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Habakkuk

Mid-levelBusy pastors, General readers, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation

8.4

Author: Heath A. Thomas

Bible Book: Habakkuk

Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary

Type: Theological

Publisher: Eerdmans

Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This Habakkuk volume in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series helps readers walk through one of Scripture most searching conversations with God. Habakkuk begins with complaint, moves through divine answers that unsettle easy assumptions, and ends with a hymn of faith that clings to the Lord amid loss. The commentary offers interpretative guidance on the text and then explores its theological horizons, especially the themes of divine sovereignty, justice, faith, and worship.

The volume pays attention to Habakkuk structure, the dialogue form, and the shift from question to trust. It also treats the famous statement about the righteous living by faith within its immediate and canonical setting. The theological reflection then asks how Habakkuk forms a faithful posture in seasons of confusion, injustice, and looming judgement.

Strengths

A strong feature of this kind of commentary is its help for preaching. Habakkuk is not merely an ancient puzzle, it is a pastoral text for believers who struggle with the problem of evil and the apparent delay of justice. This volume helps pastors show the congregation that Scripture makes room for reverent complaint. The prophet questions are not unbelief, they are faith refusing to let go of God character.

The theological horizons are particularly fruitful here. Habakkuk forces the reader to reckon with the Lord freedom and wisdom in the governance of history. God answers are not tailored to human comfort. He is holy, he is sovereign, and he is doing more than the prophet can see. The commentary helps trace that logic without turning it into cold determinism. The book ends in worship, not in a neat explanation. That is crucial for pastoral ministry, where people often need a pathway to worship more than a set of tidy answers.

The treatment of the final hymn is also pastorally rich. Habakkuk models rejoicing in God when circumstances are stripped away. This is not denial, it is covenant confidence. The commentary helps preachers bring that to the church without sentimentalising suffering, grounding hope in the Lord himself.

Limitations

As a Two Horizons volume, it is not a fully technical commentary. Those who need extensive work on Hebrew, textual criticism, or exhaustive engagement with scholarly debates will need to consult additional resources. The volume offers enough exegesis for preaching, but it does not aim to settle every academic dispute.

Also, Habakkuk raises profound questions that can easily be mishandled in application. A commentary can guide, but pastors must still apply with wisdom, especially when speaking to trauma, injustice, and grief. This volume helps by keeping the text central and by emphasising worship as the goal, yet it cannot replace careful pastoral sensitivity.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume for sermon preparation, especially for a short series on Habakkuk or for teaching on faith amid suffering. It is also useful for pastors in training who need to learn how to preach lament and sovereignty without flattening either.

For general readers, it can serve as a serious guide for devotional study in hard seasons. Used in small groups, it can help believers articulate questions honestly while still moving toward trust and worship shaped by Scripture.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a Habakkuk commentary that serves the pulpit and strengthens faith under pressure, this is a strong recommendation. It keeps the text in view, thinks theologically, and helps the church move from complaint to worship without cheap comfort.

Micah

Mid-levelBusy pastors, General readers, Pastors-in-trainingTop choice

8.5

Author: Stephen G. Dempster

Bible Book: Micah

Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary

Type: Theological

Publisher: Eerdmans

Theological Perspective: Reformed

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This Micah volume in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series aims to guide readers through a prophet who holds together fierce judgement and bright hope. Micah exposes injustice, religious hypocrisy, and covenant disloyalty, yet he also announces a coming shepherd king and a future restoration shaped by the Lord mercy. The commentary offers interpretative guidance through Micah and then draws out theological horizons, asking how the book speaks to the church as Scripture.

The volume pays attention to the flow of Micah argument, the alternation of judgement and salvation, and the way the prophet addresses both leaders and people. It also highlights the ethical vision of the book, especially the Lord demand for justice, covenant love, and humble walking with God. The theological reflection then connects these themes to the larger biblical storyline and to the formation of faithful communities.

Strengths

Micah is often reduced to a few famous verses, yet the book as a whole has a powerful message for preaching. This commentary helps pastors recover that full message. It keeps the covenant lawsuit context in view, showing that Micah condemnation is not arbitrary, it is the outworking of the Lord righteous standards and his protection of the vulnerable. That makes the book sharply relevant for any church tempted to separate worship from obedience.

The volume is also strong in holding together ethics and theology. Micah call to justice is grounded in who God is. The Lord is not impressed by performative religion, he seeks hearts and lives shaped by covenant fidelity. The commentary helps readers avoid both political reductionism and spiritualised avoidance. Justice, mercy, and humble faith are presented as covenant realities under the living God.

For Christian proclamation, Micah contains rich promises of future salvation. This volume helps trace those hopes with care, especially the theme of a ruler who brings peace and the vision of nations streaming to the Lord instruction. It offers pastors a way to preach Micah that moves from judgement to hope and that locates hope in the Lord own saving purpose rather than in human reform.

Limitations

The Two Horizons approach means the commentary is not primarily a technical resource. Readers seeking extended discussion of linguistic issues, textual variants, or exhaustive interaction with specialist scholarship will need to consult additional works. The volume provides enough detail for most preaching contexts, but it is not designed to answer every technical question.

Also, because Micah is compact and rhetorically intense, the commentary sometimes moves quickly through dense sections in order to preserve the larger flow. That is often a strength for sermon preparation, but careful teachers may still want to slow down with the text and use additional tools for fine grained work.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume as a primary companion for preaching Micah in a church setting. It helps the preacher handle both the rebukes and the promises with theological clarity. It is also well suited for pastors in training who need a model for reading the prophets canonically and for applying them responsibly.

For general readers, the commentary can be used selectively, especially in study groups interested in justice and discipleship under God. Used wisely, it can also support church leaders as they think about faithfulness, leadership integrity, and care for the vulnerable within the people of God.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a Micah commentary that is theologically serious and oriented to proclamation, this is a strong recommendation. It will serve pastors well, offering a faithful reading that presses toward Christ shaped hope and Spirit formed obedience.

Hosea

Mid-levelAdvanced students / scholars, Busy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation

8.2

Author: Bo H. Lim

Bible Book: Hosea

Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary

Type: Theological

Publisher: Eerdmans

Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This Hosea volume in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series aims to help readers grasp both the prophetic message and its theological force. Hosea confronts covenant unfaithfulness with painful clarity, yet it also holds out a startling vision of divine mercy. The commentary offers interpretative guidance through the book and then reflects on its theological horizon, especially the themes of covenant, judgement, love, repentance, and restoration.

The volume seeks to read Hosea as a coherent prophetic witness rather than as disconnected oracles. It pays attention to the rhetorical strategy of the book, its repeated images, and its summons to return to the Lord. The theological reflection then asks how Hosea forms the church, particularly in its understanding of sin, idolatry, steadfast love, and the nature of true repentance.

Strengths

A strength of this approach is that it keeps Hosea from becoming a mere moral tale about personal failure. The book is about covenant rupture and covenant mercy. The commentary helps the reader see the corporate dimensions of Israel sin and the profound seriousness of idolatry as spiritual adultery. That provides preachers with a faithful framework for addressing sin in the church without sliding into either harsh condemnation or therapeutic understatement.

The volume is also helpful in tracing the theological logic of judgement and mercy. Hosea does not present judgement as divine moodiness, but as covenant faithfulness. The Lord disciplines because he is holy and because his people belong to him. Yet the book also insists that mercy is not earned. Restoration is rooted in the Lord steadfast love and his purpose to heal and reclaim. The commentary draws these lines with pastoral sobriety, which is invaluable for preaching.

It also supports canonical preaching. Hosea reverberates across Scripture, and the commentary helps readers trace themes that later become central in the New Testament, such as the Lord pursuit of the unfaithful and the hope of renewal. The connections are not forced. Instead, they arise from the book own theology of covenant love.

Limitations

Readers who need sustained technical discussion will find the volume limited in that regard. Hosea includes difficult Hebrew and many interpretative puzzles. This commentary offers guidance, but it does not aim to be a comprehensive technical resource. Preachers who want full engagement with linguistic and historical issues should supplement it with a more technical commentary.

Another limitation is that Hosea imagery can be pastorally sensitive, especially when applied to marriage and trauma. The commentary helps, but pastors will still need wisdom in application. A commentary can clarify meaning, yet it cannot replace careful shepherding when handling painful metaphors.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume for sermon preparation in a series through Hosea, especially where the goal is to preach both the severity of covenant unfaithfulness and the tenderness of divine mercy. It is also useful for training pastors to handle prophetic literature with theological depth rather than with simplistic moralising.

For advanced students, it offers a good bridge between exegesis and theological interpretation, though it should be paired with technical tools for detailed work. For weekly ministry, it will often provide what is most needed, a clear line from text to proclamation that remains faithful and God centred.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a Hosea commentary that keeps covenant theology and pastoral proclamation together, this is a strong option. It will not answer every technical question, but it will help you preach Hosea with gravity, compassion, and gospel shaped hope.

Lamentations

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Lay readers / small groups, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation

8.2

Author: Robin A. Parry

Bible Book: Lamentations

Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary

Type: Theological

Publisher: Eerdmans

Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This Lamentations volume in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series aims to help the church recover the biblical practice of lament. Lamentations is poetry forged in judgement, grief, and ruin. It teaches the people of God how to speak to the Lord when sin has brought devastation and when hope feels fragile. The commentary offers interpretative guidance through the poems and then explores their theological horizon, asking how lament shapes faith, repentance, and endurance.

The volume is attentive to the literary artistry of Lamentations, including its acrostic form and its shifting voices. It also highlights the theology of covenant judgement and mercy that runs through the book. Readers are helped to see how Lamentations holds together confession, protest, and hope, and how it provides language for the church in seasons of discipline, suffering, and national collapse.

Strengths

One strength is its seriousness about the text as Scripture for worship and pastoral care. Lamentations is often neglected because it feels too raw, too dark, or too difficult to apply. This commentary shows why the book is necessary. It gives permission to grieve, but it also refuses to let grief become godless despair. The poems are addressed to the Lord. Even protest is prayer. That is a vital lesson for the church, especially in a culture that either denies suffering or turns it inward.

Theological reflection is also well matched to the book. Lamentations raises questions about divine justice, human sin, corporate responsibility, and the nature of hope. The commentary helps readers speak carefully about judgement and mercy, avoiding both harshness and sentimentality. It highlights how hope in Lamentations is not optimism about circumstances, but a clinging to the character of God, even when his hand is heavy.

For preaching, the volume offers a pathway to handle lament without manipulation. It helps the preacher show the congregation that the Bible contains authorised language for sorrow, confession, and longing. It also encourages the church to practise lament as a form of faith, which can deepen compassion, patience, and repentance.

Limitations

As with many Two Horizons volumes, the focus is not on exhaustive technical detail. Those needing extensive discussion of Hebrew poetics, textual criticism, or scholarly debate will want a more technical commentary alongside it. The volume provides enough for most preaching and teaching situations, but it is not designed to be the final word on every linguistic question.

Another limitation is that lament is spiritually demanding. A commentary can guide, but it cannot remove the weight of the book. Some readers may find the pace slow or the themes heavy. Even so, that is part of the point. Lamentations teaches the church to stay present with grief before God.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume for preparing sermons in a short series through Lamentations, perhaps in a season of congregational grief or cultural upheaval. It is also useful for training pastors and leaders in how to speak about suffering, judgement, and repentance with biblical categories rather than therapeutic clichés.

It can also support pastoral care. When visiting the bereaved, walking with those under discipline, or leading prayers in troubled times, Lamentations provides words. This commentary helps leaders use those words wisely, keeping them anchored in the Lord and shaped by hope in his mercy.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a commentary that will help you preach and pray Lamentations faithfully, this is a strong choice. It is theologically serious, pastorally sensitive, and honest about sorrow. Use it to recover lament as a normal practice of church life under the sovereign mercy of God.

Ecclesiastes

Mid-levelAdvanced students / scholars, Busy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingUseful supplement

7.9

Author: Peter Enns

Bible Book: Ecclesiastes

Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary

Type: Theological

Publisher: Eerdmans

Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This Ecclesiastes volume in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series leans into the distinctive voice of the book and invites readers to take its tensions seriously. Ecclesiastes is not a tidy manual, it is wisdom that teaches humility, exposes illusions, and presses the reader to fear God in a world that often feels elusive. The commentary aims to explain the text responsibly and then reflect on the theological horizon, asking how Ecclesiastes shapes Christian faith, hope, and realism.

The approach is best described as interpretative and reflective. It pays attention to the literary shape of the argument, the repeated refrains, and the way the Teacher speaks from within the limits of life under the sun. The commentary then draws out implications for doctrine and discipleship, especially regarding providence, mortality, enjoyment, work, injustice, and the limits of human control.

Strengths

A strength of this kind of volume is its help in preaching Ecclesiastes without smoothing it into bland piety. Many sermons on Ecclesiastes either apologise for the book or domesticate it. This commentary encourages the reader to let Ecclesiastes confront our cravings for certainty and mastery. It highlights how the book exposes the vanity of life when it is treated as an autonomous project, and how it calls people back to fear God, receive gifts, and live with honesty about death and judgement.

Theological reflection is also handled with an eye to the larger canon. Ecclesiastes is not treated as an oddity to be corrected, but as Scripture that trains the church in wisdom. The commentary helps pastors connect the themes of time, toil, injustice, and enjoyment to biblical theology, showing how Ecclesiastes deepens longing for redemption and teaches a wise posture of dependence.

It is also pastorally relevant for modern scepticism and weariness. Ecclesiastes speaks to those who feel the weight of repetition and the ache of injustice. This commentary provides language and categories that can help pastors address disillusionment without offering shallow fixes, and it helps congregations learn a more faithful realism under God.

Limitations

The trade off of a reflective approach is that some readers will want more sustained verse level exposition. Ecclesiastes can be elusive, and preachers sometimes need very concrete help on specific phrases and interpretative options. This volume does offer guidance, but it is not written as a strictly technical tool. Those needing fuller linguistic or textual discussion will want to consult a more technical commentary as well.

Another limitation is that the interpretative posture of Ecclesiastes can invite a wide range of readings, and readers may not agree with every judgement. Even so, the commentary is valuable for the way it forces careful thought and refuses simplistic answers.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume when preparing sermons or teaching series that aim to let Ecclesiastes speak with its full weight. It is especially useful for pastors in training who are learning to preach difficult wisdom texts, and for advanced students who want to consider theological interpretation alongside exegesis.

In pastoral ministry, it can also serve as a resource for counselling and discipleship when addressing cynicism, grief, work frustration, and questions about meaning. Used wisely, it helps the church speak truthfully about life in a fallen world while still calling people to fear God and trust his purposes.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a commentary that takes Ecclesiastes seriously and helps you preach it with honesty and hope, this is a worthwhile choice. Pair it with a more technical work when needed, and let it sharpen your theological instincts and pastoral realism as you handle this challenging book.

Proverbs

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Lay readers / small groups, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation

8.3

Author: Ernest C. Lucas

Bible Book: Proverbs

Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary

Type: Theological

Publisher: Eerdmans

Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This Proverbs volume in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series is designed to help readers handle wisdom literature without either moralism or vagueness. It offers guided interpretation of the book in its literary shape, and then extends the discussion into theological questions, such as the fear of the Lord, the nature of wise living, and the relationship between covenant instruction and everyday decisions. The emphasis falls on reading Proverbs as Scripture that forms a people, not merely as a storehouse of pithy sayings.

The commentary helps the reader see patterns across the book, especially the framing material and the repeated contrasts that shape the moral imagination. It also treats the more difficult questions carefully, such as how to preach proverbial generalisations without turning them into promises, and how wisdom relates to suffering, providence, and godliness when life does not follow the neat lines we prefer.

Strengths

A major strength is its refusal to flatten Proverbs into a self help manual. The commentary keeps wisdom tethered to the Lord. The fear of the Lord is not a slogan, it is the fountainhead of all true skill in living. That theme is pursued with theological depth, showing how Proverbs trains desire, speech, work, money, friendships, family life, and integrity in a way that is inseparable from worship and covenant loyalty.

The Two Horizons framework also proves fruitful for Proverbs because it encourages both careful reading and responsible synthesis. Pastors often struggle to know how to preach wisdom texts without either stringing sayings together or selecting favourite topics. This volume models a better approach. It pays attention to sections, themes, and trajectories, and it helps the preacher discern what the book as a whole is doing, shaping a community that lives under the rule of the Lord.

It is also strong in pastoral realism. When Proverbs commends diligence and warns against folly, it does so with moral clarity, yet the commentary helps readers avoid simplistic conclusions about success and failure. That guards the church from both pride and despair. Wisdom is presented as faithful living under God, not a formula for control.

Limitations

Those looking for a line by line technical commentary on every proverb may find the pace uneven. Because the book contains many short sayings, a commentary must make choices about depth. This volume often works by clusters and themes rather than giving equal space to every verse. That is a wise editorial choice for most readers, but it can leave you wanting extra detail on particular proverbs that arise in preaching or counselling.

It is also not primarily a Hebrew technical tool. It will not replace a more specialist work when you need sustained engagement with linguistic issues or detailed textual problems. Its strength lies elsewhere, in theological framing and pastoral application rooted in the text.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume for sermon preparation in a series through Proverbs, especially when shaping units that are faithful to the book rather than thematic talks stitched together. It is also excellent for training preachers, because it models how to move from wisdom sayings to the wisdom of the Lord in a way that is Christ shaped and church serving.

For small groups, the commentary can support leaders who want depth without technical overload. Select sections can be used to frame discussion on speech, money, work, anger, parenting, and friendships, while keeping the fear of the Lord central.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a Proverbs commentary that is theologically serious and pastorally grounded, this is a very useful volume. It will not do every technical job, but it will help you read wisely, preach faithfully, and apply Proverbs without drifting into moralism or trite optimism.

Psalms

Mid-levelBusy pastors, General readers, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation

8.3

Author: Geoffrey W. Grogan

Bible Book: Psalms

Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary

Type: Theological

Publisher: Eerdmans

Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This volume on Psalms in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series aims to serve two purposes at once. It helps the reader grasp what the psalms say in their literary and canonical setting, and it also presses toward theological interpretation, asking how the Psalter shapes faith, worship, and Christian reading. The result is not a technical commentary in the narrow sense. It is a guided reading that moves from the text to doctrine and doxology, seeking to keep the church close to the words while also lifting the eyes to the God those words proclaim.

The commentary is especially helpful in the way it treats the Psalms as Scripture for the people of God. It pays attention to genre, structure, and repeated themes, and it keeps returning to the Psalter as a book, not merely a collection. Readers will find a steady concern to read the psalms as prayer and praise, not simply as objects of analysis. Where detail is needed, it is supplied with restraint, and where the larger theological shape matters, the discussion becomes more expansive.

Strengths

Its chief strength is theological proportion. Many treatments of Psalms either drown the reader in philological detail or float above the text with general spiritual reflection. This volume tries to hold the middle ground. It gives enough interpretative guidance to keep the reader anchored in what the psalm is actually doing, and then it traces how that meaning reverberates across the canon. That makes it an excellent companion for sermon preparation, especially when a preacher wants more than a paragraph of background but less than a full technical dossier.

The series framework also encourages good habits. The commentary repeatedly asks, what vision of God is being formed here, and what shape of faithful life follows. That keeps application from becoming a bolt on at the end. Instead, pastoral use grows out of the psalm itself, whether lament, praise, confidence, or instruction. The treatment of suffering and complaint is particularly steady, helping readers see that biblical lament is neither unbelief nor self absorbed therapy, but covenant speech addressed to the Lord.

Limitations

The trade off for this broad usefulness is that the commentary is not designed to resolve every textual question. Those looking for sustained discussion of Hebrew syntax, textual criticism, or exhaustive interaction with specialist debates will need a more technical work alongside it. Even when the author engages disputed matters, the argument often moves quickly to the theological and pastoral implications rather than lingering over competing scholarly options.

A second limitation is that the Two Horizons approach can feel uneven across different psalms. Some texts lend themselves naturally to theological synthesis, while others require patient close reading before bigger connections become clear. In places, a reader may wish for a touch more slow exegesis before the commentary turns toward canonical and doctrinal horizons.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume as a weekly companion for preaching and teaching from Psalms, especially in series where the congregation needs both interpretative clarity and spiritual formation. It pairs well with a more technical commentary when a passage raises detailed exegetical questions, but it often supplies what pastors most need, a clear handle on the psalm and a faithful pathway into proclamation.

It is also well suited for pastors in training who are learning to move from text to sermon without flattening the Psalms into moral lessons. For general readers, it can be read selectively, psalm by psalm, as a serious guide to prayer and praise, though some sections will still require careful attention.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a Psalms commentary that keeps the church in view, this is a strong choice. It reads with reverence, thinks theologically, and serves the pulpit. Use it to steady your grasp of the text and to deepen the spiritual weight of your preaching, then supplement it when you need the extra technical detail.

1 and 2 Timothy and Titus

AdvancedPastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation

8.3

Author: Richard B. Steele Robert W. Wall

Bible Book: 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus

Series: Two Horizons New Testament Commentary

Type: Theological

Publisher: Eerdmans

Theological Perspective: Wesleyan / Arminian

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This volume on the Pastoral Epistles reads 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus as letters given to shape the worship, teaching, and moral life of the church. The author approaches the texts with a strong ecclesial instinct. These letters are not treated as mere manuals, but as pastoral Scripture that forms a community in sound doctrine, faithful leadership, and resilient godliness. The exposition follows the flow of each letter, while repeatedly drawing out how doctrine and practice are woven together.

The theological approach is deliberate. The author aims to connect careful reading with the wider confession of the church. That means the commentary often pauses to reflect on how the letters speak about the gospel, the church, ministry, and the pattern of Christian life under grace. It also means the author is attentive to the way these letters address false teaching. The problem is not simply intellectual error, it is distorted desire and disordered life. The Pastoral Epistles are presented as a call to integrity, both in teaching and in conduct.

For pastors and elders, the value lies in the way the commentary keeps church life in view. Leadership qualifications, public worship, care for the vulnerable, and the training of believers are handled as theological matters. The author also treats suffering, perseverance, and the handing on of the apostolic message as central themes, especially in 2 Timothy. The overall effect is to present these letters as a summons to steady faithfulness in ministry, grounded in the saving work of God.

Strengths

The most significant strength is the insistence that ecclesiology is theological. Many resources treat church order as mere pragmatics. Here, the author repeatedly shows how the letters ground church practice in the character of God and the gospel. The discussions of teaching, oversight, and discipline are set within the purpose of God to form a holy people. That helps preachers present pastoral instruction as worshipful obedience, rather than as managerial technique.

The commentary is also strong on the relationship between doctrine and life. False teaching is shown to produce moral damage, and sound teaching is shown to produce godliness. This emphasis is very useful for preaching in cultures where doctrine is treated as optional. The author helps you show that the Pastoral Epistles refuse that separation. They call the church to truth that can be seen in conduct, relationships, and endurance in hardship.

Another strength is the pastoral realism. The author does not romanticise ministry. He highlights Paul concern for perseverance, for entrusting the message to reliable people, and for courage under pressure. The reading of 2 Timothy is especially strong in this regard. It treats the letter as a charge to endure, to preach the word, and to carry the gospel forward with patience and conviction. That is fertile ground for preaching to leaders and congregations alike.

Limitations

The theological orientation sometimes means that certain historical and technical questions are treated more lightly. Readers who want long discussion of authorship debates, background reconstruction, or detailed lexical analysis will need additional tools. The author tends to focus on interpretive decisions that matter for ecclesial reading and theological direction, which is not the same as offering exhaustive critical coverage.

Because the commentary often works at the level of synthesis, the preacher may still need to do additional work to turn insights into a clear sermon outline. The reflections can be rich, but they are not always arranged in a homiletical shape. Also, those who prefer a strictly verse by verse technical layout may find the style more thematic than expected at points.

How We Would Use It

This is a strong resource for a preaching series on the Pastoral Epistles, especially for pastors who want to connect church practice to gospel theology. Use it to frame sermons on leadership, teaching, worship, and discipleship within the larger purpose of God. It is also a helpful companion for training elders and ministry leaders, because it treats these letters as Scripture for the life of the church today.

For weekly preparation, pair it with a more technical commentary if you need deeper engagement with language and background. Let this volume shape your theological framing and your sense of how the letters form a congregation. It is particularly helpful when you are preaching texts that can become contentious, because it encourages you to keep the pastoral aim of the passage, not merely the debate, in view.

Closing Recommendation

This volume offers a thoughtful theological reading of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus that is deeply concerned for the church. It will serve pastors who want to preach these letters with doctrinal weight and pastoral seriousness. It is not the most technical commentary available, but it is a valuable guide for reading the Pastoral Epistles as living Scripture that trains the church for faithful ministry in every generation.

1 and 2 Thessalonians

AdvancedPastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation

8.2

Author: C. Andrew Johnson

Bible Book: 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians

Series: Two Horizons New Testament Commentary

Type: Theological

Publisher: Eerdmans

Theological Perspective: Wesleyan / Arminian

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This volume on 1 and 2 Thessalonians aims to read Paul letters as Scripture that forms the church in holiness, hope, and steadfast love. The exposition moves through each letter carefully, often highlighting how Paul pastoral tone and theological claims fit together. The author keeps a close eye on the flow of thought, so that sections about suffering, work, leadership, and the return of the Lord are read as parts of a single pastoral strategy rather than disconnected topics.

The commentary is shaped by theological interpretation. It does not ignore historical questions, but it is not driven by them. Instead, the author is concerned to show how these letters disclose the character of God, the shape of Christian identity, and the habits that mark a church living between the resurrection and the return of Christ. Eschatology is treated as practical theology, not as a playground for speculation. The return of the Lord is presented as a hope that steadies believers in suffering and calls them into sober, active faithfulness.

The volume is particularly attentive to holiness. The author repeatedly shows how Paul calls the Thessalonians to a life that fits the gospel, in sexual integrity, mutual love, and quiet diligence. That ethical emphasis is not moralistic. It is grounded in the work of God who calls, sanctifies, and keeps his people. The result is a commentary that can serve preachers well, especially those who want to handle eschatological passages with clarity and pastoral care.

Strengths

A major strength is the handling of eschatology. The author resists both alarm and vagueness. He reads the contested passages within the letters argument and pastoral context, and he keeps attention on what Paul is trying to produce in the church. The discussion helps pastors avoid turning sermons into timelines. Instead, the return of Christ is preached as a comfort for the afflicted, a warning to the complacent, and a summons to steady obedience.

The volume also excels in showing the pastoral texture of the letters. Paul affection, urgency, and authority are all highlighted, and the author often explains how those relational dynamics shape the meaning of the exhortations. That is very helpful for preaching because it helps you carry the tone of the text, not just the content. The Thessalonian letters are full of encouragement, but also full of firm correction. This commentary helps you hold those together without softening either.

Another strength is theological integration. Themes such as election, sanctification, perseverance, suffering, and communal responsibility are treated in connection with the text. The author frequently draws together the doctrinal and ethical strands, showing how God action grounds human obedience. For churches struggling with idleness, anxiety, or conflict, the commentary provides a clear route from exegesis to pastoral counsel.

Limitations

Readers looking for exhaustive engagement with every scholarly view may find the discussion more focused than comprehensive. The author often chooses a path and explains it, rather than surveying every alternative. That makes the commentary more usable for many pastors, but it may leave some academic readers wanting more interaction at points of debate.

The theological reflection sections can also feel uneven in direct sermon utility. At times they are immediately fruitful for preaching. At other times they function more as a framework that needs translation into simple language for the congregation. In addition, because the commentary is deliberately theological, those wanting extensive word by word grammatical analysis will still need another resource.

How We Would Use It

This is a strong companion for preaching through the Thessalonian letters. Use it early in preparation to map the flow of argument, especially around the return of the Lord, the call to holiness, and the pastoral handling of suffering. Then return to it to shape the theological framing of each sermon. It is particularly helpful for keeping application connected to the gospel logic of the letters, rather than drifting into generic moral advice.

Pair it with a more technical commentary if you need deeper work on Greek or on historical background. Let this volume guide your theological reading and your pastoral tone. It will also serve well in training settings where students need to see how eschatology and ethics belong together in faithful preaching.

Closing Recommendation

This is a thoughtful and pastorally aware theological commentary. It reads Thessalonians as letters meant to steady the church in hope and holiness. The work is strongest where it keeps eschatology close to the letters pastoral aims, and it offers real help for preaching difficult passages without sensationalism. For pastors and students who want theology and exposition joined together, it is a wise resource for these letters.

Colossians & Philemon

AdvancedPastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation

8.4

Author: Marianne Meye Thompson

Bible Book: Colossians Philemon

Series: Two Horizons New Testament Commentary

Type: Theological

Publisher: Eerdmans

Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This combined volume on Colossians and Philemon offers a steady, church minded reading that aims to bridge exegesis and theology. The author works through the text in a way that keeps the argument of each letter clear, while also drawing out doctrinal contours, pastoral intent, and ecclesial implications. Colossians is treated as a letter that magnifies Christ and reorders the life of the church under his lordship. Philemon is handled as a brief but potent display of the gospel reshaping relationships and social expectations.

The exposition is careful without becoming overloaded. Key terms and argument turns are explained, and the commentary frequently pauses to show how theology emerges from the text rather than being imposed upon it. The author is attentive to the letter central claims about Christ, creation, reconciliation, and the new humanity. That attention helps the reader avoid shallow slogans. Instead, Colossians becomes a letter that demands patient hearing and careful doctrinal thought.

The volume also has a pastoral realism. It recognises that Colossians addresses both doctrinal distortion and everyday discipleship. The author highlights how the confession of Christ supremacy shapes worship, ethics, and communal life. Philemon is treated not as a curiosity but as a concrete test case for gospel shaped love, forgiveness, and costly reconciliation. The result is a commentary that serves preaching and teaching well, especially for those who want doctrinal clarity that turns naturally toward lived obedience.

Strengths

The major strength is balance. The commentary is rigorous enough to help you with difficult paragraphs, yet it keeps returning to the pastoral aim of the letters. Colossians is read with a clear sense of its theological centre. The author brings out the cosmic scope of Christ work, and then shows how that cosmic gospel addresses local church problems, false teaching, and moral confusion. That is a helpful antidote to sermons that treat doctrine and practice as separate compartments.

The handling of the Christ hymn material in Colossians is especially strong. The author shows how the claims about Christ relate to creation, redemption, and the church, and how they guard believers from substituting spiritual experiences or moral programmes for union with Christ. That leads into practical, text based counsel on prayer, holiness, family life, and public witness. The practical sections are not generic, they are rooted in the logic of the letter.

Philemon is treated with careful moral judgement. The author avoids easy triumphalism and avoids cynicism. She shows how the gospel creates a new set of loyalties and affections that challenge established patterns. The letter is read as an invitation to costly love that honours Christ and seeks the good of others. For pastors, this provides a wise path for preaching a letter that touches sensitive questions about power, status, and reconciliation.

Limitations

Readers looking for extended technical discussion of every interpretive option will find the treatment selective. The author focuses on choices that matter for understanding the argument and theological direction. That makes the commentary more usable for many pastors, but it also means you may want a more technical resource for certain debated details, especially if you are teaching at an academic level.

Another limitation is that the theological reflection, though generally well integrated, can sometimes feel like it belongs to a classroom rather than the pulpit. The ideas are valuable, but the preacher will still need to translate them into simple sermon movements. Also, because this is a combined volume, those wanting a fuller length treatment of each letter may wish for more space in places.

How We Would Use It

Use this commentary to anchor sermon preparation in the theological centre of Colossians. Begin by mapping the argument of the letter, then use the exposition to clarify key claims, especially the identity and work of Christ. After that, let the theological reflection sections help you connect doctrine to ethics and church life. For Philemon, use the volume to think carefully about tone and application, so that your sermon is both courageous and wise.

It is also suitable for teaching settings, including church classes and training programmes. The prose is accessible for readers with some theological training, and the content consistently pushes toward church faithful interpretation. Pair it with a more technical commentary if your context demands deeper engagement with linguistic or historical issues.

Closing Recommendation

This is a strong and steady commentary that keeps Christ central and the church in view. It serves pastors who want to preach Colossians with doctrinal weight and practical integrity, and it offers a wise guide to Philemon that avoids simplistic conclusions. If you are building a set of resources that unite exegesis and theology, this volume is a worthwhile companion for faithful preaching and teaching.