Category Archives: Commentaries

Book Review – NIBC Acts (David Williams)

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Brief Summary

A 455 page commentary on the book of Acts in the NIBC series, which is based on the New International Version. The focus of this commentary is on explaining more fully the meaning of the text, and providing the appropriate historical and contextual information.

The Introduction

He begins by quoting J B Phillips – the church we see in Acts is "the church as it was meant to be". The introduction is a fairly concise 17 pages, and presents Luke as the author and discusses his purposes in writing. Luke is not interested in writing a general history of the church, but in following the route of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome. Williams takes up the challenge of defending Luke’s historicity in a number of places throughout the commentary, arguing that Luke writes with integrity.

The Commentary

The commentary itself does not include the biblical text, but where words or phrases are commented on they are included in bold. He does not often spend time on the Greek text, but is quite thorough in providing the historical and geographical background needed to fully appreciate what was going on.

The style of this commentary is not an exposition, so he does not often enter into discussion on the theological matters raised, but occasionally will add a comment (sometimes more freely in the footnotes).

He argues that the visit of Gal 2:1-10 is the same as that of Acts 15:1-29. He claims that Stephen believed the building of the temple to be a mistake – God had never intended for there to be a temple. On the matter of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, he sees this as a once-for-all historical event not to be repeated.

Strengths

The main strength is that he is thorough but has a good sense of what material to relegate to the footnotes, which avoids the commentary becoming too longwinded.

Weaknesses

While it is good at what it attempts to achieve (explain the meaning of the text), the real lack for me is reflection on theology. He seems reticent to enter into too many theological debates. To be fair, this may well be due to the nature of the commentary series, but with hindsight, it wasn’t the most thrilling commentary to read cover to cover (as I have found with a few other Acts commentaries!).

Why Buy It?

As I have said already, it is not the best for reading right through, but it will serve a purpose as a reference book. However, I would probably recommend the TNTC commentary on Acts by I. Howard Marshall or the NICNT commentary on Acts by F. F. Bruce ahead of it. My favourite Acts commentary remains John Stott’s "The Message of Acts", which has a much stronger emphasis on application (even though I don’t agree with all his conclusions). It might also be worth checking out the recently released Revised Expositor’s Commentary on Acts by Richard Longenecker and Darrell Bock’s new commentary on Acts.

Updated Commentaries Database

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I’ve updated my commentaries database page, and have just broken the 1000 commentaries barrier.

I’ve added the Paideia, Brazos Theological Commentary and Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms series. A number of the other series have been updated with new editions and I am continuing to update to use ISBN13 wherever available.

I’m hoping that later this year I will find some time to start adding a few more interesting features to it, such as the ability to rate, tag and review commentaries, as well as displaying more information about the different series.

Commentaries and NIV for e-Sword

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Just a quick update to say that I have finally updated my commentaries page. It is at a new location now as I have rewritten it using .NET in a way that will make it easier for me to keep up to date (and hopefully add some new features to it). The number of commentaries I have on file is slowly growing towards the 1000 mark. I’ve also done a lot of work updating some of the ISBNs to the new ISBN-13 standard and fixing broken publisher links, although there is still a long way to go as the switchover to ISBN13 has made most publishers reorganise their sites. I’ve added links to the new Baker Exegetical Commentaries volumes as well as updated a few other series as well.

The other thing that may be of interest is that finally, the NIV is available for e-Sword. For those of you that don’t already know, e-Sword is a great free Bible study tool that allows you to search and compare multiple Bible versions, including Greek and Hebrew. There is lots of free material available, including the excellent ESV translation of the Bible. You do have to pay for the NIV, but it is made available as part of the NIV Family Bundle from eStudySource which includes NIV, TNIV and the NIRV, all for $30. There seems to be a growing amount of material on estudysource including some commentaries. I’m hoping that IVP will make the Tyndale or Bible Speaks Today series available for e-Sword.

Book Review – The Message of Zechariah (Barry Webb)

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Brief Summary

A 186 page commentary / exposition of the book of Zechariah. It is part of the Bible Speaks Today series which generally follows an expositional format – not just explaining the Scriptures but applying it.  The subtitle is “Your Kingdom Come” and the whole exposition of the book takes a kingdom perspective.

The Introduction

The introduction is a fairly generous 30 pages, and Webb shows that the structure of the book is eight visions followed by two oracles. He sums up the main theme by saying “it is a book about the future coming of the kingdom of God, and the need to live now in the light of it”. He also points out sub-themes of repentance and cleansing as well as an key theme of the Messiah running through the book. He puts Zechariah’s prophecy into its historical context, but also is very careful to show how his message is directly applicable to us, as we have the same concern to see God’s kingdom come. He highlights how regularly the NT writers draw from the book of Zechariah.

The Commentary

The commentary itself is able to devote a couple of pages to each small section of Zechariah which gives enough space to explain and apply the text adequately. Webb generally avoids detailed discussions of historical context or Hebrew grammar, and is cautious in offering his interpretations of some of the more obscure visions.

He shows how there is a progression in the visions of the first six chapters that culminate in God’s judgment and rule over all the earth. He acknowledges that chapter 7 marks a new beginning, but argues that it is not unrelated to what had gone before. In chapters 10 and 11, he draws out a major theme of leadership – true shepherds are those who trust in God and lead others to do the same.

… it is impossible to be in relationship with God unless we are prepared to be ruled by him.

When he comes to chapter 13, he explains the links to Jesus, and there is also a brief excursus that deals in more detail with the use of Zechariah in the New Testament. He argues that the Old Testament prophecies concerning the kingdom of God are fulfilled in the events of Jesus’ life – his birth, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension and return. Hence there are elements of kingdom prophecy in Zechariah yet to be fulfilled.

Strengths

For me, the great strength of this volume is how he consistently draws us to the Christological and New Covenant implications and interpretation of the book. He takes what can be a perplexing book, and brings out a very challenging and practical message of the kingdom of God.

Weaknesses

Nothing to complain of. It was the right length. It obviously isn’t an academic treatment of Zechariah, and also those looking for detailed and speculative explanations of every last detail of the visions will be disappointed. But it ranks as one of my favourites in the BST series.

Why Buy It?

As with pretty much all the BST volumes, this is ideal if you are personally studying or planning to preach or teach on the book of Zechariah.

Book Review – The Message of Samuel (Mary Evans)

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Brief Summary

A 284 page commentary / exposition of the 55 chapters of the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. As with other volumes in the BST Series it seeks to find contemporary relevance and application while remaining mindful of the original intent and audience of the text. Each chapter ends with a few brief questions for further reflection.

The Introduction

Mary Evans reminds us that these books are narrative – and so we should be asking why the story was told. The writers (she believes there was probably more than one writer involved in the composition of the books as we now have them) are interested in David the person, as opposed to the Chronicler whose focus is more on David as King. She picks out the abuse and misuse of power as a recurring theme in the books.

The Commentary

The commentary itself is I think just about the right length for most people who will be studying this book. It doesn’t get bogged down in translation issues or complex historical details, but does provide background information where it is helpful.

Each sub-section has a one sentence heading, which often gives a “moral” of the story in question in the form of a proverb. For example “the cost of failure is not borne solely by the one who fails”, “results that satisfy us do not necessarily satisfy God”, and “celebrity status is not all there is to leadership”. She does though avoid simply turning the book into a collection of “timeless principles”, and does remain concerned with the flow of the narrative.

She is appreciative of the way that women are written about by the authors, and often points out the way that the perspective and value of women has been highlighted.

There are a number of “problem” passages in Samuel, where God seems to command or at least approve of certain actions that do not seem to fit with the rest of Scripture. Evans maintains an evangelical commitment to all of Scripture as God’s word, and provides some careful observations that may help us understand what is and what is not being taught in these difficult passages.

Strengths

Probably the greatest strength of this commentary is the immensely practical lessons that are drawn out from it. A tale of Kings, betrayals and wars can seem very far removed from our own world, but Evans turns these into lessons of friendship, loyalty, controlling your temper, hospitality, valuing others and so on. Many of the lessons relate to leadership, but there is a good breadth of applications to a variety of situations.

Weaknesses

There’s not much to criticise here – this is a helpful commentary. Perhaps some will be disappointed that there was not more exploration of how the gospel is foreshadowed in these books, despite a brief section identifying Jesus as the fulfiller of the roles of faithful priest and anointed one.

Why Buy It?

As with most volumes in the Bible Speaks Today series, this would suit anyone studying the book for personal edification, or preparing Bible studies or sermons on 1 or 2 Samuel. Those who want to study a passage in detail will probably also wish to consult a more comprehensive commentary. I found it just right for reading a bit each morning after I had read the relevant passage from the Bible.

Book Review – NIV Application Commentary on Jeremiah & Lamentations (J Andrew Dearman)

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Brief Summary

A 480 page commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations that seeks to bridge the gap from what happened “back then” to how Christians can apply it to their own lives today.

The Introductions

Both Jeremiah and Lamentations have their own reasonably sized introductions. He explains that Jeremiah was written to help God’s people make sense of their fall to the Babylonians. Dearman takes a strongly Christological perspective in seeing how themes of temple and land would be ultimately fulfilled. He thinks it unlikely that Lamentations was written by Jeremiah, and notes that in the New Testament, it is on the lips of Jesus himself that we most frequently find lament.

The Commentary

As with all volumes in the NIVAC series, the full text of a chapter or section is included, followed by three sections of commentary. The first section, entitled “original meaning” attempts to explain what the text meant in its original context to its original hearers. “Bridging Contexts” shows both the points of continuity and discontinuity between our modern context and theirs. Finally “Contemporary Significance” seeks to apply the message directly to our own lives. The “Original Meaning” section is most similar to a standard commentary, while the “Contemporary Significance” section is what might be heard in a typical sermon on the passage in question.

Most of the commentary is done in sections of one chapter at a time, although  there were a couple of places where five or six chapters were tackled in one big section.

Strengths

Since Jeremiah is not arranged chronologically, it is very helpful to have good information linking what is prophesied in each chapter to the historical situation at the time. Dearman is also careful to apply the passages in the light of the New Covenant, but at the same time does not blunt the social and ethical implications of the prophecy. He works hard to keep the application sections varied and interesting. He tackles a wide variety of subjects including pluralism, politics, abortion, worship, social justice, and the fulfilment of prophecy. He likes to pick out incidents from modern history to illustrate his points.

Weaknesses

With the limited space given to “Original Meaning”, not everything can be commented on, so those looking for exegetical answers on particular verses may not find what they are looking for. The “Contemporary Significance” sections are often focused on the American church and culture, so it won’t always hit the mark for readers from other parts of the world.

Why Buy It?

This commentary will be useful for two groups of people. First, those personally studying their way through Jeremiah will find the format helpful – one chapter a day can be managed without too much time commitment. Second, those preparing sermons or Bible studies on Jeremiah and Lamentations will doubtless find some good ideas on how to present the “relevance” of this ancient book to modern audiences.

Peterson on Commentaries

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I came across a great section in Eugene Peterson’s “Eat This Book” encouraging people to read commentaries cover to cover. This is something I love to do, although until I read this, I have never heard anyone recommend it. He draws a great parallel between commentators and football fans. I’ll quote him in full. (emphasis added).

It is useful for readers of the Bible to keep company with some of our master exegetes; the easiest way to do it is to use their commentaries. Biblical commentaries are, for the most part, employed by pastors or teachers in the preparation of sermons or lectures. They are treated as “tools”. But there are treasures in these books for the ordinary reader of the Bible. Among those of us who read – eat – this text not in preparation for an assignment, but simply for direction and nourishment in following Jesus, which means most of us, biblical commentaries have for too long been overlooked as common reading for common Christians.

I recommend reading commentaries in the same way we read novels, from beginning to end, skipping nothing. They are, admittedly, weak in plot and character development, but their devout attention to words and syntax is sufficient. Plot and character – the plot of salvation, the character of Messiah – are everywhere implicit in a commentary and persistently assert their presence even when unmentioned through scores, even hundreds, of pages. The power of these ancient nouns and verbs century after century to call forth intelligent discourse from learned men and women continues to be a staggering wonder.

Among those for whom Scripture is a passion, reading commentaries has always seemed to me analogous to the gathering of football fans in the local bar after the game, replaying in endless detail the game they have just watched, arguing (maybe even fighting) over observations and opinion, and lacing the discourse with gossip about the players. The level of knowledge evident in these boozy colloquies is impressive. These fans have watched the game for years; the players are household names to them; they know the fine print in the rulebook and pick up every nuance on the field. And they care immensely about what happens in the game. Their seemingly endless commentary is evidence of how much they care. Like them, I relish in a commentary not bare information but conversation with knowledgeable and experienced friends, probing, observing, questioning the biblical text. Absorbed by this plot that stretches grandly from Genesis to Revelation, captured by the messianic presence that in death and resurrection saves us one and all – there is so much to notice, so much to talk over.

Not all commentaries fill the bill – some of them are written by scholars who seem to have no interest in God or the story, but there are enough that qualify to convince me that they provide welcome and indispensable companionship to all of us readers of the text who, as we follow Jesus, don’t want to miss anything along the way.

Book Review – Discovering Christ in the Song of Solomon (Don Fortner)

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This is essentially a commentary on the Song of Songs taking an allegorical approach. Indeed, the author insists that the book “is not in any sense to be interpreted literally” and “it would lead to great evil to interpret it literally”. Personally, I find that approach too limiting, but the allegorical interpretation does have good pedigree, with Spurgeon and the Puritans seeing in this book a love story between Christ and the church (and indeed between Christ and the individual believer).

The book has no introduction and is divided into 32 short chapters, which make it suitable for reading a chapter a day as a devotional guide. The early chapters in particular are very good at stirring us up to desire to know the manifest presence of the Lord in our lives. We are to treasure his presence above all things, not being content with mere religious gatherings, and not allowing even our sins to keep us from Christ.

As would be expected in an allegorical interpretation there are some rather speculative interpretations, and the author rarely admits to uncertainty over the meaning of a passage. It has a strongly reformed theology and he even manages to find references to Arminian theology in places! There are some good sections on assurance of salvation and the believers struggle with sin and its effect on our relationship with Christ.

Overall, there is much good devotional material in here, but the jury is out on the hermeneutics. It is not until chapter 7 of Song of Songs that he even considers that there could be an application for husbands and wives. But the call to love Christ more deeply and to treasure his presence is always a valuable one, and even if other commentaries may need to be consulted, I think the allegorical approach should not be lightly dismissed.

As long as it is informed by other plainer passages of Scripture, this approach brings to life Paul’s observation that the relationship between a husband and wife mirrors that of Christ and the church. I would probably however recommend that those wanting to study Song of Songs allegorically start with John Owen’s “Communion with God” or Hudson Taylor’s “Union with Christ” rather than this book. I still also consider Tom Gledhill’s Bible Speaks Today commentary on Song of Songs which takes a completely non-allegorical approach to the book to also be well worth a read.

Book Review – Revised Expositor’s Commentary on 1 & 2 Peter & Jude (J Darryl Charles)

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I’ve already reviewed a number of commentaries in this volume of the Revised Expositor’s Bible Commentary (see Hebrews, Revelation, John’s Letters). The same complements on the nice layout apply here.

J Darryl Charles has provided the commentary on 1 & 2 Peter and Jude. The big danger with this commentary series is that it can fall through the gaps between an expositional and an academic commentary. It is aimed at “expositors”, but does not always provide enough space to really engage with the exegetical and theological issues that can be raised. Its strength therefore is in helping the reader to appreciate the meaning and flow of the argument, and briefly filling in background historical details or scriptural cross-references that will elucidate the text. There are brief pointers for application, but this series is not an exposition in the style of the Bible Speaks Today series. For those preparing a sermon or essay on the passage being commented on, I expect they would actually want to consult more detailed commentaries, but this commentary will still have value as a reference book for those wanting to quickly get an overview of a section of these epistles.

In the introduction to the 1 Peter commentary, Charles argues that it is reasonable to believe Peter authored this epistle. He acknowledges some differences in style to 2 Peter, but he gives a list of 41 similarities between the two epistles, which weaken the case for separate authors. In the commentary on 1 Peter, he highlights Peter’s concern for ethical living, which is rooted in eschatology. He notes that the epistle is filled with imperatives, and though it has suffering as a theme, its goal is not to provide a “theology of suffering” but rather to present a Christian ethic which responds to suffering by following the example of Christ.

The commentaries on 2 Peter and Jude have a fairly lengthy introduction which argues for Petrine authorship of 2 Peter, and lists the parallels with Jude. Despite the similarities, the purposes are different: Peter is more concerned with ethics than combating heresy. If Peter is combating anything, it is more likely sexual libertarianism than gnosticism. He presents the Lord’s coming as a day of moral reckoning and calls us to live virtuously. Charles believes that Peter even warns against the possibility of “loss of call” for the Christian. In the introduction to Jude, Charles considers the arguments against an early dating to be merely speculative. Jude uses examples of those who were privileged but who became dispossessed as warnings against apostasy.

For those who cannot afford to buy individual commentaries on each book of the New Testament, the Revised Expositor’s Bible Commentary represents a good compromise – offering essentially six commentaries for the price of one. While none of the individual commentaries would be described as “must haves”, they will prove useful to those who do not have the time or money available to consult the larger commentaries.