The ground-breaking Africa Bible Commentary, published in 2006 with the help of Langham Literature, brought together 70 African scholars, theologians and pastors.
It was a unique publishing event – the first one-volume Bible commentary produced in Africa by Africans to meet the needs of African believers. It interprets and applies the Bible in the light of African culture and realities.
Since then it has been translated into Portuguese, Malagasy, Hausa, Amharic, French and Swahili making it accessible to the majority of people within Africa.
Far-reaching impact
Over the past 18 years, the Africa Bible Commentary (ABC)’s impact has been far-reaching across the continent.
Elizabeth Mburu, Langham Literature’s regional editor for Anglophone Africa, says the ABC is a “core text”, allowing pastors to understand God through an “African lens”.
She explained: “It opens up the Bible to them in a way that they find amazing. Their preaching comes alive and it’s something that just helps them really zero in on issues on the continent that are addressed in the commentary that are not addressed in any other commentary”.
In Côte d’Ivoire, pastors are using the Africa Bible Commentary to apply the gospel within the culture.
Critical resource
Pastor Kouadio Guillaume sees the commentary as a critical resource as he oversees a parish of nine churches with over 1,000 congregants.
He said: “The Africa Bible Commentary helps people to see that actually it’s important to pay attention to cultural realities.”
“The commentary doesn’t replace the Word of God, but it is so helpful in expanding and deepening our understanding of His Word through the lens of our African realities. When you’re reading the Bible and you hear God speak back to you in your situation, then that’s where transformation begins to happen.”
Significant revisions
But the story of this pioneering commentary continues. There are major revisions coming later this year, a significant project that has taken a number of years to come together.
The General Editor of the revised edition is Yacouba Sanon, a seminary professor in Côte d’Ivoire and a Langham Literature commissioning editor.
He explained: “Today there are many preachers who don’t have the proper training to oversee, run or lead a church. They use their own experiences as templates.
Strengthening the Kingdom of God
“The Africa Bible Commentary was a landmark resource that has been put together to change lives because its purpose is really to build up the faith of the Church in Africa.
“My prayer is that with the second edition, people will use it more and more in classrooms and in the pulpit to help the Church to grow, to nourish the people of God and to strengthen and further the Kingdom of God in Africa.”
Thanks to your support, Langham has published 11 other Bible commentary projects and is currently developing an additional 20 to be published in the next five years.