The Suffering Servant - Isaiah 53 for the Life of the Church

The Touchstone Texts series addresses key Bible passages, making high-quality biblical scholarship accessible for the church. The series editor is Stephen B. Chapman.The description of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 is a beloved biblical text with an unshakable place in the theology and self-understanding of the church. Since New Testament times, this text has fed the church's thinking about the person and work of Jesus Christ.This volume offers a lively exposition of Isaiah 53 that is at once true to its Old Testament context, conversant with the history of interpretation, and deeply Christian. Drawing on his extensive scholarly work on the book of Isaiah, Gordon McConville explores the theological and spiritual issues that arise from the poetry's words and phrases, illuminates the text's contribution to our understanding of who Jesus is, and shows how this classic text can speak to the life of the church today.Praise for McConville's Isaiah in the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Series"Having plowed my way through many Isaiah commentaries, both critical and devotional, I am struck by the rare balance that McConville manages to maintain, addressing the complex literature of Isaiah with clarity and pastoral sensitivity. This is now my recommended commentary for seminary students."--J. Richard Middleton, Northeastern Seminary, Roberts Wesleyan College"McConville is a wise guide through the myriad options that confront the reader when engaging the monumental prophecy of Isaiah. He has achieved that rarity of a commentary that is at once learned and highly readable."--Katharine J. Dell, University of Cambridge"A book as complex and rich as Isaiah requires an informed, seasoned commentator. Gordon McConville is that. In this volume, he offers a close reading of the biblical text, judicious discussions of technical details and debated issues, and sensible theological reflections. This is Old Testament scholarship at its most useful. It will be a mainstay among Isaiah commentaries for a long time."--M. Daniel Carroll R., Wheaton College and Graduate School