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Forum Commentary Review: Introduction

Preface: Alain and Pastor John are compiling an annotated listing of the commentaries which they believe are the most helpful guides to the Scripture. They intend to share their thoughts on each of the 66 books of the Canon. We expect that the forum members will then share their own experiences in studying the Word. We hope that this will create a helpful resource for our members. Our goal is to enable others to have a better understanding of the Bible and also to practice good stewardship in the buying of commentaries.

Evaluation: Commentaries will be evaluated under 3 criteria. (All is our opinion of course!)

1. Intended Audience:

a. Technical, those which comment upon and require use of the original languages.
b. Pastoral, those commentaries which keep the technical discussion in the footnotes.
c. General, those which may be used by all students with some profit.
d. Inspirational, sermons and devotions. (There will be only a few of this last category.)


2. Doctrinal Perspective (see note 2 below)

a. Those which seem to uphold the inerrancy of Scripture.
b. Those which seem to hold to the infallibility of Scripture in doctrine.
c. Those that seem to have an evangelical view of Salvation.
d. Every body else.


3. Usefulness for Pastors, Teachers, and other students of the Word.

a. The most essential.
b. Those you should seriously consider.
c. Profitable if you enjoy this author, perspective, or style.
d. Some people like it.


Note 1: There are helpful works which we left out. We made a decision to include the books that would be most helpful to pastors, theological students, and others with that kind of hunger for the Word.

Note 2: The definition of inerrancy is found here: http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=679. The concept of infallibility maintains that the Scripture does not err with regard to spiritual or doctrinal matters, but may err concerning geography, history, etcetera.

Note 3: Pastor John has been reading books on books for many years and he is grateful to his both seminary professors and authors D. A. Carson, Tremper Longman, James Rosscup, John Glynn, John Evans and all the others from whom he has benefited. He has not intentionally "stolen" from any of them, but he has undoubtedly been influenced by all of them.

First Peter

Achtemeier, Paul, Hermeneia, Fortress
This is a new (mostly) liberal which some conservatives have found helpful. He denies Petrine authorship (not written by the Apostle Peter in his opinion.)




Beare, F. W., Basil Blackwell
This is an old liberal commentary which is oft quoted. John passed. He also denies Petrine authorship.




Best, Ernest, NCB, Eerdmans
He denies Petrine authorship.




Clowney, Edward, BST, Intervarsity
John thinks this is OK, but many other reviewers give it higher marks




Cranfield, C. E. B., Torch
You may not be able to find it. Most of his work is profitable.




Davids, Peter, NICNT, Eerdmans
It is very well done.




Elliot, John, Hermeneia, Fortress
This is a very influential work. John thinks that he is finally wrong on the recipients of the letter. (See Schreiner) Again, Petrine authorship is denied.




Grudem, Wayne, TNTC, Eerdmans
It is worth consulting and (as others have pointed out) his work on "the spirits in prison" justifies the purchase of this book




Hiebert, D. Edmond, Moody
It is a little dry, but he is reliably conservative and will help in sermon preparation. This was John's best volume for many years.




Hillyer, Norman, NIBC, Hendrickson
It is a good effort. It is worth the money and one of the best in this series.




Jobes, Karen, BECNT, Baker
John got this for Christmas and the introduction was very encouraging. Alain considers it a good buy




Kelly, J. N. D., BNTC, Hendrickson, Continuum
This has always been helpful, but it had little competition for many years.




Michaels. J. Ramsey, WBC, Nelson
John has waffled on buying this commentary ever since it came out. No change in his status, but if you are working with the Greek text, you probably should buy it. Alain considers it useful for academic endeavors.




Marshall, I. Howard, IVPNTC, Intervarsity
This is John's favorite commentary by an Arminian. It is really good!




McKnight, Scott, NIVAC, Zondervan
This is a very well written commentary, but it was not that helpful to John in his recent series of sermons on the book.




Schreiner, Thomas, NAC, B & H (includes 2 Peter and Jude)
This is an excellent commentary. It is one of the best in the series, but his prose is occasionally dense.




Selwyn, Edward, Macmillan
John owns it, but now uses it only for reference.




Waltner and Charles, D., BCBC, Herald
It has been recommended to John. This is a Mennonite series




John's Picks

1. Jobes
2. Schreiner
3. Davids
4. Marshall

Alain's Picks for students/scholars

1. Schreiner
2. Jobes
3. Michaels
4. Wait for Troy Martins (NIGTC)

Second Peter and Jude

Baukham, Richard, WBC, Nelson
This is the standard commentary on the Greek text. It will fill your head more than it will move your heart. He denies Petrine authorship. It is useful for extra-biblical evidence and Jewish background.




Davids, Peter H., The Letters of 2 Peter and Jude, PNTC, Eerdmans
I am actually more excited about Jude than 2 Peter in this volume – over 70 pages of comment! I have only began to get to know this book, and I believe that he is on the other side of the “eternal security” issue, but I think that is it will prove to be a very good work.




Green, E. M. B., TNTC, Eerdmans
This was John's only decent evangelical commentary for years. Arminian.




Green, Gene L., Jude and 2 Peter, BECNT, Baker
After waiting for years for a good evangelical commentary on 2 Peter – the TNTC was almost alone for a long time – we now add Green’s BECNT volume to Schreiner (NAC) and Davids (PNTC.) This has 94 pages on Jude – though I have not used it enough to know whether He or Davids has the best of it. He holds that Simon Peter wrote 2 Peter and Davids seemed to lean in that direction, but since I found Green’s volume on the Thessalonian Epistles (PNTC) easier reading that David’s commentary on 1 Peter (NICNT), I would give a slight preference for Green, but that could change my mind when I next work myself through these epistles.




Hiebert, D. Edmond, Unusual Press,
It is a sincere and serious work. More helpful if you use the KJV, but any fundamentalist or conservative evangelical can appreciate it.




Hillyer, Norman, NIBC, Hendrickson
It is a good effort. It is worth the money. It is one of the best volumes in this series,




Kistemaker, Simon, NTC, Baker
It is solid and reformed.




Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn, Banner of Truth
Every preacher should read some of Lloyd-Jones preaching. If you are reformed œ you shoold read these sermons.




Mayor, J. B., (Macmillan) reprinted
It is thorough, technical, and useful, but no longer essential.




Moo, Douglas J., NIVAC, Zondervan
This is a truly excellent exposition. Pastor John highly recommends it.




Neyrey, Jerome, AB, Doubleday
He is Roman Catholic and may not useful for pastors.




Schreiner, Thomas, NAC, B & H
This is an excellent commentary. Every Pastor should check this volume out. A welcome addition by an evangelical in a more technical field that lacks strong conservative works.




Waltner, Erland, & Charles, Daryl, BCBC,
It is regarded as one of the more conservative works in this series. Charles comments on 2nd Peter and Jude - He also covers the epistles of Peter and jude in



Alain's Picks for students/scholars

1. Schreiner
2. Baukham
3. Wait for Scott Hafemann (NIGTC) and Gene Green (BECNT)

John’s picks for Pastors/Teachers (1/28/09

1. Green
2. Schreiner and/or Davids
3. Moo
4. Hillyer, or Kelly, or Kistemaker

_________________
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Gal 5:6b

Pastor John C. Blackburn

The new PNTC on II Peter and Jude (as of fall 2006) by Peter Davids is probably worth having also. I would venture to say that Schreiner and Davids would be an excellent pair who would balance each other well. Bauckham is still the standard at a more academic level, and anything from here on out will be heavily influenced by it, but with Schreiner, Moo, and Davids I'm suspecting that most pastors will not use Bauckham as much.

Absolutely. We have not updated recently, but I own the commentary and we will add it to the list.

John

_________________
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Gal 5:6b

Pastor John C. Blackburn

So where does the NIGTC, BECNT, & Davids rate for 2 Peter/Jude? I appreciate these ratings very much

I do not believe either the NICNT or the BECNT for 2Peter/Jude have yet been released. I have purchased Davids, but not used it for sermon preparation. The introduction seemed helpful, but I do not remember specifics at this moment. The BECNT volume is due out this October - per CBD's listing. I have no new information as to the NICNT volume. Robert Webb has been reported to be the author, but I have not yet seen a date.

I expect that Green (BECNT) will compete with Schreiner (NAC) for the top spot on my list.

John

_________________
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Gal 5:6b

Pastor John C. Blackburn

I do have an update. My wife persuaded some of her kinfolk to give me a gift certificate which purchased Green's volume in the BECNT. It seems thorough and yet practical. I have only slightly skimmed the volume, but I am so excited!

John

_________________
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Gal 5:6b

Pastor John C. Blackburn

I have now added Green to the listing and made minor adjustments. John

_________________
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Gal 5:6b

Pastor John C. Blackburn