This much-anticipated sixth edition of New Testament Commentary Survey offers students and pastors an updated look into available resources on the New Testament. Pastors, seminarians, and theology students will eagerly welcome this invaluable tool into their biblical studies libraries. In this succinct yet thorough survey, Carson examines sets, one-volume commentaries, and New Testament introductions and theologies, before offering extensive comments on the available offerings for each New Testament book, noting intended audience, levels of difficulty, and theological perspective. He records the publisher, price, and current publication status, identifies those texts he considers overpriced, and advises readers when to delay purchase for forthcoming works. The book concludes with a useful "Best Buys" section where Carson indicates the most valuable works for each individual New Testament book.
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Editorial Reviews
From the Back Cover
Serious students of the Bible want to know which resources are most valuable to add to their growing libraries. With an abundance of available tools, students often turn to trusted professors for advice. This book provides such advice from D. A. Carson, one of the most highly respected evangelical New Testament scholars.
Reviews of previous editions:
"Carson's work is most valuable and his perceptive remarks will serve pastors and students well."
-David S. Dockery, Review and Expositor
"This invaluable little book will find a valued place on the shelves of all those who regularly read and/or buy commentaries . . . as a resource this is unmatched."
-Peter M. Head, Churchman
"I recommend this bibliographic essay highly. Readers of differing theological orientation will still find this a helpful list to put into the hands of students and pastors."
-Edgar Krentz, Currents in Theology and Mission
Reviews of previous editions:
"Carson's work is most valuable and his perceptive remarks will serve pastors and students well."
-David S. Dockery, Review and Expositor
"This invaluable little book will find a valued place on the shelves of all those who regularly read and/or buy commentaries . . . as a resource this is unmatched."
-Peter M. Head, Churchman
"I recommend this bibliographic essay highly. Readers of differing theological orientation will still find this a helpful list to put into the hands of students and pastors."
-Edgar Krentz, Currents in Theology and Mission
About the Author
D. A. Carson (PhD, University of Cambridge) is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has served as a pastor and is the author or editor of more than forty books.
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D. A. Carson (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is the author or coauthor of over 45 books, including the Gold Medallion Award-winning book The Gagging of God and An Introduction to the New Testament, and is general editor of Telling the Truth: Evangelizing Postmoderns and Worship by the Book. He has served as a pastor and is an active guest lecturer in church and academic settings around the world.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
86 of 89 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
In the tradition of C. H. Spurgeon, who penned Commenting and Commentaries over 100 years ago, New Testament scholar Don Carson has produced a resource which is concise, interesting, and immensely user-friendly.
While Carson makes it clear that what is "best" among commentaries "can vary from reader to reader, and that it depends . . . on what kind of information a reader is looking for" [133], his sometimes humorous, often caustic, and always helpful critiques of modern commentaries reflects his belief that "the dominant need is to understand meanings accurately" [15]. His own skill as seasoned exegete of Scripture and his concern for exegetical precision makes this critique of commentaries invaluable.
The book is divided into four sections, the first of which contains "Introductory Notes," in which Carson discusses the need for different types of commentary, followed by brief comments on the merits and demerits of various series of commentaries (comments on individual volumes are in section three), one-volume multi-author commentaries (his highest recommendation being IVP's New Bible Commentary), older commentaries (Lightfoot, Calvin, and Henry are all mentioned positively, with a recommendation that Geoffrey Wilson's Digest of Reformed Comment series published by Banner of Truth be used "in conjunction with major exegetical works" [28]), and one-author sets.
Section two looks very briefly at volumes dealing with New Testament Introduction and New Testament Theology. "Pride of place must go to the mammoth work by Donald Guthrie," according to Carson [33], though he also mentions many others.
Section three is really the meat of the book, in which individual commentaries of every New Testament book are discussed. Carson's method is very helpful and easy to follow. He invariably begins by discussing the most helpful technical commentaries available, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses. Less helpful titles are mentioned briefly, often with strong (and, not unlike Spurgeon, sometimes quite humorous) criticism. Mid-level commentaries are then critiqued, while popular commentaries and sermonic expositions are discussed last. Carson always writes with the preaching pastor in mind and frequently points out factors which will make any given commentary of greater or lesser use in sermon preparation. Section four is a two-page list of "best buys," commentaries that Carson thinks will give you the most out of your money.
Perhaps it would be helpful to give a short digest of Carson's highest recommendations. Among commentaries on Matthew, Carson says that "pride of place should go to the new ICC commentary by W. D. Davies and Dale C. Allison" [42]. Craig Blomberg, Craig Keener, Leon Morris, and R. T. France also receive positive comments, and I can personally attest that Carson himself (in the EBC) has written a very reliable and useful commentary on this gospel. Among mid-level commentaries, Hendriksen is said to be "a useful, if stodgy, guide for the preacher who will wade through" [45].
On the Gospel of Mark, Carson recommends William Lane's contribution to the NICNT and C. E. B. Cranfield, among others. Among sermonic expositions, R. Kent Hughes receives very positive comments. In fact, Carson generally seems to favor Hughes over either MacArthur or Boice. Carson recommends Darrell L. Bock's two volumes in the BECNT on the gospel of Luke. Leon Morris in the Tyndale series is also mentioned positively, as is Hughes (once again), and Fred Craddock, who Carson says is interesting because he is "a fine homiletician" [57].
The fourth gospel, John, "has been well served . . . during the last half century," says Carson [59]. His top choice for commentaries on the Greek text is C. K. Barrett. Once more, Leon Morris is praised. Carson, himself, has also written a substantial work on this gospel, but with unaffected humility and a touch of dry wit, he says: "Carson's work is rather more difficult for me to assess" [60]! On the popular level, F. F. Bruce is highly recommended, along with Bruce Milne in the BST (a series Carson obviously favors). Regarding Acts, C. K. Barrett gets high marks in the technical realm, John Stott in the popular. (I've read the Stott commentary and it is excellent!) Other mentions include Ben Witherington III, I. Howard Marshall, and Richard Longenecker.
There have probably been more commentaries written on Romans than any other New Testament book. Carson devotes six pages to surveying the best that is out there, of which "probably the best . . . in English is the work of Douglas J. Moo" [72] in the NICNT. Moo is recommended over Thomas Schreiner, Charles Cranfield, and James Dunn. Joseph Fitzmyer, a Catholic scholar, is highly praised as having exegesis which "is often magisterial." "In many of the crucial passages, this work sounds far more Reformed than Catholic," Carson writes [73]. Morris, Murray, and others are all mentioned with appropriate notice of their respective strengths and weaknesses. Stott also is mentioned in a good light, as is Martyn Lloyd-Jones. John Piper's The Justification of God is said to be "the best exegetical and theological discussion of Romans 9" [79].
The Corinthian letters are discussed separately with positive remarks given to F. F. Bruce (on both letters), Anthony Thiselton, Gordon Fee, Craig Blomberg (these three on 1 Corinthians), C. K. Barrett, David Garland, Paul Barnett (NICNT recommended over BST), Colin Cruse, and Scott Hafeman (these last five on 2 Corinthians). Top billing goes to F. F. Bruce on Galatians. Timothy George and John Stott are also recommended.
Peter T. O'Brien is hailed as the one of best exegetes of the prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians-Philemon). In fact, Carson says (regarding the Ephesians volume in the Pillar series) that O'Brien "has thoughtfully absorbed and filtered the best material from earlier commentaries, but he has made his own contribution by sticking close to the text, tracing the theological argument with care and precision" [93]. This is quite a compliment, especially coming from Carson! Also positively mentioned on these Epistles are Andrew Lincoln and John Stott (Ephesians), Gordon Fee (Philippians), and David Garland and Murray J. Harris (Colossians/Philippians).
On the Thessalonian letters Carson recommends Charles Wanamaker on the Greek text and F. F. Bruce, for something more accessible. Carson prefers the NICNT installment of Leon Morris over the same author's Tyndale commentary. Stott's expositions of these letters are also recommended (I don't remember any negative comments on Stott, which says much!) William Barclay on Philippians, Colossians, and the Thessalonian letters is said to be "one of the best in the DSB series" [103]. George W. Knight III is in Carson's "must" column when it comes to the Pastorals. "It is cautious, conservative, thoughtful" [107]. There are also favorable comments on William Mounce, Thomas Oden, and Donald Guthrie.
For Hebrews, Carson points us to Harold W. Attridge on the Greek text and William Lane (WBC) for those whose "Greek is weak" [111]. Phillip Hughes and F. F. Bruce are said to complement one another, Hughes giving more history on interpretation. On the popular level, William Barclay, Raymond Brown, and Kent Hughes should be noticed. Douglas Moo has contributed a major work on James in the Pillar series (this series gets pretty good marks throughout Carson's Survey - of course, he is also the general editor!). And an out-of-print work by Gareth L. Reese is also recommended (if it can be found), along with Kent Hughes and J. Alec Motyer.
Paul J. Achtemeier is "the fullest commentary in English on the exegetical level" [118] when it comes to 1 Peter. Scot McKnight gets positive remarks (rather rare for the NIV Application series), as do J. N. D. Kelly and Wayne Grudem. On 2 Peter and Jude, Richard J. Bauckham in the WBC gets first place, hands-down, despite his disbelief in Petrine authorship of 2 Peter. Michael Green also gives "admirable treatment of these two short epistles" [122] in the Tyndale series. John Stott's work on the Letters of John is "one of the most useful conservative commentaries . . . so far as the preacher is concerned" [125].
Finally, on Revelation, Carson says that G. K. Beale writes the commentary that "best combines comprehensiveness with biblical fidelity" [127], though many other commentators (representing various eschatological camps) are mentioned with both positive and negative comments. A helpful index of names is included in the back of the book.
I can't recommend this book highly enough, especially to fellow preachers. It is short and easy to read (I read it in less than half a day) and I've no doubt that there are few scholars whose recommendations (or non-recommendations, and there are lots of those too!) could be more reliable. This new edition of Carson's excellent survey is a book that the preacher who is serious about sound exegesis can scarcely afford to be without. If frequently used, this resource will save both time and money.
While Carson makes it clear that what is "best" among commentaries "can vary from reader to reader, and that it depends . . . on what kind of information a reader is looking for" [133], his sometimes humorous, often caustic, and always helpful critiques of modern commentaries reflects his belief that "the dominant need is to understand meanings accurately" [15]. His own skill as seasoned exegete of Scripture and his concern for exegetical precision makes this critique of commentaries invaluable.
The book is divided into four sections, the first of which contains "Introductory Notes," in which Carson discusses the need for different types of commentary, followed by brief comments on the merits and demerits of various series of commentaries (comments on individual volumes are in section three), one-volume multi-author commentaries (his highest recommendation being IVP's New Bible Commentary), older commentaries (Lightfoot, Calvin, and Henry are all mentioned positively, with a recommendation that Geoffrey Wilson's Digest of Reformed Comment series published by Banner of Truth be used "in conjunction with major exegetical works" [28]), and one-author sets.
Section two looks very briefly at volumes dealing with New Testament Introduction and New Testament Theology. "Pride of place must go to the mammoth work by Donald Guthrie," according to Carson [33], though he also mentions many others.
Section three is really the meat of the book, in which individual commentaries of every New Testament book are discussed. Carson's method is very helpful and easy to follow. He invariably begins by discussing the most helpful technical commentaries available, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses. Less helpful titles are mentioned briefly, often with strong (and, not unlike Spurgeon, sometimes quite humorous) criticism. Mid-level commentaries are then critiqued, while popular commentaries and sermonic expositions are discussed last. Carson always writes with the preaching pastor in mind and frequently points out factors which will make any given commentary of greater or lesser use in sermon preparation. Section four is a two-page list of "best buys," commentaries that Carson thinks will give you the most out of your money.
Perhaps it would be helpful to give a short digest of Carson's highest recommendations. Among commentaries on Matthew, Carson says that "pride of place should go to the new ICC commentary by W. D. Davies and Dale C. Allison" [42]. Craig Blomberg, Craig Keener, Leon Morris, and R. T. France also receive positive comments, and I can personally attest that Carson himself (in the EBC) has written a very reliable and useful commentary on this gospel. Among mid-level commentaries, Hendriksen is said to be "a useful, if stodgy, guide for the preacher who will wade through" [45].
On the Gospel of Mark, Carson recommends William Lane's contribution to the NICNT and C. E. B. Cranfield, among others. Among sermonic expositions, R. Kent Hughes receives very positive comments. In fact, Carson generally seems to favor Hughes over either MacArthur or Boice. Carson recommends Darrell L. Bock's two volumes in the BECNT on the gospel of Luke. Leon Morris in the Tyndale series is also mentioned positively, as is Hughes (once again), and Fred Craddock, who Carson says is interesting because he is "a fine homiletician" [57].
The fourth gospel, John, "has been well served . . . during the last half century," says Carson [59]. His top choice for commentaries on the Greek text is C. K. Barrett. Once more, Leon Morris is praised. Carson, himself, has also written a substantial work on this gospel, but with unaffected humility and a touch of dry wit, he says: "Carson's work is rather more difficult for me to assess" [60]! On the popular level, F. F. Bruce is highly recommended, along with Bruce Milne in the BST (a series Carson obviously favors). Regarding Acts, C. K. Barrett gets high marks in the technical realm, John Stott in the popular. (I've read the Stott commentary and it is excellent!) Other mentions include Ben Witherington III, I. Howard Marshall, and Richard Longenecker.
There have probably been more commentaries written on Romans than any other New Testament book. Carson devotes six pages to surveying the best that is out there, of which "probably the best . . . in English is the work of Douglas J. Moo" [72] in the NICNT. Moo is recommended over Thomas Schreiner, Charles Cranfield, and James Dunn. Joseph Fitzmyer, a Catholic scholar, is highly praised as having exegesis which "is often magisterial." "In many of the crucial passages, this work sounds far more Reformed than Catholic," Carson writes [73]. Morris, Murray, and others are all mentioned with appropriate notice of their respective strengths and weaknesses. Stott also is mentioned in a good light, as is Martyn Lloyd-Jones. John Piper's The Justification of God is said to be "the best exegetical and theological discussion of Romans 9" [79].
The Corinthian letters are discussed separately with positive remarks given to F. F. Bruce (on both letters), Anthony Thiselton, Gordon Fee, Craig Blomberg (these three on 1 Corinthians), C. K. Barrett, David Garland, Paul Barnett (NICNT recommended over BST), Colin Cruse, and Scott Hafeman (these last five on 2 Corinthians). Top billing goes to F. F. Bruce on Galatians. Timothy George and John Stott are also recommended.
Peter T. O'Brien is hailed as the one of best exegetes of the prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians-Philemon). In fact, Carson says (regarding the Ephesians volume in the Pillar series) that O'Brien "has thoughtfully absorbed and filtered the best material from earlier commentaries, but he has made his own contribution by sticking close to the text, tracing the theological argument with care and precision" [93]. This is quite a compliment, especially coming from Carson! Also positively mentioned on these Epistles are Andrew Lincoln and John Stott (Ephesians), Gordon Fee (Philippians), and David Garland and Murray J. Harris (Colossians/Philippians).
On the Thessalonian letters Carson recommends Charles Wanamaker on the Greek text and F. F. Bruce, for something more accessible. Carson prefers the NICNT installment of Leon Morris over the same author's Tyndale commentary. Stott's expositions of these letters are also recommended (I don't remember any negative comments on Stott, which says much!) William Barclay on Philippians, Colossians, and the Thessalonian letters is said to be "one of the best in the DSB series" [103]. George W. Knight III is in Carson's "must" column when it comes to the Pastorals. "It is cautious, conservative, thoughtful" [107]. There are also favorable comments on William Mounce, Thomas Oden, and Donald Guthrie.
For Hebrews, Carson points us to Harold W. Attridge on the Greek text and William Lane (WBC) for those whose "Greek is weak" [111]. Phillip Hughes and F. F. Bruce are said to complement one another, Hughes giving more history on interpretation. On the popular level, William Barclay, Raymond Brown, and Kent Hughes should be noticed. Douglas Moo has contributed a major work on James in the Pillar series (this series gets pretty good marks throughout Carson's Survey - of course, he is also the general editor!). And an out-of-print work by Gareth L. Reese is also recommended (if it can be found), along with Kent Hughes and J. Alec Motyer.
Paul J. Achtemeier is "the fullest commentary in English on the exegetical level" [118] when it comes to 1 Peter. Scot McKnight gets positive remarks (rather rare for the NIV Application series), as do J. N. D. Kelly and Wayne Grudem. On 2 Peter and Jude, Richard J. Bauckham in the WBC gets first place, hands-down, despite his disbelief in Petrine authorship of 2 Peter. Michael Green also gives "admirable treatment of these two short epistles" [122] in the Tyndale series. John Stott's work on the Letters of John is "one of the most useful conservative commentaries . . . so far as the preacher is concerned" [125].
Finally, on Revelation, Carson says that G. K. Beale writes the commentary that "best combines comprehensiveness with biblical fidelity" [127], though many other commentators (representing various eschatological camps) are mentioned with both positive and negative comments. A helpful index of names is included in the back of the book.
I can't recommend this book highly enough, especially to fellow preachers. It is short and easy to read (I read it in less than half a day) and I've no doubt that there are few scholars whose recommendations (or non-recommendations, and there are lots of those too!) could be more reliable. This new edition of Carson's excellent survey is a book that the preacher who is serious about sound exegesis can scarcely afford to be without. If frequently used, this resource will save both time and money.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
D.A. Carson has given us a piece of his mind concerning the world of New Testament commentaries, and in a surprisingly entertaining fashion. He covers NT introductions, surveys, and theologies, then tells us what he thinks about almost every commentary series that you would know of (and some you don't know of), and goes book-by-book through the NT recommending (and rejecting) which commentaries are worth buying and reading. This resource is a must for all would-be expositors of the Bible.
What makes the book so readable is Carson's fresh and lively style. It is as if he sat down and just punched out a long essay on what he really thought about the resources available for New Testament exposition. His quips and succinct summaries are excellent, and sometimes quite humorous. Besides the glitches stated in the review above by Buddy Boone, this is an excellent work. Admittingly, Carson does not give equal space to all commentaries, but that's fine since all commentaries are not created equally. Of course, the author was probably constrained by the goals and size of the survey, and if you are left wondering what he really recommends about any NT book check the Best Buy section that he includes. If you wish to jump into the world of New Testament study, this is the place to leap (in other words buy the book).
What makes the book so readable is Carson's fresh and lively style. It is as if he sat down and just punched out a long essay on what he really thought about the resources available for New Testament exposition. His quips and succinct summaries are excellent, and sometimes quite humorous. Besides the glitches stated in the review above by Buddy Boone, this is an excellent work. Admittingly, Carson does not give equal space to all commentaries, but that's fine since all commentaries are not created equally. Of course, the author was probably constrained by the goals and size of the survey, and if you are left wondering what he really recommends about any NT book check the Best Buy section that he includes. If you wish to jump into the world of New Testament study, this is the place to leap (in other words buy the book).
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I anxiously awaited the new version of the survey. In the past it has proved to be invaluable in purchasing commentaries. Unfortunately I was disappointed. Not much new work has been done. Many of the comments will sound annoyingly the same...because they are! If you have a previous version save you money and wait for Glynn, he seems to make an effort to stay on top of the publishing world.
I'm disappointed that Carson's name is on this one, I expect more. Either a grad assistant did most of the work or the publisher needed sales.
On the bright side, if this is the first time you've used this survey it is indispensable.
I'm disappointed that Carson's name is on this one, I expect more. Either a grad assistant did most of the work or the publisher needed sales.
On the bright side, if this is the first time you've used this survey it is indispensable.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great resource
It is a great thing to have a trusted source when it comes to commentary recommendations. If you're like me and don't have a lot of money to be throwing around on resources this... Read more
Published 29 days ago by Chris Connally
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not for the beginner
Really was not what I was looking for..wanted a basic to better understand the New Testament
this was not enough scriture and too much detail
this was not enough scriture and too much detail
Published 3 months ago by Barry L. Shain
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great overview for Bible Students
Read this before you buy commentaries. Geared towards buying a couple or more per book so it can get expensive fast if you are not careful.
Published 4 months ago by gifyku
5.0 out of 5 stars
Helpful tool
D.A. Carson is a trusted writer and educator. Therefore, his opinion can also be trusted. In this book, he has done the time consuming work of reviewing and compiling a list of the... Read more
Published 13 months ago by pasdavmil
4.0 out of 5 stars
Helpful, concise, but Carson likes his Reformed theologians
Carson does a great job at giving you enough information to make an informed decision on which commentaries to purchase saving the commentary researcher hours of time and money. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Darin Cerwinske
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not what I expected, but well worth buying
On the one hand I share some reviewers' criticism that the reviews on many books lack sufficient depth to enlighten the reader - sometimes I am at a loss as to which book(s) he is... Read more
Published 21 months ago by EK
2.0 out of 5 stars
confusing
I hate to contradict other reviews, but I found the layout of this little book confusing and cluttered. Read more
Published on February 25, 2010 by Jeremy Law
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Guide to the Best Commentaries
The breadth and depth of D. A. Carson's scholarship is quite amazing, especially if you know the man personally. Read more
Published on April 25, 2009 by Quentin D. Stewart
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Have Resource!
D.A. Carson has done a wonderful job with this book. Search online, or just go to your local Christian bookstore and to see all the available commentaries is just mind numbing. Read more
Published on August 20, 2008 by J. M. Carbo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Seminarians and new pastors - buy this book
For those just starting to build a commentary library, if you purchased Carson's top two recommendations for each NT book, you would immediatley have one of the best personal... Read more
Published on July 17, 2008 by Edward G. Rosner
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