Resource Type: Commentary

A volume offering verse-by-verse or section-by-section exposition of a biblical book, written to help pastors, teachers, and serious students understand the meaning of Scripture in its context.

2 Samuel (8.1)

Mid-levelPastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
Author: Harry A. Hoffner
Bible Book: 2 Samuel
Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary
Type: Expository
Publisher: Lexham Press
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Second Samuel holds together triumph and tragedy. The kingdom is established, the promises to David are set in place, and the hope of a lasting throne shines brightly. Yet the same book exposes the wreckage of sin, the cost of power, and the bitter consequences that ripple through a household and a nation. Harry A. Hoffner’s volume in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series aims to help us preach and teach this book with honesty and theological steadiness. We need both, because 2 Samuel refuses simplistic moral lessons.

This commentary helps us see the book’s main line. David is the Lord’s chosen king, yet he is also a sinner in need of mercy. The covenant promises are firm, yet the discipline of the Lord is real. The narrative is not trying to entertain. It is teaching Israel, and us, what life under the Lord’s kingship looks like, and why the ultimate hope cannot rest on even the best of human kings. That prepares the way for Christ, not through shallow parallels, but through the deep tension of promise and failure.

Hoffner is particularly useful when working through the middle of the book, the Bathsheba narrative, Nathan’s confrontation, and the long shadow that follows. These chapters can easily be mishandled, either softened to protect David, or preached in a way that becomes voyeuristic and harsh. The commentary encourages us to keep the author’s purpose in view. The text is exposing sin, vindicating the Lord’s justice, and magnifying the Lord’s mercy, while also showing the seriousness of covenant privilege.

Strengths

First, the commentary supports careful narrative preaching. It helps us observe pacing, speeches, and turning points. That is essential in 2 Samuel, where the structure itself carries meaning. For example, the covenant promise of chapter 7 is not just a theological highlight. It is placed to shape how we read everything that follows. Hoffner helps us treat that chapter as a lens, promise does not erase discipline, and discipline does not cancel promise.

Second, the treatment is pastorally realistic. We are helped to see the damage of sin without descending into cynicism. We are also helped to see the possibility of repentance without turning repentance into a technique. The emphasis is not, be like David. The emphasis is, fear the Lord, repent when confronted, and recognise that even the most gifted servant is not the Saviour.

Third, there is value for theological synthesis. The themes of kingship, covenant, and temple preparation are handled in a way that can strengthen biblical theology. This helps pastors connect the book to the wider storyline without skipping the hard work of exegesis.

Limitations

As with the companion volume, the size and detail mean this is not a last minute resource. Pastors will need to use it selectively, especially in weeks where the narrative is straightforward. There may also be places where you want more direct help in moving from explanation to proclamation. The series aims to equip you for that work, rather than doing it for you.

How We Would Use It

We would use this commentary at three points. First, in planning the series, to identify natural preaching units and to clarify the role of chapter 7 in the overall argument. Second, in the heavy pastoral chapters, to ensure we are handling the text with fidelity and with suitable restraint. Third, in the later chapters, where conflict and consequence can feel repetitive, to keep the narrative purpose clear so sermons do not become mere retelling.

For leadership training, 2 Samuel is a gift, and this commentary can help leaders face the text honestly. It teaches us that public ministry does not immunise the heart, and that the Lord’s kindness is never permission to sin. It also steadies us with the reminder that the Lord keeps His promises, even when His servants fail.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this as a substantial, steady mid level guide for preaching 2 Samuel. It will especially help pastors who want to handle the book’s darkest chapters with integrity, and to keep covenant promise and moral seriousness together.

1 Samuel (8.1)

Mid-levelPastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
Author: Harry A. Hoffner
Bible Book: 1 Samuel
Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary
Type: Expository
Publisher: Lexham Press
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

First Samuel is a book of transitions, from judges to kingship, from scattered leadership to central authority, and from hope to painful lessons about the kind of king Israel truly needs. Harry A. Hoffner’s treatment in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary aims to serve pastors and teachers who want to follow the book’s argument rather than treating it as a collection of famous stories. We meet Hannah’s prayer, the corruption of Eli’s sons, the rise and fall of Saul, and the steady shaping of David. Yet the real centre is the Lord Himself, the One who opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.

This commentary is most helpful when it keeps that centre visible. It encourages us to read narrative as theology in motion. The Lord is not a background character. He is judging, guiding, restraining, and revealing His purposes. Hoffner helps us notice the repeated contrasts, humble and proud, obedient and self preserving, fear of the Lord and fear of people. Those contrasts are not moralistic slogans. They are woven into the plot so that we feel the weight of what covenant faithfulness looks like in real life.

There is also a strong sense of the book’s pastoral realism. Leaders are flawed. People are fickle. The temptation to use religious language while disobeying is always near. Saul is a warning that can preach in any generation, especially in settings where leadership is prized and character is assumed. David is not presented as perfect, but as the Lord’s chosen king, shaped by suffering, waiting, and trust. The commentary helps us keep the narrative tension, which is where faithful preaching often lives.

Strengths

First, the scale of the work allows for careful attention to detail without losing the storyline. At over a thousand pages, this is not a light tool, yet the best sections show how close reading serves the big picture. That is ideal for series preaching. We can plan units with confidence and avoid the common trap of over preaching the dramatic moments while neglecting the quieter shaping chapters.

Second, the exposition tends to be clear about narrative purpose. We are helped to see why certain speeches, summaries, and repeated phrases are included. That matters because narrative preaching can drift into retelling without explaining meaning. Hoffner pushes us to ask what the author is emphasising, what response is being called for, and what kind of king the Lord is preparing His people to desire.

Third, there is pastoral usefulness in the way leadership themes are handled. The commentary provides material for training elders, for correcting shallow leadership models, and for helping congregations understand that outward success can hide inward compromise. It also helps us apply the book beyond leadership, because the heart issues are common to all believers, fear, impatience, self justification, and forgetfulness of the Lord.

Limitations

The size can be a drawback for busy pastors. You may not have time to consult this in full each week. It is a commentary that rewards early preparation and a planned series, rather than last minute rescue. At points, the amount of detail can also feel uneven, with some discussions expanding more than a preacher may need. This is where selective use becomes wise.

How We Would Use It

We would use this commentary primarily at the planning stage, mapping the book’s structure, identifying major turns, and clarifying interpretive decisions that shape the sermon series. Week to week, we would dip in for the key chapters, especially where narrative complexity and theological emphasis meet. It is also a strong resource for training men who are learning to handle Old Testament narrative with precision and restraint.

In preaching, we would use the commentary as a guardrail. It helps keep us from turning Samuel into a leadership seminar, and it helps us keep the Lord’s kingship and covenant purposes in the foreground. That is where Christian proclamation finds its true line of connection to Christ, the final King who is faithful where Saul was faithless and who is humble where human hearts are proud.

Closing Recommendation

We commend this as a substantial mid level resource for serious work in 1 Samuel. It is not quick, but it is capable of strengthening both understanding and proclamation when used with patience and a clear plan.

Exodus 19-40 (8.2)

Mid-levelBusy pastorsStrong recommendation
Author: Eugene Carpenter
Bible Book: Exodus
Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary
Type: Expository
Publisher: Lexham Press
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Exodus 19 to 40 is where many preaching plans slow down. The narrative gives way to covenant words, holiness demands, and tabernacle detail. Yet this section is not a detour. It is the heart of what redemption is for, communion with the Lord, under His Word, in the way He appoints. Eugene Carpenter helps us feel that logic. He keeps reminding us that Sinai is not salvation by works, but the covenantal shape of a redeemed life.

The commentary is particularly helpful at showing how the pieces fit together. The law is given in the context of grace. The Lord has already carried Israel on eagles wings. The commands then describe what belonging looks like. The tabernacle is not religious furniture. It is the Lord making a way to dwell with a sinful people without denying His holiness. When we preach this material, we must resist two errors, legalism that forgets redemption, and sentimental grace that forgets holiness. Carpenter regularly steers us away from both.

The golden calf episode becomes a key turning point in the volume. It exposes how quickly the human heart turns from the living God to manageable idols. It also displays the Lord as both righteous and merciful, and it shows why mediation matters. Moses stands in the breach, but the story leaves us longing for a better mediator. Carpenter handles that tension with restraint. He does not turn every verse into an altar call. Yet he helps us see why the narrative pushes toward the need for atonement, intercession, and covenant renewal.

Strengths

First, the commentary clarifies structure and emphasis in a section that can feel repetitive. The pattern of instruction and construction in the tabernacle chapters is explained in a way that helps us teach the material, rather than merely survive it. Carpenter shows what the repetition is doing. It is underlining that the Lord cares about worship, and that worship is shaped by revelation, not preference.

Second, there is a steady theological thread. Holiness, mediation, covenant loyalty, and the presence of God are not treated as abstract topics. They are tied to the movement of the text. This is vital for pastors. We do not want a sermon series on Exodus to become two unrelated series, a redemption series in chapters 1 to 18, and a law series in chapters 19 to 40. Carpenter helps us present one unified message, the Lord redeems in order to dwell with His people, and He teaches them how to live as His treasured possession.

Third, the material supports careful application. We are helped to apply commands as covenant commands, given to a redeemed people. We are helped to apply worship texts as worship texts, guarding the church from casualness. We are helped to apply the golden calf narrative as a mirror of our own idol making, with the gospel remedy in view.

Limitations

Some readers will want more explicit Christological synthesis. Carpenter is often content to set the Old Testament argument clearly and then let preachers do the canonical work. That is not wrong, but it does mean we must take responsibility to preach Christ with integrity, showing how these themes find their fulfilment in Him. There are also places where the technical detail can slow the pace, especially if you are using this late in the week.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume when planning how to preach the tabernacle and law sections without losing the congregation. Carpenter helps with selection, emphasis, and explanation. We would also use it for teaching leaders, because these chapters shape our doctrine of worship, holiness, and mediation.

In pastoral ministry, this volume can help us correct drift. When the church treats worship as entertainment, or obedience as optional, Exodus 19 to 40 calls us back. Carpenter gives steady guidance for handling that call without becoming harsh or moralistic.

Closing Recommendation

We commend this as a strong mid level guide for preaching the second half of Exodus. It will help us keep grace and holiness together, and it will strengthen our confidence that these chapters are not filler but essential revelation for the people of God.

Exodus 1-18 (8.3)

Mid-levelBusy pastorsStrong recommendation
Author: Eugene Carpenter
Bible Book: Exodus
Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary
Type: Expository
Publisher: Lexham Press
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

We often come to Exodus wanting immediate application, yet the book begins by insisting that we first watch the Lord act. Exodus 1 to 18 sets the pattern. The Lord hears, remembers, sees, and knows. He then stretches out His hand in judgment and salvation, and He forms a people who will live under His Word. Eugene Carpenter writes within the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series with a clear aim, to help us read the text in its own sequence and weight, and to keep interpretation tethered to the authorial intent.

This volume is at its best when it keeps the narrative moving. Carpenter helps us trace how oppression hardens Pharaoh, how the Lord reveals His name, and how redemption is never merely escape but belonging. We are not left with a set of isolated miracles. We see the steady confrontation between a false lord and the living God. That is good for preaching, because it gives us the shape of the passage, the turning points, and the theological claims that rise from the storyline.

Carpenter also keeps an eye on the inner logic of the book. The signs are not theatre. They are verdict and revelation. The Passover is not religious decoration. It is substitutionary rescue that teaches Israel how to live as a redeemed people. The crossing of the sea is not only deliverance. It is the Lord claiming His people and putting His enemies to shame. When we preach these chapters, we need more than moral lessons about courage. We need the God centred thrust of the text, and this commentary regularly helps us stay there.

Strengths

First, the exposition tends to be steady and text driven. Carpenter does not race past awkward details. He helps us see patterns, repeated words, and narrative structure. That supports the kind of preaching that follows the argument, rather than imposing a theme from outside. For example, where the story slows down to show repeated refusals and repeated warnings, he shows why that repetition matters. It is building the case that the Lord is patient, purposeful, and unstoppable.

Second, the theological payoffs are handled with sobriety. We are helped to see that the Exodus is not a vague image of freedom, but a covenantal act of salvation. The Lord redeems Israel so that they may worship Him and live as His possession. That is a deeply Reformed instinct, even when expressed in broadly evangelical terms. Grace leads to obedience. Salvation leads to worship. Freedom leads to service.

Third, the commentary is useful for sermon preparation because it often supplies just enough historical and literary background to remove confusion, without letting background become the main meal. We are given clarity on what the text is doing, then we are pushed back to the passage itself. That is especially helpful in the plague narratives, where we can get lost in side debates and miss the theological centre.

Limitations

The main limitation is that pastors wanting extensive homiletical scaffolding will still need to do their own work to turn exegesis into sermon form. This series aims to explain, not to hand you ready made applications. At points, the detail can also feel heavy, particularly if you are trying to move quickly. We should treat it as a companion for careful preparation rather than a quick skim tool.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume as a mid week clarifier. After reading the passage repeatedly and outlining its flow, we would consult Carpenter to confirm structure, to test interpretive decisions, and to sharpen the theological centre of the sermon. It is also a good aid for building a series, because it helps you see how themes develop from oppression to redemption to wilderness testing.

For teaching elders and small group leaders, this can provide stable notes that keep discussion anchored in the narrative. The early chapters of Exodus are often reduced to inspirational stories. This commentary helps us keep the Lord in the foreground and the gospel logic in view.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this as a serious, text faithful companion for preaching and teaching Exodus 1 to 18. It will reward patient reading, and it will help us proclaim the God who saves, judges, and gathers a people for His glory.

Revelation (8.2)

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsStrong recommendation
Author: Thomas R. Schreiner
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 both attracts and intimidates. It is filled with vivid imagery, repeated cycles, and scenes of worship and judgment that lift the veil on present reality. When preached well, it steadies the church. It shows us that the Lamb reigns, that evil will not win, and that patient endurance is reasonable because Christ is faithful. When preached poorly, it becomes a theatre of speculation, or it becomes a codebook for anxious timelines. A technical commentary is valuable when it helps the preacher interpret the book in a way that honours its genre, its structure, and its pastoral purpose.

This volume is substantial, and it aims to take seriously both the detail and the message. Revelation requires that kind of work. We must listen to how the book uses the Old Testament, how it employs symbols, and how it moves between scenes of heaven and earth. We must also remember that it was written to churches who were under pressure, tempted to compromise, and tempted to fear. Revelation is not written to satisfy curiosity. It is written to strengthen worship, holiness, and hope. A commentary that keeps those aims in view will serve the church.

For pastors, the usefulness is clear. We need help in the thorny passages, and we need help to see the big movements, from the risen Christ among His churches, through cycles of judgment and warning, to the final renewal of all things. We also need assistance in turning apocalyptic vision into clear proclamation without draining it of its power. The aim is not to tame Revelation. The aim is to preach it faithfully so that the people of God endure and worship with courage.

Strengths

First, the commentary gives sustained attention to structure. Revelation has repeated patterns and recapitulations. Preaching becomes clearer when we can explain to the congregation how the book is moving, and why it repeats imagery. A structured approach prevents us from presenting Revelation as a flat sequence of predictions. It helps us preach the book as a series of visions that reinforce the same truths from different angles, especially the triumph of the Lamb and the certainty of final judgment.

Second, it is strong on Old Testament saturation. Revelation is drenched in scriptural imagery. The beasts, the plagues, the temple language, the throne room scenes, and the prophetic oracles draw on earlier Scripture. If we preach Revelation without Scripture, we will misread it. A technical commentary that keeps returning to the Bible’s own language helps us stay anchored. It also helps our people feel that Revelation belongs in the canon, not as a strange appendix, but as a climactic unveiling of what the whole Bible has been teaching about God’s reign.

Third, it supports pastoral application by keeping the book’s aims close. Revelation calls for patient endurance, refusal to compromise, and a worship shaped life. The warnings to the churches are real, and the comforts are real. A helpful commentary assists the preacher in bringing both to bear. We want congregations that are neither triumphant in a worldly sense nor despairing. We want congregations that sing because the Lamb is worthy, and that endure because the Lamb will judge and renew.

Limitations

The obvious limitation is that the size and density can overwhelm. Revelation is already a demanding book, and a large technical commentary can feel heavy if you are trying to prepare quickly. We would therefore treat it as a primary study companion rather than a quick consult. Also, technical discussion cannot resolve every question with absolute certainty. We will still meet interpretive decisions where faithful readers differ. A commentary can clarify options, but it cannot replace the preacher’s responsibility to speak with appropriate confidence and appropriate modesty.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume when preaching a full series in Revelation, or when preaching major units such as the letters to the churches, the throne room worship, or the final visions of judgment and new creation. We would also use it as a reference for difficult passages where imagery and structure matter. In preparation, we would first read the unit repeatedly, trace the connections to earlier Scripture, and outline the pastoral purpose. Then we would consult the commentary to test our understanding, sharpen details, and avoid speculative shortcuts.

We would also use it to train leaders to read apocalyptic literature with reverence and restraint. Revelation calls us to worship and endurance, and it calls us to faithfulness in the face of worldly pressure. A technical guide can help ensure that the book produces those fruits rather than argument and distraction.

Closing Recommendation

This is a major technical tool for a major biblical book. It is best for pastors and advanced students who are willing to do careful work so that Revelation can be preached as it was intended, with Christ at the centre, with Scripture as the frame, and with endurance and worship as the goal.

1-3 John (8.2)

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsStrong recommendation
Author: Robert L. Yarborough
Bible Book: 1 John 2 John 3 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 letters are written to a church facing doctrinal confusion and relational fracture. They are deeply pastoral, but they are also sharply theological. John insists that true fellowship is grounded in truth, that true assurance is linked to obedience, and that love is defined by Christ, not by sentiment. These letters can be deceptively hard to preach because John circles themes, repeats phrases, and speaks in bold contrasts. A technical commentary is valuable when it helps us see the argument beneath the repetition, and when it helps us preach assurance without softening John’s tests of genuine faith.

This volume aims to guide the reader through the structure and logic of 1 John, and then through the shorter, more situational letters of 2 John and 3 John. It treats John’s themes with seriousness, including confession of Christ, the reality of sin, the call to walk in the light, and the nature of Christian love. The best technical help here is not abstract. It is the assistance that keeps us from reducing John to slogans. John is writing to protect the church from lies about Christ and from a hollow confidence that divorces faith from holiness.

For pastors, these letters are priceless for building a congregation that is both assured and discerning. We want to say, with John, that believers can know they have eternal life. We also want to say, with John, that false teaching is deadly, and that love without truth is not love. A careful commentary supports that kind of preaching.

Strengths

First, the commentary helps with John’s pattern of repetition. Rather than treating repetition as disorder, it shows how John returns to themes to press them deeper into the conscience and into the life of the church. That helps sermon planning. We can structure a series in a way that follows John’s movements, and we can help our people see why the same themes return. John is not rambling. He is pastoring.

Second, it handles the tests of faith with balance. John’s language can unsettle tender consciences if preached poorly. Yet if preached vaguely, it can leave the church unprotected. A good technical work helps us take the statements seriously while attending to context and purpose. It helps us show how John distinguishes between the believer who fights sin and the false professor who makes peace with sin. It also helps us keep Christ central, because John’s tests are not invitations to self salvation. They are invitations to honest faith, repentance, and communion with God through the Son.

Third, it is useful in the shorter letters, which are often neglected. 2 John and 3 John are brief, but they teach important lessons about hospitality, truth, and church health. We learn that welcoming teachers is not a neutral act, and we learn that pride and control can damage a congregation. The commentary can help us preach those letters with specificity and with wisdom for modern church life.

Limitations

The limitation is that the pastoral heart of John can be dulled if we treat the letters as an intellectual puzzle. A technical commentary can help with meaning, but it cannot supply the spiritual tone. We must still preach these letters with warmth, because John writes as a father. Also, because John’s style is simple on the surface, the detailed discussion can feel heavier than expected. That is often necessary, but it means this is best for study rather than quick consultation.

How We Would Use It

We would use this commentary to clarify key interpretive decisions in 1 John, especially where repeated terms and phrases carry theological weight. We would use it to strengthen our handling of assurance, making sure we preach comfort rooted in Christ, not comfort rooted in sentiment. We would also use it to shape a church culture that takes truth seriously, and that understands love as obedience to Christ’s commands.

For 2 John and 3 John, we would use it as a guide for short sermon series or teaching sessions that address hospitality, discernment, and the temptation toward domineering leadership. The letters are small, but their lessons are timely.

Closing Recommendation

This is a solid technical companion for preaching and teaching John’s letters with care. It helps us hold assurance and warning together, it keeps Christ at the centre, and it supports ministry that aims for churches marked by truth, love, and steady obedience.

Jude & 2 Peter (8.1)

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsStrong recommendation
Author: Gene L. Green
Bible Book: 2 Peter Jude
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Jude and 2 Peter are small letters with a sharp edge. They address false teaching, moral corruption, and the temptation to treat grace as permission to sin. They also speak to spiritual weariness, especially where scoffers mock the promise of Christ’s return. For pastors, these texts are both necessary and challenging. We want to warn without becoming harsh, and we want to contend for the faith without turning the pulpit into a quarrel. A careful technical commentary can help us handle the argument responsibly, and can protect us from using these letters as a licence for suspicion.

This volume aims to bring detailed exegesis to bear on letters that are packed with allusions, dense imagery, and strong language. Jude’s use of Old Testament examples and his striking descriptions of the ungodly require careful handling. 2 Peter’s warnings, and its emphasis on growth in godliness, require balanced preaching. We need to show that vigilance and tenderness belong together. We must also keep the gospel central. The letters do not merely tell us to fight error. They tell us to keep ourselves in the love of God, to remember the apostles’ words, and to look for mercy that leads to eternal life.

Because the subject matter can stir anxiety in a congregation, a commentary that keeps returning to the text’s intent is a gift. The goal is not to create a fearful church, but a discerning church, a hopeful church, and a holy church.

Strengths

First, the commentary is strong on the letters’ use of Scripture and tradition. Jude, in particular, is full of references that can confuse modern readers. A technical guide helps us understand what Jude is doing and why it matters for his argument. That clarity supports preaching. We are less likely to skip difficult references or to speak vaguely. Instead, we can show how Jude uses examples to expose the seriousness of rebellion against God.

Second, it provides careful help with the pastoral purpose of warnings. Warnings are not opposed to assurance. They are one of God’s means to keep His people. This volume can help us preach warnings with a shepherd’s heart, not with a censor’s spirit. It reminds us that Jude calls believers to mercy, to rescue, and to prayerful dependence. 2 Peter, likewise, calls for growth in knowledge and godliness, grounded in God’s promises and God’s power.

Third, it assists with passages that commonly generate controversy, including discussions around prophecy, memory, and the delay of Christ’s return. The commentary keeps the reader anchored in the letters’ core concerns. Scoffers do not merely raise intellectual puzzles. They reveal hearts that do not want the Lordship of Christ. Peter’s answer is not cleverness. It is the certainty of God’s Word and the certainty of God’s coming judgment, which makes holiness urgent and hope steady.

Limitations

The main limitation is that these letters require pastoral tact as much as technical precision. A technical commentary can give you the meaning, but it cannot give you the tone for your particular people. We must still read our congregation well, and we must still preach with tears as well as firmness. Also, because the letters are short, the commentary’s detailed engagement can feel heavy in places. That is not wrong, but it means this is a study tool rather than a quick reference.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume when preaching through Jude or 2 Peter in settings where doctrinal drift and moral compromise are real concerns. It is particularly helpful in clarifying the letters’ structure and in explaining the function of their vivid imagery. We would also use it to train elders and leaders in discernment. These letters teach us to recognise patterns of false teaching, to resist them, and to respond with both courage and mercy.

When preaching, we would keep returning to the letters’ positive aims. Jude calls us to build ourselves up in the faith, to pray in the Holy Spirit, and to wait for mercy. 2 Peter calls us to make every effort to grow in virtue, knowledge, self control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. Technical clarity should fuel pastoral exhortation, not replace it.

Closing Recommendation

This is a careful technical resource for two letters that the church needs to hear. It will help preachers contend for the faith with biblical precision, and it can support a ministry that warns against error while still holding out the mercy and keeping power of God in Christ.

1 Peter (8.3)

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsStrong recommendation
Author: Karen H. Jobes
Bible Book: 1 Peter
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

1 Peter is written to Christians who are learning how to suffer without losing their identity. It calls the church to live as exiles, to endure opposition with holiness, and to remember that suffering is neither pointless nor ultimate. For preaching, that is both timely and demanding. We need to proclaim comfort without sentimentality, and we need to call for holiness without turning the letter into mere moral instruction. This commentary aims to help the preacher handle the letter carefully, with attention to its structure, its Old Testament echoes, and its rich gospel logic.

We are especially helped when a commentary keeps the big picture in view. 1 Peter moves from the new birth and living hope, to the formation of a holy people, to the shape of Christlike suffering in homes, in church life, and in public witness. The letter is full of dense theological statements that are meant to produce steady obedience. A technical resource earns its keep when it helps us see how Peter’s doctrinal foundations support his practical exhortations, and how the letter’s tone is both tender and firm.

This volume is not a quick devotional guide. It is built for careful work. It is the sort of commentary that supports those who want to handle words precisely, to weigh interpretive options, and to teach a congregation with confidence that the meaning is grounded in the text. When preaching in a culture that is increasingly impatient with Christian conviction, 1 Peter becomes essential. We want a commentary that helps us preach it without fear and without bitterness.

Strengths

First, the commentary is strong at tracing Peter’s use of Scripture. 1 Peter is saturated with Old Testament language, and Peter uses that language to reframe the church’s identity. We are a chosen people, a holy nation, living stones in God’s house. When we preach those themes, we must do so with biblical continuity rather than loose spiritualising. This commentary helps us see how Peter reads the Old Testament, and how he applies it to the people of Christ.

Second, it handles the theology of suffering with care. Peter is not merely giving coping strategies. He is shaping the church’s understanding of reality. Suffering is interpreted through Christ, through the inheritance kept in heaven, and through the refining purpose of trials. That gives the preacher a strong framework for pastoral application. We learn to comfort believers who are weary, and we learn to exhort those who are tempted to compromise. The letter’s hope is not vague optimism. It is resurrection hope.

Third, the work is useful in contested passages, such as the spirits in prison material and the baptism language in 1 Peter 3. In such places, preachers often either avoid the text or speak too quickly. A careful technical guide helps us tread with humility and clarity. It may not remove all difficulty, but it helps us make responsible choices and explain them in a way that serves the church.

Limitations

As with many technical commentaries, the density can slow sermon preparation when time is tight. You may find sections where the level of detail is more than you need for a pulpit exposition. We will often want to consult selectively, focusing on the passages that carry the interpretive weight in our series. Also, the technical focus means you must still do the work of translating careful exegesis into warm proclamation. That is the preacher’s calling, and it cannot be outsourced.

How We Would Use It

We would use this as a main study companion for a 1 Peter series. It is especially suited to the passages that define identity, holiness, and suffering. We would combine it with our own structural work and with a more directly homiletical commentary to assist in shaping sermon form. This volume gives strong support for meaning and context, which is the backbone of faithful preaching.

We would also use it in pastoral care contexts. 1 Peter speaks to believers who feel marginalised and weary. The commentary can sharpen our understanding so that our counsel is rooted in Peter’s priorities, not in generic encouragement. We can learn to call people to do good, to endure patiently, and to entrust themselves to God who judges justly.

Closing Recommendation

This is a strong technical resource for preaching and teaching 1 Peter with careful attention to Scripture and with real pastoral aim. It is best for those willing to read slowly, think clearly, and then speak warmly to God’s people as exiles with a living hope.

James (8.2)

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsStrong recommendation
Author: Dan G. McCartney
Bible Book: James
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

James is a letter that refuses to let us hide behind religious talk. It presses on partiality, speech, worldliness, prayerlessness, and the difference between living faith and dead profession. That directness can make James feel straightforward, yet careful reading shows how densely he speaks, and how deliberately he shapes his exhortations around the wisdom of God. This commentary sets out to help readers follow the letter’s structure, grasp the force of key terms, and preach the text with moral urgency that remains gospel shaped rather than moralistic.

We need that balance. James is often mishandled in two directions. Some flatten him into a list of ethical maxims, detached from Christ and the new covenant. Others become so anxious to defend justification by faith that they blunt James’s edge. A good technical commentary helps us avoid both. It helps us see how James addresses a church community, how he exposes counterfeit faith, and how he calls believers to endure trials with a single heart. The result is a resource that can strengthen serious preaching and careful discipleship.

Because this is a shorter letter, pastors sometimes assume we can manage without detailed help. Yet the details matter, because James is highly allusive, full of compressed arguments, and loaded with echoes of Scripture. When we take him seriously, our preaching becomes more searching and more steady. We learn to speak to the life of the church with clarity, and to do it with the fear of the Lord.

Strengths

First, the commentary treats James as a coherent pastoral letter, not as a string of sayings. It helps the reader notice repeated themes, the role of trials and endurance, the call to wholehearted devotion, and the way James uses wisdom language to shape a community under pressure. That coherence matters for preaching series. It gives us a sense of the letter’s burden, and it keeps application tethered to what James is actually doing.

Second, it is careful with key theological tensions. James speaks about faith and works in a way that demands precision. This commentary helps us see that James is not correcting Paul. He is correcting a shallow, verbal faith that has never bowed the heart. When we preach James 2, we want to speak with both confidence and care. The work assists with that, and it also helps us handle the pastoral tone, which is both sharp and fatherly.

Third, it is strong on practical passages that pastors regularly return to. Teaching on the tongue, on prayer, on wealth, on partiality, and on humility is never merely academic. We need to know what James means, and we need to know how he presses it into the life of the church. The commentary provides detailed help, and it does so in a way that makes responsible preaching easier, not harder.

Limitations

The limitation is that technical discussion can sometimes be front loaded in a way that asks the preacher to do extra work in translation. You may not be able to move straight from the page to a sermon outline. You will often need to synthesise, summarise, and then craft application that suits your context. Also, because James has a strongly exhortational tone, some readers may long for more extended theological reflection, especially where James touches themes that connect across the canon. A technical commentary often assumes you will make those broader connections yourself.

How We Would Use It

We would use this in the middle phase of sermon preparation. After repeated readings, structural work, and some initial outlining, this commentary can confirm the flow, sharpen word level decisions, and protect us from careless assertions. It is particularly useful when the sermon hinges on one contested phrase, or when the difference between two readings changes how we exhort the church.

We would also use it in training settings. James is an excellent letter for forming future preachers, because it forces attention to context and to pastoral intent. This commentary models that kind of discipline. It can help students learn how to let the Bible speak with sharpness while keeping the gospel central.

Closing Recommendation

This is a strong technical tool for those who want to preach James with precision and weight. It will not remove the need for pastoral wisdom in application, but it will strengthen the foundations so that our exhortations land with biblical authority and gospel realism.

1-2 Thessalonians (8.2)

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsStrong recommendation
Author: Jeffrey A.D. Weima
Bible Book: 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians
Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary On The New Testament
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Baker Academic
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

These two letters are short, but they are rarely simple. We move quickly from warm encouragement to searching correction, from joyful expectancy to sober warnings, and from the comfort of Christ’s return to the daily work of Christian steadiness. This volume aims to serve pastors and serious students who want careful, verse by verse explanation that keeps the argument of the letters in view. We are not being offered quick sermon points. We are being helped to see how Paul reasons, how he exhorts, and how the gospel shapes a church that is learning to endure.

A technical commentary succeeds when it does two things at once. It must be honest about the difficulties of the text, and it must not lose the reader in detail. Here the approach is methodical. We are led through the flow of thought, the key vocabulary, and the interpretive choices that affect preaching, especially around the day of the Lord, the man of lawlessness, and the pastoral handling of idleness and disorder. The best moments are those that show how doctrine lands in the pew, because Paul never writes theology for display. He writes it so that ordinary believers keep trusting Christ in real pressure.

For our purposes as preachers, the value is not simply that it handles disputed questions. The larger gain is that it models patience with the text. It encourages us to keep the whole letter open, to let Paul’s repeated themes emerge, and to notice how comfort and warning belong together. In 1 Thessalonians we hear the steady note of encouragement to a young church. In 2 Thessalonians we hear Paul protecting that same church from panic, confusion, and spiritual laziness.

Strengths

First, the commentary is strong on structure. It repeatedly draws attention to how the argument moves from thanksgiving to instruction to exhortation. That is exactly what we need when preaching epistles. We want to avoid chopping the text into isolated verses. The work helps us see how Paul’s commands are anchored in gospel realities, and how his future focus does not detach believers from present faithfulness. When we preach the return of Christ, this keeps us from speculation and from fear based urgency. Paul uses eschatology to strengthen holiness, hope, and perseverance.

Second, it pays careful attention to the pastoral situation behind the letters. Paul is responding to affliction, to confusion about those who have died, to anxiety about timing, and to disorderly patterns in the church’s life. That matters, because application should flow from the same pressures. We can see how Paul comforts without flattering, and how he warns without crushing. The emphasis on steady, ordinary faithfulness is a gift in a climate that often prizes drama.

Third, the technical detail is usually put to service. When there are key interpretive decisions, the work explains why they matter for meaning and for proclamation. Even when we do not need to reproduce the argument in a sermon, we benefit from knowing where the ground is firm and where we must speak with modesty. That helps us teach with confidence and humility at the same time.

Limitations

The limitation is the one that comes with the genre. A technical commentary can sometimes feel like it is speaking to the academy before it speaks to the church. The reader must do some translation work, turning careful discussion into clear proclamation. There will be sections where the detail is necessary, but the immediate devotional payoff is small. That is not a failure. It is simply the cost of carefulness, and it requires time and focus that busy pastors may not always have in the thick of weekly preparation.

Also, because the commentary is thorough, it can occasionally slow the reading experience when you want a swift overview. We would not normally hand this to a new believer or a small group leader without guidance. It is better as a tool for the preacher, or for the student who is learning to handle the text with precision.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume in three main ways. First, as a guardrail when preaching passages that invite speculation. It pushes us back to Paul’s aims, which are comfort, correction, and godly perseverance. Second, as a help in tracing repeated themes across the whole letter, especially the interplay of gospel identity and gospel conduct. Third, as a training tool for those preparing for ministry, because it models disciplined attention to words, context, and argument.

When preaching the day of the Lord material in 2 Thessalonians, we would use this to clarify what the text actually says, and then to keep the sermon anchored in the pastoral purpose. Paul is not giving us a hobby. He is forming a church that waits well, works well, and worships well.

Closing Recommendation

This is a solid technical companion for preaching and teaching 1 and 2 Thessalonians with care. It rewards slow reading, and it helps us keep our people in the path of steady hope, patient endurance, and ordered church life as we await the coming King.