Who hasn’t enjoyed the small indulgence of letting the “up next” countdown on the screen run to zero as one episode of your favorite sitcom runs into another? There is no waiting for the next episode like in years of yore.
Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz, a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LC—MS) pastor and former seminary professor, would like Christians to binge the Bible like their favorite show, to drink deeply instead of taking only little sips. He has concluded that the usual structure of devotionals—a brief passage of Scripture followed by comments and application, rounded out with a prayer—is equivalent to watching a single episode of a TV show in isolation, with a break between it and the next, and maybe even out of the intended order. It would be far better to read large chunks of Scripture at once, a chapter or multiple chapters at a time, to see how one thing flows from what comes before and into what comes after, and how the big ideas of God’s Word run throughout. Such a way of reading Scripture “always takes less time than you think and blesses you far more than you imagine” (p. 20).
To assist Christians and Christian families in bingeing the Bible, Rev. Dr. Koontz is writing The Family Bible Commentary. As of this writing, three volumes covering the Pentateuch (vol. I) and the New Testament (vols. IV and V) are complete. Volumes II and III encompassing the remainder of the Old Testament (Joshua through Esther and Job through Malachi) are slated for December 2026 and December 2027, respectively. This review is written after reading volume IV, which covers the Gospels and Acts.
The book’s structure and contents are simple. Koontz begins with a brief introduction explaining his goal and approach. (One interesting note comes with his use of the NKJV to prioritize the Majority Text and his subscription to an early date for John, about A.D. 40.) He then proceeds with his commentary, with each book appearing in the order used in most English Bible versions. Each book begins with a preview containing a short explanation of each book’s author, purpose, arrangement, and connections to the rest of Scripture. He then offers comments on whole chapters—or multiple chapters, as in the case of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. For the most part, the comments on a given chapter take up a page and a half or less.
Koontz’s commentary is mostly focused on big picture connections. He connects the chapter at hand with what comes before and after. In his commentary on Matthew, for instance, he refers continually back to the Sermon on the Mount and the themes Jesus introduced there, which are expanded, illustrated, and applied throughout the rest of the Gospel. He also links to related passages in the rest of Scripture, though often without chapter and verse references. Worthwhile connections to the Lutheran Confessions are plentiful but not overwhelming and are almost always included in footnotes.
Evaluation
My initial reaction to this book was negative. I wondered why Koontz said so little about one verse and was confused that he dedicated more words to another. However, as I spent a little longer with it, I began to see that the problem was not the book; it was that I had falsely assumed that it was something it was never trying to be.
The Family Bible Commentary is not a popular reference commentary a la The People’s Bible. If you are looking for it to unravel difficult textual questions, carefully trace the biblical author’s logical progression, or review historical context, you will be mostly disappointed. Nor is this book a full-blown exposition of the biblical text, with varied takeaway points and applications. Many rich, interesting passages receive only a sentence or two of treatment.
The Family Bible Commentary is not trying to be either of those things. This is a commentary written to help a reader love the Scriptures, and love reading them repeatedly, by providing signposts and spotlights. It does not try to answer every question or explain every difficult thing. What it does is indicate the themes and points that should receive the reader’s attention and thought. Even more, it constantly focuses the reader’s attention on Christ. It aims to help make Bible reading less a task of content consumption and more an act of meditation on God’s Word. So much for the “bingeing” comparison.
When I realized that, I grew to appreciate this commentary much more. As I read it alongside my own devotional reading of the Gospels, I found myself paying attention to features I might otherwise have taken for granted: the way Jesus’ words and teaching always become concrete in his actions was one Koontz returned to again and again. It was not uncommon for me to return to the Bible pages after reading the commentary to give more thought to one verse or phrase or another. I found that the pace of my reading slowed down considerably (in a good way). I also found that, when I reached the end of what I had decided to read for the day, I was often eager to read more. On second thought, maybe “bingeing” is back on.
Koontz’s vision for this series—as indicated by the title—is that it would be a resource not only for individuals to enrich their devotional lives, but also a tool for regular family worship in the home. He proposes that it could be read aloud by the father or head of household alongside the Scriptures (p. 20). The brevity of the comments on each chapter makes that a manageable task, though I anticipate that the style of Koontz’s writing might cause some stumbling over words. Despite that, the material of his commentary could certainly make a good starting point for a husband or father to lead his spouse and family in discussion.
If I have one unfulfilled wish for this book, it is that more of the plentiful allusions and parallels to other passages and Scripture accounts would have been accompanied by chapter-and-verse references. There were many instances in which I pondered and marveled at a connection Koontz drew to an “unmarked” passage, then wondered whether one of my lay members would have caught it. I understand that the stated goal of the commentary is to help Christians keep reading the book of the Bible they are in, chapter by chapter and in order, so perhaps such references were judged to be a distraction from that intended result. Yet I found these connections across books and Testaments to prompt some of my deepest devotional reflections, and I would hate for them to be inaccessible—or even confusing—to someone whose biblical literacy is still in the early stages of development.
That one improvement noted, I nevertheless found that The Family Bible Commentary accomplishes its stated purpose very well. It was a worthwhile addition to my devotional reading that encouraged me to take deep draughts from Scripture’s living waters. As with any resource that awakens eagerness to read and meditate on God’s Word, I have no hesitation recommending it to lay members or brother pastors.