Customer Reviews

Matthew, Vol.1 (Ch. 1-12), The Expositor's Bible Commentary

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

 

 

Carson has done it again! I have come to expect only first-rate exegesis, theological insight, and pastoral care from Carson. This commentary did not let me down in the slightest. (It is good that Zondervan decided to release the individual commentaries from the Expositor's series. In general, the quality and content of the series is disappointing, thought there are a few highlights.)

While not as rigorous as some commentaries, it is also not as cumbersome. Carson provides a nicely concise discussion of introductory issues (if you want more, consider the fabulous volume by R.T. France, "Matthew: Evangelist and Teacher" IVP). Even though I take issue with some of Carson's judgments (e.g. Matthew 24), I am never disappointed with his presentation of the issues or his proposed applications.

This commentary is the cream of evangelical scholarship. It is an essential addition to the libraries of pastors, teachers and students.

This is a good semi-critical commentary on Matthew from an Evangelical perspective. I must confess that I was a little disappointed with this commentary since so many people speak so highly of it. It is certainly full, usually insightful and reliable. However, Carson spends too much space trying to refute either old or obscure theories which do not necessarily help anyone in understanding what Matthew has actually said. Relatedly, the book seems even more dated than its publishing date (mid 1980s) and does not deal with any of the more recent and intriguing scholarship on Matthew. In sum, the book needs to be heavily revised and updated to make it competitive with other more recent commentaries like those by Blomberg, Morris and Hagner.

This is by far the best commentary available today on the book of Matthew. The writing and explanations are extremely clear and thorough. The additional commentaries in the book do not rate as high, however, the Mathew commentary is worth the cost of the volume.