Favorite NT Commentaries

From a post by Dr. Andreas Kostenberger* on biblicalfoundations.org
Used with permission

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is, "What are the commentaries you recommend for serious study of the New Testament?" At long last, I have compiled my list. Subject to further editing, it will appear in a forthcoming hermeneutics text, Invitation to Biblical Interpretation, due out in the Invitation to Theological Interpretation Series in a couple years. In the meantime, here is the list:

Matthew

Blomberg, Craig L. Matthew. NAC. Nashville: Broadman, 1992.

Carson, D. A. "Matthew." EBC 8. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984, 3-599.

Davies, W. D. and Dale C. Allison. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. ICC. 3 vols. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1989, 1991, 1997.

Hagner, Donald A. Matthew. 2 vols. WBC. Dallas: Word, 1993, 1995.

Keener, Craig S. A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999.

Wilkins, Michael. Matthew. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004.

Mark

Evans, Craig A. Mark 8:27-16:20. WBC. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2001.

France, R. T. The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

Garland, David E. Mark. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Guelich, Robert A. Mark 1-8:26. WBC. Dallas: Word, 1989.

Gundry, Robert H. Mark: A Commentary on His Apology for the Cross. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993.

Lane, William L. Commentary on the Gospel of Mark. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

Luke

Bock, Darrell L. Luke. 2 vols. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994, 1996.

Fitzmeyer, Joseph A. The Gospel According to Luke. AB. 2 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1981-85.

Green, Joel B. The Gospel of Luke. Rev. ed. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.

Marshall, I. Howard. Commentary on Luke. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978.

Nolland, John. Luke. WBC. 3 vols. Dallas: Word, 1990-93.

John

Carson, D. A. The Gospel According to John. PNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.

Keener, Craig S. The Gospel of John: A Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003.

Kostenberger, Andreas J. John. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004.

Morris, Leon. Commentary on the Gospel of John. Rev. ed. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.

Ridderbos, Herman N. The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.

Acts

Barrett, C. K. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles. ICC. 2 vols. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1994-98.

Bock, Darrell L. Acts. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007. [to be released later this year]

Bruce, F. F. Commentary on the Book of Acts. Rev. ed. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.

Fitzmyer, Joseph A. The Acts of the Apostles. AB New York: Doubleday, 1999.

Longenecker, Richard N. "Acts." EBC 9. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981, 207-753.

Romans

Cranfield, C. E. B. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. ICC. 2 vols. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1975-79.

Dunn, James D. G. Romans. WBC. 2 vols. Dallas: Word, 1988.

Moo, Douglas J. The Epistle to the Romans. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.

Schreiner, Thomas R. Romans. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998.

Wright, N. T. "The Letter to the Romans." New Interpreter's Bible. Nashville: Abingdon, 2002, Vol. 10, 393-770.

1 Corinthians

Barrett, C. K. A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Harper's New Testament Commentary. New York: Harper, 1968.

Blomberg, Craig L. 1 Corinthians. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.

Fee, Gordon D. The First Epistle to the Corinthians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987.

Garland, David E. 1 Corinthians. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003.

Thiselton, Anthony C. The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.

2 Corinthians

Barnett, Paul. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.

Garland, David E. 2 Corinthians. NAC. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999.

Hafemann, Scott J. 2 Corinthians. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.

Harris, Murray, J. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005.

Martin, Ralph P. 2 Corinthians. WBC. Waco: Word, 1986.

Galatians

Bruce, F. F. Galatians. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982.

Dunn, James D. G. The Epistle to the Galatians. HNTC. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1993.

Fung, R. Y. K. The Epistle to the Galatians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.

George, Timothy. Galatians. NAC. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994.

Hays, Richard B. "The Letter to the Galatians." New Interpreter's Bible. Nashville: Abingdon, 2000, Vol. 11, 181-348.

Longenecker, Richard N. Galatians. WBC. Dallas: Word, 1990.

Ephesians

Best, Ernest. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Ephesians. ICC. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1998.

Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984.

Hoehner, Harold W. Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002.

Lincoln, A. T. Ephesians. WBC. Dallas: Word, 1990.

O'Brien, Peter T. The Letter to the Ephesians. PNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999.

Philippians

Bockmuehl, Markus. The Epistle to the Philippians. Black's NT Commentaries. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1998. Paperback edition New York: Continuum, 2006.

Fee, Gordon D. Philippians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.

Hawthorne, Gerald. Philippians. WBC. Rev. and exp. by Ralph P. Martin. Nashville: Nelson, 2004.

O'Brien, Peter T. The Epistle to the Philippians. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.

Silva, Moise. Philippians. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005.

Thielman, Frank. Philippians. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Colossians and Philemon

Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984.

Dunn, James D. G. Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: A Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.

Garland, David E. Colossians and Philemon. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.

Martin, Ralph P. Colossians and Philemon. New Century Bible. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973.

O'Brien, Peter T. Colossians, Philemon. WBC. Waco, TX: Word, 1982.

Wright, N. T. The Epistles of Paul to the Colossians and to Philemon. TNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986.

1&2 Thessalonians

Bruce, F. F. I and II Thessalonians. WBC. Waco, TX: Word, 1982.

Green, Gene. The Letters to the Thessalonians. PNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

Marshall, I. Howard. I and II Thessalonians. New Century Bible. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.

Morris, Leon. The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians. Rev. ed. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.

Wanamaker, Charles A. The Epistles to the Thessalonians. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.

1&2 Timothy, Titus

Johnson, Luke Timothy. Letters to Paul's Delegates: 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus. New Testament in Context. Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press International, 1996.

Knight, George W. III. The Pastoral Epistles. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992.

Kostenberger, Andreas J. "1 and 2 Timothy, Titus." EBC. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006, 487-625.

Marshall, I. Howard. The Pastoral Epistles. ICC. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1999.

Mounce, William D. Pastoral Epistles. WBC. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000.

Quinn, Jerome D. and William C. Wacker. The First and Second Letters to Timothy. ECC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.

Towner, Philip H. The Letters to Timothy and Titus. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006.

Hebrews

Attridge, Harold. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Hermeneia. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1989.

Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Hebrews. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.

Ellingworth, Paul. The Epistle to the Hebrews. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993.

Hagner, Donald A. Hebrews. NIBC. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1990.

Lane, William L. Hebrews. WBC. 2 vols. Dallas: Word, 1991.

James

Davids, Peter H. Commentary on James. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982.

Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Letter of James. AB. New York: Doubleday, 1995.

Martin, Ralph P. James. WBC. Waco, TX: Word, 1988.

Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. PNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.

Richardson, Kurt. James. NAC. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1997.

1&2 Peter, Jude

Bauckham, Richard J. Jude, 2 Peter. WBC. Waco, TX: Word, 1983.

Davids, Peter H. The First Epistle of Peter. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.

Jobes, Karen H. 1 Peter. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005.

Grudem, Wayne A. The First Epistle of Peter. TNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.

Michaels, J. Ramsey. 1 Peter. WBC. Waco, TX: Word, 1988.

Moo, Douglas J. 2 Peter and Jude. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Schreiner, Thomas R. 1, 2 Peter and Jude. NAC. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2003.

1-3 John

Akin, Daniel L. 1, 2, 3 John. NAC. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2001.

Bruce, F. F. The Epistles of John. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979.

Kruse, Colin G. The Letters of John. PNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.

Marshall, I. Howard. The Epistles of John. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978.

Smalley, Stephen S. 1, 2, 3 John. WBC. Waco, TX: Word, 1984.

Stott, John R. W. The Epistles of St. John. Rev. ed. TNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.

Thompson, Marianne Meye. 1-3 John. IVPNTC. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1992.

Revelation

Aune, David E. Revelation. WBC. 3 vols. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997, 1998.

Beale, G. K. The Book of Revelation. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999.

Ladd, George Eldon. A Commentary on the Revelation of John. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972.

Mounce, Robert H. The Book of Revelation. Rev. ed. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.

Osborne, Grant R. Revelation. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001.

NOTE

For further recommendations see D. A. Carson, New Testament Commentary Survey. 6th ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007.

* Dr. Kostenberger is a professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina. Also see his article Helpful Reference Tools for Biblical Studies.

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