What commentaries do you like?

[Scottmcc1]

I am looking for peoples recommendation of conservative Bible Commentaries.

I am interested in pastoral or devotional commentaries on the New Testament.

 

[Kazza Ah-O]

I've found, over the years, that I don't like commentaries. I do like factual research books. Histories and such, are my personal preferance. Seeing the culture of the times something was written has opened up scripture to me. It's just my own personal preference on my own personal study and I still listen to teachers I sit under who will use a commentary.

 

[Biblicist]

I am looking for peoples recommendation of conservative Bible Commentaries.

I am interested in pastoral or devotional commentaries on the New Testament.

Generally, any commentaries by academics such as Fee, Grudem, Keener, Thiselton are always worth reading. The only book in the list I have provided that would be in anyway pastoral, would be with Thiseltons Shorter Exegetical Commentary on First Corinthians.

Fee is a Pentecostal, though not a classic-Pentecostal, Grudem, Keener and Witherington are charismatics and Thiselton would be deemed as being “open-but-cautious”.

• God’s Empowering Presence, Gordon D. Fee (1994)
• Gospel and Spirit: Issue in New Testament Hermeneutics, Gordon D. Fee (1991)
• Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God, Gordon D. Fee (1996)
• The Holy Spirit – Biblical Teaching, through the Centuries, and Today, Anthony C. Thiselton (2013)
• The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today, Wayne Grudem (1988 & 2000)
• Letters and Homilies for Jewish Christians, A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Hebrews, James and Jude, Ben Witherington III, (2007)
• Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians Volume 1, Ben Witherington III (2006)
​

Acts

• Craig S. Keener, 4 Volume set (2012-2014) [This series desires a 5+ Star rating in my view]

1 Corinthians

• The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Gordon D. Fee (1988)
• The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Anthony C. Thiselton (2000)
• 1 Corinthians: A Shorter Exegetical & Pastoral Commentary, Anthony C. Thiselton (2006)
• Conflict and Community in Corinth, Ben Witherington III, (1995)

 

[Biblicist]

I've found, over the years, that I don't like commentaries. I do like factual research books. Histories and such, are my personal preferance. Seeing the culture of the times something was written has opened up scripture to me. It's just my own personal preference on my own personal study and I still listen to teachers I sit under who will use a commentary.

Many of the more recent commentaries (late 80's & onwards) have been designed to address these issues and they come under the banner of 'socio-rhetorical' studies. Dr. Ben Witherington has been of the major proponents of this particular style of commentary.

 

[Kazza Ah-O]

Thank you, Biblicist. I shall endeavor to find something by him and take a look. I am quite blessed in that my husband's true love is history (of everything) and sometimes, he provides the most interesting little tidbits on the society of the time or perhaps the socio-political climate, or economics etc......at least for me, I seem to always see God's word through yet another facet. It is soooo good to know that the more we dig, the more we find. I love treasure hunts.

 

[faroukfarouk]

William MacDonald's Commentary seems a thorough one, and I appreciate its dispensational emphasis.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Thank you, Biblicist. I shall endeavor to find something by him and take a look. I am quite blessed in that my husband's true love is history (of everything) and sometimes, he provides the most interesting little tidbits on the society of the time or perhaps the socio-political climate, or economics etc......at least for me, I seem to always see God's word through yet another facet. It is soooo good to know that the more we dig, the more we find. I love treasure hunts.

Yes, we do need to keep digging, right?

Blessings.

 

[Biblicist]

Thank you, Biblicist. I shall endeavor to find something by him and take a look. I am quite blessed in that my husband's true love is history (of everything) and sometimes, he provides the most interesting little tidbits on the society of the time or perhaps the socio-political climate, or economics etc......at least for me, I seem to always see God's word through yet another facet. It is soooo good to know that the more we dig, the more we find. I love treasure hunts.

It sounds like you have a bit of an advantage with your husbands interests. I know that when I first came across the field of socio-rhetorical criticism it absolutely blew the socks of my feet as I had absolutely no idea that the commentaries had advanced as far as they have.

I am in the process of buying Keener's comprehensive four volumes on Acts where his outstanding work continues to amaze me. By now, I have come to expect some solid research by men such as Fee, Thiselton, Winter and Witherington but Keener's work on Acts goes beyond what I would have considered to be humanly possible.

May I suggest that you do a Google search with the parameter, "socio-rhetorical criticism" where I think that you will come across a goldmine of incredible Christian research. If you find a link to books.google.com you will be able to read a lot of this material online.

 

[Kazza Ah-O]

Thank you so very much for that, Biblicist2. I have done as you suggested and bookmarked several for some quiet thoughtful reading. Perhaps we shall talk sometime, of what I find?