New Testament Commentary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do you appreciate straightforwardness? Well, nothing is much more straightforward than a commentary set called <em>Reading the Old Testament Commentary<\/em>. They&#8217;ve made their point that if you&#8217;re reading the Old Testament, you should use this commentary. And what do you do if you&#8217;re reading the New Testament? They have a commentary for that as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this post, we&#8217;ll learn about the editors and authors of this commentary set. We&#8217;ll learn about the methodology these academics used in their writing process. Lastly, we&#8217;ll take a look inside the commentary in the Olive Tree Bible App. That way, you can have a well-rounded picture of what this commentary has to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Editors<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the easiest ways to learn about a commentary series is to research the editors. You can find short bios about the editors below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Editor of Reading the Old Testament Commentary Series<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reading the Old Testament Commentary Series is edited by&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/markebiddle.com\/about-me-hebrew-bible-scholar-teacher-preacher\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mark E. Biddle<\/a><\/strong>.  He is currently the Russell T. Cherry Professor of Old Testament at Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA. He holds a handful of degrees:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>BAH in English and Religion from Samford University<\/li><li>MDiv from The Southern Baptist Seminary<\/li><li>ThM from Rueschlikon Baptist Theological Seminary<\/li><li>DrTheol from the University of Zurich<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, when it comes to his publications, there is also no shortage. Over the years, Biddle has published six books, ten translated volumes (German to English), and more than 150 articles, book reviews, and lectures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But his experience doesn&#8217;t stop in the classroom. He has also pastored at churches in the United States and Europe, keeping all his hard study applicable to the lives of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lastly, not only did Biddle edit this series, he also authored <a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=48925\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the volume on Judges<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Editor of Reading the New Testament Commentary Series<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reading the New Testament Commentary Series is edited by Charles H. Talbert. He is distinguished professor of religion at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Talbert received his PhD from Vanderbilt University. Along with his work on this series, he&#8217;s also the author of many other books: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Ephesians and Colossians<\/em>&nbsp;in the Paideia series<\/li><li><em>Matthew<\/em>&nbsp;in the Paideia series<\/li><li><em>Reading the Sermon on the Mount<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not only did Talbert edit this series, he also produced several of its volumes. He authored <a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17332\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Luke<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17333\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading John and Johannine Epistles<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17334\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Acts<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17336\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading 1 and 2 Corinthians<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Message from the Editors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, let&#8217;s hear from the editors themselves. Nearly every commentary series will include a message from the editors. These notes can give you key information about the kind of commentary you&#8217;re looking at, and whether it is a good fit for you. We&#8217;ll copy and paste the notes below, then bold the most important parts. But first,<strong><em> here is a summary of points:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>This commentary uses cutting-edge research<\/li><li>It is accessible to a wide audience, from academics and pastors to educated laypeople<\/li><li>It is not a verse-by-verse or section-by-section commentary<\/li><li>This commentary instead focused on larger literary and thought units<\/li><li>Volume authors were not chosen based on denomination, but by their learning and insight<\/li><li>The Old Testament series goal is to aid Christians in becoming more competent, more engaged, and more enthusiastic readers of the Bible<\/li><li>The New Testament series goal is to treat the text as the religious text it is, while putting forward with clarity and enthusiasm the religious message it is attempting to convey<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, if you&#8217;d like to read the notes in full, you can do so! Or jump futher down in this post to learn more about <a href=\"#volumes\">the individual volumes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Note from Mark Biddle, Editor of Reading the Old Testament<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"227\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/biddle.jpg\" alt=\"Mark Biddle\" class=\"wp-image-47422\"\/><figcaption><em>photo from <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/markebiddle.com\/about-me-hebrew-bible-scholar-teacher-preacher\/\" target=\"_blank\">markbiddle.com<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The Reading the Old Testament series shares many of the aims and objectives of its counterpart, Reading the New Testament. Contributors to the current series, like those to its predecessor, write with the intention of presenting<strong> &#8216;cutting-edge research in<\/strong> [a form] <strong>accessible&#8217; to a wide audience<\/strong> ranging from specialists in the field to educated laypeople. The approach taken here, as there, <strong>focuses<\/strong> not on the minutiae of word-by-word, verse-by-verse exegesis but <strong>on larger literary and thought units<\/strong>, especially as they function in the overall conception of the book under analysis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the standpoint of method, volumes in this series will employ an eclectic variety of reading strategies and critical approaches as contributors deem appropriate for explicating the force of the text before them. Nonetheless, as in RNT, &#8216;the focus [will be] on a close reading of the final form of the text.&#8217; <strong>The overarching goal is<\/strong> to provide readers of the commentary series with an aid to help them <strong>become more competent<\/strong>, <strong>more engaged<\/strong>, and <strong>more enthusiastic readers of the Bible<\/strong> as authoritative Scripture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The title of the series prompts several comments. For the editor, at least, the term &#8216;Old Testament&#8217; is a convenient convention, since any alternative seems either awkward or provocative. The Hebrew Bible is the shared heritage of Judaism and Christianity, the body of believers whom Paul once described as branches from a wild olive tree who have been &#8216;grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree&#8217; (Rom 11:24). Since the beginnings of Christianity, questions concerning how and in what sense the Hebrew Bible\/Old Testament functions as Christian Scripture have perpetually confronted the church. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nonetheless, throughout its history, in the spirit of Paul, the church has insisted that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of the New Testament. Rather than impose a detailed doctrine of the unity of the two Testaments or specify a particular hermeneutical approach, <strong>the editor and the publisher have chosen to invite contributions to the series from scholars selected because of their learning and insight<\/strong>, again in the spirit of Paul, we hope, <strong>without regard to faith tradition or denominational identity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The books of the Hebrew Bible were the fountainhead for the faith of both Paul and Aqiba. May it be that, through the scholarship presented in the pages of this series, the books of the &#8216;Old Testament&#8217; water the faith of another generation.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Note from Charles Talbert, Editor of Reading the New Testament<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/169354.jpeg\" alt=\"Charles Talbert\" class=\"wp-image-47423\" width=\"209\" height=\"320\"\/><figcaption><em>photo from<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baylor.edu\/mediacommunications\/news.php?action=story&amp;story=50286\" target=\"_blank\"> baylor.edu<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Reading the New Testament is a commentary series that aims to present <strong>cutting-edge research<\/strong> in popular form that is <strong>accessible to upper-level undergraduates, seminarians, seminary-educated pastors, and educated laypeople, as well as to graduate students and professors<\/strong>. The volumes in this series do not follow the word-by-word, phrase-by-phrase, verse-by-verse method of traditional commentaries. Rather they are concerned to understand <strong>large thought units and their relationship to an author&#8217;s thought as a whole<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The focus is on a close reading of the final form of the text. The aim is to <strong>make one feel at home in the biblical text itself<\/strong>. The approach of these volumes involves a concern both for how an author communicates and what the religious point of the text is. Care is taken to relate both the how and the what of the text to its milieu: Christian (New Testament and non-canonical), Jewish (scriptural and postbiblical), and Greco-Roman. This enables both the communication strategies and the religious message of the text to be clarified against a range of historical and cultural possibilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, a section of commentary on a large thought unit will often contain a brief excursus on some topic raised by the material in the unit, sometimes sketching Old Testament, postbiblical Jewish, Greco-Roman, New Testament, and noncanonical Christian views on the subject. Throughout, the basic concern is to treat the <strong>New Testament texts as religious documents whose religious message needs to be set forth with compelling clarity<\/strong>. All other concerns are subordinated to this. It is the hope of all participants in this project that our efforts at exposition will enable the New Testament to be understood better and communicated more competently.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"volumes\"><strong>Commentary Volumes and Authors<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next, let&#8217;s look at a list of the completed volumes in this series and their authors. You may or may not recognize some of these names!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ReadingTheOldTestamentCommInApp.jpg\" alt=\"Commentary volumes olive tree\" class=\"wp-image-47426\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Volumes in the Reading the Old Testament Series<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=48919\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Genesis<\/a> by Julie Galambush<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=48917\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Deuteronomy<\/a> by Stephen L. Cook<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=48924\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Joshua<\/a> by John C. H. Laughlin<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=48925\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Judges<\/a> by Mark E Biddle<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=48927\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Samuel<\/a> by Johanna W. H. van Wijk-Bos<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=48923\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Job<\/a> by James L. Crenshaw<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=48921\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Isaiah<\/a> by Hyun Chul Paul Kim<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=48922\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Jeremiah<\/a> by Corrine Carvalho<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=48918\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Ezekiel<\/a> by Marvin A. Sweeney<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=48920\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Hosea &#8211; Micah<\/a> by Terence E. Fretheim<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=48926\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Nahum &#8211; Malachi<\/a> by Steven Tuell<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ReadingTheNewTestamentComm.jpg\" alt=\"reading New Testament olive tree\" class=\"wp-image-47427\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Volumes in the Reading the New Testament Series<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17328\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Matthew<\/a>&nbsp;by David E. Garland<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17331\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Mark<\/a>&nbsp;by Sharyn Dowd<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17332\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Luke<\/a>&nbsp;by Charles H. Talbert<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17333\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading John and Johannine Epistles<\/a>&nbsp;by Charles Talbert<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17334\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Acts<\/a>&nbsp;by Charles H. Talbert<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17335\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Romans<\/a>&nbsp;by Luke Timothy Johnson<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17336\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading 1 and 2 Corinthians<\/a>&nbsp;by Charles H. Talbert<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17337\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Galatians, Philippians, &amp; 1 Thessalonians<\/a>&nbsp;by Charles B. Cousar<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17338\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Colossians, Ephesians, &amp; 2 Thessalonians<\/a>&nbsp;by Bonnie Thurston<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17339\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Paul&#8217;s Letters to Individuals<\/a> by W. Hulitt Gloer &amp; Perry Stepp<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17340\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Hebrews and James<\/a> by Marie E. Isaacs<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17341\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading 1 Peter, Jude, and 2 Peter<\/a>&nbsp;by Earl J. Richard<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=17342\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Revelation<\/a>&nbsp;by Joseph L. Trafton<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Take a Look Inside<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A focus on larger passages of Scripture sets this <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/how-to-commentaries\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/how-to-commentaries\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">commentary<\/a> apart from others, helping readers understand the text as a whole. It captures the big picture\u2014not getting caught in the details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Pastors preaching through the Old and New Testaments will find this resource incredibly helpful.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Here are some examples of the commentary text.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1805.png\" alt=\"Reading the Old Testament: Genesis in the Olive Tree Bible App commentary\" class=\"wp-image-47415\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\"\/><figcaption><em>Reading Genesis<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1806.png\" alt=\"Reading the Old Testament: Ezekiel in the Olive Tree Bible App commentary\" class=\"wp-image-47416\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\"\/><figcaption><em>Reading Ezekiel<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_071807BD3F7B-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Reading the New Testament: John in the Olive Tree Bible App commentary\" class=\"wp-image-47413\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\"\/><figcaption><em>Reading John and Johannine Epistles<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1803.png\" alt=\"Reading the New Testament: Philemon in the Olive Tree Bible App commentary\" class=\"wp-image-47414\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\"\/><figcaption><em>Reading Paul&#8217;s Letters to Individuals: Philemon<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Book Introductions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alongside insightful commentary, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=78020\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading the New Testament Commentary<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=77957\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading the Old Testament Commentary<\/a> also provide lengthy book introductions. Here you will find everything you need to know about the book&#8217;s author and purpose for writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/IMG_1695.png\" alt=\"Olive Tree Bible Open up to Acts and Reading the New Testament Commentary introduction\" class=\"wp-image-47037\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\"\/><figcaption><em>Reading Acts<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Linked Verse References<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, this is a commonly found feature in the app. But, at the same time, it is always worth noting because it is incredibly useful. Linked verse references (and footnotes and other kinds of notes) mean you don&#8217;t have to leave what you&#8217;re reading to get more in-depth information. Here&#8217;s what we mean in action:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_92F08A7858A2-1.jpeg\" alt=\"reading Deuteronomy linked verse reference\" class=\"wp-image-47417\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\"\/><figcaption><em>Reading Deuteronomy<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the left, we&#8217;ve opened the ESV to a passage in Deuteronomy. Then we used the Resource Guide tab of the Study Center to open the commentary notes related to this passage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a tip, do you see that link icon? We locked the window so that the Study Center will always follow along with what we are reading on the left-hand side. It&#8217;s super handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, while we were reading, there was a verse reference! We don&#8217;t have Deut 1:27-28 pulled up. So, instead of scrolling further to read, you can simply tap the reference. A new window appears, like you see above. Dismiss it whenever you&#8217;re done!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Interested In This Commentary Series?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"580\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ReadingTheOldNewTestamentCommentarySocial-1024x580.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-53105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ReadingTheOldNewTestamentCommentarySocial-1024x580.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ReadingTheOldNewTestamentCommentarySocial-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ReadingTheOldNewTestamentCommentarySocial-768x435.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ReadingTheOldNewTestamentCommentarySocial-1536x870.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sweet! You can head on over to our website to learn a little more about the sets and volumes. Then, whenever you&#8217;re ready, make the jump to adding these great resources to your Olive Tree library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-7d812b4c wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background\" href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=77957\" style=\"background-color:#81a55b\">GET THE OT COMMENTARY TODAY<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-7d812b4c wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background\" href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/store\/product.php?productid=78020\" style=\"background-color:#81a55b\">GET THE NT COMMENTARY TODAY<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-7d812b4c wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-7d812b4c wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you appreciate straightforwardness? Well, nothing is much more straightforward than a commentary set called Reading the Old Testament Commentary. They&#8217;ve made their point that if you&#8217;re reading the Old Testament, you should use this commentary. And what do you do if you&#8217;re reading the New Testament? They have a commentary for that as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":52206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7849,16,5338,5339],"tags":[6066,8569],"class_list":["post-39174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-commentaries","category-look-inside","category-new-testament-articles","category-old-testament-articles","tag-reading-the-new-testament-commentary-series","tag-reading-the-old-testament-commentary-series"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Reading the Old &amp; New Testament Commentary - Olive Tree Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Take a quick look inside the Reading the New Testament Commentary Series! 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