Inter-Varsity Press

Contents

Preface

1. Introductory Notes
1.1 The need for several types of commentary
1.2 Individual commentaries or series?
1.2.1 General principles
1.2.2 Series worth noting but not pursuing
1.2.3 More substantial series
1.2.4 One-volume multi-author commentaries
1.3 Older commentaries
1.4 One-author sets

2. Supplements to Commentaries
2.1 New Testament introductions
2.2 New Testament theologies

3. Individual Commentaries
3.1 Synoptics
3.2 Matthew
3.3 Mark
3.4 Luke
3.5 John
3.6 Acts
3.7 Romans
3.8 1 Corinthians
3.9 2 Corinthians
3.10 Galatians
3.11 Ephesians
3.12 Philippians
3.13 Colossians/Philemon
3.14 Thessalonians
3.15 Pastorals
3.16 Hebrews
3.17 James
3.18 1 Peter
3.19 2 Peter and Jude
3.20 Johannine Epistles
3.21 Revelation

4. Some “Best Buys”

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Preface

In its first edition, this little book was written by Dr. (now Prof.) Anthony C. Thiselton and appeared under the title Personal Suggestions about a Minister’s Library. In 1973, it was revised, and shortly after that the “Best Buys” section was brought up to date. That revision also introduced the change in title and format: New Testament Commentary Survey was born, the NT analogue of Old Testament Commentary Survey (both published, at the time, exclusively by British Theological Students’ Fellowship). In 1976, I brought the book up to date again simply by adding additional paragraphs and by inserting new prices and publishing information where relevant. Apart from such modifications, Dr. Thiselton’s comments were left unchanged. In 1984, the Theological Students’ Fellowship asked for another revision, and this time it was thought unwise simply to add a few more paragraphs. It seemed more sensible to recast the entire work and enter it on a computer so that subsequent revisions, including price changes and the like, could be accomplished with less work than would otherwise be the case. With Professor Thiselton’s kind permission, his text was sometimes incorporated into that third revision — occasionally with changes ...

The years fly by, and new commentaries keep appearing—and so we have arrived at the sixth edition. ...

The purpose of this short book is to provide theological students and ministers with a handy survey of the resources, especially commentaries, that are available in English to facilitate an understanding of the NT. The mature scholar is not in view. On the other hand, commentaries that are written at the popular level are generally given less attention than more substantive works. Theologically I am an evangelical, but many of the positive assessments offered in these notes are in connection with books written from the vantage point of some other theological tradition: the usefulness of a commentary sometimes turns on something other than the theological stance of its author — assuming, of course, that commentaries are read critically, as they should be whatever one’s theological heritage. Conversely, just because a commentary stands within the evangelical tradition does not necessarily mean it is a good book. It may be thoroughly orthodox but poorly written, uninformed, or quick to import from other biblical passages meanings that cannot rightly be found in the texts on which comment is being offered. In other words, this Survey is a guide to commentaries, not orthodoxy. Nevertheless, I have not hesitated on occasion to draw attention to the theological “slant” of particular works. Such information is often as useful as comments on the work’s level, general competence, and so forth. The restriction to English works is not absolute: occasionally I have included a foreign language work where nothing of a similar nature or stature exists in English. If I have not included more of them, it is because of my envisaged readership.

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1. Introductory Notes

1.1 The need for several types of commentary

For an effective teaching and preaching ministry, commentaries take their place among other essential tools. But since different tasks often require different tools, useful commentaries are of more than one kind. Those listed in this little book may serve in at least three or four distinct ways, which correspond to the following needs.

The dominant need is to understand meanings accurately. Postmodern sensibilities notwithstanding, the issue at stake is that of sheer faithfulness to the biblical message rather than smuggling one’s own ideas into the interpretation under the cover of the authoritative text. Even so, commentaries in this category can be subdivided further. Some commentaries seek to establish the text and provide basic help in translation, choosing among variant readings and offering elementary help at the level of Greek syntax and semantics. Grammatical and linguistic commentaries help to ensure faithfulness to the meanings of words and phrases in their literary setting. Theological commentaries set words and phrases in the wider context of chapters, books, corpora, and even the canon. Of course, these three sub-categories often overlap — indeed, they should do so, for it can be seriously misleading to try to understand a word or concept in isolation from its linguistic and theological context.

To understand a passage (let alone to expound it forcefully) often requires a faithful and imaginative historical reconstruction of event. Actions and sayings cannot accurately be cashed into today’s currency until the preacher (although not necessarily the congregation) has seen what these presuppose and involve in their original setting in the ancient world. ...

Some commentaries offer useful guidance on the legitimate range of practical application. If one danger is to read one’s own applications into the passage, books of the sort already mentioned may serve as the remedy. But equally, most students and pastors must be reminded of the many directions in which practical lessons can be found. Expository lecturing is not the same thing as expository preaching; the Word must not only inform but also wound and heal, sing and sting. Some of the older commentaries are exemplary in their concern to apply the Scriptures to later readers. But these hints and helps must be reviewed in the light of strictly exegetical considerations, for practical concerns can so control the text that no one hears the Word of God. Worse, the search for relevance frequently degenerates into the trite or the trivial. ...