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Fundamental Baptist Commentaries
- Thread starter labaptist
- Start date
thomas15
Well-Known Member
Good Question.
After visiting our local IFB Church a few times I asked that same question of the paid staff and received mostly blank stares. I would like to know the answer to this question as well.
Well, just to throw up some words and to increase my number of posts on this forum, I will say a few things that are my opinions of course but maybe we have some common ground and then perhaps someone who has blazed this trail will chime in with some wisedom.
Some people are going to define fundamental as fire breathing KJVO, short hair on men and dresses on women and so forth while others will insist on just the fundamentals of the faith. Then you have to figure out do you want a devotional commentary, expository commentary or word study.
Are you the type that wants a brief no-frills interpretation or do you want the kitchen sink? Are you interested in knowing the exact meaning of the orig Hebrew or Greek word in context and or do you want lots of cross references? How much money are you willing to spend? What is your theological stance?
Me personally, I want lots of detail and a scholarly treatment. I already have a few theology books and dictionaries and wordstudies. Right now I'm going to start to build up a library of commentaries so I look in the bibliography of articles I like and see what books the author used for source material. A great example of this is the NICNT book on the Gospel of John by Leon Morris, which I have seen referenced in a few articles that I have read. I bought this commentary used on ebay. This commentary is huge and very detailed. It is the only book in that series that I have seen so I cannot comment on the rest of them. I'm sure there are those on this board that would scoff at this series.
Another suggestion is if there is a Bible College nearby, maybe you can look in their library and get a preview of their commentaries.
Do you have any commentaries already and if yes, which ones?
After visiting our local IFB Church a few times I asked that same question of the paid staff and received mostly blank stares. I would like to know the answer to this question as well.
Well, just to throw up some words and to increase my number of posts on this forum, I will say a few things that are my opinions of course but maybe we have some common ground and then perhaps someone who has blazed this trail will chime in with some wisedom.
Some people are going to define fundamental as fire breathing KJVO, short hair on men and dresses on women and so forth while others will insist on just the fundamentals of the faith. Then you have to figure out do you want a devotional commentary, expository commentary or word study.
Are you the type that wants a brief no-frills interpretation or do you want the kitchen sink? Are you interested in knowing the exact meaning of the orig Hebrew or Greek word in context and or do you want lots of cross references? How much money are you willing to spend? What is your theological stance?
Me personally, I want lots of detail and a scholarly treatment. I already have a few theology books and dictionaries and wordstudies. Right now I'm going to start to build up a library of commentaries so I look in the bibliography of articles I like and see what books the author used for source material. A great example of this is the NICNT book on the Gospel of John by Leon Morris, which I have seen referenced in a few articles that I have read. I bought this commentary used on ebay. This commentary is huge and very detailed. It is the only book in that series that I have seen so I cannot comment on the rest of them. I'm sure there are those on this board that would scoff at this series.
Another suggestion is if there is a Bible College nearby, maybe you can look in their library and get a preview of their commentaries.
Do you have any commentaries already and if yes, which ones?
As I mentioned I have two of Rice's commentaries. I also have the complete set of 'Thru The Bible' and the 'John' volume of 'The Preacher's Commentary'. On e-Sword I have Matthew Henry, John Gill, Clarke's Commentary, Wesley's, Barnes, etc. On my ebible program I have The King James Commentary, Believer's Commentary, as well as Matthew Henry.
I was at a fundamental baptist college visiting and saw that they have John Phillips books for sale (Champion Baptist College Hot Springs, Ar) so I assume they are good books from a fundamentalist perspective. I know at one of the bible college's my sister attended used Wiesrbe's commentaries on the N.T. and David Cloud recommends it. I have looked through the Expositor's Commentary since my PCUSA brother in law has it and thought it was good but don't like that it's based on the NIV, though it doesn't seem to use it that much.I read the Mark volume of the New American commentary but didn't like that it discounted the last part of Mark. I want a commentary that wouldn't be completely off base for a fundamental baptist of a Sword of the Lord type favor.
I was at a fundamental baptist college visiting and saw that they have John Phillips books for sale (Champion Baptist College Hot Springs, Ar) so I assume they are good books from a fundamentalist perspective. I know at one of the bible college's my sister attended used Wiesrbe's commentaries on the N.T. and David Cloud recommends it. I have looked through the Expositor's Commentary since my PCUSA brother in law has it and thought it was good but don't like that it's based on the NIV, though it doesn't seem to use it that much.I read the Mark volume of the New American commentary but didn't like that it discounted the last part of Mark. I want a commentary that wouldn't be completely off base for a fundamental baptist of a Sword of the Lord type favor.
Plain Old Bill
New Member
Expositor's Commentary is excellant, so is the Bible Knowledge Commentary both based on the NIV but don't let that get you to worked up.Ironside,G Campbell Morgan,and Newell are other names that slip into mind as well.:godisgood:
thomas15
Well-Known Member
labaptist,
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain that the Matthew Henry, John Gill, Clarke's Commentary, Wesley's, Barnes on e-Sword are the abridged versions.
There is a huge difference between the abridged and unabridged versions of Matthew Henry. I think MH is worth having on the shelf. You can always find used 6 volume sets on ebay cheap or the 1 volume unabridged version for about $22.00-$24.00 new. Look for the yellow sticker at your local book store. The print is small , three colums per page and the book is big but at $22.00 it is a great buy. The abridged print versions sell for almost that amount so shop carefully.
Maybe it is just me but even though I don't agree with everything MH says, I trust him totally. Oliver Green on the other hand is (in my opinion) more for entertainment and not serious study. I'm not saying don't get them, it's just in my opinion it is much lighter reading and not as quoteworthy.
Also, just so you know, the NICNT series (New International Commentary on the New Testament) is not based on the NIV. The Gospel of John that I have is based on the American Standard Version. Again, I don't know about any of the other books in this set.
Also, being the apostate I am, I don't have a problem with the NIV so I use the Bible Knowledge Commentary. However, I'm wantng to know what the choice of fundamentalists is as per your OP, so I will be quiet and just listen for a while.
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain that the Matthew Henry, John Gill, Clarke's Commentary, Wesley's, Barnes on e-Sword are the abridged versions.
There is a huge difference between the abridged and unabridged versions of Matthew Henry. I think MH is worth having on the shelf. You can always find used 6 volume sets on ebay cheap or the 1 volume unabridged version for about $22.00-$24.00 new. Look for the yellow sticker at your local book store. The print is small , three colums per page and the book is big but at $22.00 it is a great buy. The abridged print versions sell for almost that amount so shop carefully.
Maybe it is just me but even though I don't agree with everything MH says, I trust him totally. Oliver Green on the other hand is (in my opinion) more for entertainment and not serious study. I'm not saying don't get them, it's just in my opinion it is much lighter reading and not as quoteworthy.
Also, just so you know, the NICNT series (New International Commentary on the New Testament) is not based on the NIV. The Gospel of John that I have is based on the American Standard Version. Again, I don't know about any of the other books in this set.
Also, being the apostate I am, I don't have a problem with the NIV so I use the Bible Knowledge Commentary. However, I'm wantng to know what the choice of fundamentalists is as per your OP, so I will be quiet and just listen for a while.
Mexdeaf said:
Wiersbe is weak (I assume you are speaking of the "Be" books). More of a Christianity 101 type commentary, and he is definitely mainline evangelical and not a fundamentalist. That's not a criticism per se, as I have some of his books; just a statement of his position.
thomas15
Well-Known Member
Hi Chad, I see from your profile that you are in Fairmont. I got my edjumacation at the university located just off Rt 50 in Salem. This was a few years ago, I graduated from Salem College in 1981. Also I came to know the Lord there which in itself is amazing. I see there is a Bible school in Salem these days.
Anyway, I love central WV and have many good memories of the place. I'm in NE PA now which reminds me alot of WV. It is very hilly here and we have some open pit coal mines and a slower pace compared to NJ where I have lived most of my life.
Didn't mean to hijack the thread.
Anyway, I love central WV and have many good memories of the place. I'm in NE PA now which reminds me alot of WV. It is very hilly here and we have some open pit coal mines and a slower pace compared to NJ where I have lived most of my life.
Didn't mean to hijack the thread.
They are written in crayon.
Just a little humor.(very little)
Hi Thomas. Yes, Salem has a small Bible college called Mountaineer Baptist College. I have preached in chapel and filled in for classes there on occasion. It is a night school, but they are doing a good job of filling a great need in our area: Formal Bible training. My pastor teaches most of the Systematic Theology courses and Pastoral Theology as well. I am a native Mountaineer, and got my BA from Fairmont State (Soc Studies Ed). In spite of the drawbacks, it is a great place to live and raise a family.thomas15 said:
Plain Old Bill
New Member
Many fundamentalists read Spurgeon,Barnes,Gill,Owen ,Henry,and other reformed and calvinist writers.:type: They are close enough and thier errors are easy enough to identify . Eat the cherries and spit out the pits.:godisgood:
Bro. Williams
New Member
Here I come...
i of course enjoy Dr. Peter Ruckman's commentaries. Hold the jeers and sneers boys, I know your opinions before you give them. As others have said about him, you have to take him with a grain of salt and understand that he is not inspired, and you have to take some stuff and leave others. Some stuff that he has on Israel and such are priceless and brilliant. Other stuff, like the aliens (beat you boys to it), is simply opinion and one can take or leave it. And, as others have said, you are gonna have to enjoy the cherry and spit out the pit. he will ramble quite a bit in some isntances, but not so much in others. His revelation commentary is a must, and I have just recieved the Genesis one in the mail this afternoon so I am yet to have an opinion on it.
I also have John Phillips Psalm commentary and have heard from his Proverbs and other books as well. I like some of his stuff when the application in need is a devotional one, for that is about as deep as he gets in the Psalm and Proverbs one for the most part. Here and there you will get a bit more, but don't hold your breath.
Greene's commentaries link every verse to salvation. That's just about the truth. i like greene though... so I would get them.
Another good electronic source is Swordsearcher (swordsearcher.com). It has various commentaries on the disk (as well as other books including the 1828 dictionary... also a must), such as Henry, treasury of David, and Jamieson F B to name a few. I believe others have been added, since my version as well.
i of course enjoy Dr. Peter Ruckman's commentaries. Hold the jeers and sneers boys, I know your opinions before you give them. As others have said about him, you have to take him with a grain of salt and understand that he is not inspired, and you have to take some stuff and leave others. Some stuff that he has on Israel and such are priceless and brilliant. Other stuff, like the aliens (beat you boys to it), is simply opinion and one can take or leave it. And, as others have said, you are gonna have to enjoy the cherry and spit out the pit. he will ramble quite a bit in some isntances, but not so much in others. His revelation commentary is a must, and I have just recieved the Genesis one in the mail this afternoon so I am yet to have an opinion on it.
I also have John Phillips Psalm commentary and have heard from his Proverbs and other books as well. I like some of his stuff when the application in need is a devotional one, for that is about as deep as he gets in the Psalm and Proverbs one for the most part. Here and there you will get a bit more, but don't hold your breath.
Greene's commentaries link every verse to salvation. That's just about the truth. i like greene though... so I would get them.
Another good electronic source is Swordsearcher (swordsearcher.com). It has various commentaries on the disk (as well as other books including the 1828 dictionary... also a must), such as Henry, treasury of David, and Jamieson F B to name a few. I believe others have been added, since my version as well.