Solid commentaries vital to biblical understanding

By David Daniels and ChristianWeek | June 6, 2008

Christian bloggers, journalists, authors, pastors and theologians lament the biblical illiteracy of Christians today. Whether or not biblical illiteracy is at its lowest point in Christian history, I cannot say, but there seems to be ample evidence supporting the idea that today's Christians are far less biblically informed than they ought to be.

In his "The Poverty of Love" article (Christianity Today, May, 2008), Bradley Nassif writes about the early fourth century Christian community of desert fathers and mothers whose passionate love for God translated into vibrant discipleship. I was surprised at Nassif's claim that the literacy rate at the time of these desert communities was a mere four per cent, compared to 75 per cent today.

"There is more Bible knowledge available now than at any other time in human history," Nassif writes. Given the apparent crisis of biblical ignorance among Christians today, Nassif's observation is startling. But I think the operative word here is "available."

Without a doubt, contemporary Christians—certainly in North America—have a glut of resources from which to draw. But, are Christians making good use of the best available resources?

Rather than promote the latest formulaic "Five Steps to Healthy Biblical Literacy" type of book, I'm asking Christian pastors and leaders to point readers toward something a bit more solid. For example, reading a good Bible commentary series would direct Christians back to the source of spiritual life and health—the living and enduring Word of God.

One particularly good series with its "unqualified commitment to biblical authority, clear exposition of Scripture, readability, and practical application" (publisher's blurb) is the Preaching the Word series, edited by R. Kent Hughes, senior pastor emeritus of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois and published by Crossway Books.

The newest volume in the series, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude, is written by David Helm, a member of the pastoral staff of Holy Trinity Church in Chicago. Helm has written a warm, pastoral commentary encouraging Christians to "hold fast to their identity in Christ, ground themselves in the truth, live lives worthy or their calling and vigorously contend for the faith." Could there be subjects more pertinent to contemporary Christian living than these?

The ongoing series now stands at 24 volumes, covering eight Old Testament books, 20 New Testament books and an extended discussion of the Sermon on the Mount. Most of the volumes are written by Hughes, but among the other contributors are well-known expositors like Philip G. Ryken, Raymond C. Ortland Jr., and Ian M. Duguid.

Brian Chapell, president of Covenant Theological Seminary in Tennessee, and author of Christ-Centered Preaching (Baker, 1994), says this is one of his favourite commentary series.
"The focus upon explaining the text with preaching as its goal makes the series resonate with the priorities of the pulpit. No academic aloofness here, but down to earth, preacher-to-preacher meat for God's people." (Disclaimer: Chapell wrote one of the commentaries in this series.)

Why would a commentary series focused on the needs of pastors be a wise choice for the average Christian?

In my view, any commentary providing good biblical exegesis with solid application in what Chapell describes as "down to earth… meat for God's people" will be readily accessible to any serious Christian reader. And if sitting under the public ministry of pastors committed to this kind of teaching is helpful, it can only be good if Christians are supplementing their Sunday intake with daily doses of solid Bible teaching through commentaries of this kind.

More information about the volumes in this series is available at www.gnpcb.org under Crossway Books.