Langham Literature is supporting the completion of another one-volume Bible commentary, this time for Central and Eastern Europe.
The resource, written by indigenous Scholars for Central and Eastern European believers, is expected to take several years to complete. And the total cost will be hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The project’s coordinator Katharina Penner recently gave this update about the commentary:
CEEBC update
“Work on the Central Eastern European Bible commentary continues with various ups and downs.
“We have secured a new articles editor, who is also the Director for Langham Preaching in Romania, as the previous articles’ editor had to resign.
“All of the editors hold strategic positions in theological training institutions and/or church and mission organisations. They are dealing with quite important responsibilities on an everyday basis.
Good news
“The good news is that all Bible books are now assigned to an author (there were several which were not yet covered, but authors have been secured for them). Most, but not all, articles are assigned to authors and are in the process of writing. So progress is steady, even if a bit slower than envisioned.
“As of September 1, 2019 about 70 of the envisioned 140-150 articles (half of the articles, 50%) have been submitted and are at different stages of the editing process. Great ideas are coming together as to how evangelicals, who are usually a minority in Central Eastern Europe, can be salt and light in their societies.
“We have received full drafts of 34 (of 66) commentaries on Bible books, a great encouragement to have crossed an important mark and have more than half of the commentaries written up.
“Still, the other commentary authors continue to need encouragement and prayer support so that they also reach the finish line. Several of them have had or will have received Langham Writer’s Grants, which helps immensely.
A long haul is still ahead as the commentaries need to be edited and prepare for their final version – this will be the bread of the editors for another year to a year and a half.”
“We are looking at a publishing date somewhere in spring-summer 2022.”
Please pray for:
- The new articles editor, as he works on manuscripts that have been submitted. Pray that these articles will be relevant to the Central Eastern European context.
- The anticipated publishing date of spring-summer 2022 – pray that there will not be further delays in reaching this deadline.