Lectio Continua

Lectio Continua 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 Tolle Lege Press, and its volumes typically aim for a readable style that still takes the biblical languages and historical setting seriously.

The general editorship of Joel R. Beeke 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: Tolle Lege Press

Series Editor: Joel R. Beeke

Series: Lectio Continua

A warm, confessional series that aims to serve the pulpit with steady exposition and clear doctrinal nerve.

Level: Mid-level Perspective: Reformed Best for: Busy pastors, Pastors-in-training Priority: Strong recommendation Overall score: 8.3

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 tone it sits closer to The Bible Speaks Today and the Reformed Expository Commentary than to heavily technical academic series. It is usually more sustained than shorter devotional series, but less specialised than the most technical critical commentaries.

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Revelation

Mid-levelBusy pastorsStrong recommendation
8.4
Author: Joel R. Beeke
Bible Book: Revelation
Series: Lectio Continua
Type: Expository
Publisher: Tolle Lege Press
Theological Perspective: Reformed
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Revelation is given to strengthen the church’s witness under pressure by unveiling the true state of things. The Lamb reigns. The dragon rages. Babylon seduces. The saints endure. And the end is certain, the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. Joel R. Beeke approaches Revelation with the instincts of a Reformed pastor who wants this book to form worship and perseverance rather than speculation. We found his approach helpful for churches that either avoid Revelation out of fear, or approach it as a codebook for curiosity. Beeke pushes in a better direction. Revelation is a pastoral book meant to help the church overcome by faith.

This volume is substantial, and it moves carefully through the text. Beeke regularly reminds the reader that Revelation uses vivid imagery, and that the point of the imagery is theological and pastoral. Christ is revealed as the slain and risen Lamb, the faithful Witness, the Rider on the white horse, and the King who comes to judge and to renew. The church is called to patient endurance, faithful worship, and steadfast refusal to compromise. Beeke keeps those burdens central.

We also appreciated that he does not treat the churches of chapters 2 and 3 as mere historical curiosities. He treats them as living mirrors. Each letter exposes temptations that remain with us, complacency, fear of man, doctrinal compromise, moral compromise, and lukewarm religion. That sets the tone for preaching Revelation as a book for churches, not only for enthusiasts.

Strengths

First, Beeke writes with a strong devotional and pastoral instinct. Revelation can easily become a battleground of timelines. Beeke keeps the focus on Christ, worship, and endurance. That helps pastors preach Revelation without distracting the church from its purpose. He repeatedly asks, what is this passage calling the church to believe, to fear, to refuse, and to endure? That is precisely the right set of questions.

Second, the commentary helps with the Old Testament texture of Revelation. Revelation is full of echoes, Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Zechariah, Exodus, and more. Beeke draws attention to these connections in a way that supports preaching, helping the church see that the Bible is one story, and that Revelation is the climax of many earlier patterns. This is especially helpful for congregations that have not had much Old Testament preaching. Revelation becomes a doorway back into the whole canon.

Third, Beeke is strong at pressing application without moralism. Endurance is not presented as heroism. It is presented as faith that clings to the Lamb. Holiness is not presented as self powered victory. It is presented as loyalty to Christ that refuses Babylon’s seductions because Christ is better. That keeps application gospel shaped.

Limitations

The main limitation is that readers looking for a detailed academic defence of one interpretive scheme may want more interaction with alternative systems. Beeke has a perspective, and he tends to present it with confidence. That clarity is helpful, but it may not satisfy those who want a full survey of views. Also, because the book is long, some sections can feel repetitive, but Revelation itself uses repeated cycles to reinforce certainty and to intensify the call to endurance. In that sense, the repetition serves the aim.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume when preaching through Revelation in the local church. It is also useful for leaders preparing to teach Revelation in smaller settings, because it helps keep the application grounded and Christ centred. We would encourage pastors to pair this with careful structural work of their own, noting the repeated cycles, the interludes, and the way Revelation uses contrast between the church and Babylon, between the Lamb and the beast.

We would also use it devotionally. Revelation is meant to form worship and courage. Beeke’s pastoral tone supports that. When the church feels marginal, Revelation reminds us that appearances are not ultimate. The Lamb reigns, and the saints will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.

Closing Recommendation

This is a substantial, pastorally warm, and Christ centred guide to Revelation. It will help you preach the book with reverence and steadiness, avoiding speculative distraction while pressing the church toward worship, holiness, and patient endurance. We commend it for pastors who want a faithful companion for one of Scripture’s most misunderstood books.

Hebrews

Mid-levelBusy pastorsTop choice
8.5
Author: David B. McWilliams
Bible Book: Hebrews
Series: Lectio Continua
Type: Expository
Publisher: Tolle Lege Press
Theological Perspective: Reformed
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Hebrews is a sermon letter designed to keep tired believers from drifting away from Christ. It does that by lifting Christ high, higher than angels, higher than Moses, higher than Aaron, and by showing that His once for all sacrifice secures a better covenant and a lasting access to God. David B. McWilliams approaches Hebrews with a preacher’s instinct. He does not treat the book as a theological puzzle to solve at arm’s length. He treats it as a pastoral instrument meant to sustain faith, strengthen assurance, and produce endurance.

McWilliams helps preachers track the book’s movement, Christ’s supremacy, the call to listen, the danger of unbelief, the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, the new covenant promises, and the practical summons to draw near and hold fast. He is also alert to the repeated warning passages. Hebrews warns fiercely because love is fierce when souls are in danger. We appreciated that McWilliams handles these warnings without losing gospel comfort. The warnings are real. The promises are real. Both drive us to Christ.

This volume is aimed at church use. It is not a technical reference work. It is an expository guide that helps the preacher keep the main line of argument visible while still offering enough detail to handle difficult texts responsibly. For busy pastors, Hebrews can feel daunting. Its Old Testament richness, its theological density, and its warning passages require careful work. This commentary offers a steady hand.

Strengths

First, McWilliams keeps Christ central in the way Hebrews itself does. He shows that the book’s doctrinal sections are pastoral. Christ’s person and work are not discussed for curiosity. They are proclaimed for endurance. When Hebrews says Christ is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of His nature, it is not offering poetic theology. It is anchoring faith. When Hebrews says Christ is a merciful and faithful high priest, it is giving weary sinners a reason to draw near with confidence. McWilliams keeps those aims clear.

Second, the commentary handles the Old Testament texture with care. Hebrews is saturated with Psalm 110, Psalm 95, Jeremiah 31, and more. McWilliams helps readers see how Hebrews reads the Old Testament as fulfilled in Christ, without collapsing the Old Testament into allegory. That is a helpful model for Reformed preaching that honours authorial intent and the unfolding storyline of redemption.

Third, he is pastorally wise about the warning passages. Hebrews warns against unbelief, hardening, neglect, and falling away. Those warnings can be mishandled in two ways. We can soften them until they mean little, or we can use them in a way that crushes tender consciences. McWilliams helps keep them as Scripture intends, as means God uses to preserve His people by driving them back to Christ.

Limitations

The main limitation is that those seeking detailed engagement with scholarly debates about authorship, audience, and complex grammatical questions will need an additional technical resource. This commentary aims at exposition and pastoral use. It sometimes moves quickly through dense argument. That is helpful for weekly preaching rhythms, but preachers may still want to slow down, especially in Hebrews 6, 10, and in the Melchizedek section, to ensure careful handling. Also, because Hebrews is a sermon like book, the rhetoric and structure can be complex. McWilliams provides guidance, but some readers may wish for more visual outlining help.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume while preaching through Hebrews, particularly to keep the logic clear and the application faithful. It is also helpful for pastoral care, especially for those struggling with assurance, weariness, and fear. Hebrews is a book for the weary, and McWilliams helps keep its comfort grounded in Christ’s priesthood and promise.

We would also use it for training leaders to read the Old Testament Christologically with restraint and confidence. Hebrews shows how to read the Old Testament as pointing to Christ without ignoring its original voice. That is a skill many leaders need, and this commentary supports it.

Closing Recommendation

This is a strong pastoral commentary on Hebrews that will serve preaching, discipleship, and endurance. It keeps Christ high, handles warnings soberly, and points weary believers to the better covenant secured by the better Priest. We commend it for pastors who want a church serving guide that does not lose theological depth, yet stays close to proclamation.

Second Timothy

Mid-levelBusy pastorsStrong recommendation
8.3
Author: Michael H. Brown
Bible Book: 2 Timothy
Series: Lectio Continua
Type: Expository
Publisher: Tolle Lege Press
Theological Perspective: Reformed
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

2 Timothy is Paul’s final letter, written with death near and the future of gospel ministry in view. It is both tender and bracing. It calls Timothy to guard the deposit, endure suffering, preach the Word, and finish the race. Michael H. Brown writes with a pastoral instinct that recognises how closely this letter speaks to pastors today. Ministry is often lonely. Opposition is real. Temptations to drift are subtle. Paul’s counsel is not a technique. It is a call to faithfulness anchored in the gospel of Christ and the power of God.

This volume aims to support preaching through 2 Timothy by keeping the text’s structure and urgency clear. Brown highlights the recurring themes of remembrance, endurance, sound teaching, and the need for courage grounded in grace. We appreciated that he does not romanticise suffering. He treats it as part of the Christian vocation, and especially part of the preaching vocation. Yet he also keeps the letter’s warmth. Paul is not issuing commands from a distance. He is writing as a spiritual father, urging a beloved son to stand firm.

Because this is an expository commentary, it moves steadily through the passage, clarifying meaning and offering pastoral application. It is not designed to settle every academic debate. It is designed to help the preacher speak faithfully and clearly. For churches that need renewed confidence in Scripture, and for pastors who need renewed courage, 2 Timothy is a gift, and this commentary is a helpful companion.

Strengths

First, Brown keeps the letter’s emphasis on Scripture central. 2 Timothy 3 to 4 is often quoted, but it must be preached as part of Paul’s wider call to perseverance. Brown helps us see how “All Scripture is God breathed” belongs inside a charge to endure, teach, rebuke, and correct with patience. That makes this a strong volume for churches navigating confusion and pressure. It encourages us to keep the Word in the pulpit and the Word in the life of the church.

Second, the commentary is strong on the personal dimension of ministry. Paul’s references to desertion, to faithful friends, and to Timothy’s own tears are not incidental. They show what ministry costs, and they show how the Lord sustains His servants. Brown draws those lines carefully, so that application does not become self pity. Instead, it becomes a call to courage and to dependence on grace. We found this especially helpful for pastors in smaller churches, where encouragement can be scarce and the work can feel unseen.

Third, Brown handles the letter’s warnings with sobriety. False teaching, godlessness, and hollow religion are real threats. Brown avoids sensationalism. He reads Paul’s warnings as pastoral protection. That helps preachers speak firmly without adopting a combative posture. The aim remains the health of the church and the glory of Christ.

Limitations

The main limitation is that some readers may want more detailed interaction with historical background and scholarly discussion, particularly around Paul’s circumstances, the identity of opponents, and certain interpretive questions. Brown keeps the focus on the text’s meaning and pastoral force. That is a wise choice for the series, but it means you may want an additional technical commentary if you are teaching in a more academic setting. Also, because 2 Timothy has many direct exhortations, preachers must guard against turning the sermon into mere instruction. Brown generally keeps the gospel beneath the imperatives, but we still need to do that work carefully ourselves.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume while preaching through 2 Timothy, especially to keep the letter’s tone right, tender, urgent, and Christ centred. It is also useful for staff teams and elders reading together. The letter is a manual for ministry endurance, and Brown’s guidance helps translate that endurance into prayer, preaching, and patient discipleship.

We would also use it for mentoring younger leaders. 2 Timothy teaches that gifts must be fanned into flame, character must be guarded, and doctrine must be protected. Brown provides a steady framework for those conversations, keeping the focus on grace and faithfulness rather than on personality or platform.

Closing Recommendation

This is a pastorally sensitive and text faithful commentary on 2 Timothy. It will help you preach the charge to preach, and it will help you do so with courage rooted in grace. We commend it to pastors and leaders who need a steady companion for a letter that forms faithful servants of Christ.

Philippians

Mid-levelBusy pastorsTop choice
8.6
Author: David T.A. Strain
Bible Book: Philippians
Series: Lectio Continua
Type: Expository
Publisher: Tolle Lege Press
Theological Perspective: Reformed
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Philippians is a letter of joy from a prison cell. That alone tells us that Christian joy is not a mood dependent on circumstances. It is a settled gladness in Christ that survives pressure, opposition, and loss. David T. A. Strain writes as a Scottish pastor who knows that modern congregations often struggle to connect theology to endurance. We found this commentary particularly helpful in keeping Philippians both Christ centred and realistic. It does not use joy as a slogan. It shows how Paul grounds joy in the gospel, in the advance of Christ’s mission, and in the hope of resurrection.

Strain traces the letter’s movement with care. He highlights Paul’s partnership with the church, the call to unity, the humility of Christ in Philippians 2, the pursuit of knowing Christ in Philippians 3, and the peace of God that guards hearts in Philippians 4. At each stage, he presses the text toward proclamation. We are not left with vague encouragement. We are shown what obedience looks like when Christ is treasured, when the gospel is defended, and when believers learn contentment in all circumstances.

This is a short volume, but it does not feel thin. It is aimed at pastors and teachers who need a reliable companion. The tone is devotional without being sentimental, doctrinal without being heavy, and pastoral without being vague. That combination makes it a strong resource for preaching through Philippians in a way that forms both humility and courage.

Strengths

First, Strain handles the Christ hymn in Philippians 2 with reverence and clarity. He keeps the focus where Paul places it, the mind of Christ expressed in humility, self giving, and obedience to death, even death on a cross. He helps pastors preach this passage as gospel before example. Christ’s humility is not first a pattern we mimic. It is the saving descent of the Son that secures our redemption and reshapes our hearts. When that order is clear, application becomes worshipful and honest.

Second, the commentary is strong on the theme of partnership in the gospel. Philippians is not individualistic. It is about a church labouring together for the advance of Christ’s name. Strain draws out practical implications for church unity, leadership, generosity, and mission. He does so in a way that avoids pragmatism. The motivation remains Christ’s glory and the gospel’s advance.

Third, this volume has a steady pastoral realism about suffering and contentment. Paul does not deny sorrow. He shows how Christ sustains joy within sorrow. Strain helps preachers avoid hollow optimism. He gives language for preaching comfort that does not promise easy days, but promises Christ’s presence, the Spirit’s strength, and the certainty of future glory.

Limitations

The primary limitation is the brevity. If you are looking for extended technical discussion, you will need a more detailed commentary alongside this one. Some readers may also want more engagement with scholarly questions around structure and rhetoric. Strain occasionally touches those matters, but the focus remains on exposition for the church. Also, because Philippians is so often used for encouragement, there is always a temptation to move too quickly to application. Strain generally resists that, but preachers will still need to do the slow work of tracing context carefully.

How We Would Use It

We would use this commentary in sermon preparation, especially to keep the tone of Philippians properly Christ centred. It is also useful for small group leaders and ministry trainees. The writing is accessible, and the pastoral instincts are sound. If you are preaching Philippians into a weary congregation, or into a church facing internal tensions, this volume will help you keep Paul’s call to unity, humility, and joy anchored in the gospel.

We would also recommend it for personal refreshment. Pastors need Philippians as much as anyone. Strain’s steady movement from meaning to proclamation helps us read the letter devotionally without slipping into vague spiritual talk. The text remains central, and Christ remains the treasure.

Closing Recommendation

This is a clear and warmly pastoral guide to Philippians. It will help you preach joy that is deep, humility that is gospel shaped, and contentment that rests in Christ. We commend it for busy pastors who want a short but substantial companion that keeps the argument visible and the application honest.

Ephesians

Mid-levelBusy pastorsTop choice
8.5
Author: Ian Hamilton
Bible Book: Ephesians
Series: Lectio Continua
Type: Expository
Publisher: Tolle Lege Press
Theological Perspective: Reformed
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Ephesians lifts our eyes. It begins in eternity, blesses God for every spiritual blessing in Christ, and then presses that heavenly reality into the shape of the local church and the daily life of believers. Ian Hamilton writes as a Scottish Reformed pastor who wants doctrine to land as worship and obedience. We found his treatment of Ephesians particularly strengthening for preachers who want to keep the letter’s tone, high doxology, deep humility, and practical seriousness.

Hamilton helps us see that Paul is not giving abstract theology. He is forming a people. In Christ, God is gathering a new humanity, united, holy, and filled with the Spirit. That has consequences for preaching, for church culture, for marriage, parenting, and work, and for spiritual warfare. Hamilton keeps the movement from grace to obedience clear, so that the imperatives never eclipse the indicatives. The result is preaching help that encourages holiness without slipping into legalism.

We also appreciated the way Hamilton carries a pastoral weight through the text. Ephesians is full of identity, adoption, redemption, sealing, access, and strength. Those themes are not only for theologians. They are for weary saints. Hamilton keeps returning to the comfort of God’s purpose, and to the power of the Spirit, which makes this volume a helpful companion in real ministry seasons.

Strengths

First, Hamilton is strong at keeping Ephesians Christ centred without forcing it. The letter is already saturated with Christ, and Hamilton allows that saturation to shape the exposition. When Paul speaks of election, redemption, and inheritance, Hamilton keeps it doxological. When Paul speaks of union, he keeps it practical. When Paul speaks of the church, he keeps it anchored in Christ’s headship rather than in organisational technique.

Second, the commentary has a steady ecclesial instinct. Ephesians is a letter about the church, not merely about personal spirituality. Hamilton helps preachers emphasise unity, maturity, and love. He also helps pastors avoid turning unity into sentimentality. Unity is created by Christ, guarded by humility, and expressed through truth in love. That is exactly the kind of clarity needed in a church culture shaped by consumer preference.

Third, Hamilton’s treatment of Ephesians 4 to 6 is especially useful for preaching. He connects ethics to identity. He shows how holiness is the fruit of grace. He also handles spiritual warfare soberly, avoiding sensationalism while still taking the devil seriously. That helps pastors who need to preach the armour of God without turning it into superstition.

Limitations

The main limitation is that readers who want extensive interaction with scholarly debates, authorship discussions, or detailed grammar will need another resource. This is written for exposition and pastoral use. It focuses on meaning, structure, and application. Also, at points the commentary assumes a level of theological familiarity. That is not a major problem, but some readers may want to slow down and work through key doctrinal terms, especially in Ephesians 1 and 2.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume when preaching through Ephesians, especially to keep the letter’s worshipful tone and its church shaping burden. It is also helpful for training leaders. If a ministry team needs a clearer understanding of what the church is, how unity works, and why doctrine matters, Ephesians is a crucial letter, and Hamilton offers a steady guide.

We would also draw on this commentary for pastoral care. Ephesians addresses shame, alienation, and fear by grounding believers in God’s purpose and love. Hamilton helps keep those comforts close to the text. We can take the letter’s promises into counselling without detaching them from the call to live as a new humanity in Christ.

Closing Recommendation

This is a warm, clear, and church serving commentary on Ephesians. It will strengthen preaching that aims to lift eyes to Christ, deepen love for the church, and call believers to Spirit empowered holiness. We commend it especially for busy pastors who want a guide that reads like a pastor, yet thinks like a theologian.

Galatians

Mid-levelBusy pastorsTop choice
8.5
Author: John V. Fesko
Bible Book: Galatians
Series: Lectio Continua
Type: Expository
Publisher: Tolle Lege Press
Theological Perspective: Reformed
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Galatians is a short letter with sharp edges. Paul defends the gospel of grace with urgency because souls are at stake. John V. Fesko approaches Galatians as a pastor theologian who wants preachers to feel both the clarity and the tenderness of Paul’s burden. The letter is not simply a doctrinal treatise about justification. It is a rescue mission. It calls the church back from slavery to the freedom of Christ, and it shows how true freedom produces holiness rather than license.

Fesko is particularly helpful in showing how Paul’s argument works. The letter moves from Paul’s divine commission, to the danger of another gospel, to the meaning of justification by faith, to the role of the law in redemptive history, and then to life in the Spirit. That movement matters. Many errors arise from breaking the letter apart. Fesko repeatedly encourages us to preach the flow, so that justification is not detached from union with Christ, and so that sanctification is not confused with self made righteousness.

We found this commentary well suited to the weekly demands of ministry. It is compact, clear, and purposeful. It does not pretend that Galatians is simple, but it does help pastors speak plainly. In an age where many are tempted to treat the gospel as a starting point rather than the ongoing ground of the Christian life, Galatians must be preached, and this is a dependable guide for doing so with conviction and care.

Strengths

First, the commentary is strong on the gospel logic of justification. Fesko explains that justification is God’s verdict on the basis of Christ alone, received by faith alone. He does not present this as a party badge. He presents it as life and freedom. That supports preaching that comforts the guilty and humbles the proud. It also helps pastoral care where people are crushed by performance, whether religious performance or moral performance.

Second, Fesko handles the law and the promise with a clear Reformed instinct. Galatians is often misread as if the law is simply bad and grace is simply good. Paul’s argument is more careful. The law has a purpose, and it serves the promise. Yet it cannot give life. Fesko helps us preach that balance, so that we avoid both legalism and antinomianism. We also found his explanation of covenant themes to be steady and useful, especially when preaching to congregations that need clarity about the Old Testament’s place in Christian life.

Third, the commentary is pastorally alert to the tone of Galatians. Paul is severe, but his severity is love. Fesko helps us feel that. That matters in preaching. We need to warn, but we need to warn as those who know the sweetness of Christ and the tragedy of gospel drift. This volume helps us keep that tone.

Limitations

The primary limitation is the brevity. At times you may want more extended discussion of interpretive debates, particularly around the phrase “works of the law,” the identity of the opponents, and the structure of Paul’s argument in chapters 3 and 4. This book gives enough to preach faithfully, but it will not satisfy those looking for a full academic survey. Also, because the prose is purposeful and compact, some readers may wish for more illustrative development. We see this as a preaching companion, not as a homiletics handbook.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume for preaching preparation and for training. It is excellent for helping a new preacher keep justification central without turning the sermon into a theology lecture. It also supports pastoral application, particularly around assurance, repentance, and growth in holiness. When Paul calls the Galatians back to freedom, he is calling them back to Christ, and then to life by the Spirit. Fesko helps us keep those connections clear.

We would also use it to prepare for pastoral conversations about legalism and spiritual exhaustion. Galatians names a temptation that is always near, adding something to Christ. This commentary helps us expose that temptation gently, and then to press Christ’s sufficiency with confidence.

Closing Recommendation

This is a clear, theologically steady, and pastorally useful commentary on Galatians. It will serve churches that need to recover gospel freedom and gospel obedience together. We commend it for pastors who want a reliable guide that keeps the argument visible and keeps Christ central.

1 Corinthians

Mid-levelBusy pastorsStrong recommendation
8.4
Author: Kim Riddlebarger
Bible Book: 1 Corinthians
Series: Lectio Continua
Type: Expository
Publisher: Tolle Lege Press
Theological Perspective: Reformed
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

1 Corinthians is a letter to a messy church, and that means it is a letter to churches like ours. It deals with divisions, sexual immorality, litigation, idolatry, public worship, spiritual gifts, the resurrection, and more. Kim Riddlebarger approaches this letter with the steady realism of a pastor who knows that Christian doctrine must meet Christian disorder. We found his approach particularly helpful where he refuses to reduce Paul to a set of rules. He keeps the gospel at the centre, showing that Paul’s correction is designed to rebuild a church around Christ crucified.

Because this is an expository commentary, the aim is not to impress with novelty, but to provide reliable guidance that serves preaching and teaching. Riddlebarger is clear about context, and he often reminds us why Paul says what he says. Corinth was shaped by status, speech, power, and self expression. Paul confronts those values with the foolishness of the cross and the wisdom of the Spirit. When we remember that, Paul’s hard words become deeply pastoral. They are not the anger of a wounded leader. They are the love of Christ guarding His people from ruin.

This volume is at its best when it helps pastors preach the letter as a united call to holiness and unity under the lordship of Christ. It encourages application that is firm, but not harsh. It also reminds us that a church can have many gifts, and still be spiritually immature. That is a searching reminder for our age of platform, personality, and quick influence.

Strengths

First, Riddlebarger is strong at keeping chapters connected to the letter’s larger burden. In 1 Corinthians, it is easy to preach isolated topics, marriage, gifts, tongues, the Lord’s Supper, and to lose the controlling theme of Christ and the cross. He repeatedly brings us back to Paul’s opening, “Christ did not send me to baptise but to preach the gospel,” and the centrality of Christ crucified as the wisdom and power of God. That helps preaching stay centred on redemption rather than moral repair.

Second, the commentary handles doctrinal foundations and practical issues together. When Paul addresses sexual sin, he does not merely demand restraint. He grounds holiness in union with Christ and the indwelling Spirit. When he addresses worship disorder, he grounds it in love, edification, and the God who is not a God of confusion. Riddlebarger helps the preacher hold those connections, so that application is not detached from theology. That matters deeply for lasting change.

Third, he writes with pastoral courage. Some sections, particularly those touching sexuality, gender, and church discipline, demand clarity and compassion. Riddlebarger avoids the softness that fears man, and he avoids the combative tone that forgets we are dealing with sheep. He gives pastors language for firm exhortation that still aims at restoration.

Limitations

The main limitation is that certain disputed passages can feel a bit quick, particularly where readers want deeper interaction with alternative interpretations. That is partly the nature of the series. If you are preaching through chapters 11 to 14 and need a fuller map of the debate, you may want to consult a more technical commentary alongside this one. A second limitation is that some readers may wish for more extended illustration and homiletical shaping. The help is there, but it remains closer to explanation than to sermon craft.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume for sermon preparation, especially to keep the letter’s message unified across a long preaching series. It is also well suited for elders reading through 1 Corinthians together, because it helps connect doctrine to practical church life. If your church is experiencing division, confusion about worship, or a need for clearer holiness, this commentary will help you keep correction gospel shaped and Christ centred.

We would also use it to guard our own hearts. 1 Corinthians exposes pride in knowledge, competitiveness, impatience with weakness, and fascination with impressive gifts. Pastors are not immune. Riddlebarger’s steady tone helps us let the letter address us before we aim it at others.

Closing Recommendation

This is a solid, pastor friendly guide to a letter that speaks directly to modern church pressures. It is clear, faithful, and steady. We commend it to those who want to preach 1 Corinthians with conviction and tenderness, holding the cross at the centre while calling the church to unity, holiness, and love.

Romans

Mid-levelBusy pastorsTop choice
8.5
Author: John V. Fesko
Bible Book: Romans
Series: Lectio Continua
Type: Expository
Publisher: Tolle Lege Press
Theological Perspective: Reformed
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Romans is not a book we can afford to handle casually. It is doctrinally dense, pastorally tender, and relentlessly God centred. John V. Fesko writes with that reality in view. This volume aims to help preachers keep the argument of Romans visible while also serving the church’s need for clear gospel proclamation. We found it strongest when it refuses to treat Romans as a slogan factory. Instead, it asks us to follow Paul’s reasoning, paragraph by paragraph, and then to let that reasoning shape the tone of our preaching.

Fesko reads Romans as a coherent letter that moves from the revelation of God’s righteousness to the life of faith, union with Christ, the work of the Spirit, God’s sovereign mercy, and the practical obedience that flows from worship. He is alert to the way Paul presses both humility and confidence. We are humbled because salvation is of the Lord. We are confident because the Lord has acted decisively in Christ, and His promises do not wobble under pressure.

Because this is a pastoral commentary in an expository series, it rarely gets lost in technical argument for its own sake. Where interpretive decisions matter, Fesko explains them with enough clarity to support preaching, and then he moves on. That is a gift to busy pastors. We still need deeper technical tools at times, but we are not left without help in handling the difficult turns, especially where Romans is frequently misused in controversy or flattened into abstract theology.

Strengths

First, the commentary is strong in doctrinal clarity without drifting into coldness. Romans can tempt us into detached analysis. Fesko repeatedly brings the letter back to worship, assurance, and the new obedience of faith. That supports a Reformed approach that is both confessional and warmly evangelical. We are not only learning categories. We are being called to trust Christ, to walk by the Spirit, and to live as a people whose hope is grounded in God’s saving purpose.

Second, Fesko is careful with the big Reformed themes that Romans carries, justification, union with Christ, sanctification, and election. He does not handle those themes as weapons. He treats them as pastoral realities meant to produce humility, gratitude, and perseverance. In Romans 8, for example, the comfort of adoption, the intercession of the Spirit, and the certainty of God’s love are not presented as mere proofs. They are presented as the living support of weary saints, including weary pastors.

Third, this volume helps with preaching the flow. Romans is full of famous verses, but famous verses can become isolated. Fesko helps us see how the famous lines sit inside a wider argument. That strengthens exposition. It also protects application from becoming moralistic or therapeutic. When the gospel is kept central, the call to obedience in Romans 12 to 15 sounds like gratitude, not self rescue.

Limitations

The primary limitation is that some sections will still leave advanced students wanting more engagement with scholarly debate. That is not a flaw in the aim of the series, but it does mean this cannot be the only companion on Romans if you are doing extended teaching, or if your congregation is pressing hard questions about disputed texts. A second limitation is that the pace can feel brisk in certain doctrinally weighty passages. You may want to slow down and supplement with a more detailed commentary when preparing for preaching through Romans 9 to 11, not because Fesko is careless, but because those chapters demand careful thought and careful pastoral tone.

How We Would Use It

We would use this as a steady, week by week preaching companion. Read the passage repeatedly, outline Paul’s argument, and then consult Fesko to check the flow, clarify key theological moves, and gather preaching angles that remain faithful to the text. This is also a helpful tool for elders and ministry trainees. The prose is accessible enough to shape how leaders talk about justification, sanctification, assurance, and God’s sovereign mercy without falling into clichés.

We also appreciate this volume for counselling shaped by Romans. When someone is crushed by guilt, Romans does not simply say, “Try harder.” It says, “Look to Christ, He justifies the ungodly.” When someone is terrified by suffering, Romans does not promise easy days. It promises that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. Fesko helps keep those pastoral uses close to the letter’s meaning.

Closing Recommendation

This is a sound, church serving commentary on Romans that will reward careful, prayerful use. It keeps the argument visible, holds doctrine and devotion together, and helps us preach Christ with confidence. We commend it especially for pastors who want a reliable Reformed guide that still feels like it belongs in the pulpit, not only in the classroom.