New Testament Commentary Survey

New Testament Commentary Survey This is a must have for the serious commentary purchaser. For the Bible student that is interested in researching the best commentary for a specific book of the New Testament this survey is invaluable. I have used the 4th and 5th edition and now I am using the 6th edition and I refer to it often. The comments are brief yet clear enough to be able to make an informed decision. And with these reviews and recommendations coming from a scholar at the level of Dr. Carson they can certainly be trusted.

D.A. Carson has done a wonderful job with this book. Search online, or just go to your local Christian bookstore and to see all the available commentaries is just mind numbing. They are also so expensive. But in this book Carson reviews most of the commentaries out and tells you what is good, and what you should avoid. A awesome resource to save you money and to build a awesome library.

D.A. Carson has given us a piece of his mind concerning the world of New Testament commentaries, and in a surprisingly entertaining fashion. He covers NT introductions, surveys, and theologies, then tells us what he thinks about almost every commentary series that you would know of (and some you don't know of), and goes book-by-book through the NT recommending (and rejecting) which commentaries are worth buying and reading. This resource is a must for all would-be expositors of the Bible. What makes the book so readable is Carson's fresh and lively style. It is as if he sat down and just punched out a long essay on what he really thought about the resources available for New Testament exposition. His quips and succinct summaries are excellent, and sometimes quite humorous. Besides the glitches stated in the review above by Buddy Boone, this is an excellent work. Admittingly, Carson does not give equal space to all commentaries, but that's fine since all commentaries are not created equally. Of course, the author was probably constrained by the goals and size of the survey, and if you are left wondering what he really recommends about any NT book check the Best Buy section that he includes. If you wish to jump into the world of New Testament study, this is the place to leap (in other words buy the book).

Our fallible interpretation of the Bible is always subject to improvement, and this is where good commentaries are invaluable. Carson helps the reader separate the wheat from the chaff in this regard. The "Introductory Notes" set the stage by reminding the reader that there are distinct types of commentaries. (Some commentaries include practical application while others do not, etc.) The "Introductory Notes" also help the reader wrestle with the important decision of whether to purchase individual commentaries or a series. The remaining three sections analyze "supplements" to commentaries, many individual commentaries themselves, and some "best buys." Carson's brisk and pointed style keeps the analysis moving rapidly; however, this style results at times in a certain lack of nuance, as when he contends that, "In the Campbellite tradition, water baptism is necessary for salvation" (p. 74). But overall, this clipped style helps the reader get to the heart of the matter rapidly in every instance-a big plus. Those still using commentaries from the 1950s and 1960s need to throw most of those relics out! Carson's book is just the tool you need to know which, why, and what to replace them with.

I have always profited from D. A Carson's books, and this new sixth edition of his New Testament Commentary and Reference Survey is a welcome update to a classic. Carson makes some salient comments about the most high profile commentaries (and occasionally, the NOT so high profile commentaries). His remarks are salty and provocative, he is very complimentary of the ones he thinks are particularly outstanding (Douglas Moo on Romans, Anthony Thiselton on 1 Corinthians, Craig Keener on John, Darrell Bock's two volumes on Luke), and very hard on commentaries that he thinks you should avoid. Once in a while, Carson seems to contradict himself. For example, he says that the New International Version Application Commentary series is fairly lightweight and is an example of a shallow handling of the word of God (he later acknowledges that the series can be a useful pump primer in the move from text to application), and yet he has high praise for a number of its individual volumes (Scott Hafemann on 2 Corinthians, Craig Keener on Revelation, Douglas Moo on 2 Peter, Jude, Darrell Bock on Luke, David Garland on Colossians), and for some reason, he completely overlooks the not too shallow 1000 page contribution on Matthew by Michael Wilkins. I also wish that Carson had made mention of Ben Witherington's new commentary on Matthew in the Smith and Helwys series (perhaps Carson did not see it in time, as was the case for missing Andrew Lincoln on John). Also, I think Carson overrates Keener's work on John a bit; to me, Keener's work on John shares the same weaknesses with his counterpart volume on Matthew; heavy on history and background, lighter on theology and exegesis. Otherwise, this is the most exciting and zesty survey of NT commentaries money can buy, and Carson's portrayal of these commentaries is spot on the great majority of the time. One more thing: I feel bad for David DeSilva, who wrote a ringing endorsement of Carson's book on the back cover, and yet some of his books are shredded by Carson. I hope I stimulated your interest in this little volume, it makes for entertaining reading and is well worth the purchase.