Purity, worship, obedience, and hope: 1 & 2 Chronicles called the early Hebrew people to faithful practice of these things, and they issue the same call to readers today. As August H. Konkel writes in the 30th commentary in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series, the Chronicler provided a unifying vision of the community’s rich traditions in an era of despondency and apathy. Exile had robbed the people of Israel of their wealth, and their return to the land of Judah had created resentment with the surrounding peoples. Struggling to maintain their faith amid intense social pressures, the Hebrew people needed to look to their past for lessons for the present. As two of the most overlooked books in the Christian canon, 1 & 2 Chronicles are exemplary resources for those who seek to be the people of God today.

1 & 2 Chronicles is the thirtieth volume in The Believers Church Bible Commentary Series. Accessible to lay readers, useful in preaching and pastoral care, helpful for Bible study groups and Sunday school teachers, and academically sound, the commentary foregrounds an Anabaptist reading of Scripture. Relying on a unique format that includes sections on The Text in Biblical Context and The Text in the Life of the Church, the commentary series is a cooperative project of Brethren in Christ Church, Brethren Church, Church of the Brethren, Mennonite Brethren Church, Mennonite Church Canada, and Mennonite Church USA. Published for all who seek more fully to understand the original message of Scripture and its meaning for today, the series is based on the conviction that God is still speaking to all who will listen, and that the Holy Spirit makes the Word a living and authoritative guide for all who want to know and do God’s will.