Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament

Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament is a modern evangelical commentary series designed to help readers stay close to the text while keeping theology and proclamation in view.

It is published by Baker Academic, and its volumes typically aim for a readable style that still takes the biblical languages and historical setting seriously.

The general editorship of Robert W. Yarborough signals an intention to combine scholarly responsibility with church facing usefulness, and to keep the main line of the passage visible.

Across the series you will usually find careful structure, measured judgement on disputed questions, and a consistent effort to move from understanding toward teaching and preaching.

Publisher: Baker Academic

Series Editor: Robert W. Yarborough

Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament

A well respected evangelical series marked by close exegesis, theological care, and real help for preaching.

Level: Advanced Perspective: Broadly Evangelical Best for: Busy pastors, Pastors-in-training, Advanced students / scholars Priority: Top choice Overall score: 8.6

Strengths

The strongest feature is sustained attention to the flow of the biblical argument. The better volumes help you see why each paragraph sits where it does and how the author is persuading the reader.

There is often a healthy balance of exegesis and theology. When the series is at its best, it gives enough detail to ground confidence, but it does not lose sight of the church’s need for clarity.

It commonly provides structured guidance that supports sermon preparation, especially in outlining, tracing themes, and handling key interpretive decisions without drama.

Limitations & Cautions

Depth can vary between contributors. Some volumes will feel richer in interaction with scholarship, while others will be more straightforward and selective.

Because the series aims to serve a broad evangelical readership, the theological accent is not always distinctly confessional. Reformed readers will sometimes want to test emphases and tighten formulations.

How to Use This Series

Use it early in preparation to get the passage’s shape and to identify the major interpretive decisions that will affect your sermon or study.

Then return to it later for help with difficult phrases, structural turns, and connections to the wider book. It works well alongside a more concise series for quick reference and a more technical work when a point must be nailed down.

Series in Context

In depth it often sits near Pillar and NICNT, sometimes exceeding them in detail. It is more technical than Tyndale or Bible Speaks Today, but it usually keeps its eye on the needs of teachers of Scripture.

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Revelation

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsStrong recommendation
8.3
Author: Grant R. Osborne
Bible Book: Revelation
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Revelation is one of the most preached books in modern conversation, and one of the least preached books in modern pulpits. Part of the reason is fear. The imagery is intense, the interpretive options are many, and the history of speculation is discouraging. A technical commentary, if it is to serve the church, must bring us back to the text, to the original audience, and to the pastoral purpose of the visions. Grant R. Osborne offers that kind of help. He treats Revelation as a book meant to strengthen suffering believers, not as a puzzle meant to entertain curious minds.

Osborne is careful with genre. He keeps reminding us that we are reading apocalyptic prophecy presented in letter form. That matters for how we read symbols, how we handle Old Testament echoes, and how we distinguish between the main theological message and the details that invite restraint. We are repeatedly pushed back into the first century setting, where the church faced pressure to accommodate, to worship the beastly powers of the age, and to soften its confession. Osborne aims to show how Revelation calls the church to patient endurance, faithful witness, and uncompromised worship.

For preaching, that emphasis is crucial. Revelation is not written to produce timelines, but to produce faithful saints. It is a book that lifts our eyes to the throne, to the Lamb, and to the certainty of final judgment and new creation. Osborne helps us hear that message in the flow of the text.

Strengths

First, Osborne is strong on structure. Revelation can feel like a series of disconnected scenes, but he helps us see the literary patterns and the repeated cycles. That helps us avoid the common mistake of flattening everything into a strict chronological chart. Whether we agree with every structural proposal, the commentary pushes us to read units as units, and to see how the book builds its case through repeated portrayals of judgment, perseverance, and victory.

Second, the attention to Old Testament background is a major asset. Revelation is saturated with Scripture. Even where John is not directly quoting, he is drawing on images, themes, and patterns that belong to the whole canon. Osborne helps us trace those connections without turning the commentary into a separate Old Testament study. He often shows how an image is functioning, and why it would have been meaningful to the churches addressed in ch.2 and ch.3. That is vital for faithful exegesis, and it is vital for faithful application.

Third, he is alert to pastoral tone. Revelation contains warnings that are meant to pierce. It also contains promises meant to comfort. Osborne helps us keep those together. When the book warns compromised churches, it does so to call them back to repentance and life. When it comforts pressured churches, it does so to anchor them in the reign of God. That balance helps pastors preach Revelation without becoming either sensational or tame.

Fourth, Osborne usually models interpretive restraint. Where the text is clear, he speaks clearly. Where the text invites multiple plausible readings, he often lays out options and argues for a view without pretending that every detail is settled. That is a helpful posture in a book where certainty can easily become arrogance.

Limitations

The main limitation is the unavoidable complexity of the subject matter. Even a good commentary cannot remove all difficulty, and in places the discussion of options can feel heavy. Some pastors will want a more direct bridge to homiletical outlines, while others will be grateful for the deeper work. We should also note that readers from strongly defined interpretive camps may not be satisfied by a more measured approach. Osborne’s strength is often his refusal to turn the book into a single issue manifesto.

There are also moments where the density of detail can slow the reader down. That is not a flaw, but it does mean we should plan our study time. Revelation rewards slow reading, and this commentary assumes we are willing to do that work.

How We Would Use It

We would use this commentary to anchor our preaching in the text and its purpose. When preparing sermons, we would first outline the passage, note repeated phrases and images, and then consult Osborne to test our reading, especially around Old Testament background and the likely function of symbols. We would also use him to help us keep application tethered to the original pastoral aim. Revelation calls the church to worship the true King, to refuse idolatry, and to endure with hope. It is easy to drift into curiosity. Osborne helps pull us back to courage and holiness.

We would also use this in teaching settings where people have been shaped by speculation. It can help recalibrate expectations. The book is not given to satisfy every question about the future. It is given to strengthen the church in the present by showing the end with certainty. The Lamb reigns, the powers will fall, and the saints will be kept.

Closing Recommendation

This is a substantial, careful guide to a difficult book. It is best used with patience, humility, and a constant return to the pastoral purpose of Revelation. We commend it to those who want to preach and teach the book as Scripture, with reverence for its imagery and confidence in its message of the reigning Christ.

Galatians

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsTop choice
8.6
Author: Douglas J. Moo
Bible Book: Galatians
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Galatians is a short letter with a long shadow. The apostle Paul does not merely tidy up a few church problems, he defends the gospel itself. A technical commentary must therefore do more than provide grammatical notes. It must help us hear the urgency of Paul’s argument, and it must equip us to preach justification by faith with both clarity and courage. Douglas J. Moo writes with that kind of purpose. He gives careful attention to the text, but he keeps returning to the theological heartbeat of the letter, namely, that sinners are made right with God only through Christ, received by faith, and never by works of the law.

We are helped from the outset by the way Moo frames the letter’s flow. He traces how Paul moves from astonishment and rebuke, to autobiographical defence, to doctrinal explanation, and then to the pastoral and ethical implications of life in the Spirit. As we read, we are repeatedly pushed back into the immediate context, and we are kept from forcing our favourite debates onto the text. Moo is attentive to how Paul reasons, how he cites Scripture, and how he addresses opponents who were persuading believers that faith in Christ needed to be completed by law keeping.

For pastors, the book is particularly valuable because it helps us preach Galatians as both polemic and comfort. Paul is fierce, but he is not harsh for its own sake. He is fighting for the freedom of the church, for the assurance of believers, and for the glory of Christ. Moo helps us see how the argument sustains that pastoral aim.

Strengths

First, the exegetical work is patient. Moo deals carefully with key terms, syntactical decisions, and disputed readings, and he shows how small decisions affect the whole. In a letter where a single phrase can carry major theological freight, that care is a gift. We are not rushed to conclusions, and we are not left with mere assertions. The reasoning is usually transparent, which makes the commentary genuinely usable for sermon preparation and teaching.

Second, he keeps the argument tied to Paul’s theological concerns. Galatians is not an abstract treatise. It is written to real churches tempted by a plausible distortion. Moo helps us appreciate the pastoral logic of justification. If righteousness is partly earned, assurance collapses. If acceptance is tied to boundary markers, unity collapses. If the Spirit is treated as a supplement rather than the gift of the risen Christ, sanctification collapses into self effort. Moo repeatedly draws those lines without turning the commentary into a sermon manuscript, which is the right balance for a technical series.

Third, his handling of Old Testament use is an asset. Paul’s citations and allusions are not decorative. They are a key part of his case that the promise to Abraham and the fulfilment in Christ secure the gospel of free grace. Moo’s discussion helps us follow Paul’s reading while also being attentive to the Old Testament contexts. That is especially useful when preaching passages such as vv.3 to 14 in ch.3 and the argument from Sarah and Hagar in ch.4.

Limitations

The limitations are largely the expected ones. This is a technical commentary, so it can be slow going. Some sections carry significant engagement with scholarly discussions, and that will not always serve a rushed week. There are times where we may wish for a slightly more developed bridge into homiletical application, but that is not the main purpose of the series. We should treat the book as a deep well, not as a quick summary.

We should also remember that technical certainty can sometimes feel stronger than our own pastoral confidence. Moo makes clear choices. We will benefit from his decisiveness, but we should still test everything against the text and the wider argument of Scripture, especially when we are preaching and must be accountable for what we say.

How We Would Use It

We would use this commentary in three main ways. First, to establish the flow of Paul’s argument in each unit. Galatians rewards careful outlining, and Moo helps us trace why each paragraph matters. Second, to clarify the big theological terms in context, especially law, faith, promise, curse, adoption, and Spirit. Third, to discipline our application. Galatians produces both gospel comfort and gospel shaped holiness, and Moo helps us see how Paul grounds the ethical calls in the prior gift of Christ and the Spirit.

In preaching, we would particularly lean on Moo for ch.2 and ch.3, where the doctrinal heart of justification by faith is most explicit. We would also use him to keep ch.5 and ch.6 rooted in the gospel logic of freedom. Paul does not call the church to self liberation, but to Spirit formed love. This is freedom that serves, not freedom that consumes.

Closing Recommendation

This is a serious, careful, and theologically weighty guide to Galatians. It will repay time and it will sharpen our preaching, especially where the gospel is most contested. We commend it for those who want to handle Paul’s argument with precision, and who want their proclamation of grace to be anchored in close reading rather than instinct.

2 Corinthians

AdvancedBusy pastorsStrong recommendation
8.2
Author: George H. Guthrie
Bible Book: 2 Corinthians
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

2 Corinthians is a letter that many pastors return to when ministry hurts. It shows us an apostle who is deeply committed to the church, yet frequently misunderstood and opposed. It also shows us how Paul defends his ministry without self promotion. He defends it by pointing to the gospel and to the cross shaped pattern of true service. Power is displayed through weakness. Comfort comes from God, not from circumstances. Faithful ministry looks like suffering love, not impressive performance.

That pastoral reality makes 2 Corinthians both precious and challenging. The letter can feel complex, with shifts in tone and movement that do not always match our modern expectations. A technical commentary can be especially helpful here, because it can clarify structure, identify cohesive units, and keep the argument visible. George H. Guthrie’s volume is intended to serve that kind of careful reading. It aims to help pastors handle the letter responsibly while keeping the heart of the message clear.

Paul’s burden in 2 Corinthians is not merely to win a dispute. He is guarding the church from a false understanding of ministry. If the church learns to admire polished strength and despise suffering weakness, they will soon despise the cross. They will also demand a kind of leadership that cannot produce genuine spiritual health. Paul insists that the treasure of the gospel is carried in jars of clay so that the surpassing power belongs to God. That is not a comforting slogan. It is a reorientation of what we value in leaders, in churches, and in ourselves.

A commentary that helps us preach 2 Corinthians well therefore has two major tasks. It must help us understand the text accurately, and it must help us preserve Paul’s tone, which is both tender and firm. Paul can be gentle, and he can be severe. He can be deeply personal, and he can be sharply theological. Guthrie’s technical approach supports the preacher by clarifying what Paul is doing in each section, and by helping us resist the temptation to preach favourite lines without carrying the argument forward.

Strengths

One strength of a technical guide to 2 Corinthians is help with structure. When a pastor can see the shape of a section, it becomes easier to preach with clarity. Guthrie’s work supports that by paying attention to the flow of thought and the logic of transitions. That is valuable in a letter where the movement can otherwise feel puzzling, and where poor structuring in sermons can leave congregations confused.

A second strength is careful engagement with the theology of ministry that pervades the letter. 2 Corinthians is rich in teaching on comfort, suffering, reconciliation, new covenant ministry, integrity, and generosity. These themes are not add ons. They are central to the life of the church. Guthrie’s work can help us handle them carefully so that our application is not vague. We can preach comfort without sentimentality, and we can preach suffering without fatalism, because Paul is anchoring both in the God who raises the dead and in the Christ who gave Himself for sinners.

A third strength is the way a technical approach can guard us from speculative readings. Passages about visions, the thorn in the flesh, and spiritual conflict can attract imaginative preaching that drifts away from Paul’s purpose. A careful commentary helps keep the focus where Paul keeps it, namely on humble dependence on Christ and on the credibility of a cross shaped ministry.

Finally, 2 Corinthians has unusual pastoral power for leaders. It speaks directly to discouragement, criticism, and weariness. A good technical guide supports wise preaching by helping us apply Paul’s words with accuracy and restraint, rather than using the letter as a personal vent.

Limitations

The limitations are the usual ones. Technical detail can feel heavy, and we must discern what the congregation needs to hear versus what remains in the study. Also, a technical commentary will not automatically supply the warmth of pastoral exhortation. We must still preach with Paul’s heart. The tool can clarify the meaning, but it cannot replace prayerful shepherding.

How We Would Use It

We would use a technical commentary on 2 Corinthians especially when planning a series. We would want help identifying coherent units and tracking the letter’s argument across sections. Then, week by week, we would consult it for interpretive decisions and for guarding our application. We would also use it for leadership training, because 2 Corinthians re forms our instincts about what faithful ministry looks like.

Closing Recommendation

2 Corinthians deserves careful preaching that preserves both its logic and its tone. Used wisely, Guthrie’s technical work can support faithful exposition and help the church value the power of God displayed through weakness.

1 Corinthians (2nd Edition)

AdvancedPastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.3
Author: David E. Garland
Bible Book: 1 Corinthians
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Preaching 1 Corinthians is rarely comfortable, and that is part of its kindness. The letter exposes a church that wants the benefits of Christ while still thinking in the categories of the world. Paul refuses that compromise. He insists that Christ crucified reshapes wisdom, identity, sexuality, worship, and community life. A second edition of a major technical commentary can be especially helpful here, because pastors need steady tools when dealing with passages that touch conscience and conflict.

David E. Garland’s 1 Corinthians (2nd Edition) sits in the technical category. It is designed to help the reader handle the text carefully, track Paul’s argument, and make responsible decisions in difficult sections. 1 Corinthians is full of places where preachers can become either timid or reckless. Timid, by avoiding the hard texts or softening them into harmless advice. Reckless, by pressing the text into modern disputes without patient attention to context. A technical commentary is meant to guard us from both, and Garland aims to do that by careful reading and clear reasoning.

The heart of the letter remains the same. Paul sets Christ at the centre and calls the church to love. The Corinthians prize status, rhetoric, and self expression. Paul points them to the foolishness of the cross, the power of the Spirit, and the way of building up others. That theme binds the whole letter together, from the opening rebuke of factions to the final call to steadfastness in resurrection hope. Garland helps us keep that centre visible so that we do not reduce the letter to a list of disconnected problems.

For pastors and church leaders, this matters because the letter addresses issues that still trouble congregations. We meet moral compromise, misuse of freedom, confusion over worship, and tensions over authority and giftedness. Paul does not treat these as mere etiquette. He treats them as expressions of spiritual immaturity that must be corrected by the gospel. Garland’s approach supports that pastoral aim. He wants us to read Paul as a shepherd of souls, not as a distant lecturer.

Strengths

One strength is assistance with structure. Many preachers struggle to divide 1 Corinthians into coherent units. Garland helps identify the flow of thought and the pastoral objective of each section. That makes sermon planning more faithful and more comprehensible for the congregation. It also reduces the temptation to preach fragments and miss Paul’s argument.

A second strength is careful engagement with texts that often cause division. Passages about marriage and singleness, head coverings, the Lord’s Supper, and spiritual gifts can become flashpoints. Garland helps by clarifying the issues Paul addresses, the reasoning he uses, and the boundaries we should respect in application. That does not remove all debate, but it does move the debate onto better ground, namely the text itself.

A third strength is the way Garland connects doctrine to discipleship. The cross is not merely the entry point of the Christian life. It is the shape of the Christian life. The resurrection is not merely a doctrine to affirm. It is the foundation for steadfast labour and holy courage. Garland helps draw those connections out. That supports preaching that calls for obedience without becoming moralistic, because the call is always rooted in what Christ has done and who the church is in Him.

Finally, this commentary can serve training. Those learning to preach need to see how careful exegesis and pastoral sensitivity work together. Garland encourages a posture that is firm in conviction and careful in reasoning, which is a healthy pattern for future ministry.

Limitations

The limitation is the technical weight. Some discussions will be more detailed than a preacher needs for a given sermon, and it can be easy to spend too long in background at the expense of proclamation. We must use the tool with discernment. A technical commentary equips us for clarity, but it does not replace the preacher’s task of speaking to the heart.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume as a primary technical companion in a 1 Corinthians series, especially for planning sermon units and checking interpretive decisions in disputed passages. We would begin with repeated reading and outlining, then consult Garland to test our conclusions and refine application. We would also use it in leadership training, because 1 Corinthians shapes a church’s instincts about love, holiness, and worship.

Closing Recommendation

This is a strong technical guide for serious work in 1 Corinthians. For pastors and trainees who want help handling difficult texts carefully and preaching the letter with gospel centred clarity, it is a valuable resource.

1 Corinthians

AdvancedPastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.3
Author: David E. Garland
Bible Book: 1 Corinthians
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

1 Corinthians is both bracing and strangely familiar. The church is gifted, active, and chaotic. They confess Christ, yet they import the world’s instincts about status, freedom, and wisdom into the life of the congregation. Paul writes to correct them, but he does it with a gospel centre. He does not merely hand out rules. He calls them back to Christ crucified, the wisdom of God that overturns human boasting, and the love that builds up the church. Preaching 1 Corinthians well requires both careful exegesis and pastoral wisdom, because the letter touches sensitive issues and real church wounds.

David E. Garland’s technical commentary aims to serve that need. It is not a light overview, and it is not simply a collection of background notes. It is designed to help the reader follow Paul’s argument through each section and to handle the letter’s difficult passages with care. 1 Corinthians includes texts that are often mishandled, either through over confidence, or through evasion. A technical guide slows us down and forces us to ask what Paul is actually doing in context.

The letter moves through divisions, sexual sin, lawsuits, conscience matters, worship order, spiritual gifts, and resurrection hope. Yet the issues are connected. The Corinthians are living as if the cross is a useful symbol rather than the defining reality. Paul insists that the cross shapes wisdom, ministry, community, and ethics. That is why a commentary that keeps the cross at the centre is so valuable. If we preach 1 Corinthians as mere church management, we will produce either pride or despair. If we preach it as gospel driven re formation, we will call the church to repentance and to renewed love.

Garland helps by taking the text seriously. He pays attention to the flow of thought, the rhetorical moves, and the pastoral intent. That means he can help us resist turning isolated verses into weapons. He also helps us avoid making the ancient setting so strange that we cannot apply Paul. Paul wrote for the building up of the church. The details matter, but the aim is always the health of Christ’s people.

Strengths

One strength is guidance through the letter’s pastoral logic. Garland helps us see how Paul’s corrections fit together, and how recurring themes resurface across different issues. That supports coherent preaching. It also supports wise application, because it shows us what the root problems are. The Corinthians do not only need better policies. They need a deeper grasp of the gospel and a humbler understanding of themselves.

A second strength is careful handling of contested passages. 1 Corinthians contains texts that affect worship practice, church discipline, marriage and singleness, and the use of spiritual gifts. These topics can produce heat quickly. Garland helps by clarifying context, weighing interpretive options, and keeping attention on Paul’s purpose. That supports pastors who want to speak with conviction while also caring for tender consciences.

A third strength is the way Garland shows theology driving practice. Paul’s ethics are not detached from Christ. The church is the temple of the Spirit, purchased by Christ, called to holiness, and shaped by love. Garland repeatedly draws out those connections. That helps us preach holiness without moralism, and freedom without selfishness. It also helps us preach love as obedience to Christ rather than as vague niceness.

Finally, this commentary is particularly useful for training. Pastors in training need models of how to handle a complex letter with both rigour and pastoral sensitivity. Garland’s approach encourages careful reading and honest reasoning, rather than quick confidence based on tradition or preference.

Limitations

The main limitation is the time required. Technical discussion can be dense, and we must decide what belongs in the sermon versus what remains in the study. Another limitation is that a technical commentary will not always provide ready made homiletical phrasing. That is not a defect. It simply means the preacher must still do the work of proclamation, bringing Paul’s word to the church with clarity, warmth, and courage.

How We Would Use It

We would use Garland as a primary technical reference in a 1 Corinthians series, especially for planning coherent sermon units and handling difficult texts responsibly. Week by week, we would consult it to confirm our reading, to avoid common missteps, and to ensure our application reflects Paul’s priorities. We would also use it for elder training, because 1 Corinthians is a powerful school for shaping a church culture that values holiness, unity, and love.

Closing Recommendation

This is a substantial technical commentary that supports faithful preaching and careful pastoral application. For those who want to handle 1 Corinthians with seriousness and clarity, Garland is a strong companion.

Romans (2nd Edition)

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsStrong recommendation
8.4
Author: Thomas R. Schreiner
Bible Book: Romans
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Romans does not only need to be understood, it needs to be heard as a letter that confronts and comforts the church. A second edition commentary can be valuable when it helps us do that work with greater care, especially where scholarship has moved or where pastoral questions have sharpened. Thomas R. Schreiner’s Romans (2nd Edition) remains a technical, verse by verse guide, intended to support serious engagement with Paul’s argument and wording. It aims to help us handle the details responsibly without losing the big gospel movement of the letter.

Paul writes to ground the church in the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel, to humble all human boasting, and to unite believers around Christ rather than around ethnic privilege or religious performance. If we preach Romans as mere controversy, we miss its pastoral aim. If we preach it as mere encouragement, we miss its moral seriousness. Schreiner helps us keep both. He takes seriously the letter’s doctrinal core and its ethical implications, and he does so by repeated attention to context and argument.

Many pastors will find the second edition especially helpful in those passages where Romans becomes a battleground. Romans 3 and 4, Romans 5, Romans 7 and 8, and Romans 9 to 11 all require careful handling. In these sections, it is easy to speak too quickly and then spend months repairing confusion. A technical commentary is a safeguard. It slows us down, forces us to account for the text, and helps us see what is truly central versus what is secondary. Schreiner generally does this by laying out options clearly and pressing toward a reasoned conclusion.

At the same time, we should remember that Romans is not written to impress, it is written to bring sinners to worship. Paul ends his long argument with praise. He expects the mercies of God to produce living sacrifices, renewed minds, humble service, and love that is sincere. Schreiner does not replace pastoral application, but he supports it by helping us be sure we are applying the right thing. That is a quiet gift to the preacher.

Strengths

One strength is the way Schreiner repeatedly clarifies how each paragraph advances Paul’s purpose. That supports preaching units that match the text. It also helps us avoid chopping the letter into fragments. When a congregation can follow the line of argument, they gain confidence in Scripture and in the gospel. They also learn how to read their Bibles with greater maturity.

A second strength is careful engagement with key terms and phrases. Romans is full of language that has become theological shorthand. Schreiner helps us check whether our shorthand matches Paul’s usage. That is particularly important when dealing with righteousness language, justification, the role of the law, and union with Christ. Care here strengthens assurance, because assurance rests on what God has actually promised and accomplished in Christ, not on our vague impressions of grace.

A third strength is usefulness in guarding tone. Romans contains thunder and balm. It levels pride, yet it comforts the condemned who flee to Christ. Schreiner’s careful approach helps us see when Paul is exposing self righteousness, when he is proclaiming free justification, and when he is urging transformed obedience. That matters in preaching, because the wrong tone can either crush tender believers or comfort the complacent.

Finally, this work supports deeper study for those who teach and train. Pastors in training often need to see how exegetical decisions are made. Schreiner models a method that reasons from context, engages options, and then states conclusions plainly.

Limitations

The limitations are familiar to technical commentaries. The material is weighty, and it demands time. We will not always want to bring all of the technical discussion into the pulpit, and we must still do the work of clarity for our people. The commentary also cannot replace prayerful meditation and pastoral sensitivity. It strengthens our handling of the text, but it does not preach the sermon for us.

How We Would Use It

We would use this second edition as a primary reference in a Romans series, especially for confirming structure and checking key interpretive decisions. We would read the passage repeatedly first, then consult Schreiner to test our conclusions, to see where we may have missed the logic, and to ensure we are not relying on inherited assumptions. Used this way, the commentary becomes a tool for faithfulness and clarity.

Closing Recommendation

This is a substantial technical guide for serious work in Romans. If we want a commentary that supports careful exegesis and steadier preaching through difficult sections, this edition is well suited to that task.

Romans

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsStrong recommendation
8.3
Author: Thomas R. Schreiner
Bible Book: Romans
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Romans calls for slow reading and steady nerve. Paul is not merely offering a set of memorable lines, he is building an argument that moves with deliberate purpose. We can feel the pull to rush toward our favourite doctrinal headings, or to flatten the letter into a few slogans about grace. Yet Romans does its deepest work when we let Paul take us by the hand and lead us, step by step, from the world’s guilt to God’s righteousness, from Adam to Christ, and from the mercy of God to the obedience of faith.

Thomas R. Schreiner’s commentary is written for that kind of careful work. It is not a devotional meditation, and it is not designed to provide quick homiletical polish. It is a technical, verse by verse companion that aims to help pastors and students handle the details faithfully while keeping the line of thought visible. When we are preaching Romans, that combination matters. We need precision with words, but we also need clarity about flow, because our people are meant to follow Paul’s reasoning, not just collect isolated insights.

Schreiner is particularly useful when Romans presses on contested questions. We meet dense phrases about the righteousness of God, justification, law, union with Christ, the place of Israel, and the shape of Christian obedience. Many modern debates can tempt us into reading Romans as if it were written to answer our arguments first. Schreiner helps us resist that. He repeatedly returns us to the immediate context and the logic of the paragraph. That makes the commentary most valuable for those who want to be corrected by Scripture rather than merely supported by it.

At the same time, Romans is not a cold text, and a technical commentary should not make it cold. Paul is pleading, rejoicing, warning, and worshipping. He writes with pastoral urgency, because he knows the gospel is not a theory, it is God’s saving power. Schreiner’s strength is that he does not treat theology as abstraction. He aims to show how Paul’s doctrine drives assurance, humility, unity, and holy living. That is what we want in our preaching. We want doctrinal clarity that produces doxology and obedience.

Strengths

One strength is sustained attention to argument. Schreiner regularly clarifies why a phrase appears where it does, and how the paragraph advances Paul’s purpose. That supports sermon preparation, because it helps us identify the controlling burden of a unit, rather than preaching every verse as if it carried the same weight. It also helps us avoid common errors, such as turning Romans into a set of timeless propositions detached from the letter’s pastoral concerns, including the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ.

A second strength is careful engagement with key terms. Romans contains words that carry enormous theological freight, and it is easy to import later definitions without checking how Paul is using them here. Schreiner helps us ask better questions of the text. What does Paul mean by law in this verse. How is faith functioning in this section. What is the contrast between flesh and Spirit, and how does that connect to assurance and holiness. Those clarifications help our preaching remain anchored to Scripture rather than to shorthand.

A third strength is seriousness about the warning and comfort notes in Romans. Paul comforts believers with the security of God’s saving purpose, yet he also warns against presumption and spiritual pride. Schreiner helps us hold those together in a way that reflects the letter. That is pastorally significant. Many congregations swing between anxiety and arrogance. Romans, preached faithfully, humbles the proud, strengthens the weak, and magnifies the mercy of God in Christ.

Finally, this commentary is well suited to deeper study for those training to preach. It models the discipline of weighing interpretive options without losing sight of the main point. Even where we might disagree with a conclusion, the habit of argument from context is worth learning.

Limitations

As a technical work, it can be demanding. Some discussions require patience, and we may not consult every section at the same depth in a busy week. It also means we must still do the work of translating careful exegesis into clear proclamation. That is not a flaw, it is simply the nature of the tool. A technical commentary strengthens the preacher’s foundations, but it does not replace the preacher’s task.

How We Would Use It

We would use Schreiner as a primary desk reference in a Romans series, particularly for checking key interpretive decisions and guarding our handling of disputed phrases. We would begin with repeated reading of the passage in context, outlining the argument, and identifying the main claim. Then we would consult this volume to confirm, refine, and sometimes correct our conclusions. Used this way, it helps us preach Romans with confidence that is earned through attention to the text.

Closing Recommendation

This is a substantial technical commentary that rewards careful use. For those preaching Romans who want a steady guide through the details without losing the letter’s big gospel movement, it is a strong companion.

Luke (2 Volumes)

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsTop choice
8.8
Author: Darrell L. Bock
Bible Book: Luke
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Luke gives us a richly textured account of the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus, written with an evident concern for historical grounding, theological clarity, and the formation of confident disciples. A commentary on Luke therefore needs to do several things at once. It must respect Luke’s careful narrative shaping, it must take seriously the historical and cultural setting, and it must help us trace the Gospel’s movement toward the saving work of Christ. Darrell L. Bock’s two volume treatment has long been valued for precisely that combination of breadth and detail. It is technical work, but it is technical work that aims to serve careful teaching and preaching.

Because Luke is lengthy and densely packed, preachers can easily lose the thread. We might become absorbed in details, or we might flatten the Gospel into a generic story of Jesus doing good things. Bock helps us avoid both errors. He regularly draws attention to Luke’s emphases, such as God’s sovereign plan, the ministry of the Spirit, the reversal themes that lift up the humble and confront the self secure, and the patient movement toward Jerusalem where Jesus fulfils His mission. Luke is not merely reporting events. He is persuading us that God has acted decisively in Jesus to save His people and to establish His kingdom.

For ministry use, a two volume commentary also creates space. It allows for close engagement with difficult passages and careful discussion of interpretive options without being forced into oversimplification. When we are preaching through Luke, those details matter. They shape the confidence with which we speak, and they protect us from careless readings that can easily become popular but unfaithful.

Strengths

One clear strength is comprehensiveness. Luke’s narrative includes parables, travel sections, conflict stories, miracle accounts, and teaching that is unique in the Synoptics. Bock gives sustained attention to each unit. That is particularly valuable where familiar passages can be mishandled. For example, Luke’s parables are often pulled into moral lessons detached from the Gospel’s larger burden. A careful commentary keeps them in their narrative and theological setting, and that strengthens both our preaching and our people.

Another strength is attention to Luke’s theological themes. Bock repeatedly helps us see what Luke is emphasising about the character of God, the identity of Jesus, and the nature of true discipleship. Luke’s Gospel is full of grace, but it is not sentimental. It confronts pride, exposes false security, and calls for repentance and faith that shows itself in costly following. When we see that clearly, our sermons avoid the trap of presenting Jesus as merely an inspiring teacher. We are led to proclaim Him as the saving Lord who demands our whole life.

Bock also offers careful handling of historical and cultural questions. Luke is often discussed in relation to sources, context, and purpose. While we do not need to be consumed by debates, we do need enough grounding to answer real questions that arise in the minds of our congregations. A technical resource helps us here. It gives us confidence to address objections, clarify misunderstandings, and show that the Christian faith is rooted in real history and coherent testimony.

Limitations

The primary limitation is the time cost. Two volumes of technical work are not for a quick glance. Pastors in busy seasons may struggle to consult it as fully as it deserves. We will likely use it selectively, focusing on the passages that most require careful attention. Another limitation is that technical discussion can sometimes feel distant from the warmth of Luke’s narrative. Luke wants us to marvel at the mercy of God and the beauty of Christ. Bock provides the scaffolding for that, but we still need to do the homiletical work of turning detailed study into clear proclamation and heartfelt appeal.

How We Would Use It

We would treat Bock as a primary technical anchor for a preaching series through Luke. After mapping the wider movement of the Gospel and placing each passage within its immediate context, we would consult this commentary to confirm interpretive decisions, clarify key terms, and trace Luke’s thematic emphases. It is particularly helpful when preaching longer narrative units, where we need to keep the main point in view and resist the temptation to preach every detail equally.

We would also use it for training. Luke is a wonderful Gospel for shaping new preachers, because it combines narrative, doctrine, and strong calls to discipleship. A careful technical guide can help pastors in training see how patient exegesis fuels faithful preaching, and how careful context work protects the Gospel’s meaning.

Closing Recommendation

This is a substantial, technical, and widely useful resource for serious work in Luke. If we are prepared to give it time, it can strengthen our grasp of Luke’s message and deepen our preaching of Christ in a Gospel that is both historically grounded and spiritually searching.

Acts

AdvancedBusy pastorsStrong recommendation
8.2
Author: Darrell L. Bock
Bible Book: Acts
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Acts is a book that churches love to quote and frequently misuse. We appeal to it for vision, strategy, and patterns of ministry, yet we can overlook its primary purpose, which is to bear witness to the risen Christ by narrating the Spirit empowered spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to the nations. A technical commentary on Acts therefore needs to do more than explain historical details. It needs to help us read Acts as Luke intends, with attention to narrative flow, theological emphases, and the relationship between descriptive events and normative teaching. Darrell L. Bock offers a substantial technical guide that aims to serve careful reading and faithful teaching.

Acts is also pastorally demanding. It calls us to confidence in the gospel, courage in witness, patience in suffering, and humility as the Lord builds His church. Yet it does so without turning the apostles into heroes we must imitate by sheer will. The central actor in Acts is God. The Father advances His plan, the Son reigns and directs His mission, and the Spirit empowers proclamation. When we preach Acts with that centre, our people are encouraged and corrected at the same time. Bock’s technical work helps us keep that centre in view by grounding interpretation in Luke’s narrative purpose.

Because Acts contains speeches, legal scenes, travel narratives, and repeated patterns, it is easy to become lost in details. A technical resource helps us discern what matters most, where the turning points lie, and how the speeches interpret the events. That is essential for exposition, because many of the book’s theological emphases come through what is said about the events, not only through the events themselves.

Strengths

A clear strength is careful attention to Luke’s narrative strategy. Acts is not a random collection of early church stories. It is a structured witness account that shows the unstoppable progress of the Word. Bock helps us see connections between episodes, the role of key figures, and the way Luke highlights God’s sovereign direction. That matters for preaching. It helps us resist both romanticism and cynicism. We do not treat Acts as a lost golden age, and we do not treat it as a museum. We treat it as Scripture that reveals Christ and shapes the church’s confidence in His mission.

Another strength is support for handling the speeches. The speeches in Acts are not filler. They are interpretive centres. They proclaim Christ, explain fulfillment, and model gospel proclamation in diverse settings. Many preachers struggle to preach speeches without flattening them into abstract points. Technical help with structure, emphasis, and context can make these sermons far more faithful. Bock’s attention to these sections gives the preacher tools to show how the gospel is proclaimed, why it is opposed, and how it advances.

Bock also serves the pastor well in historical grounding. Acts raises questions about the early church, Roman officials, Jewish leadership, and the relationship between Israel and the nations. We do not need to parade background information, but we do need enough to avoid mistakes and to answer honest questions. Technical work equips us to speak with confidence and clarity, and to handle difficulties without panic.

Limitations

The main limitation is again time and density. Acts is long, and a technical commentary is necessarily substantial. Some pastors will use it selectively, focusing on hard passages or key transitions. That is a sensible approach. Another limitation is that Acts preaching often requires careful application work, especially in distinguishing what is descriptive from what is prescriptive. A technical commentary can clarify meaning, but it will not always do the full pastoral application for us. We still need to bring Acts to the church with wisdom, taking account of redemptive history and the wider New Testament teaching.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume as a technical anchor alongside our own careful reading of Acts in larger units. We would especially consult it for the speeches, for major transitions in the narrative, and for passages that are frequently debated or misapplied. When planning a series, we would use it to help identify natural preaching units that honour Luke’s flow, rather than forcing sermons into artificial divisions.

We would also use it to shape leaders. Acts remains one of the most formative books for mission minded churches, and it is also one of the most abused. Technical help that keeps Acts centred on Christ and the Spirit’s work can protect a church from pragmatic readings and renew confidence in the ordinary means of grace, the Word preached, the church gathered, and prayerful dependence on God.

Closing Recommendation

This is a serious technical guide to Acts that supports faithful exposition. If we want help reading Acts as Scripture that proclaims the risen Christ and shapes the church’s mission with humility and confidence, this volume can serve us well as a long term desk resource.

John

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsStrong recommendation
8.3
Author: Andreas J. Kostenberger
Bible Book: John
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

John’s Gospel calls for careful, reverent, and disciplined reading. Its language can appear simple, yet its theological depth is immense. We are confronted with the glory of the eternal Word made flesh, the necessity of new birth, the meaning of faith, and the saving purpose of the cross. In preaching John, we need help with structure and detail, but we also need help keeping the Gospel’s aim clear, namely that we would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we would have life in His name. Andreas J. Kostenberger’s commentary is a technical resource that aims to serve that purpose through close attention to the text.

As part of a technical series, the volume takes seriously matters of wording, context, and the flow of argument. That is particularly important in John, where repetition and pattern are deliberate, and where key terms carry heavy theological weight. A preacher can easily default to familiar phrases in John without pausing to ask what John is actually doing in the passage. This commentary repeatedly presses us back to the text, helping us see how John builds his case for the identity and mission of Jesus.

We also benefit from a sustained treatment of the Gospel’s structure. John is often preached as a set of famous episodes, but it is a carefully shaped whole. The signs, the dialogues, the discourses, and the passion narrative all work together. When our preaching follows that shaping, our people are helped to see the coherence of the Gospel and the glory of Christ more clearly.

Strengths

A major strength is careful exegesis in the service of John’s theology. Kostenberger helps us see how John’s narrative and discourse sections illuminate one another. For example, John’s signs are not merely miracles. They are revelatory acts that point to the person and work of Jesus. When we preach them that way, we avoid turning them into detached lessons about faith in general. Instead, we present them as John presents them, as windows into the glory of Christ and invitations to believe in Him.

Another strength is attention to key themes, such as witness, belief, life, truth, and the relationship between the Father and the Son. John’s Gospel confronts our congregations with a clear question. What will we do with Jesus. Technical work helps us answer that question accurately. It helps us avoid softening hard sayings, and it helps us avoid flattening the Gospel into a set of spiritual principles. John is about the incarnate Son who gives Himself for the life of the world, and Kostenberger keeps returning us to that centre.

There is also pastoral usefulness in the clarity that comes from careful handling. John is often used in evangelism and discipleship, and rightly so. Yet misreadings of John can produce confusion, particularly around themes like assurance, abiding, and the relationship between faith and obedience. A technical commentary will not solve every pastoral question, but it can help us say only what the text says, and to say it with appropriate force.

Limitations

The main limitation is that technical engagement can sometimes feel more suited to the study than the pulpit. Some pastors will want a more direct homiletical bridge, especially if they are preaching weekly with limited preparation time. This volume will reward careful use, but it will not always give instant sermon shape. We should expect to distil and translate the discussion into clear congregational language.

Another limitation is that the commentary assumes a level of comfort with technical categories. That is appropriate for its intended audience, but it means it will not be the easiest entry point for lay readers. If we want to recommend a John commentary to a small group leader, we may need a more accessible option.

How We Would Use It

We would use this as a primary technical companion when preaching through John, especially for the longer discourses and the passion narrative where careful tracing of argument and theme matters. We would consult it to confirm interpretive decisions, clarify key terms, and keep the passage anchored in John’s wider purpose. It is also useful for preparing teaching series where we need to anticipate questions and handle them with patience and accuracy.

For theological formation, John is a Gospel that shapes worship. When the preacher handles it well, the people are led to marvel at Christ. A technical volume like this can help us avoid both sloppy familiarity and speculative novelty, so that our preaching stays close to the text and rich in Christ.

Closing Recommendation

This is a serious and serviceable technical guide to John that aims to keep the Gospel’s purpose in view. For pastors and advanced students who want careful exegesis that supports clear proclamation of Christ, it is a strong desk resource.