A New Testament Commentary to Cross Divides
Michael A. Eaton blends his skills as a biblical scholar and preacher with his reformed and charismatic theology in a unique, new resource for the global church.
The Branch Exposition of the Bible, Volume 1: A Preacher’s Commentary of the New Testament
by Michael A. Eaton | Langham Global Library | 9781907713897
Published: 31st Aug 2020 | GBP £39.99 | Buy online with free international shipping
A great deal of biblical scholarship is written for academics and fails to edify readers or strengthen their Christian ministry. Yet, Christians need to be nourished by the word of God so they can mature in faith and righteousness. Filling this gap, The Branch Exposition of the Bible is a resource for preachers, scholars, and everyday Christians alike, to help open God’s word and shed its light into life, ministry and teaching.
“If you picture the Bible to be a mighty tree and every word a little branch, I have shaken every one of these branches because I wanted to know what it was and what it meant.” —MARTIN LUTHER
Inspired by the words of the great reformer Martin Luther about shaking every branch of Scripture, and with experience in ministering across Africa, India and the West, Michael A. Eaton helps us understand the meaning of the Bible and taste its fruit. With an Old Testament volume to follow, this exposition of the New Testament accessibly engages with the biblical languages, gives application for our lives, and leads us through each book of the New Testament so that we can meet the resurrected Jesus Christ in the pages of Scripture.
Michael A. Eaton pastored pioneering, multi-ethnic churches in some of Africa’s biggest and most influential cities, including Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Lusaka, for 40 years. As a young man he sat under the teaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel, a church he maintained a long-standing relationship with throughout his life. Michael went to be with the Lord in 2017, before The Branch Exposition of the Bible reached publication but he was a man who ministered in very different circles of the church and theological education. Michael Eaton was equally comfortable and welcomed in charismatic and reformed church networks, reflected in his pastoring of Lusaka Baptist Church and Chrisco Central Church and The Branch Exposition of the Bible, Volume 1 will be of interest to Christians from a wide range of church traditions and backgrounds as it addresses the whole New Testament verse by verse, passage by passage.
As well as crossing educational and denominational divides, The Branch Exposition of the Bible, Volume 1: A Preacher’s Commentary of the New Testament truly is a resource for the global church. Few pastors or academics can claim to have studied the whole counsel of God to the degree of being able to write expositions on all 66 books of the Bible, and even fewer have the breadth of ministry experience of preaching and pastoring in so many different cultures, ranging from the United Kingdom, to the Kenya; from South Africa, to the Netherlands; India to the United States of America. Preaching in these contexts, and drawing upon the diversity of those experiences in this New Testament volume – which will be followed by a second on the Old Testament – Michael A. Eaton is a valuable voice to speak God’s truth into today’s fractured and pandemic-ridden world.
The most valuable commentary on the Bible to come along in a century.
—Rev. R. T. Kendall, PhD
From the Foreword
The Branch Exposition of the Bible is a great resource for all Christ followers as well as a preacher’s companion. It is not just a theological treatise; rather, it is an insightful exhortation for readers and an exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the pivotal figure of the Bible.
Aiah Foday-Khabenje, DMin
General Secretary, Association of Evangelicals in Africa
Eaton’s exposition is as welcome as the shade of a spreading tree in the heat of India’s summer, a country in which he preached and published. The fruit of his long years of study hangs within the reach of the common reader. Mastery of the Word and relevance to the world run through the commentary like nourishing sap. Like branches criss-crossing, texts are referenced to other texts, creating thematic patterns across the Old and New Testaments. I am confident that this generation of readers will find Eaton as fresh and green as the generation he ministered to.
Havilah Dharamraj, PhD
Head, Department of Biblical Studies,
South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS), Bangalore, India
I thank God for Eaton’s wholehearted determination to let the text speak for itself and to make it as accessible as possible to his readers. In this excellent volume we can all benefit from his insights and taste something of his passion for truth. May he continue speaking to future generations through these pages.
Terry Virgo
Founder, Newfrontiers Together
Dr Michael Eaton is profound without being heavy, adventuring to the depths of the Bible, and bringing on shore the great values previously out of sight. All those who engage the Bible – teachers, students and study groups – will find The Branch interesting and helpful; Scriptures in their traditional context yet applicable to the contemporary. A great addition to any library.
Jeremiah Mugala
Pastor-in-Charge,
Chrisco Central Assembly, Nairobi, Kenya
In producing The Branch Exposition of the Bible, Michael Eaton has written one of the most helpful tools any preacher or scholar of Scripture could hope for. Too many commentaries are very technical or biased toward an opinion or doctrinal slant. It is refreshing to have a scholar of Michael’s ability use all that wisdom and insight to open the Scriptures to us, revealing Christ and His Kingdom. Along with being an Ephesians 4 teacher to so many, his passion for equipping preachers with the correct tools comes through in this commentary. We keenly await the Old Testament volume!
Marcus Herbert
Pastor, Cornerstone Church, Johannesburg, South Africa