A Fresh , User Friendly Commentary
938350
I went to theological seminary 25 years ago.  One of the reasons I went to seminary was to learn how to use the tools for studying the Bible.  I took Greek and Hebrew and read lots of books with dense type.  It wasn't easy for me but I am glad I spent the three years it took to acquire the tools.
However, I recognize that most Christians, even if they were so inclinded, can afford neither the time nor the expense of Seminary.  But they are interested in studying and knowing more about the Bible. This book on the Gospel of Mark will be helpful to such people.  Persons who have never owned a commentary on an individual book of the Bible will find a wealth of information about the history, language and culture of the New Testament that will enable them to better understand the teachings of Jesus.
The combination of good biblical scholarship along with the helpful tools, outstanding quotes and fresh, humorous writing makes this book very readable and accessible as a Bible Study resource.
2538039
I first reviewed The Voice New Testament two years ago. When I was offered the opportunity to look at the revised update, I jumped at the chance. With its screenplay format, in-text commentary and clarifying remarks, The Voice provides a fresh reading of the Scriptures in English that convey both the broader theological narrative of Scripture (Messiah as Liberating King, for example) and the unique voices of each of the Scriptural authors (Matthew and Luke are not only different in some content, but also in style, and The Voice conveys that very effectively).

It's greatest strength is also it's greatest weakness. While commentary and explanation are present in-text and that makes them unavoidable for the reader, it also requires the reader to be attentive to what is commentary and study note, and what is translation. Special formatting (emboldened and italicized types) is very helpful, and the approach here is similar to ancient manuscripts where scribal notes and comments were more integrated with the Scriptural text itself. My recommendation now is the same as it was two years ago: this is an excellent resource in reading and understanding the Scriptures, but should not be your primary study Bible.
1874402
Contrary to the previous reviewer, I found this commentary to offer a refreshing perspective of John's gospel. As a pastor and biblical scholar wanna-be, I've encountered multiple commentaries on John and most of them take the traditional scholarly route of explaining key words and structure, but for the most part, you can tell that an ivory tower scholar wrote it. As a pastor, I'm looking for a balance between scholarship and practical application (I enjoy the NIV Application Commentary series for this reason). But getting back to Jerome Neyrey's take on John - he doesn't look at the micro issues of John, but instead pulls out the major themes of each section and hones in on the historical and cultural significance of certain ideas and concepts. For example, the section covering John 3:22-36 - which looks at John the Baptist's final words about the Messiah - we are shown by Neyrey the significance of Envy in the ancient world and specifically the idea of "limited good". The jealousy of John's disciples towards the emerging ministry of Jesus brings to the surface strong feelings of jealousy and comparison from John's disciples. John's response that "Jesus must become greater, I must become less" is only heightened when one understands the spirit of jealousy among John's disciples. John's words to his disciples serve as a rebuke of their envious spirit and brought to my mind and soul the divisive and toxic nature of envy and how it so easily seeps its way into the church and the lives of ordinary Christians. John's response, therefore, serves as an antidote to the problem of envy. I would never have picked up on this had I not consulted Neyrey's offering on John's gospel.

Neyrey's style and wording are sometimes comical, witty and rarely dry. And so I must respectfully disagree with the other reviewer and offer my support of this fresh take on John's gospel. I personally own at least five studies in John and intend to add this volume to my library as well.
93029
To my mind writing an Old Testament commentary is a difficult job.  An Old Testament commentator must deal with numerous critical issues before he can even begin commentary on the "final form" of the text.  Sometimes, therefore, Old Testament commentaries become bogged down in issues of textual transmission and source criticism, issues that are usually of less importance for the preacher (at least in theologically conservative circles).  And preaching is my main focus, and the reason I purchased this commentary, along with Walter Brueggemann's commentary.

I appreciate that in Firth's commentary he shows that he is aware of the issues raised by more critical scholarship, but for my purposes I breathed a big sigh of relief that he usually mentions only whatever critical consensus exists before moving on to dealing with the text.  Further, Firth repeatedly comments that the final form of the text (what is in our Bibles today) is the important thing to deal with, a perspective I also share.

Moving on to Firth's interaction with the text, each section of commentary is divided into 5 sections:
1) Translation: Firth's own translation of the passage
2) Notes on the text: Textual critical issues (variant readings and such)
3) Form and Structure: An overview of the passage and its fit into the surrounding narrative.
4) Comment: A verse by verse analysis of the passage
5) Explanation: A summary of the meaning of the passage as a whole

I think that these divisions are helpful in approaching the text.  I always appreciate when a commentator provides their own translation, as opposed to basing their commentary on one specific English translation.  Doing so helps the reader understand some of the exegetical decisions the commentator makes.  I usually don't spend a great deal of time with the notes on the text section, although (for example) at 1 Sam. 14:18 I found Firth's comments to be helpful, if less than I was hoping for.  The form and structure section of the commentary is always must-read material, making a general statement on critical scholarship's source criticism and linking the passage to what has come before, and what will come.  Firth's commentary is very good, addressing nearly every interpretational issue I am interested in.  The one thing I would like to see improved is that while Firth does interact with other scholars in this section, I often find myself wishing to hear a discussion with other scholars in greater detail.  This is why I have rated Firth's commentary at 4 stars instead of 5.  Finally, Firth's explanation section presents concisely the purpose of each passage, and is very helpful to me as I try to prepare to preach the main idea of each passage week to week.

Firth pays good attention to the narrative flow of Samuel, although I would not call this commentary a narrative analysis.  His attention to the historical and cultural background of Samuel is very good, and he isn't afraid to challenge traditional interpretations.  His emphasis on the final form of the text makes this a very approachable commentary for those falling with orthodox/traditional Christianity (I dislike calling it conservative Christianity thereby reinforcing the idea that Christians must be politically conservative).  Overall, I recommend this commentary as very helpful for preachers looking to preach the main idea of a passage, or anyone doing exegetical work.
4408761
Anytime a commentary opens with these words, it is a commentary worth investigating:

I have probably preached more out of Ephesians than any other book of the Bible. Preaching is always a reminder that this book belongs to the church and not to the academic guild. (13)

Arnold acknowledges a crucial aspect of biblical commentaries which are often overlooked. The scriptures belong to the church. Any commentary must acknowledge this and equip pastors and elders to preach it more effectively.

I have reviewed Tom Schreiner's commentary in this series on Galatians. In my mind the quality of this series has grown with the addition of Arnold's Ephesians commentary. There are two main reasons for my appreciation of this specific commentary and this series in general: structure and content.

I have found the structure in this commentary to be tremendously helpful. The sections are clearly demarcated. For each collection of verses on which he comments, there are sections that deal with the literary context, the main idea of the passage, translation and graphical layout, exegetical outline, commentary and theological contributions. Rather than combine all of these issues into one paragraph, each one is dealt with independently. The result is an easy to follow argument making a cumulative case for his position. The `Main Idea' section is tremendously helpful as is the graphical layout of the text. It's clear to me that the editors and authors understand the pedagogical purpose of commentaries.

Concerning the content, I found Arnold to be clear and easy to read. He explains the necessary elements without being unnecessarily technical. His applications are strong and helpful and the theological applications helped me to see the bigger picture of Ephesians. My favorite portion of this commentary is the concluding chapter on the Theology of Ephesians. He condenses all the details and information explained through the last several hundred pages into a succinct and helpful chapter on the big idea of Ephesians.

It is becoming clear to me that this new series by Zondervan is going to be excellent. This volume along with Schreiner's are two exceptional commentaries. I would recommend these for anyone who labors in preaching and teaching in the local church.

NOTE: In accordance with the regulations of the Federal Trade Commission I would like to state that I received a complementary copy of the aforementioned text for the purposes of review. I was not required to furnish a positive review.
3901603
easy to.follow.graphics enhance the descriptions. clearly outlined. web links are timely. I like the personalized voice--like a friend sharing an experience; not a "textbook".
1502967
This is a nice commentary that won't break the bank. I have found others that go into more detial, but they are multi-book commentaries and as such have an increased cost. Yet for a one book commentary, you will find this very handy and easy to use with some nice insight on the scriptures.
4487863
Mark Braaten has written a short commentary on Revelation that incorporates some of the latest scholarly insights in a style that is very readable and accessible to most laypeople. If you are looking for a resource to use for a church Bible study that is a responsible alternative to the "Left Behind" interpretation, this is a great choice.
4409524
Dr. Varner has provided an enjoyable commentary on this ancient Christian text that will be useful to laymen and specialists alike.  His translation approach is helpful especially for those of us less adept with the Greek.  His passion for the topic is infectious and makes for an enjoyable read in the context of his story of discovery.

Overall, Dr. Varner allows the text to speak for itself but on occasion his Evangelical assumptions show just a bit.  For instance, his assertion that we not read too much into the word "sacrifice" with reference to the Eucharist and that we should see it as a sacrifice of praise and nothing more.  This would be reasonable, perhaps, if we had no other early church reference to the Eucharist as a sacrifice.  But this assumption that it is not referring to the Eucharist or the real presence flies in the face of works such as Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho where he very clearly identifies the Eucharist as a sacrifice (See Chapter 41 of that work).  If we were to assume the Didache is using sacrifice in another way, then we would need to explain how the early church came to a very different understanding in a few short decades.  It seems more likely that the author of the Didache was writing under assumptions and a context common to Justin Martyr's assumptions and context.  In the rush to dismiss a discussion that may be difficult for Evangelicals by recommending we not read too much into the text, we fear the opposite error of reading too little into the text.

Despite the subtle bias however, this is a very readable and enjoyable text providing a solid introduction to the early church.  It will be an important addition and, no doubt, a standard text for Evangelical and other Protestant patristic studies.  Many thanks for such an enjoyable and crisp read obviously fed by the deep waters of the church fathers.  From this text it seems Dr. Varner is a great teacher and we can envy the students who will especially benefit from this text.
338001
The NCCS Commentary on Mark by Kim Huat Tan offers readers of all levels and interests an accessible and revealing exposition of Marks gospel.  Tan is a Professor of New Testament and Academic Dean at Trinity Theological College in Singapore.  In addition to bringing faithful devotion and erudite insights to this commentary, he brings an Asian perspective to his reading of Mark.

Tan explores the gospel section by section, as he moves through Marks narrative.  He includes the elements of background, theology, word studies, exposition and application all in the flowing text.  The exposition stays on track by rarely straying from the text of Mark.  While Tan explores scholarly issues, he keeps readers focused on Marks project rather than speculating or entering into each controversy or discussion.  He provides relevant, concise excursuses throughout the book.  Based on his broad research, he provides coherent summaries and his conclusions when multiple reasonable interpretations compete.

The NCCS emphasizes the importance of the new covenant for the Christian community.  Tan seems to strive to set the new covenant in the larger context of redemptive-salvation history. This helpful dynamic is ever-present in Tans commentary.  The focus points to Jesus throughout and on what he is accomplishing.  Tan explores the views of those around Jesus, of Marks audience and of the Christian who reads Mark today anywhere in the world.  Tan explains that he has intended the commentary to make Marks message applicable to the challenges of being a Christian community in this complicated world.

This commentary on Mark will benefit readers taking a serious interest in Marks gospel.  Those searching for insights for a sermon or paper and those reading each word from cover to cover will find a rewarding resource here.  Tans offering makes a valuable addition to any theological library.
1571811
This text is really printed with care by someone who has common sense. First of all the scripture in this commentary uses three texts side by side . It has the Douay Rheims translation in English ,the Greek New Testament ,and the Latin Vulgate. Printing this way makes it simple to read Aquinas' commentary without flipping back and forth between a myriad of translations and that is usually what I end up doing with most modern commentaries. I have likewise  read a lot of  modern commentaries on Sacred Scripture and have seen many wise and good things in them but I have not seen such wise and learned comments on the Bible as Thomas Aquinas shares with us in these books. What he is able to share with us makes the Bible come alive  and we are able to see clearly what was once  as  St. Paul  had said," in a glass darkly"."The only persons that I have read that are like him are St. Chrysostomos, St. Jerome, and  St. Augustine . Now with Thomas Aquinas' commentaries  I am able to contemplate God in a way I was not able to before.
4257620
If you are looking for a technical commentary this series is not for you, but let's be honest many the technical commentaries are over the average Joe's head anyways. This commentary reads like a beautifully written narrative and was written for your average pastor or well read lay person.

Dr. Phillips skillfully works his way through 1 Samuel highlighting important themes and addressing important textual issues in the book without getting bogged down. Most of the pipe work for the technical issues is never seen. The issues are mentioned, explained, and the ants go marching on.

For instance, he address concisely and plainly the textual issue found in 1 Samuel 13 (the length of Saul's reign). He lays out the three major views and then briefly examines each and offers his own position (pp. 194-95). Short, sweet, and to the point.

There is also a balance of scholarly work and ease of reading that will serve many well including the lay person who wants to understand the Old Testament better. I frequently found myself reading through the passage at the start of each chapter, meditating on it, and then using the chapter as a more in-depth devotional.

Another feature which allows this commentary to be used in this regard is that there is robust application throughout I Samuel. Dr. Phillips makes application for our daily living. This is difficult. I have heard some of best preachers falter when applying the Old Testament for today. It's hard work but Dr. Phillips' application is rocket-fuel.

Finally, Dr. Phillips weaves the story of Israel in 1 Samuel with the larger story of Christ. Christ alone is the hero and Dr. Phillips demonstrates this. For instances,

  We might honor Samuel's legacy by recounting all the things that made him great. But a better way to honor him would be to look through him to see reasons why Jesus Christ is a better Savior, King, and Mediator, in whom we may find all that we need for the eternal salvation of our soul. (p. 192)

and then later

  The New Testament reveals this promised Son, the man truly and fully after God's own heart, as Jesus our Savior. Like King Saul, Jesus began his ministry with a sore trial: his temptation in the wilderness. How greatly it must have rejoiced the Father's heart when his Son honored him under the trials of Satan, passing every test through obedience to the Word of God: "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone' " (Luke 4:4, quoting Deut. 8:3); "It is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve' " (Luke 4:8, quoting Deut. 6:13); "It is said, `You shall not put the Lord your God to the test' " (Luke 4:12, quoting Deut. 6:16). (p. 205)

I would highly recommend 1 Samuel if you're looking for a Christ-centered approach to the Old Testament. And if you're not a pastor and the OT intimidates you this book would be a great primer in engaging the OT story and finding Christ. Here's possibly my favorite quotation, "The cross where Jesus died for our sins is the throne from which he reigns with peace for mankind" (p. 167).
1707504
For the price, you cannot find a better OT commentary!  Actually, you'd probably be hard pressed to find much better period!  There is more valuable information contained in this one volume than most commentaries I've seen manage in multiple volumes.  Unger's style is moderately technical, yet easily understood by the average reader.  His theology is conservative, dispensational, and completely Christ centered.  His knowledge of OT history, prophecy, theology and Hebrew is outstanding, and his insights are extremely helpful.  Pertinent Scripture references are used liberaly throughout the text, which is VERY useful in helping the reader gain deeper understanding of what the bible is teaching, and how Scripture interprets Scripture.  Unger was very skilled in illuminating how the Old Testament ties into the New.  This commentary has breathed new life into my growing appreciation for the Old Testament!
3547890
Let me note: this is a critical commentary on Plato's Cratylus, not a copy of the text itself. That said, what a commentary! Sedley has a simple, charming cadence to his prose, making his arguments easy to follow. I am deeply indebted to this commentary for my current understanding of the dialogue. Even dissenting opinions made more sense (whether good sense or bad) after I reconsidered them from Sedley's perspective.
761578
If you are not familiar with J. Vernon McGee or his style, I would suggest  that you try a single volume paperback commentary first to see if you like  it.  McGee reminds me of someone's grandfather...wise, opinionated,  down-to-earth, and even gruff at times.  If you have ever heard his radio  broadcasts (from which these commentaries are derived), you know what I  mean.  McGee has a strong and distinct style, and he is always pressing us  to seek God's will in our lives fervently.  You can't fault the honesty of  his vision or spirit!
These commentaries give you McGee's interpretation  of each chapter of that particular book of the Bible.  The thing I like  best about his commentaries are that they are fresh and interesting.  He  rarely gets tied down in seemingly obscure details or debates.  If he has  an opinion, he'll tell you exactly what it is and why without beating  around the bush like so many other bible commentaries.  Although I don't  agree with all of his opinions, I respect his perspective, and rarely do  his works leave me without something to "chew on."  This is also  the only commentary that I have that can actually leave me laughing aloud  at some point he's made.  He had a great sense of humor!
I would  recommend this series of five volumes to any student of the bible.  They  are a great commentary for the every day person, unintimidating and  understandable.
1978250
I really feel this series is a great option for those looking for scholarly level commentary that is not overly technical. This particular volume is no exception.

A drawback of the multiple-Bible books-in-single-volume format is that the discussion can never get that deep, as space needs to be conserved. Thus, there are times when certain passages of Scripture do not get the comprehensive examination they may deserve. In fact, there have been times where I felt things that needed more discussion were glossed over to maintain space.

Alternatively, that does go a long way in a few very positive directions, as well. First, it inhibits the freedom to needlessly prattle on and on with the academic musings that are sometimes indicative of commentaries that seem to indulge in being overly collegiate and end up being somewhat pretentious. These commentaries are substantive, yet not cumbersome--succinct, yet not empty.

Second, they stand as a very cost-effective option for one looking to gain a complete set of OT/NT commentaries. The volumes are nicely printed and sturdily bound. They look great on the shelf and will provide all, but the most deeply academic commentary seekers, with a series that will add worth and beauty to your budding theological library.

For a great balance of quickly reference-able material, intro-level scholastic commentary, beautifully published volumes, and great price . . . well, this is your set.
2188839
I enjoyed reading this book for several reasons. I appreciated Tim's contribution to the broader conversation on ecclesiology for emerging generations. In particular, I found three things refreshing about Embodying Our Faith: 1) The clarity of focus and commitment to evangelism was a breath of fresh air. Many books in this field of conversation tend to downplay the importance of evangelism so having that as a key aspect to this contribution is significant; 2) in addition, many of the books in this genre tend to go light in their theological approach and Tim does his homework well - presenting a strong biblical argument for his assertions; 3) finally I think Tim has done fairly well at presenting a missiological framework for ministry in this era of American church history. I admire all of these and hope that they become a model for other authors.

I do have one minor critique and it applies to the broader array of evangelical American contributions as well. There seems to be a re-definition of the term "unreached" that concerns me. For many in roles like mine, that term has been defined in such a way to refer to places and peoples where the gospel is not able to advance because the resources of the local church is not adequate on it's own strength to reach it's people. However, many contributors now seem to re-define the term in such a way that it refers more to what many have called unevangelized areas or peoples. I know this may sound a bit picky or technical but I believe it's important. America has many areas that need evangelism but the church is still strong enough to share the gospel within it's own setting. Yes, it is more challenging in many ways but it still doesn't make it an "unreached people" or country.

Aside from this minor concern, I heartily endorse this book and it's contribution to ecclesiology. It's a worthy effort and the merits of the work in it's assertions, biblical foundations, general missiological principles, and commitment to evangelism are to be applauded.