Customer Reviews

The Gospel according to Matthew (Pillar New Testament Commentary)

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Leon Morris, an Anglican Theologian, has written a number of works that are outstanding. This is one of them. I was in need of a substantive commentary on Matthew, and am pleased to now have one! Morris' intention is to understand the meaning of the text, and the theology of Matthew, rather than to debate text critical issues endlessly. This commentary is very thorough and would be an excellent resource for pastors in their preaching ministry, and those interested in devotional studies. The extensive footnotes and references to other works would meet the need of those interested in contemporary research on this important gospel. Much recommended!

This is a wonderful, expositional commentary on the text of the Gospel of Matthew. What sets this work apart from nearly everything else available is Morris' determination to exposit what Matthew has actually said and is trying to tell us, rather than to argue a new view on the whole Gospel, or interact with critical theories that most readers have never heard of (and many of which have either faded away or are in the process). This is a commentary every person in the church can access and appreciate. Morris wears his considerable learning lightly, so we get a lively interaction with the gospel itself, which cannot help but pay rich spiritual dividends for us all. Having used several available Evangelical commentaries, I am convinced that Morris is the best overall. It is not as scholarly as Carson, but it not as dry either. It is not as insightful as Blomberg in some places, but it is much fuller so that you really get feel for what Matthew is trying to say. I am probably biased since I am a fan of nearly all of Morris' work, but this is the first place I turn when preparing to preach or teach from Matthew.

Some commentaries on Matthew give you extensive exegesis with endless interactions with other scholars. They are very helpful, but sometimes the message of Matthew is muddled and muddied as a result.

That's why Leon Morris' commentary on Matthew is a treat. The emphasis is his terrific line by line interpretation of the text. He does interact with other scholars, but not so much that the force of his own interpretation is neglected.

He writes with an eye toward application. For example, in his introduction to Matthew 5:38-42, he notes that "we have a natural tendency to retaliate when anyone harms us. But Jesus eschews hitting back in all its forms.(p. 126)"

He explains Greek terms without getting too technical. In the section on parables (Matthew 13), he contends (page 333) that we would do better to learn what a parable is by looking at the way Jesus used it than by coming up with our definition.

And in Matthew 24-25, Morris seems to take the double fulfillment interpretation, that it applies both to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and to the future Second Coming of the Lord Jesus.

Davies and Allison have written the most detailed commentary on Matthew, and I use it regularly. But this commentary takes its place alongside Michael Wilkins in terms of sermon preparation value. It is easy to consult, and it explains the text plainly without getting lost in minute details.

1. This book is wonderful. I have learned a lot from reading it. I have read all 750 pages. I say that because I want people to know that this is a review of the entire book and not just on a few portions that I may have read. This book took me about 7 days to read. I was on vacation and so I was able to read 100 or more pages a day. I have to say - reading the book in this manner was very beneficial. After 7 the days, I was able to see the entire book of Matthew in ways that were new to me and very refreshing. Often I found my self saying "Oh wow", or "Very good point". There are some real gems in here. Morris has made this commentary very readable. Not a lot of big words that you make you wonder what he is saying. In some ways, this is a fast moving commentary.

2. His translation - I appreciated the fact that the author made his own translation. I know others have mentioned that they keep their Bible open as they read this commentary. But in doing so, you miss the author's translation and what he is trying to say. Before reading each chapter, I would use a colored pencil and underscore each verse number in the author's translation. That way I could easily refer back to his translation. I would read the translation of each verse before I read his comments. That was a great help.

3. Matthew - and the other gospels. I know that some people do not like it when an author keeps referring to the other gospels and tries to synchronize the content of Matthew with them. But I found that Leon Morris did a great job of this. I thought he had a great balance in telling the Gospel according to Matthew while bringing in differences and similarities with the other Gospels.

4. Parables and The Kingdom of Heaven. I love the way that Morris built the theme of the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew is full of parables and Morris does a wonderful job of showing what Jesus taught about the Kingdom of heaven. I loved his understanding of the parables. He was very good at sticking to the theme of the parable and not over allegorizing them.

5. Sanhedrin - Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, elders, Chief Priests, etc. This is one part of his commentary that I found to be very informative and helpful. He always made it clear who was asking a question and or who was being spoken to by Jesus. Morris was good at showing why Jesus answered the Sadducees differently than he did the Pharisees. Same thing when someone asked Jesus a question. The questions from the Pharisees were different than those from the Sadducees. That is because they had completely different viewpoints and agendas.

6. Familiar Passages - There are of course some very familiar passages like the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, etc. At first I was a little disappointed at his brief treatment of these verses. But then I had to realize that there are entire books on these passages that I have read. If he had commented more, this book would have been so large that you would be discourage from reading it.

7. Divorce - Chapter 19 is a great discussion on Divorce. I know that Paul also talks about this difficult subject, but the teaching by Jesus is so fundamental. Morris is very helpful on showing the error of the Sadducees. He then explained what the "Bill of Divorcement" was really meant for. This is just very good basic teaching on divorce. And it comes from the mouth of Jesus. So you cannot get much clearer than that.

Very good Commentary! Well worth the money and effort in reading it.

Next to the commetaries of Craig S. Keener, and D.A. Carson, I keep this book for constant reference. It is very accessible for a mainstream reader and has given me wonderful insights. This book is not as thorough as the work by Keener, but it has its own fine elements to offer. As I'm still engaged in studying it, I will probably have more to say later on. I am reviewing it now because I am a Christian novelist and my readers ask me for references. I recommend this book without reserve.---- I like the voice of the author very much, and look forward to learning more from him.---- Let me quote part of a paragraph (p. 15 of the hardcover) which is close to my heart: "In the last resort it appears that the authorship of this Gospel will remain in dispute. In my opinion there is more to be said for the apostle Matthew than recent scholarship commonly allows and more for Matthew than for any other candidate." Agreed, with humble thanks.

Starting with fifteen or commentaries five years ago when I started preaching through Matthew's Gospel, Morris has become a close friend. My copy has seen better days with tape, rips, and lots of ink, but each one points to appreciation. With one sermon left to go, I have to say that Carson and Morris sit on the top of the list. I commend them to you if you are looking for solid exegetical tools.

Here is Carson's work:The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Volume 8)

With this book coming in at just under 800 pages, I expected a lot out of this commentary. Unfortunately, Leon Morris spends very little time (17 pages) discussing the authorship, date, and other background information relevant to the gospel of Matthew. This was disappointing because the reader is left to simply accept the assumptions of the author without having them defended as thoroughly as they could have been.

This isn't to say that this commentary is without some strengths. First, the format is easy to follow. Throughout the commentary, Morris provides his literal translation of Matthew as opposed to using one of the common versions (NIV, NASB, RSV, etc). He uses footnotes instead of endnotes which is much more convenient for the reader. Morris also relegates discussion of Greek issues to the footnotes which makes the main body of his commentary read more smoothly to those without knowledge of Greek.

Morris seems to assume the inerrancy of Matthew which sometimes seemed to limit his discussion of some of the more difficult areas of this gospel, and also frequently led him to harmonize Matthew's account with those of the other gospels rather than focusing strictly on Matthew.

Those with a conservative view towards Scripture will be much more satisfied with this commentary than those who are looking for a more critical commentary. Morris does a good job of bringing out the theological implications of Matthew's gospel.

I have read this author before and he is just a solid Biblical writer. This was the most enjoyable commentary on Matthew I have ever read.

Surely there will be someone else writing about this book, so I'm going try to help you in another way.

When you start reading biblical commentaries you will need to be aware that the thoughts expressed by the author deal with facts and speculations that should of happened. You can NEVER rely on only one commentary to affirm something about the Bible. You need at least three good commentaries.

Try to read biblical commentaries from different confessions of faith (e.g., Calvinism vs. Arminianism; Pentecostal vs. non-Pentecostal; Catholic vs. Protestant; Egalitarian vs. Complementarian; Amillennialism vs. Premillennialism vs. Postmillennialism; etc). Look for their arguments: What do they agree or disagree on? Which of them is closest to the biblical text? It's not a sin to read commentaries written from other points of view. You will notice that what is fact or solid argument will be seen over and over on different commentaries, so you will start learning what is speculation and what is not.

As Haddon W. Robinson said in his book, Biblical Preaching, (second edition, page 22), "In approaching a passage, we must be willing to reexamine our doctrinal convictions and to reject the judgments of our most respected teachers."

Remember, a commentary is not the biblical text. Do not replace the authority of the Bible with a commentary. The same apply for Study Bibles. The study notes there are not written by "apostles and prophets," so never confuse the "gospel" with the teacher or preacher. Learn to separate it.

Commentaries are important because nobody can get a poem from one language and translate it with the same structure to another language. This simply does not exist. Words, phrases, and sentences are rooted in a specific time, culture and custom. About Bibles, the best way is to check different translations, but be cautious about a very loose translation.

For you to appreciate any biblical commentary you need to know what level of reading you are. I'm going call them beginner, intermediate and advanced. I recommend the following biblical commentaries that you can start from. All of them have both Old Testament and New Testament. (If you're thinking of buying the whole set, look for the CD edition; it's cheaper and you can take it with you where you go.)

Beginner - NIV Application Commentary (NIVAC) by Zondervan.
(or) The Bible Speaks Today Series (BST) by IVP (This is a growing series and not yet complete.)

Intermediate - New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT) and New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT) by Eerdmans

Advanced - Word Biblical Commentary (WBC) by Thomas Nelson

These are basic commentaries on their own level, but there are a lot of commentaries today, so don't forget to look for more information. Maybe you can get information from one of these: (1) Commentary and Reference Survey: A Comprehensive Guide to Biblical and Theological Resources by John Glynn, (2) New Testament Commentary Survey by D. A. Carson, (3) Old Testament Commentary Survey by Tremper Longman.

There are good and expensive commentaries such as the Anchor Bible (AB); International Critical Commentary (ICC) or Hermeneia (HERM). [Do not forget of Calvin and Luther].

I don't know about catholic commentaries, but you can check reviews on "Sacra Pagina" and "Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture."

About Matthew, other than those mentioned above (NIVAC; BST; NICNT; WBC; AB; ICC; HERM) you can also check: Expositor Bible Commentary (EBC); New American Commentary (NAC); Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC); New International Greek Testament Commentary (NIGTC); Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (BECNT); and others.

Another thing, it can be a very good commentary, but it does not mean that you will agree with everything in it. Remember, "new" does not mean it's updated, and "updated" does not mean it's better.

Purpose - You can read a book to get information, even if you are not interested in a deep study of the biblical text. In this case it's better to start reading something from your own confession of faith and always on your level of reading. If after some time you become interested in more, go check other commentaries, but please, do not skip "How To Read A Book" by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren.

Responsibility - It is your responsibility study the biblical text before checking a commentary. Sometimes this is not an easy task so I'm giving you some other references that you can check at the end of this review. If I had read a review like this before, I would know how to prevent some mistakes.

Do not let you knowledge kill your faith! - "For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." Hebrews 4:2 NIV - (Read also 1 Corinthians 1:21-24; 2:13-14; 3:18-23; Jude 1:3).

I can't leave without suggesting some other tools to help you: (1) How To Read A Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren; (2) Hermeneutics: Principles and Processes of Biblical Interpretation by Henry Virkler and Karelynne Ayayo; (3) New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors by Gordon Fee; and (4) Old Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors by Douglas Stuart. [Although book #3 and 4 deals with Biblical languages (Greek and Hebrew), you can learn a lot from them even if you do not know the languages]. (5) "Basics of Biblical Greek" Grammar by William D. Mounce [after you start reading it maybe you can add "Biblical Greek Survival Kit" and "Sing and Learn New Testament Greek" audio CD by Kenneth Berding]; (6) "English Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy (Third Edition with Cd-Rom). (7) Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History: Complete and Unabridged. - All of these will help you to understand HOW a good commentary must be written. Good Luck!

Leon Morris' commentary on Matthew is one of the best I've read. Most commentaries are dull, boring, and bogged down with scholarly drivel. However, this commentary is readable, likeable, AND scholarly. I've found it to be beneficial as I prepare for sermons, Sunday school lessons, and for private devotions. All I can say is, "Well done Dr. Morris!"