Category Archives: Commentaries

Book Review – The Message of 1 Peter (Edmund Clowney)

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This volume in the Bible Speaks Today series presents the main themes of 1 Peter as the suffering that Christians must face as “resident aliens” in a world of rebels against God. The introduction is brief, and the style of commentary is expository – almost a series of sermons. At over 230 pages, the material is covered quite slowly, allowing Clowney to take time to discuss other related passages, and use examples from church history. There are places where it approaches being an academic commentary, for example a number of pages are devoted to the problematic section in 3:18-22, establishing his interpretation very methodically, and utilising a number of quotes from apocryphal writings to bolster his case.

The theme of suffering runs through the whole book, and it is presented as unavoidable for Christians, but beneficial in developing character, an opportunity to meet evil with good, and an occasion for witness. Most importantly it is the route to glory, as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus from suffering to glory.

Along the way, there is consideration of the mutual submission that should exist between Christians, and Clowney downplays differences in the instructions to husbands and wives in chapter 3. He argues that submission is to people (as made in the image of God), not structures, and warns against the dangers of “political” and “liberation” theologies.

The book closes with three appendices, the first two essentially being extended footnotes, and the third develops the background of eldership in the Old Testament, to augment the exposition of 1 Peter 5. As with others in the series it includes a study guide for small groups to use.

Although I feel that the book was slightly too long for the series it is part of, taking time to explore the subject of suffering will be beneficial to any Christian who reads it. Its thoroughness will be appreciated by those looking for inspiration on sermons and Bible studies who have the time to read it.

The Message of John (Bruce Milne)

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In this generously sized volume of the BST series, Bruce Milne guides us through the gospel of John. Regular readers of this series will know that they can expect an evangelical commitment to Scripture, and a focus on expository preaching that brings home the theological and moral implications of the text to contemporary readers.

The introduction cites internal and external evidence for the apostle John as the author, and favours an early date for this gospel which he sees as an evangelistic tract that complements the synoptic gospels.

I thought his coverage of the opening chapters were particularly good, and even inspired some lyrics for a song I was writing. He emphasises the Christological significance of the miracles, particularly how they show Jesus’ own superiority to Judaism. He is not afraid though to see the miracles also as paradigms of how Jesus is able to meet our own needs.

He draws on the insights of a number of commentators where necessary, and prefers to summarise their conclusions where he agrees with them rather than repeat all the steps in the argument. Carson, Newbiggin and Beasley-Murray are amongst the most frequently quoted.

The book is not organized into a normal chapter format, but he breaks the book down into three major sections, to fit his structure of Christ as King. However, the second of these seconds covers the vast bulk of material, and itself is broken up into three parts, with a major section beginning at chapter 12:20 – the “coronation”. I think the book would actually have been a bit easier to read in a conventional chapter arrangement. I had actually tried to read through this volume once before and only got about three quarters of the way through.

He sees Jesus’ discourse with the disciples in the latter half of the book as being broken into two parts. Perhaps surprisingly John 15 (“I am the true Vine”) is seen as being about mission, although he does acknowledge other themes present. Other highlights for me are his treatment of Jesus’ prayer, and his insights into the human sinful nature as he discusses the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.

Although it is not as comprehensive as Carson’s excellent commentary on John, I have benefited a lot from reading this book. Those preparing Bible studies on John or simply wanting to go a bit deeper will find it rich in practical application and devotional insight.

Postscript

Since I am discussion charismatic issues at the moment on my blog, I will give two quotes from the book that caught my attention in relation to the Holy Spirit.

The first is from p287 and describes Milne’s understanding of the symbolism of the blood and water that flowed from Jesus’ side (after noting that water is symbolic of the Spirit):

“‘The water had to be mingled with Jesus’ blood before the Spirit could give his testimony’. But now this has happened, and so the Spirit can come. Thus to John’s amazement the Spirit is symbolically released from the crucified body of Jesus, indicating that by his death, the kingdom has come which all may enter through faith in him. Thus, even though dead, he imparts the Spirit who is the power of his kingly reign”.

The second is refer’s to Calvin’s comments (although Milne does not agree) on Jesus’ saying “Receive the Holy Spirit” to his disciples in John 20:22.

“… Calvin distinguishes between ‘sprinkling’ with the Spirit (here) and ‘saturation’ with the Spirit at Pentecost.”

Milne prefers to see the comment as “didactic”, with the real coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, but I found it interesting that Calvin of all people should be talking in the kind of terms that those who teach that the baptism in the Spirit is a “second blessing” use.

Book Review – The Message of 2 Peter and Jude (Dick Lucas & Christopher Green)

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Although this book covers only four short New Testament chapters, it is larger than many of the others in the Bible Speaks Today series. This is surprising as the BST series does not contain academic or detailed exegetical material, but rather focuses on practical application. 250 pages means that whole chapters can be devoted to just one or two verses. While this makes for a very thorough exposition of these books, I wonder whether it is a bit long for the BST target audience.

Lucas has written the introductions, while Green wrote the commentary and appendix on authorship, but their styles are similar and there is no sense of discontinuity. Lucas’ introduction to 2 Peter is itself a mini-commentaries on the book, tracing through its main messages and themes, and barely touching on authorship and dating. Those who have read Lucas’ BST volume on Colossians will immediately notice similarities, for both books are understood to be attacks on false teaching, by those claiming to have “knowledge”.

False teaching in the church is something that Lucas and Green clearly feel passionately about, and they don’t just have their sights set on liberal or cult doctrines. They believe that muddled and even dangerous teaching abounds from those who claim to be evangelical. It is difficult to disagree with this assessment, but it is also difficult as a charismatic not to see oneself portrayed as the villain. Strong hints at cessationism, criticism of modern “apostolic” ministries, and warnings against seeking “experience” are all tell-tale signs of an antipathy towards charismatic doctrine.

Green, like Lucas, clearly believes in line by line expository preaching, and this is how the book is structured. Each chapter is like a mini-sermon on the few verses in question, starting with some brief introductory comments, followed by the NIV text, and then dealing with the message of those verses under clearly defined headings.

2 Peter is described as a homily on Christian growth, but with the focus very much being on the maturity needed to combat the false teaching. As with Colossians, the essence of the heresy is seen to be “Christ plus” – requiring people to move beyond Christ to something better (again some thinly veiled polemic against the Pentecostal doctrine of the baptism in the Holy Spirit may be detected). The false teacher’s denial of the second coming is seen as their excuse for relaxing moral standards, and it is here that some contemporary liberal trends within evangelicalism come under fire.

When a passage has many possible interpretations, the options are listed and normally general lesson drawn that does not rely too heavily on one interpretation. Although the style of commentary is expository, it does not often delve into matters of Greek vocabulary and syntax. The main modern commentary that is interacted with is Bauckham’s (and sometimes Michael Green’s) and older commentators such as the Puritans are occasionally quoted.

The introduction to Jude lists similar themes between the books. Jude is said to emphasise the “closed” nature of the faith – it is not evolving even at this early stage. The authors are concerned to properly clarify his use of extrabiblical books, that he did not see them as on a par with Scripture.

An appendix deals in more depth with the issues that the introductions to the books would normally be expected to consider. It defends Peter as author of 2 Peter against both claims of pseudonymous authorship, and “testament” authorship (Bauckham), and deals with differences in Greek writing style between 1 and 2 Peter. Similarly Jude the half-brother of Jesus is seen as the author of the book that bears his name. There is also a study guide as with all BST New Testament volumes, although it is difficult to imagine many small groups wanting to spend 24 sessions working through these two short books.

I have criticised this book for perhaps being too long, and hostile towards charismatics, but it I still found it very helpful and thorough. The writing style is easy to follow, and the warnings against false teaching creeping in are worth seriously contemplating. It serves as a forceful reminder that error can creep in even in supposedly “pure” churches that have separated from more traditional and doctrinally compromised church groupings. And individually, we must not be too proud to think we can “wobble” doctrinally, so we must heed the message to continually grow in the faith.

Book Review – The Message of Genesis 12-50 (Joyce Baldwin)

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This volume of the Bible Speaks Today series picks up where David Atkinson’s one left off, although it actually was published earlier. Baldwin starts off with an introduction that recaps the story of creation, and deals with some of the modern scepticism concerning the historicity of the patriarchs. She clearly has an interest in archaelogical finds, and often fills in historical details throughout the commentary. She does not however seem particularly interested in engaging with questions like “how come the patriarchs got to have more than one wife?”.

It covers the latter 39 chapters of Genesis, and includes most of the Biblical text, only leaving out a few lists of names. This takes up a significant amount of the available space, meaning that each chapter only has room for 3 or 4 pages of comments. The space is mainly used to recap on the story and supply any additional historical information required to understand it. Points of practical application can be found in most sections, although they are usually fairly brief comments, and the book does not take on the sermon-like style of some others in the BST series. Often parallels are hinted at between the types of difficulties the patriarchs and their families faced and the ones we do.

The book is broken into four main sections covering the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. God’s purpose in bringing blessing and salvation to the world through small beginnings is traced throughout. Links with the work of Jesus are made in the obvious places, as ultimately Baldwin sees Genesis as “an epitome of the gospel”. The book closes with a brief recap of the main themes.

This volume is well suited as a companion guide to use as you read through Genesis, as it helps you to appreciate things you might otherwise have missed. However, it is not really a reference book, neither is it particularly aimed at providing a structured outline for Bible study of each chapter. As with all BST volumes, it takes the text seriously as the Word of God, believing it to be relevant for us today.

Book Review – The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (John Stott)

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This exposition of the Sermon on the Mount was originally published under the title “Christian Counter-Culture”, before being added to the Bible Speaks Today series some years later. Although it only covers three chapters of Matthew, it is a worthy addition to the series, and allows the Sermon to be covered in much more depth than would otherwise be possible. The extra space however, is not devoted to surveys of the various theories about how the sermon came to be in the form it is, but the focus is always kept on practical application for today’s Christians.

While the book doesn’t strictly speaking have an introduction, the opening section on 5:1,2 effectively functions as one. Stott claims that the world is seeking for a counter-culture – a different, and better way to live, but have looked at the church and found confusion instead. He sees the sermon as a call to Christians to demonstrate a genuinely different way of life. He defends the sermon against criticism that it is inauthentic, irrelevant or unattainable. He also argues that it is not a gospel of righteousness by works, but it is a new law that leads us to Christ and shows us how to please God.

The beatitudes are set out as graces that all Christians need to manifest, and from the following verses he argues for Christians to be an influence for good in society. He sees Jesus’ antitheses as correcting distortions of the Mosaic law, to show that Christian righteousness is deeper than mere outward conformance to law.

Stott is careful not to make legalistic prescriptions about how the sermon should be applied, but still is willing to discuss many specific contemporary issues (e.g. pornography). His handling of the subject of divorce is gentle, and he includes an extended discussion of whether the non-retaliatory command should relate to the law courts. Basically, he tries to pick up on those verses which typical Christian readers might have questions about and works through the issues. As such it makes it a valuable resource for those who are studying or teaching their way through the sermon in a small group setting.

The first half of the sermon contains much material related to a Christian’s righteousness, while the second deals with prayer and Christian relationships. The sermon is broken down into 12 sections, and although he sometimes may be trying to be too neat with the structure he finds, it is a helpful way to organise the material.

There is not a great deal of discussion of how the sermon might have been heard by its original audience, and the political implications it would have had. He does however emphasise the multi-faceted “authority” of Jesus seen in the sermon, especially in the way he speaks of himself.

John Stott is convinced that the Sermon on the Mount is highly relevant teaching for today’s Christians. His practical focus throughout will mean that everyone will find something to challenge and inspire them. Reading through it should not prove difficult thanks to Stott’s good writing skills and devotional warmth. It will also serve as a good companion to any introductory commentary on Matthew, which will not typically be able to afford so much space to the sermon.

Commentary Series Review – Pillar New Testament Commentary

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The Pillar commentary series has been slowly but surely growing for well around 20 years now, with thirteen published volumes, and authors assigned for all the remaining ones. In fact, it would appear that some of the earliest volumes are already in line for replacement. The target audience seems to be pastors and undergraduate level students of the Bible. The way that the exegetical options are discussed and current academic theories are interacted with will put it out of reach of the casual Christian reader, but they are not designed to compete with the technical and exhaustive commentaries. The series falls firmly within the conservative evangelical tradition, but draws commentators from a variety of church backgrounds.

The series editor is Don Carson, who supplied the Gospel of John and is also rumoured to be working on Revelation and Galatians in this series. He seems an ideal candidate for the editorship. Not only is he known for his exegetical prowess and engaging style of writing, but he is something of a commentary connoisseur, having written a review of New Testament commentaries that is now in its fifth edition. It comes as no surprise then, that he is assembling his very own “dream team” of commentators (notably O’Brien and Moo who have written two each) and apparently making an effort to plug some significant gaps in the evangelical commentary market.

The commentary itself is based on the NIV text (TNIV in some of the newer volumes), but the writers show no particular loyalty to its wording, often preferring to offer a completely different translation on which to comment. The biblical text is included in most, but not all the commentaries. Greek vocabulary and verb tenses are regularly discussed, but the Greek is always transliterated and translated (though sometimes in Greek script in the footnotes).

Recent volumes in particular have shown a greater interest in quoting ancient sources than interacting with multiple modern commentators, although there is a willingness to take on major proponents of opposing views where necessary. Footnotes direct the reader to further reading where appropriate and are sometimes used for more detailed grammatical analysis. The commentators are prepared to discuss variant readings, and even reject traditional interpretations but will not criticise the meaning of the text itself, treating it as God’s revealed word.

The introductions are usually fairly lengthy (50-100 pages) and it is here that the liberal tendency to reject traditional authorship, historicity and typical reformed interpretation is called into question. However, the authors are usually content to simply show the plausibility of traditional options rather than considering themselves to have ‘proved’ anything about dating, authorship, and structure.

To keep the comments on any particular verse from becoming unmanageably long, extended discussions are often moved into excursuses. The length and frequency of these varies with author, but they usually add significant value to the commentary and allow greater theological reflection.

The main focus of the commentaries is exegetical but with a view to aiding expositors. The meaning of each sentence is determined, and then it is shown how it fits in with the overall argument of the section and book. If there is an apparent discord with other New Testament passages, this will usually be discussed. The authors are free to make comments on the theological and practical implications of the verses for contemporary Christian life, but are never preachy. In most cases they prefer to let the text speak for itself. Where a verse has been used as a “proof-text” for a particular doctrinal position, the commentators will often mention whether they feel this to be justified or not, without entering wholesale into the debate.

At least two volumes in the series (Carson on John and O’Brien on Ephesians) are widely acknowledged as the premier evangelical commentary on their respective books, and I expect more equally highly-acclaimed volumes will follow. The prices are unfortunately not as competitive as some other similar series (e.g. Baker Exegetical), but your money will not be wasted, and they are worthy additions to any Bible teacher’s library.

I have reviewed a number from this series here on my site, and have so enjoyed the ones I have read that you can expect more to follow. Here’s the current list of volumes, with links to my reviews for the ones I have read.

(1988

Book Review – The Letters of John (Colin Kruse)

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As I have studied through 1 John recently, I have noticed that while the author manages to make his main points abundantly clear (e.g. the importance of loving one another), he uses lots of sentences along the way that are somewhat cryptic. In his Pillar commentary, Colin Kruse has managed to shed considerable light on the meaning of these difficult phrases without losing the overall message of the book. With each statement he provides brief but compelling arguments for how each phrase or word is to be understood, without always being entirely dogmatic. The meaning of a word or phrase in the gospel of John is often decisive in deciding between alternatives.

There is a generous helping of helpful excursuses (called “notes”) that deal with some of the more difficult issues at greater length, allowing the commentary to simply refer to the excursus wherever the issue crops up. For example there are excursuses on the antichrist, on sinless perfectionism, and on the bases of assurance, as well as many on the meanings of various words. These notes typically review all the Johannine (or biblical) usage of a particular term, before coming to a brief conclusion about what is meant.

Another useful feature of this commentary is that the Scriptural text commented on is highlighted in bold, so that you can easily follow where he is up to in his comments. Like the rest of the Pillar series, it comments on the NIV text, but is quite willing to completely disagree with the translation in places.

The introduction deals with all three letters and argues for common authorship, who probably is also the author of the fourth gospel (which he considers to be the apostle John). There is also considerable discussion of the “secessionists”, a splinter group whose teaching the first letter is designed to combat. Kruse shows how John’s argument is directed in many places throughout the letter at these people, and sees this group as the likely background to the second and third Johannine epistles as well.

The apparent contradiction between 1:8-9 and 3:6-9, concerning whether Christians do or do not continue to sin is not resolved in the traditional fashion (occasional vs habitual sin), but appeals to Kruse’s analysis of the meaning of anomia, which is in his view not to be interpreted etymologically (i.e. lawlessness), but simply as the type of sinful rebellion that typified the secessionists (also the “sin that leads to death”).

The poem of 2:12-14 is not thought to refer to three distinct groups (children, young men, adults), but to two, with the ‘children’ referring to everyone, while the latter two refer to younger and older Christians respectively (in human age). The “water and blood” of chapter 5:6-8 are interpreted as Jesus’ ministries of baptism and atonement.

In 2 John the secessionists are still very much in view, and the “chosen lady” is understood to be the church, who is urged not to receive these false teachers. By contrast, 3 John encourages Gaius to welcome itinerant teachers who were not secessionists but were loyal to the truth.

The commentary closes with an appendix of biblical and extra-biblical material that refers to Cain. This seems a little out of place, as Cain only gets one brief mention in 1 John.

This commentary will prove very useful to those wanting to grapple with the meaning of individual sentences in the Johannine epistles, perhaps in preparation for sermons or group study. It does not focus so much on contemporary application, although the author will often briefly indicate the pastoral significance. Those simply wanting a devotional aid as they read through these letters would be better off choosing a more homiletical commentary such as the Bible Speaks Today commentary on John’s Letters by David Jackman. Having said that, Colin Kruse’s volume is a worthy addition to the excellent Pillar series which combines careful exegesis with a devout evangelical commitment to the authority of Scripture as God’s word.

Book Review – The Message of Genesis 1-11 (David Atkinson)

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Much of the discussion in evangelical circles about the opening chapters of Genesis revolves around the historicity of the events described, and in particular, whether the six days of creation were ‘literal 24 hour days’ or not. Atkinson does allow himself to get drawn into the complexities of these debates, although his own understanding of the issues becomes apparent. He broadly accepts theistic evolution, noting the structure of the six days of creation in Genesis 1 as being two groups of three, and seeing the first chapter as a hymn of praise. He sees the story as referring to other creation myths only to refute them and assert the one true creator God.

As you would expect, the creation story raises all sorts interesting issues that Atkinson takes up. For example environmental concerns, sexual equality (he is an egalitarian), the nature of time are all discussed. There is also a helpful section on marriage and Christian sexual ethics, where he addresses the issue of homosexuality. He also explores what it means to be made in the image of God, arguing for more than simply having certain capacities, but to be in relationship with God, and to act as his representatives.

Moving on to the story of the fall, Atkinson considers the nature of sin, and considers the origin of evil to be left as a mystery. The commentary on the first three chapters of Genesis fills the first half of the book. Unusually for BST Old Testament volumes, the full text of the first 11 chapters of Genesis is included in the book.

The rest of the book shows how there is repeated sin and judgement, but always with a hint of hope. The story of Cain and Abel provides opportunity to explore the “unfairness” of grace, while the story of the Ark introduces the themes of salvation and covenant. The story of Babel almost leaves us with an unhappy ending, but Atkinson continues the commentary through to 12:3, where the promise of blessing comes to Abraham, and so fittingly, the book closes with its focus on Jesus.

I found this book a very interesting read. The fact that it didn’t answer the type of questions like “was the Ark seaworthy, and large enough to hold all the animals?” meant that there was space to explore the theological themes in the book. His stance on evolution will no doubt please some and irritate others, but the 190 pages given to these opening 11 chapters of Genesis have been well used to explore a wide variety of important subjects.

Those wanting to nail down exact points of doctrine or exhaustively explore the background and possible interpretation of the early Genesis stories will need to consult the more technical commentaries, but those who simply want to get a feel for the story of creation to Abraham without getting embroiled in controversy over science and history, will find much useful material here.

Forthcoming Commentaries

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Jeremy Pierce has a fantastic post on forthcoming commentaries. This details who is down to write missing or replacement volumes for a large number of excellent commentary series. It has also been slowly developing into the authoratitive resource on forthcoming commentaries as various people have posted ammendments and additions to his list. A word of warning though – reading it does feel a bit like sneaking a look at your Christmas presents before the big day arrives, and some of the volumes listed could be many years before publishing (so don’t get too excited).

While you’re over at his site, check out the first of his in depth looks at the commentaries available for individual books – Zephaniah. I’m looking forward to reading more of these in the coming months.

Book Review – The Pillar Commentary on Thessalonians (Gene Green)

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This latest addition to the Pillar series of commentaries is reminiscent of O’Brien’s Pillar Commentary on Ephesians in that it has a long introduction (75 pages), which includes a critique of the rhetorical analysis approach to the epistles and defends Pauline authorship. He also explains why he is not convinced by arguments placing 2 Thessalonians before 1 (contra Wanamaker).

However, the bulk of the introduction is spent providing historical background on the city of Thessalonica and tying in the Acts accounts of how the gospel came to that city. Green goes right back to tell the story of how the Romans came to take the region of Macedonia from the Greeks and lists the various uprisings that the Romans crushed. There is also a good deal of information about the religious beliefs and practices of the time.

While it is all interesting, I couldn’t help feeling that some of this material would have been more suited to a New Testament background reference book, or at least interspersed in the commentary as excursuses. However, Green believes that the historical background is key to interpreting the letter, and he does particularly well at highlighting the reasons why the gospel was so badly received when it first arrived in Thessalonica.

The opening chapters of 1 Thessalonians in particular are closely tied in to both Paul and the Thessalonians’ historical and geographical situation. Green fills in the details from Acts, as well as making regular quotations from ancient documents to illustrate his points. Like Edward’s Pillar commentary on Mark, quotes from first century documents are regularly found, while interaction with other commentators is generally left to the footnotes.

The section on the second coming is handled in a level-headed manner, careful not to draw out more than the text says (as is the section on the man of lawlessness in 2 Thess 2). He does not particularly attempt to synthesize with prophetic passages from Revelation, the Gospels or the Old Testament, and only makes the briefest of comments to dismiss some fanciful interpretations of the rapture.

The historical background established in the introduction proves helpful as he seeks to interpret the commands concerning idleness in terms of the patron-client system that was operating in those days. The idle are understood as those who are “disorderly” and are remaining as clients. They are counselled to get out of local politics and live a quiet life, which contrasts with the more common understanding of this passage as being simply a critique of laziness.

I found this to be a worthy addition to the excellent Pillar series, which will serve evangelicals who want to dig deeper into the meaning of the text, but don’t necessarily require great elaboration on contemporary application. As with the other volumes in the Pillar series, the comments are based on the NIV text, while feeling free to question some of the translators decisions, but maintaining a reverent attitude to Scripture throughout.