Like any other commentary series, The Pillar New Testament Commentary has specific aims. Designed both for serious students and for general readers of the Bible, the PNTC volumes seek above all to make clear the meaning of the text of Scripture as we have it. The scholars writing these volumes interact with the most important, informed contemporary debate yet avoid undue technical detail. Their ideal is a blend of rigorous exegesis and exposition, scholarship and pastoral sensitivity, with an eye alert both to biblical theology and to the contemporary relevance of the Bible. Underlying the approach of this series is the fact that God stands over against us rather than we in judgment of him. When God speaks to us in his Word, those who profess to know him must respond with reverence, a certain fear, a holy joy, and a questing obedience. These attitudes are reflected in the profoundly Christian stance of the PNTC authors toward the text. With these values in place, the Pillar commentaries will continue to be warmly welcomed by pastors, teachers and students everywhere.