Anyone familiar with this series? Not much available at BestCommentaries.com and I've not found any good reviews or descriptions on the web. It's on prepub and scheduled to ship at the end of this month.
Thanks!
Anyone familiar with this series? Not much available at BestCommentaries.com and I've not found any good reviews or descriptions on the web. It's on prepub and scheduled to ship at the end of this month. Thanks!
I don't know anything about the series, but two books that I refer to often have entries on them.
If you don't have these two books, I think they will pay for themselves in the long run.
The first quote is from Carson:
"Don’t overlook the FoB commentary by Paul Gardner (1998, £7.99/$14.99), certainly one of the stronger entries in that rather light series."
Carson, D. A. (2007). New Testament commentary survey (6th ed.) (140). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
The following are from Rosscup:
Brooks, Richard. Song of Songs (Focus on the Bible). Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1999.
An evangelical pastor in England insists on a view opposite to that of Longman (below), certain that the main theme is Christ and the believer (7), human sexual love secondary (8). References to Solomon and the Shulamite and the places such as Sharon are vehicles to convey the chief spiritual idea (9). Attendant virgins are mature believers (21), daughters of Jerusalem believers young in the faith (32), watchmen gospel ministers (77). “I am black but lovely” in 1:5 means a Christian’s dual view of self (saved but still sinful, 27), being sun-tanned in 1:6 refers to dangers, toils and snares in a hostile world (29), and later one reads scores of other ingenius allegorical imaginations boldly forced on the text. The work is one more clear example of preachers who insist on reading their opinions in arbitrarily, though they are self-convinced that they are teaching the Word.
Rosscup, J. (2004). Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An annotated bibliography of selected works (124). The Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications.
Sproule, R. C. Ephesians (Focus on the Bible). Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1994.
A brief survey exposition by a well-known Reformation thinker consists of ten chapters, giving a view on some key details, skipping others. Some he does cover are the Holy Spirit (1:17), faith as God’s gift (2:8, “that”), prophets in 2:20 are OT prophets, “captives” are Christ’s people freed from sin (4:9), etc. Lay people wanting quick, light simplicity will benefit (and profit more in a number of other works), while expositors will also seek works of more discussion.
Rosscup, J. (2004). Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An annotated bibliography of selected works (285). The Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications.
Eaton, Michael. 1, 2, 3 John (Focus on the Bible). Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1996.
This 232-pp. light exposition which skips a lot of issues is useful primarily, and in a lesser way than many commentaries, for general readers. It grew out of a doctoral dissertation at the University of South Africa in 1989. Eaton stands for the Apostle John writing these epistles as well as the Gospel of John. Some definitions are too vaguely general, for example the attempt to say what “knowing God” means in I John (21–25). Lay people would be farther ahead by using works by such men as Bruce, Burdick (his simpler of two commentaries), Hiebert, Kistemaker, Ryrie, Stott, or Vine, or the survey by M.Thompson.
Rosscup, J. (2004). Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An annotated bibliography of selected works (330). The Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications. Grogan, Geoffrey. 2 Corinthians (Focus on the Bible). Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1996.
This is one more of the almost too numerous to count popular expositions. It has some help for Christians in general (cf. also Derek Prime, Let’s Study 2 Corinthians. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 2000). A broad flow of teaching directed at key issues in texts leads to questions after each section, inviting leaders to apply details. The triumph in 2:14–16 is partly explained well, then confusingly turned to a picture inconsistent with customs of a Roman triumph, arguing that Roman captives [enemies, headed to punishment] portray Christ’s people as captives, on the general’s side. However, this is a popular scholarly misconception today. The discussion of 5:1–5 seems to state favoring one view, then wind up choosing the other, a new body. One value of the refreshing survey is in putting great truths before believers quickly and simply.
Rosscup, J. (2004). Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An annotated bibliography of selected works (270). The Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications.
Other volumes are also reviewed within the books.
I am only familiar with the OT volumes by Dale Ralph Davis, which are excellent (I have them in print). These are expository commentaries (at least his are), not exegetical commentaries.
Amazon has a Look Inside for one of Davis' contributions: http://www.amazon.com/Joshua-Falling-Words-Focus-Bible/dp/1845501373/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1293996226&sr=8-10
Unfortunately that seems to be the only volume in the series with a Look Inside available and Logos has provided no sample pages to look at.
I had this on my pre-pub list until recently. My uncertainty of the quality of the authors other than Davis eventually led me to cancel my order (one of the only pre-pubs I've ever canceled). I would have benefited from additional page views, reviews, or recommendations on this one.
