recommended books

Recommended Commentaries

From time to time I am asked to recommend commentaries for studying the Bible. This request comes from small group leaders, Sunday School teachers, or someone just wanting help to understand the Bible in greater detail. To help give you some direction, here is my recommended list of commentaries and the one’s I often find myself returning to again and again.

• The Bible Exposition Commentary by Warren W. Wiersbe. This is a comprising of his earlier work known as the “Be Series.” This is an easy to read explanation of the major aspect of each chapter of the Bible. Broad enough to keep moving through the Bible yet detailed enough to bring insight into the chapter. It is a chapter-by-chapter approach to the Bible. 

• The MacArthur New Testament Commentary series by Dr. John MacArthur Jr. The preface of the series describes it well when MacArthur writes, “This New Testament commentary series reflects this objective of explaining and applying Scripture. Some commentaries are primarily linguistic, others are mostly theological, and some are mainly homiletical. This one is basically explanatory, or expository. It is not linguistically technical, but deals with linguistics when this seems helpful to proper interpretation. It is not theologically expansive, but focuses on the major doctrines in each text and on how they relate to the whole of Scripture. It is not primarily homiletical, though each unit of thought is generally treated as one chapter, with a clear outline and logical flow of thought. Most truths are illustrated and applied with other Scripture. After establishing the context of a passage, I have tried to follow closely the writer’s development and reasoning.” This series is a combination of verse-by-verse and paragraph-by-paragraph approach to the explaining the Bible.

• Swindoll’s New Testament Insights by Charles R. Swindoll. This is a chapter-by-chapter approach to examining the Bible. Within its pages are helpful charts, graphs, maps, and key term sections. If you have read any of Swindoll’s books, then you will find the same manner of writing but in a commentary form. It’s an easy read. This is a new commentary series and only has released about a third of the set.

• The New American Commentary series edited by D. Michael Martin. This is a verse-by-verse approach. Emphasizes how each section of a book fits together so that the reader becomes aware of the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole. Offers a careful syntactical analysis of the Greek text of the letters forms the foundation of the study, along with offering insight to the rhetorical strategies and social settings of each book. It is more of a technical read. Even though the main text is often scholarly itself, the authors often explore contemporary scholarship and technical points of grammar and syntax in further detail in the footnotes.

• The Pillar New Testament Commentary edited by D.A. Carson. This is a verse-by-verse approach. According to the series preface, “The scholars writing these volumes interact with the most important informed contemporary debate, but avoid getting mired in undue technical detail. Their ideal is a blend of rigorous exegesis and exposition, with an eye alert both to biblical theology and the contemporary relevance of the Bible, without confusing the commentary and the sermon.” This is an academic commentary examining the Greek language and first century culture and customs. It usually appeals more to the seminary student and Bible scholar.

I would also like to mention the Holman New Testament Commentary series edited by Max Anders and the Twenty-First Century Biblical Commentary series edited by Mal Couch and Ed Hindson. Both are easy reads, verse-by-verse, and offer their own unique insight and explanations of the Scripture.

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