Commentaries: A Great Christmas Gift

With Christmas approaching, I thought I'd reprint this post about the best commentaries on all 27 New Testament books.

These would be wonderful gift ideas for all the pastors in your life. Also, in the October 2006 archives in the sidebar below I blogged twice on the best OT commentaries too. Enjoy, and happy shopping.

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While reading 5-10 books that survey and recommend NT commentaries (among these 5-10 are books by D.A. Carson, Doug Moo, James Rosscup, John Glynn and Cyril Barber), I wanted to know which were the overall highest recommended. So, I gave each commentary a score based on how the surveyer liked/rated it.

After tallying up the scores this is a summary of the results (Note: The titles given for the commentary are either full names with the series in parenthesis, or there is enough info to find it at a bookfinder.com or christianbook.com type of website):

Matthew
1. Broadus, John. Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.
2. Carson, D.A. Matthew (in Expositor's Bible series).

Mark
1. Cranfield, C.E.B. The Gospel according to St. Mark
2. Lane, William. The Gospel of Mark (NICNT)
3. Hiebert, D.E. The Gospel of Mark

Luke
1. Marshall, I.H. The Gospel of Luke (NIGTC)
2. Plummer, Alfred. A Critical and Exegetical...Luke (ICC)

John
1a. Brown, Raymond. The Gospel According to John (AB)
1b. Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to John (NICNT)
2. Barrett, C.K. The Gospel According to St. John

Acts
1. Bruce, F.F. The Book of Acts (NICNT)
2. Marshall, I.H. The Acts of the Apostles (TNTC)

Romans
1. Cranfield, C.E.B. Romans, 2 vols (ICC)
2. Murray, John. The Epistle to the Romans (NICNT)
3. Moo, Doug. The Epistle to the Romans (NICNT)

1 Corinthians
1. Robertson & Plummer. A Critical...Corinthians (ICC)
2a. Fee, Gordon. The First Epistle to the Corinthians (NICNT)
2b. Barrett, C.K. The First Epistle to the Corinthians (BNTC)

2 Corinthians
1. Hughes, Phillip. Commentary on the Second...Corinthians (NICNT)
2a. Martin, Ralph. 2 Corinthians (WBC)
2b. Barrett, C.K. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians (BNTC)

Galatians
1a. Bruce, F.F. A Commentary on...Galatians (NIGTC)
1b. Burton, Ernest. A Critical and Exegetical...Galatians (ICC)
2. Lightfoot, Joseph. The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians.

Ephesians
1. Hoehner, Harold. Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary
2. O'Brien, Peter. The Letter to the Ephesians (PNTC)
3. Lincoln, Andrew. Ephesians (WBC)

Philippians
1a. Hawthorne, Gerald. Philippians (WBC).
1b. Lightfoot, Joseph. St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians.
2. O'Brien, Peter. The Epistle to the Philippians (NIGTC)

Colossians & Philemon
1. O'Brien, Peter. Colossians, Philemon (WBC).
2. Bruce, F.F. The Epistles to the Colossians...Ephesians (NICNT)
3. Lightfoot, Joseph. St. Paul’s Epistles...Colossians...Philemon.

1 & 2 Thessalonians
1. Bruce, F.F. 1 and 2 Thessalonians (WBC)
2a. Hiebert, D.E. 1 & 2 Thessalonians
2b. Best, Ernst. A Commentary on...Thessalonians (BNTC)

1 & 2 Timothy, and Titus
1. Kelly, J.N.D. The Pastoral Epistles (BNTC)
2a. Mounce, William. The Pastoral Epistles (WBC)
2b. Knight, George. The Pastoral Epistles (NIGTC)

Hebrews
1. Bruce, F.F. The Epistle to the Hebrews (NICNT)
2. Westcott, B.F. The Epistle to the Hebrews
3. Hughes, Philip. A Commentary on...Hebrews (NICNT?)

James
1. Davids, Peter. The Epistle of James (NIGTC)
2. Mayor, Joseph. The Epistle of James.

1 Peter
1. Selwyn, Edward. First Epistle of St. Peter.
2. Kelly, J.N.D. A Commentary on ... of Peter and Jude (BNTC)

2 Peter & Jude
1. Bauckham, Richard. Jude, 2 Peter (WBC)
2. Green, Edward. Second Epistle...Jude (TNTC)
3. Mayor, Joseph. The Epistle of St. Jude and...Peter.

1-3 John
1. Stott, John. The Epistles of John (TNTC).
2. Smalley, Stephen. 1, 2, 3 John (WBC)

Revelation
1. Walvoord, John. The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
2. Beale, G.K. The Book of Revelation (NIGTC)
3a. Swete, H.B. The Apocalypse of St. John.
3b. Thomas, Robert. Revelation, 2 vols (WEC)

Let me know if you have questions, comments, disagreements, or want further details.