Customer Reviews for Kregel Academic & Professional The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish & Christian Theology
Kregel Academic & Professional The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish & Christian Theology
Written by eleven top biblical scholars The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 explores issues the different ways Christians and Jews have read Isaiah 53 as well as how the chapter was used by NT authors, and appropriate ways to preach and teach this critical OT passage.
Each scholar aims to show how Christ is the fulfillment of Isaiah's "suffering servant" while offering suggestions on how to share the good news with our Jewish brothers and sisters.
Contributors Include
Each scholar aims to show how Christ is the fulfillment of Isaiah's "suffering servant" while offering suggestions on how to share the good news with our Jewish brothers and sisters.
Contributors Include
- Darrell Bock
- Walter Kaiser
- Richard Averbeck
- Michael L. Brown
- Michael J. Wilkins
- Craig Evans
- David L. Allen
- Robert B. Chisholm, Jr.
- John S. Feinberg
- Mitch Glaser
- Donald Sunukjian
Average Customer Rating:
(8 Reviews) 8
Rating Snapshot (8 reviews)
5 stars
3
4 stars
4
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
8 out of 8100%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish & Christian Theology
Review 1 for The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish & Christian Theology
Overall Rating:
The Greatest Resource on Isaiah 53!!
Date:November 6, 2012
Robert C
Location:Dallas
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Having actually attended the lecture series “The Gospel According to Isaiah 53” in March 2009 at Irving Bible Church in Texas, where theses papers were submitted I have been eagerly anticipating the publication of this volume for some time. The published work’s aim and clear intent is to equip Christians to evangelize and give a theological apologetic for the use of Isaiah 53 for witnessing to Jewish people. The book contains 11 chapters each written by a prominent scholar in each of their own respective fields discussing a particular theme in Isaiah 53. The volume is divided into three major parts: Interpretation of Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53 in Biblical Theology, and Isaiah 53 in Practical Theology.
The chapter I found most enjoyable was Mitch Glaser’s on “Using Isaiah 53 in Jewish Evangelism”. Glaser addresses how to practically communicate this passage evangelistically and not as a proof text necessarily but as a persuasive starter to fruitful dialogue about Christ. He shares his own conversion experience and how Isaiah 53 was instrumental and how it has impacted Jewish evangelism in the past. Mitch Glaser set out to offer a series of scholarly evangelical essays on Isaiah 53 that would be humbly apologetic yet evangelistic at the core. I believe they have succeeded in this very enjoyable volume.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 2 for The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish & Christian Theology
Overall Rating:
Thorough treatment of a key passage of Scripture
Date:September 5, 2012
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
"Isaiah 53 is one of the clearest prophecies of Jesus the Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures. This chapter has changed the lives of thousands of people--both Jews and Gentiles--who have read the text and believed in the One who fulfilled these prophecies in glorious detail."
Thus begins Mitch Glaser's Introduction in The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish and Christian Theology. In three parts the book expounds how the prophecies of Isaiah 53 relate to and are ultimately fulfilled in the person of Jesus. (The full passage the book treats is Isaiah 52:13-Isaiah 53.)
The first section, a sort of exegetical prelude, discusses "Christian interpretations" and "Jewish interpretations" of Isaiah 53. The second section is a biblical theology of Isaiah 53 (with particular attention to its use throughout Scripture). The third and concluding section speaks to "Isaiah 53 and Practical Theology," with an emphasis on how to preach the passage, both from the pulpit and in conversation.
The book is "designed to enable pastors and lay leaders to deepen their understanding of Isaiah 53 and to better equip the saints for ministry among the Jewish people."
The first thing I noticed about the book is that it's just as much an apologetic for Jesus-as-suffering-servant as it is an academic study of Isaiah 53. It's not that it lacks academic substance, though. This is a meaty book, and pleasingly so.
Regarding the book's explicitly evangelistic intent--there may be some who are uncomfortable with the description of Chosen People Ministries' "Isaiah 53 Campaign" (including 75,000 postcards to Jewish homes and 40,000 voice blasts=robo-calls?). I'll admit that I question the potential efficacy of pre-recorded phone messages for reaching anyone with the Gospel (though God can use anything!). But there is still something to be commended in the blending of the academic and evangelistic enterprises, something this book does well.
A few contributor names to highlight are Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Darrell L. Bock (one of the co-editors), Craig A. Evans, and Donald R. Sunukjian. I particularly appreciated the book's treatment of the New Testament use of Isaiah 53. The chapter by Michael J. Wilkins lists the quotations of Isaiah 53 in the NT and additional allusions to it in the Gospels. (He makes a key point, that Jesus himself understood "his mission and death in the light of Isaiah 53.") Darrell Bock goes in depth with a comparison of the Greek and Hebrew texts of Isaiah 53:7-8, highlighting its use in Acts 8 where Philip explains the passage to the Ethiopian eunuch.
Something to critique in this book is that there were a few generalizations of Jews that I found to be unfair, particularly in the chapter "Using Isaiah 53 in Jewish Evangelism." Mitch Glaser writes: "I think I can safely say that, in the United States, most Jewish people would recognize Isaiah as the first name of a professional athlete sooner than they would recognize the prophet of biblical literature."
Granted, he is operating from the assumption that "most Jewish people are not Lubavitch, Hasidic, or Orthodox," but still.... What was more surprising to me: "Most Jewish people do not understand or believe in biblical prophecy" and, "Most Jewish people do not believe in sin." Glaser does (only later) qualify these with, "We must note that all of the above does not apply to those who hold to traditional Jewish theological positions," but he would have been better off saying something like "many secular or ethnic but non-religious Jews..." or at least supporting his statements with statistics from surveys rather than anecdotal evidence. Glaser himself is a converted Jew who has a compelling conversion story, but I still found those characterizations to be frustrating. I wonder how helpful such statements could be in advancing an evangelistic cause in conversation with another Jew.
This next thing to highlight may seem a small point to some, but as someone seeking to keep my Hebrew and Greek going, I appreciated the actual Hebrew and Greek fonts throughout the book (i.e., not just transliteration), which are clear and easy to read. I did think, however, about an intended audience of "pastors and lay leaders" who may have desired transliteration, too. (All Hebrew and Greek is translated into English.)
Darrell Bock's conclusion summarizes all the essays of the book, with key quotations. Having this there was a big help in piecing everything together again. The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 will not be far from my reach in coming months and years. I expect I will often reference this compendium of biblical scholarship on a vital text. My hesitations about the characterizations of Jews above notwithstanding, there is a good deal here that can be useful for Christian-Jewish conversations about the Suffering Servant.
I received a free copy from Kregel of The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 with the only expectations of providing an (unbiased and honest) review.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 3 for The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish & Christian Theology
Overall Rating:
important book but somewhat disjointed and heady
Date:September 3, 2012
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
Perhaps no chapter in the Old Testament is more foundational to the cause of Jewish evangelism than Isaiah 53. In "The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish and Christian Theology" editors Darrell L. Bock and Mitch Glaser bring together an impressive group of scholars to discuss this text in full detail. The result is an academic work that aims to equip church leaders for effectively using this pivotal chapter in Jewish evangelism.
The book is divided into three sections. Part 1 coves Christian and Jewish interpretations of Isaiah 53. These first two chapters were most informative and really are worth the price of the book. Richard Averbeck surveys a wide variety of Christian interpretations, and Michael Brown masterfully gives a thorough treatment of Jewish opinions on this passage.
Part 2 is a collection of various essays on Isaiah 53 and is the weakest part of the book in my opinion. The essays themselves are fine, but there is repetition and disparity between them. Most of them spend some time discussing whether the Suffering Servant is collectively understood as Israel or should be viewed as an individual Messianic figure. These essays are written independently and not situated in the flow of the book well, so we cover the same ground over and over again. That being said, the articles do make some important points and cover different points of emphases when it comes to Isaiah 53′s development in the New Testament.
Part 3 covers Isaiah 53 in practical theology and is quite good. Mitch Glaser’s piece on using Isaiah 53 in Jewish Evangelism is excellent. His explanation of orthodox Jewish objections to Isaiah 53′s use by Christians as opposed to the average Jewish person’s more secular outlook to the passage is priceless. Too often, we assume that Jews think like Christians when it comes to God’s holiness and personal sin, blood atonement and the like, and Glaser assures us this is not the case.
The book ends with an odd concluding chapter, in which Darrell Bock excerpts several paragraphs from each of the chapters in the book. It seems a strange way to conclude a book, but I wonder if it is an attempt to forge a greater unity between disparate pieces? An appendix then includes two sample sermons on Isaiah 53.
The book points us to numerous additional resources throughout, and really does cover Isaiah 53 well. It definitely accomplishes the task it sets out to achieve. Yet the book is clearly directed toward a more scholarly audience and I believe this will limit its effectiveness. There are no transliterations of Hebrew and Greek terms provided, and sometimes there are not even short lexical definitions of them included either. The interaction with scholarly literature, too, is much more than the average lay leader is equipped to handle. Still there is a lot of value to be had in the book, and I was thankful to be reminded of how important this single chapter is for Jewish evangelism.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by Kregel Academic. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 4 for The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish & Christian Theology
Overall Rating:
Digging Deeper Into Isaiah 53
Date:August 30, 2012
PreachTheWord
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 is a collection of essays from different authors, each exploring a different aspect concerning Isaiah 53. The book’s purpose was a surprise. “This book, The Gospel according to Isaiah 53, was written to help readers to utilize the truths of this magnificent chapter in bringing the Good News to those who do not yet know Jesus. It is designed to enable pastors and lay leaders to deepen their understanding of Isaiah 53 and to better equip the saints for ministry among the Jewish people” (p. 21). The book further declares, “The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 grows out of the desire of Chosen People Ministries, a mission to the Jewish people, to equip fellow believers for the task of Jewish evangelism” (p. 21). The introduction clearly sets the tone that these essays are intended to deepen the reader’s knowledge of this prophecy so the reader will share its gospel message to those who do not accept Jesus to be the prophesied Christ.
The essays are scholarly and quite valuable. As a minister I found the essay, “Jewish Interpretations of Isaiah 53” to be very useful for understanding how various rabbis and Jewish commentators have dealt with this prophecy. There are three essays that explore the New Testament usage of Isaiah 53. There are also many useful essays for the preacher, including “Preaching Isaiah 53” and “Using Isaiah 53 in Jewish Evangelism.” The appendix also contains two sermons from Isaiah 53.
The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 finds its place as an excellent resource for consulting when studying, teaching, or preaching Isaiah 53. It is not an easy read of the gospel message from Isaiah. The book intends to plumb the depths of this great prophecy, exploring every question, difficulty, and interpretation. If you are looking for a scholarly resource on Isaiah 53 with an evangelistic aim, this book is strongly recommended for you. I look forward to using this resource to teach a fuller, deeper gospel message from Isaiah 53.
*This book was provided to me free of charge from Kregel in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 5 for The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish & Christian Theology
Overall Rating:
Great Gospel Read
Date:August 23, 2012
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
As much as I have studied the Scriptures and the Old Testament, I have not spent much time thinking about how to present the gospel to Jews. In The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 each chapter’s author plows through the rich gospel soil of Isaiah 53 and the deftly applies it to approaching Jews with the gospel of the Messiah. You will not find a more solid book about Isaiah 53 and the Suffering Servant than this one. The chapters cover the necessary scholarly ground for each focus and carefully unpack the meaning in the text. Without delving into the hundreds of scholarly articles and Jewish writings on Isaiah 53 you won’t get as fair and comprehensive treatment elsewhere.
Part 1 establishes the exegetical groundwork by examining the Christian and Jewish interpretations of this chapter. Reading this section was drinking from a theological water hose--so much rich information and background. Part 2 deconstructs the macro interpretation into more focused themes. So you have a chapter on the identity of the servant, Isaiah 53 and the gospels, forgiveness, and atonement and cultic terminology.
Part 3 gets into the nitty gritty of communicating the truths about the Messiah and the gospel from Isaiah 53 to modern Jews. In chapter 10 “Using Isaiah 53 in Jewish Evangelism,” Mitch Glaser had some clear insights into presenting the gospel to modern Jews (p. 246). I also found myself thinking that his practical tips for gospeling would translate well with other peoples with minor changes. Also, chapter 11 “Preaching Isaiah 53” would be immensely helpful for pastors seeking to preach the gospel from the Old Testament. Most of the really awful sermons I have heard are from the Old Testament. It seems to take a more skilled hand and more precision to handle the text careful. Sunukjian logically and precisely lays out the structure and theme of the chapter and provides considerations for drawing out the truths therein.
Although the focus is the Jewish context the book would be helpful for all Christians who are seeking to understand the gospel in the Old Testament. If you are familiar with Christian terminology and are a determined read you shouldn’t find the reading overly challenging. There are some technical discussions of Hebrew and biblical criticism but you can still grasp the flow and overall thrust without a full comprehension of the intricacies of Old Testament scholarship. Hiking a mountain is arduous but the view at the end is worth it and so the gospel and skill at finding it in the Old Testament is worth the hard-work. I agree with the authors that Isaiah 53 is one of the clearest gospel and Messiah passages in the Old Testament. As such, The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 would be an invaluable resource to keep on your shelf.
A free copy of this book was provided by Kregel.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 6 for The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish & Christian Theology
Overall Rating:
Not your average Theology Book
Date:August 17, 2012
RachelA
Location:Statesville, NC
Age:25-34
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
*This book was sent free of charge for a non-biased opinion of the book. No money was exchanged for the above review.
Perhaps you have wondered about the interpretations held about Isaiah 53. Maybe as a Christian, you think “Why can’t a Jewish person read Isaiah 53 and see that it’s pointing straight to Jesus as Messiah?” Maybe as a Jew you are thinking “Why do Christians automatically point to Isaiah 53 as a prophecy that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah?” No matter, if you are Jewish or Christian, this book is a valuable addition to your library.
As a Biblical Studies student, I am constantly looking for books that will help me expound upon the themes in the Bible. Bock and Glaser have provided any seminary student with such a book. This book doesn’t come across overtly “Christian” nor does it deny the Jewish stance of Isaiah 53. This book isn’t written at such an academic/professional level that a lay member couldn’t read it, however, there could be some difficulty if you have never studied the Jewish roots of the Christian faith or are not at least familiar with Judaism and its history.
There are several questions that are answered within this book and by giving clear answers this book is one that will really help anyone who is interested in learning more about the interpretations of Isaiah 53. Christian or Jew, this book, is one that any seminary student or professional minister will benefit from; especially in helping to understand the ancient context of which this book and chapter was written.
There are several questions that are answered within this book and by giving clear answers this book is one that will really help anyone who is interested in learning more about the interpretations of Isaiah 53. Christian or Jew, this book, is one that any seminary student or professional minister will benefit from; especially in helping to understand the ancient context of which this book and chapter was written.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 7 for The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish & Christian Theology
Overall Rating:
The Good News of Isaiah 53, INDEED!
Date:August 9, 2012
Jason
Location:Ohio
Age:25-34
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
The Gospel According to Isaiah 53
What a powerful testament by a collection of solid scholars. With D. Bock and Mitch Glaser as the general editors, the text includes work from David Allen; Richard Averbeck; Michael Brown; Robert Chisholm Jr.; Craig Evans; Walter Kaiser Jr.; and others! That's a powerhouse line-up, all with their eyes on one mission: explore the theology of the suffering servant of Isaiah 53.
This book is particularly geared at witnessing to the Jewish tradition, that which does not view Jesus Christ the Son of God as the Messiah that is popularly understood as being alluded to in Isaiah 53. This mission drives the authors of the book so much that there are even example sermons at the end of the book following exegetical data. Let's take a look at the book in more detail ...
The break down of the book is as follows:
PART 1: Interpretation
- Christian Interpretation of Isaiah 53
- Jewish Interpretation of Isaiah 53
PART 1: Interpretation
- Christian Interpretation of Isaiah 53
- Jewish Interpretation of Isaiah 53
PART 2: Isaiah 53 in Biblical Theology
- Identity and Mission of the 'Servant of the Lord'
- Isaiah 53 and the Message of Salvation in the Four Gospels
- Isaiah 53 in Acts 8
- Isaiah 53 in the Letters of Peter, Paul, Hebrews, and John
- Substitutionary Atonement and Cultic Terminology
- Forgiveness and Salvation in Isaiah 53
- Identity and Mission of the 'Servant of the Lord'
- Isaiah 53 and the Message of Salvation in the Four Gospels
- Isaiah 53 in Acts 8
- Isaiah 53 in the Letters of Peter, Paul, Hebrews, and John
- Substitutionary Atonement and Cultic Terminology
- Forgiveness and Salvation in Isaiah 53
PART 3: Isaiah 53 and Practical Theology
- Postmodern Themes from Isaiah 53
- Using Isaiah 53 in Jewish Evangelism
- Preaching Isaiah 53
- Postmodern Themes from Isaiah 53
- Using Isaiah 53 in Jewish Evangelism
- Preaching Isaiah 53
*Conclusion
*Appendix A: Expositional Sermon on Isaiah 53
*Appendix B: Dramatic-Narrative Sermon on Isaiah 53
*Scripture Index
*Subject Index
*Appendix A: Expositional Sermon on Isaiah 53
*Appendix B: Dramatic-Narrative Sermon on Isaiah 53
*Scripture Index
*Subject Index
My own thoughts on the book is that these guys nailed it. They have a passion for reaching the Jewish audience as well as equipping Christians with the background knowledge to what is may be the most compelling prophetic statement in all of Scripture. Isaiah 53 is a stumbling block for so many, but The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 provides Christians with the foundation needed to have the conversation with those who do not find Jesus Christ in the prophetic statement.
That being said, I do not see Jesus directly in the text as many authors of the text do. They come from what appears to be a very Christocentric perspective (correct me if I'm wrong). In other words, they might find it a flaw to not read Jesus Christ into the passage in place of the suffering servant. I would caution the interpretation of this text to say that Isaiah 53 points toward Christ (What is often termed "Christotelic"). In other words, and in my opinion, the original audience would not have read this and thought of God's Son Jesus Christ as the suffering servant. We have to rest at the point before moving forward because there is a lot of application for the immediate audience before it reaches us. It also appears that the editors approach the text from dispensational presuppositions -- again, not where I would land but I hold nothing against their research and am not fine-tuned enough to say where their exegesis of the text is weak. I would say that the book is worth its price for Walter Kaiser's chapter alone. :)
I would highly encourage anyone who wishes to better understand the Jewish perspective and how a Christian ought to approach that perspective.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 8 for The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish & Christian Theology
Overall Rating:
Isaiah 53
Date:July 31, 2012
papa
Location:chicago
Age:55-65
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
3
out of
5
It is very well written, I was expecting a book that presented Isaiah 53 more as The Gospel, instead of primarily as it relates to Jewish people. The sole purpose of the book is that and for me didn't flow as well, but still it is a good book. I would recommend it to someone with qualification,
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.