I recently had an e-mail asking, “could you please recommend a good ‘Pentecostal/Evangelical’ commentary.” I thought my response would be worth posting here.
Most commentary series include a mix of scholars, some evangelical and some not. However, here are a few that immediately come to mind and that I am pretty sure include all evangelical scholars:
- the NIV Application Commentary series- it covers the original meaning as well as application for every section, which is quite helpful. The only drawback is that with all of the focus on application, it sometimes doesn’t go as in-depth in the original meaning section as I would like. I still really like it though.
- the Baker Exegetical Commentary series- pretty in-depth.
- Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (and OT series as well)- not quite as in-depth, but still really helpful.
- Pillar Commentary Series- I haven’t used it much, but I think it is probably closer to the Tyndale series in depth.
Keep in mind that evangelicalism includes a wide range of beliefs, so there will certainly be much diversity in how the above commentaries will interpret various passages. Also, as with any series, some volumes are better than others.
Pentecostal commentaries
- The “Pentecostal Commentary Series” (Originally with Deo, but now published by Brill). Most biblical books have not yet been commented on in the series, but the series is slowly growing.
- The Pentecostal Old Testament and New Testament Commentaries series (published by Wipf and Stock). The first volume was just published in 2021.
- The Spirit-filled Life New Testament Commentary Series (published by Thomas Nelson). It is not that in-depth and meant to be an easy read. Obviously it is only on the NT. It was edited by Jack Hayford.
One-Volume Commentaries
I’m not as familiar with one-volume commentaries, because I don’t use them much (they tend not to be very in-depth, so they are generally not too useful for the purposes of in-depth study/preaching). However, on my shelf I do have the IVP Bible Background Commentary on the OT and the NT. As the name infers, its sole purpose it to comment on the background to the text, so it does not comment on all things.
There is a one-volume Pentecostal Commentary on the NT called Full Life Bible Commentary to the New Testament, but none on the OT that I know of. They do have a Full-life Study Bible, though, that covers the whole of the Bible.
I haven’t been buying as many commentaries these days now that we have Google Books and Horizon has amazing library resources. Generally if I search for a commentary on a book, I can find many helpful ones for free via Google Books and they often have up to 75% free access. I won’t always be able to read the section in the book that I want to, but since there are so many commentaries out there, I will generally still be able to find what I’m looking for in a number of commentaries.
Here are some useful links to free online commentaries (mostly via Google books):
- http://www.tyndale.ca/seminary/mtsmodular/reading-rooms/newt
- http://www.tyndale.ca/seminary/mtsmodular/reading-rooms/old
Andrew K. Gabriel, Ph.D., is the author of Simply Spirit-Filled: Experiencing God in the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit as well as three academic books, including The Lord is the Spirit. He is a theology professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.
well dear, but you haven’t recommended any commentary as totally suitable! Any precious commentary/commentaries as such that you would like to encourage to be worthy…!
It absolutely depends on what you are looking for (for example, short, long, Greek text, English only).
I guess I would recommend the NIV Application commentary series as well as the Tyndale New Testament Commentaries.
Jack Hayford edit the cometary it He was raised in a Pentecostal church but since rejects pentecostal beliefs
Mike, I don’t know where you are getting that information about Jack Hayford rejecting Pentecostal beliefs, but I have to say that you couldn’t be more wrong. Jack Hayford is a Foursquare pastor, as I am, and I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that he fully embraces and teaches Pentecostal doctrine.
http://pentecostalpublishing.com/product/apostolic-study-bible
This study Bible comes out soon, and there are several single book commentaries from the pentecostal perspective on this same site.
I have most of the Pillar Commentaries and all the Tyndale (NT/OT). I enjoy them both. Pillar is way more detailed than Tyndale. It is solid Evangelical scholarship. Not Pentecostal, but solid. I have read through several and referenced the others. It is usually my first choice when I am preaching through a book of the NT. It very similar to The NICNT without the footnotes. It’s focus more for the pastor than the scholar.
The Tyndale and Pillar commentaries, with IVP Background would make a great system studying the NT for a pastor. A balance of brief and depth.
Thanks for your website! 2 things. I’m looking for a Pentecostally oriented online whole-Bible commentary. I looked at what you have shown for Google books but they are such small print. I am almost 70 and can’t read the print. Can’t find a way to make the print any bigger. David Guzik (Enduring World) has a pretty good commentary along the lines I’ve described above, but he has no clue as to speaking in tongues or healing, etc.
2nd – what is your take on the so-called Lost Tribes of Israel? I suspect that’s a myth since Paul identified himself as a BenjaminIte and Anna was of the tribe of Asher plus James wrote to the 12 tribes. I’m getting ready to teach a Bible study and so far can only get the opinion of the un-spirit-filled. I honestly don’t mean to be tacky — it’s just that there’s a dimension that they unknowingly miss. Thank you! Roberta Potts