Luke (The NIV Application Commentary)

I'm preaching a series on Luke, and purchased this commentary after finding the other "must-haves" helpful, but repeatedly coming up short. Yes, Marshall is amazingly dense and heady. Yes, Fitzmyer is typically attentive to detail. Yes, Nolland has a lot to say. But like most reviewers of such books, as a pastor with only so much time, I'm looking for a book that will answer/help me think through my questions - or more importantly, the questions of my congregation. Bock has written three commentaries on Luke. The massive (2,000+ pages!) BECNT volume is probably the "must-have" of the three (though his NIVAC is also very good), and the best commentary (at least for preaching) currently available on Luke. He deals with technical issues with great clarity, and offers some application thoughts (rare for a more technical series). While we might still be waiting for that single commentary that is both deep and practical (Bruner's "Christbook/Churchbook" on Matthew comes to mind), in the meantime, a combination of Bock's BECNT and NIVAC will more than suffice.

I own Darrell Bock's 2-volume work on Luke with the Baker Exegetical Series. I found this commentary to be even more helpful. Bock displays an in-depth understanding of the Gospel of Luke. Not only does he present a sound exposition of the message of Luke, but he gives the reader excellent application for today. I own many of the volumes in the NIV Application Commentary. This one is one of the best in the series. You won't be disappointed with this commentary on Luke.

This commentary provides the Pastor with yet another excellent pratical tool in helping to demonstrate the practicality of God's word to His people and the world around them. I love the series and have used it for years. This member of the collection continues the tradition of excellence established by the volumes previously published. I highly recommend it.

From what I hear, Darrell Bock's Baker commentary on Luke is an outstanding resource. Bock's knowledge of Luke-Acts shines here as well, along with his pastoral heart. In the theme of the IVP and NIV Application Commentary series, this focuses on application, though not as much as the NIVAC. Bock does a good job handling the individual pericopes of the gospel, with a strength on tracing major themes in Luke-Acts and showing the flow behind Luke's ordering of each event vs. the other Gospels. Although the NIV is used, Bock doesn't hesitate to use the NRSV or a literal rendering when necessary (e.g., "justified" in both 7:29 and 7:35, otherwise obscured in the NIV). Technical notes are generally resorted to footnotes. I wish this edition were as in depth (only 390 pages for 24 chapters!), but it's still a good commentary for someone wanting to gain scholarly access to Luke and apply it to their lives.

Nice easy to read commentary that goes into enough depth to be useful - but does not suffer from academic dryness.