Technical Commentary Question

Lee said:

Nathan Parker said:

2. The course I am taking this semester is Gospel of John. Chances are I will be doing an exegetical paper on the Gospel of John. The required textbook is Pillar, which I have. If there are any additional recommendations on commentaries/resources on the Gospel of John that I could get or see if I have already to aid in my research for the paper, I'd love to hear your suggestions. This is something I can look into now since I know I'll be writing a paper this semester.

3. In the summer is when I'll be taking my Greek and Hebrew exegesis classes. During Intermediate Greek and Hebrew, I was asked to look up information on assignments in some technical critical/commentaries, and since many of my commentaries aren't technical/critical, I did struggle through those assignments. I was able to give some applicational insights but not really be able to give the professors what they needed in terms of the text (my professors showed me abundant grace though in grading). I did substitute in some areas and went to books like TWOT or TDNT and get some discussion on the underlying words so show I at least tried my best. So what I'm basically looking for is having enough well-rounded information in technical/critical commentaries so I can complete assignments for Greek and Hebrew exegesis come summer.

In my opinion, one could gather up a ton of technical resources and still come up short in the estimation of the professors. Some professors may desire to hone a principled, critical analysis more than anything else. Some professors have specific areas that they feel deserve greater attention, e.g. syntax, text-criticism, etc. Some professors could even have favorite theological ideas, books or authors.

In writing a paper, while you could stock up on Logos resources, it is entirely reasonable for a professor to expect reference to a broad spectrum of sources, some of which will not be available in digital form.

Therefore, if you are looking to buy stuff, buy with a view not only of the present, but also of your future ministry.

If I were in your position, I would consider interacting personally with the professor, and even with other students. I have found this to be a painless and ethical way to identify areas needing improvement.

For this course especially in John, I have emailed my professor and asked him about what commentaries he'd like for me to consult for the paper. He's a great professor at communicating with students (he's been my Greek professor), and I know he will give me some solid suggestions. The other area where I ask professors about textbooks are definitely my Theology professors since that's my major. I heavily go to them for advice.

SineNomine said:

Nathan Parker said:

SineNomine said:

Ken McGuire said:

He was rewriting it when he died, but, well, we will have to enjoy the fruits of that after the grave...

Or buy this.

Since I'll be writing an exegetical paper on John coming up, will this benefit me?

For what it is, it's the best there is. I've used it in hard copy, as I don't yet own it in Verbum. I found it very useful in some of my exegetical work even without tagging and links and search functions. I also strongly dislike that type of scholarship, to put it mildly.

I suggest taking advantage of the 30 day return policy to pick it up and see if you think you will benefit from it.

Sounds good. I'll look into it. Thanks for the info! I read the description, and when I think "Father Brown", what comes to my mind is somewhat of another "Father Brown". :-)