The Message of 2 Peter and Jude (The Bible Speaks Today Series)

As a pastor working on sermons in 2 Peter, I've found this commentary is a mixed bag. It brings to the table some fresh perspective that is helpful and yet in that very helpful mix are simple statements as if they are factual that completely skip over other very likely options. Let me illustrate. In discussing the list of virtues in 2 Peter 1:5-7 Lucas and Green (note this is NOT the major commentator Gene Green from Wheaton-this author is Christopher Green. He is a pastor in Surrey England), a helpful discussion about the Greek verb used to book-end the passage is laid out. I didn't find that clearly spelled out anywhere else. Yet in the discussion of what each virtue actually means I found some comments to be very weak. For example, the discussion on the word GNOSIS (Knowledge), the authors contend that it means information about Jesus. Contrary to this, Gene Green contends that it means personal and relational knowledge of Jesus rather than philosophical information about Jesus. Lucas and C. Green appeal to a Scottish commentator (John Brown) multiple times with very few references to any other authors who have written on Peter when dealing with this critical passage. I think that it is dangerous to use this work as the ONLY tool to assist you in studying 2 Peter or Jude. I urge you to check their exegesis against Davids, G. Green, Schreiner or even Witherington. Yet, this shorter commentary is easy to read and follow, and if you do compare it to other well written works, you will see where they tend to get off track (in my opinion) right away. This commentary is helpful for coming up with ways to present a passage that others tend to miss. This commentary is also good at tying everything to the overall purpose of the letter, as well as from time to time giving sound reasons for rejecting some ideas that might otherwise tend to suggest themselves to the careless reader. It's a four star volume worthy of adding to your library in my view.