Explanation of Format:

A brief explanation of how the commentary is laid out should help you the reader save time in finding the desired material. Each book of the New Testament will be broken down into natural literary units termed pericopes. A commentary document file, usually in pdf format, will be created for each pericope so that each file will not become excessively long. Most of the files should range between 35 and 50 pages. The use of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader in the current version for viewing each document will not only enable the reader to quickly go to desired section but also to print out only the desired pages within each file, or the entire document file at once if so desired.
        Inside each document file you will first notice a Quick Links section providing a hyperlink to enable you to go immediately to the desired sub-section. It will look something like this:

Quick Links:
I. Context: a. Historical b. Literary:
II. Message: a. Outline heading b. Outline heading

The intent is to provide a commentary with the ability to quickly move to the desired section of the commentary. This saves time in scrolling down page by page to the desired place in the commentary. The background materials are contained in the first section that deal with both the historical and the literary aspects of the text, which are important for proper interpretation of the scripture passage.

In some of the studies a slightly different structure will appear that represents an expansion of the above pattern. The first section will contain the background elements plus the exegesis of the passage under the heading:

I. WHAT DID THE TEXT MEAN?

This will then be followed with section two focusing on the contemporary application of the text: 

II. WHAT DOES THE TEXT MEAN?

This alternative structure is used in the majority of the volumes since it appears to be an easier way for the readers to quickly understand the elements of biblical interpretation that include both exegesis and exposition of the text.

Most of the more commentary oriented studies will have both a 'German' and a 'Spanish' version for each study. The content of both sets is essentially the same. The major difference is between listing a third translation from either German (mostly Die Gute Nachricht Bibel) or Spanish (mostly La Biblia de las Américas) translation. This is the consequence of having written these studies simultaneously for German speaking and Spanish speaking Bible study groups in Germany and Costa Rica. The national flags of each country will specify each study.

As work progresses on each volume of the commentary the materials will be posted and made available for download and viewing online. Additionally, efforts are being made to 'spiff' up the commentary format with more contemporary web development tools to improve both the visual appearance and the functionality of the commentary.

 Lorin L. Cranford

30 September 2018