Boyd's Commentary. R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
from the University of Louisville and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Kentucky. In addition, Dr. Johnson earned a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Johnson serves as a tenured associate professor of music composition and theory in the Division of Fine Arts at Kentucky State University in Frankfort. In addition, Dr. Johnson serves as pastor of Evergreen Baptist Church in Lawrenceburg.
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Dr. Frank Houston
Dr. Frank Warren Houston is a native of Morristown, Tennessee. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Carson Newman University and received his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. in New Testament studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
He currently serves as senior pastor-teacher of First Baptist Church of Georgetown, Kentucky. He is a member of Who’s Who of America and the American Academy of Religion.
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Dr. Bernard Williams
Dr. Bernard Williams is a native of Nashville, Tennessee. He has pastored churches in Tennessee and Florida. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Knoxville and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He also holds a Ph.D. in homiletics and church and society. Dr. Williams is a great proponent of small-group Bible study and serves as a teacher in Christian education. He holds numerous revivals, conferences, workshops, and seminars each year. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion and the Academy of Homiletics.
2020–2021 LESSON OVERVIEW
The Fall Quarter (September–November 2020) reminds us we are commanded by God to love one another as God loves us. The first unit, “Struggles with Love,” looks at familial love, jealousy, and destruction. Love and reconciliation in the Joseph story prevail in spite of harsh and negative circumstances. Unit II centers on love for the stranger, the poor, and enemies. Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates love for one’s neighbor. The third unit explores the abiding love of God through the Holy Spirit and reveals the expression of God’s love in the formation of the early church.
The Winter Quarter (December 2020–February 2021) examines God’s call in stories from the New Testament. The greatest call came to Jesus; others led to the extension of the Christian ministry. Unit I begins with Jesus’ heritage and spends time on the story of Jesus’ birth, including the witness of the Magi to Jesus’ call as the Messiah. The second unit looks at four events from Jesus’ ministry. Jesus received a call to proclamation and ministry and expanded His work by calling followers. Unit III highlights women in ministry. From the Samaritan woman to Mary Magdalene to Priscilla and Lydia, women supported Jesus and carried forth His teachings after the Resurrection.
The Spring Quarter (March–May 2021) introduces the ministry of Old Testament prophets. Unit I looks at why prophets were necessary in Israel’s history. Unit II reveals the compassion of God when the people forsook God’s ways. Prophecies in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Lamentations further show the faith of the prophets. The third unit shows the boldness of God’s prophets in 1 Kings, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Jonah. Prophets called the returning exiles to restore their covenant with God.
The Summer Quarter (June–August 2021) looks at God’s gift of faith as the source of hope and faith. Unit I focuses on Gospel stories of Jesus’ teaching and miracles, while Units II and III explore Paul’s letter to the Romans and his understanding of the hope of salvation through faith and look in other epistles at faith as essential for the hope of eternal life.
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Boyd’s Commentary for the Sunday School (2020–2021)
Copyright © 2020 by R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
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King James Version, the (KJV) The King James Version is in the public domain.
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Scriptures taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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PREFACE
The 2020–2021 Boyd’s Commentary has been formatted and written with you in mind. This format is to help you further your preparation and study of the Sunday school lessons.
We have presented a parallel Scripture lesson passage with the New Revised Standard Version alongside the King James Version. This allows you to have a clearer and more contemporary approach to the Scripture passages each week. This version is reliable and reputable. It will bless you as you rightly divide the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15, KJV).
These lessons have a new look, but they still have the same accurate interpretation, concise Christian doctrine, and competent, skilled scholarship.
The abbreviations used throughout the commentary are as follows:
KJV — King James Version
NIV — New International Version
NKJV — New King James Version
NLT — New Living Translation
NRSV — New Revised Standard Version
RSV — Revised Standard Version
TLB — The Living Bible
NEB — New English Bible
JB — Jerusalem Bible
ESV — English Standard Version
To the pastor: Our hope is that this commentary will provide context and insight for your sermons. Also, we hope this commentary will serve as a preparatory aid for the message of God.
To the Bible teacher: This commentary also has you in mind. You can use it as a ready reference to the background of the text and difficult terms that are used in the Bible. To be sure, this commentary will provide your lesson study with the historical context that will enable you to interpret the text for your students more effectively.
This text is for anyone who wants to get a glimpse at the glory of God. This commentary seeks to highlight and lift the workings of God with His people and to make God’s history with humanity ever present.
We hope and pray God will bless you and keep you as you