Members PreachIt Posted June 16, 2004 Members Share Posted June 16, 2004 BIBLE COMMENTARIES June 16, 2004 (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) - The following is excerpted from the Advanced Bible Studies Course "How to Study the Bible," available in print, VHS, and DVD formats from Way of Life Literature: On several occasions, I have heard preachers condemn commentaries. One year when I was a young Christian, in fact, I determined to read and study the Bible alone and to forgo consulting any commentaries or other extra-biblical sources. I did this religiously and prayerfully for a few weeks, and I can testify that the Lord made it plain to me that I need help from men and that He was not going to give me everything by direct enlightenment. It is not that the Bible is weak or insufficient; it is that I am only one weak man and can't possibly know and understand everything without help. When I rejected the use of commentaries, I was left with my own meager resources. And though I have recognized gifts in understanding and teaching the Bible, I am at best only a very puny man with very limited ideas. Any man who is honest before God will affirm that most of his knowledge and understanding was learned from other men. God has ordained this. That is why we start in life as a child and are dependent upon parents and tutors, and even as we grow older, we remain very dependent upon the help of others. This is why I believe in good commentaries. If I were shut up on a remote island with only the Bible, I am sure the Lord would give me everything I needed directly through His Word, but that is not His normal way of operation. He has given ministry-gifted men to the churches and He uses them to edify the saints (Ephesians 4:11-14; 2 Tim. 2:2). I praise the Lord that some of the excellent teaching of past and present generations has been captured in print so I can possess it and consult it whenever I please. Such material is priceless. Even those who condemn commentaries want their people to come faithfully to church to listen to their preaching and teaching. If it is right to listen to one preacher, why is it wrong to listen to other sound preachers? Some preachers seem to be afraid of books, yet a good Christian book is simply good preaching. While it is true that there are many heretical books available in the average Christian bookstore (we have warned about that in our video presentation "Dangers in Christian Bookstores"), it is not true that books themselves are wrong. God wrote a book! In Psalm 45:1, He said, "My tongue is the pen of a ready writer." Indeed, God has a powerful pen, and what a Book He wrote! The Apostles constantly communicated with the churches and individual believers through writing, and if they had possessed printing presses, we can be certain that they would have used them. Men of God through the centuries have valued the written and printed page. Charles Spurgeon, who is called the Prince of Preachers, advised the preachers in his Bible College to "sell your shirt and buy books." Recently the History Channel made a survey of a wide range of knowledgeable people in various fields on what is the most important invention of history. The thing that came in first was the printing press. SOME TIPS FOR USING COMMENTARIES EFFECTIVELY (1) The commentaries must be written by men who are sound in the faith. The use of commentaries written by men who are unsound in the faith will cause more harm than good. A large percentage of the commentaries published today fall into the latter category. (2) The commentary must be based on the right Scripture text. Most of the commentaries today are based upon unsound Bible texts and translations, such as the New International Version in English. The major Christian publishers are even republishing the old commentaries in modern Bible version editions. God did not inspire many different texts, and to say that the preserved Word of God today is found scattered somehow throughout all of the translations makes no sense if you believe that the Bible is the infallibly inspired Word of God. Referring to the Bible version issue, a wise pastor once said, "Things that are different are not the same." To say that two conflicting Bible versions are both the preserved Word of God is confusion. The Christian must have one Bible authority, not ten conflicting ones. This is why we advocate staying with the old Received Greek text which shook the world to its foundation in the 1500s and broke the age-old shackles of Rome and which shined the gospel to the ends of the earth as it was translated into all of the world's major languages in the 1500s, 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s. In English, the most powerful and accurate translation of the Received Text is the King James Bible. It has proven itself for 400 years to be dependable and uniquely blessed of God. You will not go astray if you stay with this old Standard, but that cannot be said about the modern versions which use corrupted Greek manuscripts and which employ unsound methods of translation, such as dynamic equivalency. Even some of the old commentaries, which contain some excellent thoughts, use the wrong Greek manuscripts. This is true of the notes in the Scofield Reference Bible, the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown's commentary, and William Newell's commentaries on Romans, Hebrews, and Revelation. Be careful about this. Though it is possible to use these commentaries to good advantage, the student must understand the textual issue and not be misled by their comments on this subject. (3) The believer should not lean on commentaries. It is too easy to get into the habit of running to a commentary the moment we find something that we do not understand. This is not a good habit. Before going to a commentary, first try to make your own interpretation before the Lord. That way you will have a basis for analyzing what the commentator is saying. (The Way of Life Advanced Bible Studies Course "How to Study the Bible" explains how to do this. It is available in book and video editions.) (4) Commentaries must be judged carefully by the Scriptures (Acts 17:11; 1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:21). No commentator is infallible. The wise Bible student will carefully test everything the commentator says by comparing it to the Scripture itself. Beware of the presumption of commentators who try to add to the Word of God. For example, Jamieson, Fausset, Brown comments on Gen. 4:3 "And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD," as follows: "Hebrew, 'at the end of days,' probably on the Sabbath." In fact, there is nothing in the Hebrew to signify that it was the sabbath and the KJV translation is perfectly fine. In his commentary on Noah's flood, Matthew Henry claims that Noah sent out the raven and dove on the sabbath. He says, "This intimates that it was done on the sabbath day, which, it should seem, Noah religiously observed in the ark." In fact, Henry was letting his imagination run wild, for there is not even a hint of such a thing in Scripture. These are examples of presumption on the part of the commentator. (5) Bible commentaries have strengths and weaknesses. No man can effectively teach every part of the Bible. This is why single volume commentaries are often superior to whole Bible commentaries. Also, some commentaries will be sound in many parts but will have one or more areas of unsoundness. For example, many of the old commentators, such as Matthew Henry and even Charles Spurgeon, were unsound in their view of prophecy, though they are exceedingly helpful on other matters. For this reason, we recommend using Harry Ironside and J. Vernon McGee and other dispensational commentators for the prophets and Revelation. Another example are men such as John Gill and Arthur W. Pink, who were, in our estimation, unsound in their Calvinistic theology of the sovereign election of man and associated points, yet at the same time their commentaries contain many excellent thoughts apart from that. (6) It is important to know the theological position of the commentator. If the commentator is Pentecostal, Calvinistic, or whatever, that will be reflected in his notes. SOME HELPFUL WHOLE BIBLE COMMENTARIES EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS by Matthew Henry (1662-1714). This set of early 18th-century commentaries (first published in part in 1708-10) remains one of the most helpful in print, in my estimation. In many areas we disagree with Matthew Henry's position (i.e., prophecy, the church), but rarely do we regret having consulted him. Henry, a nonconformist Presbyterian pastor, was a master of biblical languages and a diligent Bible student who ransacked the old commentary material of his day to pass the meat along to us. He had a lovely gift for organizing and expressing his thoughts. He died before completing the full commentary, having finished his work only through the book of Acts. The New Testament commentary from Romans to Revelation was completed by 14 contemporary preachers of that day, all dissenters from the Church of England. There is now a New International Version edition of the Matthew Henry Commentary, and it is possible that the publishers will allow the KJV edition to go out of print at some point. We agree with Baptist pastor Charles Spurgeon's assessment of Matthew Henry: "You will find him to be glittering with metaphors, rich in analogies, overflowing with illustrations, superabundant in reflections. Every minister ought to read Matthew Henry entirely and carefully through once at least. You will acquire a vast store of sermons if you read with your note-book close at hand; and as for thoughts, they will swarm around you like twittering swallows around an old gable towards the close of autumn." Spurgeon notes that George Whitefield read Matthew Henry through four times during his life. All of this reminds us that men of God used to study the Bible much more than they do now. I am convinced that if the average independent Baptist preacher were assigned the task of reading through the entire set of Matthew Henry even once, he would grow weak in the knees at the very thought of it. Hendrickson Publishers has come out with an excellent one-volume edition of the Matthew Henry Commentary. It contains the entire text of the original multi-volume set, including chapter summaries and outlines. It omits the KJV text to conserve space, and it incorporates some helpful revisions: Roman numerals are changed to Arabic; Greek and Hebrew words are transliterated. The type style is smaller than that used in the multi-volume editions, but it is clear and legible. Hendrickson Publishers, P.O. Box 3473, Peabody, MA 01961-3473. (508) 532-6546 (voice). Some of the Bible software packages include the unabridged Matthew Henry Commentary. There is also a software edition of an abridged edition of Matthew Henry, which is called the Matthew Henry Concise. It is TOO concise for my taste, though it can be helpful. The unabridged Matthew Henry is available on the web at http://www.khouse.org/blueletter/. BARNES' NOTES ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT by Albert Barnes (1798-1870), Frederic C. Cook (1810-1889), and James Murphy. There are 14 volumes in this invaluable set of commentaries. Barnes was a Presbyterian preacher and Bible expositor. He was brought to trial in 1835 for his rejection of the unscriptural doctrine of limited atonement. He advocated total abstinence of alcoholic beverages, was a soul winner, and promoted Sunday Schools. THRU THE BIBLE by J. Vernon McGee (1904-1988). This five-volume set contains the messages preached by the late J. Vernon McGee on his Thru the Bible radio broadcasts. Though I was saddened by McGee's New Evangelical compromise in many areas, he always gladdened my heart with his warm, Christ-centered commentary on the Word of God. I particularly recommend his commentaries on the Old Testament prophets, because he maintained a literal pre-millennial, pre-tribulational approach in contrast to most of the well-known Bible commentators, including those mentioned above. It is not easy to find sound commentaries on the prophetic portions of Scripture. WIERSBE'S EXPOSITORY OUTLINES ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT by Warren Wiersbe. Though Dr. Wiersbe has become committed to the New Evangelical philosophy in recent decades, he is a gifted Bible commentator. His chapter-by-chapter Expository Outlines was completed decades ago during his 10 years (1961-1971) as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church of Covington, Kentucky, before he had become so thoroughly committed to the New Evangelical path he walks today (as an editor of Christianity Today, working with Youth for Christ, board member of the National Religious Broadcasters and TEAM, preaching at Willow Creek Community Church, and preaching at the Billy Graham "The Cove" center in North Carolina, etc.). The edition of Wiersbe's notes published by Thomas Nelson is two volumes, titled Bible Commentary New Testament and Bible Commentary Old Testament. The Cook Communications edition is also two volumes and is titled Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old and New Testaments. I have found the O.T. outlines to be particularly good. Wiersbe's Outlines are available for Logos Bible Software and possibly for other Bible search computer programs. Wiersbe takes the position that the kingdom was offered again to Israel in the early part of the book of Acts, but we do not agree with this. IRONSIDE COMMENTARIES by Henry A. Ironside (1878-1951). These commentaries are devotional, practical, and Christ-centered. Ironside worked with the Salvation Army in his early Christian years, and he earnestly sought the "entire sanctification" experience promoted by the Army and the Methodists of that day. It was the turn of the century, and a "holiness" fervor was sweeping across North America. The problem was that it was a false view of holiness that promised various degrees of sinless perfection. From this fervor, the Pentecostal movement arose in the early part of the 20th century. Ironside became so discouraged by his failure to achieve an experience of sinlessness that he ended up in a hospital with an emotional and physical breakdown. There God began to teach him the truth of biblical justification and sanctification through some literature that he found, and he was led out of the confusion and doctrinal error of the holiness movement. He joined the Plymouth Brethren and conducted a long and very fruitful ministry as a pastor and Bible teacher. His experiences were recorded in the book Holiness: The False and the True, which is still printed by Loizeaux Publishers and which is also posted at the Way of Life web site under the Charismatic section of the End Times Apostasy Online Database. I have found Ironside to be especially helpful in the Old Testament prophets. Like the previously mentioned J. Vernon McGee, Ironside held a literal pre-millennial, pre-tribulational approach to Bible prophecy in contrast to most of the well-known commentators. The Ironside commentary series include five volumes on the O.T. prophets. There are individual volumes on Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel; and the Minor Prophets are covered in one volume. WILLMINGTON'S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE by H.L. Willmington. This volume contains the heart of the Bible school course developed years ago by Willmington for Jerry Falwell's correspondence school. The last we knew, Willmington was still at Liberty University. Obviously we do not recommend Falwell's school, and it is sad to see men who should know better continue to be aligned with that type of compromise (hosting a Promise Keepers conference, promoting Billy Graham and his ecumenical evangelism, promoting the most radical charismatic ministries such as The Rock Church in Virginia Beach, promoting Christian rock, etc.). Be that as it will, Willmington's Guide to the Bible is very helpful. It is divided into two major sections: A chapter-by-chapter commentary on or survey of the entire Bible, and a section on Bible doctrine. The doctrinal studies are thorough and practical. Willmington's studies on Genesis are particularly excellent. Willmington has published separate volumes entitled New Testament Survey and Old Testament Survey, but in our estimation, these are not as helpful as his original Guide to the Bible. EXPLORE THE BOOK by J. (James) Sidlow Baxter (c. 1903-199?). This is an unusually thorough Bible survey course. Baxter was born in Australia and grew up in Lancashire, England. He was a Baptist. "He attended Spurgeon's College in London and pastored in England and Scotland. He authored twenty-six books and ministered in churches, Bible conferences, and missionary centers throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and around the world." Baxter shows Christ through the Scriptures. He is dispensational. He defends the infallibility of the Scriptures against modernism (defending Genesis 1-11 as literal, Mosaic authorship of Pentateuch, Jonah swallowed by whale, etc.). His article "Our Bible: The Most Critical Issue" defended the infallibility of the Scriptures: "I have said it many a time, and am surer of it than ever, that the life and death issue of Christianity is the inspiration and authority of the Bible." He spends considerable time on the typology of the Old Testament. In his notes on Revelation, he hints at the possibility of a mid-tribulation Rapture, but he is not dogmatic on it and passes over it quickly. He treats the first part of the book of Acts as a renewed offer of the kingdom of God to Israel, which we strongly disagree with. He also presents a type of gap theory between Genesis 1:1-2, which we also disagree with. Originally, this was a six-volume work. In 1960, Zondervan published a one-volume condensation. JAMIESON-FAUSSET-BROWN COMPLETE COMMENTARY by Robert Jamieson (1802-1880), Andrew Robert Fausset (1821-1910), and David Brown. First published in 1871, This three-volume set is frequently critical to the Received Text and the King James Bible, as many of the commentaries are, but it contains much practical thought on the Bible text. Spurgeon said: "We consult it continually, and with growing interest. It contains so great a variety of information that if a man had no other exposition he would find himself at no great loss if he possessed this and used it diligently." It must be noted that the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown's commentary contains a prejudice against a strict fundamentalist position on doctrine. For example, in Romans 14, this commentary warns against "setting up narrow standards of Christian fellowship" and claims that we should overlook "lesser differences." In fact, Romans 14 is only referring to matters about which the Bible is silent and is not talking about doctrine that is based on Scripture. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown commentary is on the web at this site: http://www.site-berea.com/B/jfb/. HANDFULS ON PURPOSE by James Smith and Robert Lee (1886-1978). This five-volume set contains more than 2,000 expository outlines covering the whole Bible. I have not found many outline sets to be helpful, but these are unusually practical and useful. Robert G. Lee, a Baptist pastor and three-term president of the Southern Baptist Convention, was a master of alliterative sermons. SPURGEON'S EXPOSITORY ENCYCLOPEDIA by C.H. Spurgeon. This is the only collection of Spurgeon's sermons classified by topic and alphabetically arranged. The 750 sermons are comprehensively indexed. There are also a number of other sets of Spurgeon's sermons with indexes. HALLEY'S BIBLE HANDBOOK by Henry Hampton Halley (1874-1965). He was a pastor and Bible lecturer who was ordained in 1898. Halley memorized entire books of the Bible and frequently quoted these in churches. Halley desired to see every Christian read the Bible daily, systematically, and fruitfully, and that is why he produced his Bible handbook. The first edition was a small 16-page booklet, but it continued to grow until today it is 864 pages. It has gone through 24 editions. More than five million copies have been sold in many languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Thai, Russian, Greek, Tagalog, Cebuano, Indonesian, and Romanian. It contains a wide variety of helps in addition to the survey on the Old and New Testaments. These include maps and charts; archaeological notes; tables of weights, measures, and money; outline of Bible history; and comments on reading and memorizing the Bible. Halley approaches Bible prophecy from a non-committal position, presenting the literal interpretation as well as other interpretations, but he leans toward the non-literal. AN INTERPRETATION OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE by Benajah Harvey Carroll (1843-1914). This 13-volume set of commentaries on the entire Bible by the famous Baptist preacher B.H. Carroll was edited and published by J.B. Carnfill between 1913-16. Carnfield, who was associated with Carroll for many years and who taught Bible for more than 30 years at the seminary level, testified that Carroll was "one of the greatest Bible scholars and exegetes living in the world today." Carnfield wrote that in the General Introduction to the commentary on Genesis in 1913, the year before Carroll died. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary says Carroll "was a powerful preacher, keen debater, ready writer, widely-read historian." Carroll pastored the First Baptist Church of Waco, Texas, from 1871 to 1899. In 1894, he became the principal of the Bible department at Baylor University and was professor of English Bible there from 1901 to 1910. He was influential in creating the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1910 and was president of Southwestern from its inception until his death in 1914. He published 33 books, including a volume on Baptist Doctrine and many influential pamphlets on such topics as "Communion from a Bible Standpoint" and "The Modern Social Dance." Calvary Publications in Fort Worth, Texas (P.O. Box 181212, Ft. Worth, TX 76118, 817-281-4720), still carries 200 of Carroll's sermons in booklet form. An Interpretation of the English Bible is long out of print and is rare. It is not a verse-by-verse commentary, but it has many helpful thoughts for preachers and teachers. It is available in an electronic edition entitled "The B.H. Carroll Collection" from Ages Software, Rio, Wisconsin, www.ageslibrary.com. COMMENTARY ON THE HOLY BIBLE by Matthew Poole (1624-1679). Poole was a Puritan. "He graduated from Emmanuel College in Cambridge in 1645, and succeeded the great Anthony Tuckney at St. Michael-le-Querne church. This was the only pastorate Poole would hold. A strict Presbyterian, he resigned his living rather than conform to the Act of Uniformity." His commentary, which was originally called a "Synopsis," required 10 years of earnest labor. He awoke at 3 or 4 a.m. and studied and wrote until the afternoon. His work was first written in Latin, and its translation into English was finished after his death. The three-volume set of commentaries by Poole is not as extensive as that of Matthew Henry, but the tone and approach is similar. It is a helpful, concise commentary on the entire Bible. Poole's commentary was originally published in 1685, not long after the completion of the King James Bible. He ransacked the commentary material of his day, incorporating the best of it into his work. A lot of thought is packed into the concise language of this commentary. Charles Spurgeon wrote, "...having read Matthew Henry as I have, I would rather have none other commentary beside that of Matthew Poole." EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS by John Gill (1697-1771). Gill was a renowned British biblical scholar and Baptist pastor. For over 50 years he pastored the Particular Baptist Church of Horselydown, Southwark, London, the church that later moved its location and became known as the Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle of Charles Haddon Spurgeon fame. His knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew was equal to that of the greatest scholars of his day, and he diligently searched out and studied ancient materials relating to the Bible. The Baptist Encyclopedia observes that "no man in the eighteenth century was as well versed in the literature and customs of the ancient Jews as John Gill." Spurgeon ranked Gill fifth among all commentators of the whole Bible and stated, "He is always worth consulting. ... for good, sound, massive, sober sense in commenting, who can excel Gill?" We personally overlook Gill's complete capitulation to the most extreme TULIP Calvinism and glean from the riches of knowledge he passed on via his commentaries. The set of Gill's Commentaries is available from The Baptist Standard Bearer, Number One Iron Oaks Dr., Paris, AR 72855. (501) 963-3831 (voice), Baptist@worldnet.att.net (e-mail), http://www.standardbearer.com/ (web page). The full set of Gill Commentaries has been made available for IBM and MAC computer users by the diligent efforts of Larry Pierce, author of the Online Bible, and it is available in the Online Bible for Windows CD-ROM. Order from (800) 778-3390. THE PULPIT COMMENTARY. This 23-volume set was first published between 1880 and 1919. Each Bible passage is considered in a two-fold manner: commentary and homiletics. While some portions are dull and unimaginative, there is enough helpful thought and meat to make the set a worthwhile investment, in our estimation. Eerdmans reprinted the Pulpit Commentary in 1963. The Pulpit Commentary is available in an electronic edition from Ages Software, Rio, Wisconsin, www.ageslibrary.com. SHOULD I BUY BOOKS OR COMPUTER SOFTWARE? Computer Bible research tools are not necessarily for everyone. While it is true that Bible research can be more efficient on a computer than with books, this does not mean that such is always the case. The computer is only more efficient if it is readily available and if the Bible student can use the computer properly and in a godly manner. Books well used are certainly more efficient than a computer not used! Books that produce godliness and wisdom are more to be desired than computer programs that distract from the same. If you have already incorporated the computer into your daily Bible study, you know by experience that a computer Bible study tool can be very efficient. There are many Christians, though, who do not yet use a computer, who use it only occasionally, or who use it only for an occupation other than Bible study, and who are asking themselves the question, "In making further additions to my Bible study library, should I obtain books or should I turn to computer software?" Let me offer some tips that might help you answer that. First, if you do already have a computer, ask yourself if you are committed to using that computer for your daily Bible studies. It is one thing to own a computer or to have access to one and even to use that computer for various other tasks; it is another thing to integrate the use of the computer into your personal daily Bible study routine. There are many people who own computers but who do not have ready access to that computer every day for their Bible study. Perhaps the computer is shared by several family members and is kept in a central location for that purpose. If that is the case, you might not be in the habit of using the computer for your daily Bible studies even though there might be a computer in your home. If such is the case, I would recommend that you continue to purchase and use books until you can obtain a computer which is used strictly by you for your own studies. For Bible software to be practical for you, it must be readily available every time you do Bible research. The computer must be handy, it must be turned on, and it must be mastered. Otherwise, you will tend not to use the computer for Bible study even if you own Bible search software because it will not be convenient. Owning Bible study software is not the same as using Bible study software! Second, if you do not already have a computer, ask yourself if you are truly committed to obtaining one, mastering it, keeping control of it, and then actually using it for Bible study. Many computer programs are purchased which are not used. This is a waste of money. There is a real learning curve with computers. The personal computer is easier than ever to use, but to master its use still requires dedication and time. Children seem to take to them naturally, but that is not always the case with us "old fogies." If you are contemplating purchasing a computer and incorporating it into your Bible study routine, I would encourage you to go for it. It is doubtful that you will regret it, IF YOU ARE COMMITTED TO GIVE ENOUGH TIME TO THE PROJECT TO GAIN A MASTERY OVER IT. Otherwise, you are probably wasting your time and money. As noted previously, books well used are certainly more efficient than a computer not used. Third, are you easily distracted from your study of God's Word? Do you find yourself daydreaming a lot? Do you find your attention drawn away from the Lord by the thought of other things entering in? If so, you might be wise to avoid trying to incorporate the computer into your Bible studies. I have used a computer every day for 22 years and I am sold on its value, but I also have a ministry somewhat different from that of many preachers, because of the publishing and contemporary research aspects. I do not believe the computer has produced more godliness in the ministry and I do not believe it is necessary for the ministry. It can as easily be a distraction and a hindrance as it can be a help. I have seen preachers waste many hours simply playing with their computers. One can play with his computer even when he isn't using computer games! A man might say, "Look at all the time I save with my Bible search program." That is no doubt true, but the other side of that is to consider all the hours you might be wasting by merely playing around with your computer. Each man must answer these questions for himself. A man who is able to use his books without distraction to study God's Word in such a manner that he draws near to the Lord and increases in holiness and wisdom is far ahead of the man who owns and masters the most expensive Bible software but who frequently gets distracted from godly worship of Christ and serious meditation on God's Word by the bells and whistles of his software and of his computer system. It is also important that a man get the right software. An important challenge was contained in a note I received from a brother in the Lord: "I love Logos [Bible software] but I would not suggest it to anyone unless they had excellent computer skills and the right computer. Also, I believe Logos is an excellent tool for the advanced student of the word but not for everybody. When I first purchased Logos, I spent all my time 'playing with the computer' rather than studying God's Word. I was ready to toss Logos. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't buy Logos even though I do realize its potential." In contrast to Logos, which has a higher learning curve, are programs like Parsons Quick Verse, the Online Bible, and SwordSearcher, which are easier to use. I am saying that there is danger with the technology. High technology does not equate to deep spirituality. It can be a servant, or it can be a master. Each man must make this determination for himself. I am merely saying, don't be intimidated into putting away your books unless you are certain that is God's will for you. The greatest sermons ever preached and the greatest Bible study tools and commentaries ever made were produced with BOOKS WITHOUT COMPUTER ASSISTANCE! If you can use a computer effectively and spiritually for your Bible study, that is great. If not, that is also great. [Distributed by Way of Life Literature's Fundamental Baptist Information Service, a listing for Fundamental Baptists and other fundamentalist, Bible-believing Christians. Our goal in this particular aspect of our ministry is not devotional but is TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ASSIST PREACHERS IN THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCHES IN THIS APOSTATE HOUR. This material is sent only to those who personally subscribe to the list. If somehow you have subscribed unintentionally, following are the instructions for removal. TO SUBSCRIBE to the Fundamental Baptist Information Service, send a blank email to fbis-subscribe@wayoflife.org. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PreachIt Posted June 16, 2004 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2004 [img]http://www.e-sword.net/images/banner.gif[/img] COMMENTARIES Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible Geneva Bible Translation Notes John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Matthew Henry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nymusicman Posted June 26, 2010 Members Share Posted June 26, 2010 (edited) Bible AnalyzerBible Analyzer is great free software for doing bible study. It has many free modules and most if not all paid modules are very cheap, with one notable exception (which might be worth it anyway being it was written by a IFB) Understanding The Bible Commentary by Dr. David H. Sorenson. Other than this commentary all other modules are free if not extremely reasonably priced. Not to mention the author of Bible Analyzer is a KJV IFB himself, so a lot of the books offered with this software can be found in a good baptist church.Bible Analyzer Edited June 26, 2010 by nymusicman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wilchbla Posted June 26, 2010 Members Share Posted June 26, 2010 (edited) Although not really a commentary I would highly recommend Lewis Sperry Chafer's Sytematic Theology. It's a pretty practical work therefore almost a commentary. Look at the price too! http://www.christianbook.com/chafers-systematic-theology-4-volumes/lewis-chafer/9780825423406/pd/2345 Edited June 26, 2010 by Wilchbla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brother Rick Posted June 26, 2010 Members Share Posted June 26, 2010 Great article, Preachit, thanks for posting. I have noticed many Christians are imbalanced when it comes to their approach to commentaries. From believing things just because their favorite commentator said it, to the other extreme of completly throwing out everything the guys said because they think he was wrong on one area. J. Vernon McGee is a perfect example. He's a Bible corrector, plain and simple. I hate that. But you know what? He's just a man and God still loves him and used him in spite of that, and it would be a shame to toss out everything he ever did. For years when I was a painter I used to listen to him in the morning on my way to work, and I always got a blessing from him. All a commentary is is a bunch of Sunday School lessons put to print. Those who go to Sunday School but are too spiritual to read a commentary are being inconsistant. For what it's worth, in my commentary in the preface I said something to the effect that I didn't want people to believe this commentary. OBviously, I worded it that way for a surprise element. Then I explained that the Bible is the only book that should be believed, and that every other book is secondary and should simply be used. I wrote my book so it could be used, not believed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members irishman Posted August 2, 2010 Members Share Posted August 2, 2010 (edited) Our preacher says that commentators are just "common taters" I like that. The reason so many people preach against commentaries, is that many people read them in place of their Bible. Either that, or they belive every bit of what they read, as if it were Gospel (pun intended). Edited August 2, 2010 by irishman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DarrinG Posted August 5, 2010 Members Share Posted August 5, 2010 (edited) I have found commentaries by Oliver B. Greene to be fantastic study aides. There "used" to be a local radio station here that still played "The Gospel Hour" preaching sermons by Mr. Greene and I enjoyed them tremendously. However, that station is no longer on the air and I miss listening to Mr. Greene's sermons. As is with all study aides and commentaries, nothing replaces my King James Bible. Commentaries were written by fallible man and must be read with that in mind. The Final Authority is God's Word. Edited August 5, 2010 by DarrinG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators HappyChristian Posted August 5, 2010 Administrators Share Posted August 5, 2010 I have found commentaries by Oliver B. Greene to be fantastic study aides. There "used" to be a local radio station here that still played "The Gospel Hour" preaching sermons by Mr. Greene and I enjoyed them tremendously. However, that station is no longer on the air and I miss listening to Mr. Greene's sermons. As is with all study aides and commentaries, nothing replaces my King James Bible. Commentaries were written by fallible man and must be read with that in mind. The Final Authority is God's Word. My hubby and I like O.Greene, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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