Dear brothers,
For the past few weeks I have been thinking about our now sainted brother in Christ, Daniel Deutschlander. As you no doubt know, the Lord called Dan home to heaven last month. All who knew him, whether personally or through his writings, will miss him. We thank the Lord for giving him the opportunity to use his gifts in service to the gospel and God’s people for so many years, including several years during his retirement.
A question I am frequently asked these days about Prof. Deutschlander is regarding his Commentary on the Gospel of St. Mark: “I heard that Prof. Deutschlander was writing a commentary on Mark. Did he ever finish it?” My answer is a joyful, “Yes!” He submitted the final text of the manuscript to Northwestern Publishing House. The manuscript was accepted for publication, and you can look forward to the book being available about this time next fall (In the meantime, NPH has lots of work to do on the new hymnal project!).
While he was writing his commentary, Prof. Deutschlander discussed it with me several times. One thing he repeatedly emphasized: “This book—like all my other books—is not intended only for pastors. I am writing it also to be accessible to laypeople.” He made that very clear. The commentary is not loaded up with Greek, so it is indeed accessible to a layperson who wants to dig into Mark’s gospel. At the same time—like his other books—pastors will also find plenty of meaty theology (not just exegesis, but also dogmatics, homiletics, church history, and pastoral theology) in this book.
So while you are looking forward to the release of Prof. Deutschlander’s commentary on Mark, I would encourage you to think about something directly related to the book. Who do you know in your congregation or your circle of friends and relatives who might be interested in reading such a book? Think of the person who likes to discuss not only “how the church is doing” but also theology with you. Consider recommending the book to them when it comes out. This book would also be a great addition to your church library, if you have one. I would say, the same goes for Prof. Deutschlander’s other books as well. He wrote all of them not just for pastors but also for laypeople
- Civil Government: God’s Other Kingdom
- The Theology of the Cross: Reflections of His Cross and Ours
- The Narrow Lutheran Middle: Following the Scriptural Road
- Grace Abounds: The Splendor of Christian Doctrine
- On Giving Advice to God, Part 1 and Part 2
Just something to think about over the next year as you look forward to reading what will be Dan Deutschlander’s last book and truly his magnum opus.
With you in Christ,
Curtis Jahn
Vice President of Publishing Services
Professional Books Editor