Customer Reviews

Luke 1:1-9:50 (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is much to like and much that is useful in Bock's commentary on the Gospel of Luke. Bock obviously has done his homework. One feature of his commentary that is first rate is that when he approaches difficulties in the text or areas where scholars disagree, Bock provides lists of the alternative explanations, who advocates them, and his view of their respective strengths and weaknesses. If Bock does not see a clear winner, he is candid about it.

Bock's practice of providing clear explanation as to different approaches to the text or problems of history or sources extends to an excellent series of "Excursuses" at the end of the book. Topics covered include the Census of Quirinius, Sources and Synoptic Relationships, The Genealogies of Matthew and Luke, and discussions about the Son of Man sayings. Each section is well written and provides the reader with a clear picture of the possible conclusions. Bock is more emphatic in his own conclusions in some sections than others. This section greatly enhances his commentary.

Another feature that distinguishes this book from other commentaries on Luke is its focus on sources and historicity. Bock spends more time on these issues, obviously linked in his mind, than most other commentaries. He also highlights the discussions in their own sections. Though they are well written, the degree of satisfaction I felt after reading each one varied. Some left me wanting much more discussion. I realize that there are space limitations in gospel-specific commentaries, but sometimes felt that Bock had bitten off more than he could chew. Not that he could not handle the issues in an informed manner, but that he simply had insufficient space to do so.

The introduction is well written, but did not spend as much time on issues like authorship and dating than I would have liked. I am sure Bock has more to offer on those issues. Instead, the introduction spends more time dealing with specific topics in the Lucan text, such as Jerusalem: The Innocent One Slain and Raised, Faith and Dependence, and Prayer. Most commentaries introduce the reader to some of the gospel's authors theology and focus, but I thought some of these discussions would have been better served as Special Notes within the general discussion of the text, or as more Excursuses on the end. This is simply an organizational preference of mine. The sections are well written.

Finally, I have one other organizational criticism. He usually begins his discussion of a particular set of passage with an overview of his opinions on the passages. Then he discusses "Source and History", and includes an examination of the structure and outline of the passage. Only then does he actually repeat the text in full in a section on "Exegesis and Exposition." Bock then includes a Summary and Additional Notes. Placing the actual text in the middle of the discussion seemed odd to me and bugged me throughout. Again, this is just an organizational, ergonomic, preference of mine. The actual discussions were good. I simply believe they could have been enhanced with a different organization.

Overall, though I have my organizational quibbles, a valuable commentary that exposes the reader to many different perspectives on and potential solutions to problematic passages in Luke.

I am a pastor who uses commentaries in my sermon prep. I've found that Bock's stuff on Luke, and this volume in particular, as well as it's twin, encourage me with practical and technical information that is actually useful. For example, in the passage I just did for Palm Sunday, Bock does a great job of providing many worthwhile nuggets on Luke 19:28-40-the twin volume to this one using the exact same format and approach. I found some commentators wasting lots of space on issues like 'which part of the story was really spoken by Jesus' and things like that which are completely worthless for preaching....Marshall (NIGTC), who so many rave about, gives far less practical help and spends time evaluating and defending what parts of the story are 'real' and what parts are added later...AND yet his overall coverage is about 25% of Bock's in total...so this means you get about 15% of the real meat that Bock gives you on any one passage. Bock gives much more than the NICNT also.

Bock avoids all that stuff and goes to the meat of the issues at hand. For example, on the cross references he sometimes provides great insights as in when discussing Bethphage, one of the little towns Jesus was near when he sent his disciples to get the colt for him to ride on...that Bock points out the Aramaic meaning of Bethphage, which was 'House of unripe figs'. The cross reference in the Greek text to the pronouncement of judgment on the fig tree earlier in Luke was augmented by this information. The clear allusion then is to the judgment pronounced on the Jews for being an unripe fig tree by Jesus as he passes through 'the house of unripe figs' just before his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem which ends up with his grief over Jerusalem's judgment for rejecting his kingship.
Bock has a lot of detail like this that I have not found as much of in most commentaries.

He also cued me in on the angaria concept without too much information so that I could see crucial points without wasting a lot of time on minutia. (Angaria was the custom of demanding citizens provide transportation...which may relate to the provision of the colt for Jesus triumphal entry).

This commentary is a wealth of very helpful information that is based on solid exegesis. His information provided also blends well with the sermon crafting process for those who are careful to use tried and true hermeneutical principles.

I have found that these two Luke commentaries (Baker Exegetical) are more helpful to me than even the NICNT on Luke...and I love that one as well.

A whole hearted recommendation here. I completely agree with Marc Axelrod's review as well. Thank you Marc!

By far, Darrell Bock's 2-Volume set on Luke is my most often used commentary while preaching through Luke.

In this first volume, Bock unleashes 1,000 pages of exegetical work on the first 9 chapters of the Gospel of Luke.

If you haven't utilized any of the Baker Exegetical Commentaries, then you don't know what you are missing in terms of page layout, font, side-bars, etc. The editors and designers have done all they could to increase the ease of reading.

As for the content, you can trust Bock to clearly lay out various positions on issues, then state his opinion. Rarely did I find myself differing from his conclusions.

Thoughtful outlines break down text into manageable chunks, and these seem to be about right for walking across the bridge from exegesis to exposition.

Which brings me to the main point. If you need a commentary to aid you in expository preaching of the Gospel of Luke, you will not be disappointed with this volume. Save your money on 2-3 lesser-quality volumes, and invest instead in Bock.

I LOVE this commentary! Darrell Bock stays close to the text, and he engages in dialogue many of the great scholars of the present and of the past. I also appreciate his eye for how the text applies to our lives today. While he discusses controversial sections of Luke, he lists all of the main interpretations that have been offered on a point, and when he is through, he explains why he has chosen one of those interpretations.

One noteworthy point is that this two volume set came out right when the left wing Jesus Seminar was coming into its own as a study group, and Bock consistently defends the historicity of the text in response to statements the Seminar has made. This may make his two volume exposition of Luke something of a period piece.

But coming from a pastor who has all the major studies on Luke, this commentary rocks. This one is the best.

One more point: The print is really large for an academic book like this, too. It is easy on the eyes.

For studying Luke, I always keep Nolland, Fitzmyer, and Bock at my side. There are other good commentaries (Marshall, Green, Ellis, Goddet, etc)--but these three are the core. Within this group, Bock is prefered above all because 1) he is VERY clear and thorough. He does a wonderful job of explaining all (or most) sides of an argument and the rational for his decision. 2) Contrary to some of the reviewers, I love the layout of the book As a preacher, it is very easy to find exactly what I need without getting too bogged down in source and historical critical issues. However, I also like the layout of the WBC for the same reason, so my opinions may not be worth much in this respect! 3) If you want to get wrapped up in source and historical critical issues, Bock will help you get there. He deals with the Seminar as well as the more moderate critics, deftly without resorting to "well the HS wrote it, that's all that maters." 4) and this may be most important of all. Unlike many NT scholars, Bock is an OT expert of the highest degree as well as a NT scholar. His knowledge of the OT is not just a way to get at the NT, but a study unto itself. He deals masterfuly with the OT allusions present thoughout Luke and with the customs of first century judaism. A note of caution, however. He is a dispensationalist. You may agree, you may not, but you need to know where he stands.

I have generally enjoyed the Baker Exegetical Commentary series in the past for its balance of scholarship and general accessibility, but this is the most difficult volume (or, rather 2 volumes) so far. I'm sure those doing post-graduate study on the book of Luke or writing doctoral dissertations will love the commentary, and they should. The tome is massive. Clearly much time and effort went into this work and for that Darrell Bock should be commended. However, for the Pastor or lay student of the Bible it is perhaps too much. For example, The ponderous sections on sources and historicity cover tons of minutia and higher critical polemic but are ultimately speculation and add little to the study of the book of Luke. Most of this material would be better included in an academic journal as it is clearly aimed at an academic audience. For someone just needing to prepare a sermon or Bible study there is too much extraneous matter to wade through to make the time spent profitable. If you are looking at this for use with some type of higher level University study then it is a five star book. If you are a pastor or layperson then you will probably be happier with a different, more concise, commentary on the book of Luke. If you are willing to spend the time, though, you will be rewarded.

It is hard to say anything negative about Prof Bock considering that I also come from the same Conservative Evangelical family but I must overcome any empathy I may feel with prof Bock if my review is to have at least a modicum of objectivity.
When I first laid hands on these massive volumes I ask the book store manager if they were selling them by the pound?
These two volumes of some two thousand pages are prehaps the largest ever written on the book of Luke.
But of course largest does not mean best by any stretch of the imagination and this appears to be the case here.
Perusing the commentary leaves one breathless with the enormous effort that must have been expended by Prof Bock in producing the work, to say nothing of the immense knowledge that fills almost every page.

That considerable effort notwithstanding, this commentary falls short on a number of counts.
I will concentrate on one of those here.

A major problem I had with these volumes is that when Prof Bock comes to each paragraph he prefaces the commentary with the heading "Sources and Historicity".
Under this heading he discusses the alleged sources behind the particular paragraph under scrutiny.
This discussion of sources and historicty is so pervasive that if they were taken away the book would be almost halved in page ccount.
This obsession with sources dictates how Prof Bock then exgetes the text of Luke.
Markan priority is assumed throughout and so discussion of Lukan redaction of Mark plays a large part in his analysis of sources along with frequent mention of Luke's special material termed "L" and the ubiquitous "Q".
Does Prof Bock really believe that Luke used so many sources that they have lain dormant and hidden for two thousand years and have only now been uncovered by the machinery of Modern scholarship?
Did not the ancients read this work without recourse to the investigation of alleged sources?
All this concentration on sources gives the impression that Luke has not "written" his gospel at all, but has rather pieced it together from various strands of written material no longer extant, with the ever metamorphising "Q" among them, with the exception of Mark assuming its priority, and Matthhew.

Whilst the issues of historicty are extremely important for those who believe the Bible is God's word written, this sort of commentary does nothing to instill confidence in the believer that what he has is indeed God's Word.
Despite all Prof Bocks efforts at determing the historicity and genuiness of particular pericopes, this commentary, sadly, leaves one with a feeling of melancholy and even of depression at how Conservatives are so unsure that the Bible is actually the word of God written.
They appear to be so enmeshed in the marketplace of ideas with the desire to be recognised by their supposedly more scholarly peers that they seem to have forgotten the stone from which they were hewn.


There are good things in this commentary, there can't fail to be considering its size and the acumen and erudition of its esteemed author, but the commentary's importance has been overblown.
There are many more volumes on Luke out there, intended for the same type of audience as the Baker series, that do things much better and in smaller compass.

I ordered this volume and its companion for a bible study. Knowing that this only covers the first 9 chapters of Luke, I was a little intimidated by the thickness of the book. However, once I started reading, I was absorbed into the text and found it hard to put down.

Not only is there a wealth of information about the text, but Bock also includes information about the historical evidence of different sections. Passages are grouped together into relevant sections and if all you want is a quick overview of that section, Bock presents an overview at the beginning and also a summary at the end. However, he also takes each verse in turn and examines the context, meaning, and significance of it. Many times devoting more than a page per verse. Though very thorough, Bock's work is very easy to read and is engaging. I enjoy the fact that even though, Bock clearly presents his opinion of the meaning of a verse, he also sites alternate views held by other scholars.

This book is both scholarly in its material, and practical in is accessibility and readability. I cannot yet speak of the other commentaries in the Baker series, but if they are like this one, I plan on using them primarily in my study and research of the Bible.

If you are serious about your study of the Gospel of Luke, then you cannot afford to not read this book.

This is a must-have for the pastor theologian as well as the scholar. Bock is always helpful and insightful and has become my preferred commentary on Luke.

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 Luke, 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!