March Madness: What's worth purchasing

Yes, the EEC was a bad decision on my part. I'll never live long enough to receive it. I'm looking at the highly discounted ME courses in addition to 2 commentaries. I put them all in my Save For Later folder to play with and evaluate individual and total prices. I'll wait until it's over.

Dale Heath.

I speak from the perspective of a busy pastor who uses Logos for sermon prep daily. In my opinion, here are the things that are good deals...

Of the things still on the board, the WBC and NICOT/NICNT at a big discount are certainly worth purchasing. They remain two of the best commentary sets available. Also, the new version of the EBC at half price or more would make me take a hard look as I understand that this version has at least 60% new material. Many of us have the old version and found it very helpful.

Of the things that already have their final price set, here are my opinions of the best values...

1.   UBS Handbook Series OT/NT for $395 is well worth the money. Don't' let the name fool you; this is a very valuable set that will become one of your favorites.

2.  Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible for $454 is well worth it. If you are a pastor who prepares multiple sermons per week - this is a MUST HAVE resource.

3.   While it is old, to get Lange's Commentary for under $200 is worth the money - particularly if you can't get it in a base package. The language exegesis is sold, and some of the homiletical sections are valuable.

4.   Likewise, Lenski on the NT for less than $200 is worth the money. Solid, no frills exegesis and commentary here. Truly timeless.

5.    The Holman New Testament Commentary for under $100 is very valuable - particularly for Sunday School teachers, laypersons who may have Logos. Even though I have an extensive library, I still consult it when preaching from the NT and occasionally find a good "nugget" that works its way into a message.

In my opinion, these are the most useful items on the board.

Beloved said:

Greg Corbin said:

Of the things still on the board, the WBC and NICOT/NICNT at a big discount are certainly worth purchasing. They remain two of the best commentary sets available. Also, the new version of the EBC at half price or more would make me take a hard look as I understand that this version has at least 60% new material. Many of us have the old version and found it very helpful.

Of the things that already have their final price set, here are my opinions of the best values...

1.   UBS Handbook Series OT/NT for $395 is well worth the money. Don't' let the name fool you; this is a very valuable set that will become one of your favorites.

I own all of the commentaries that you mention except the Preacher's Outline which I feel could still be offered at a better price. I agree that NICOT/NT, WBC, and UBS Handbook are must-haves. The other titles are offered in base packages, so if you're still building your library these can be better picked up in this manner.

You are correct Beloved! The preacher’s outline and sermon Bible could be offered at a better price. ALL the competitors have offered the entire set for $250 and with a format far superior than the one Logos offers. It’s a great resource but overpriced in the Logos platform, unfortunately. Besides, aside from NIC and WBC, many other resources are part of base packages, so it’s cheaper to buy them that way, than to pay discounted prices for just one resource (e.g. Holman NT commentary, usb handbooks, etc.).

DAL

I would guess if you are looking to complete a set because you like it or have a compulsion towards things being complete, you'd prob pick it up.  Myself, I have not bought a set for sometime, instead focusing on individual commentaries.   

As for mobile ed, unless they are under $40 or so, they simply are not a value to me.  I have not even voted in that brackett. 

I honestly think I will not be purchasing anything this MM.  ACCS was the only one that interested me, and I'm not sure it is on sale enough.

I agree with you about the Holman series. However, the volume on Chronicles by Winfried Corduan is absolutely phenomenal. I preached a series on Chronicles (Waiting for Christ to Come) and people really enjoyed it. 

DAL said:

Besides, aside from NIC and WBC, many other resources are part of base packages, so it’s cheaper to buy them that way, than to pay discounted prices for just one resource (e.g. Holman NT commentary, usb handbooks, etc.).

https://www.logos.com/product/39480/ubs-handbook-series-old-and-new-testament-collection 

Well, I've been to Korea (South) many times, and it's an amazing place. But outside the Korea package, UBS doesn't seem affordably packaged ... or the web page isn't complete maybe.

Then there's UBS NT more expensive than OT. That's odd.

Help me understand the value of Berit Olam, I'm not familiar with it. Seems to be leaning catholic?

abondservant said:

Help me understand the value of Berit Olam, I'm not familiar with it. Seems to be leaning catholic?

Berit Olam (for OT) and Sacra Pagina (for NT) are probably the "best" Catholic critical commentaries. They focus on literary criticism rather than historical form criticism. They focus on the "end product" rather than trying to figure out who wrote the books. Very few other commentaries focus on literary criticism, and that is why I am attracted to them.  From reading the ones I have, they treat the issues fairly; and when they express a Catholic point of view, the authors tell you.  I like how seriously they treat the text.  Unlike Navarre Bible, which is very dogmatic ("this is what the Church teaches"), you can feel how the commentators try to struggle with the text in order to listen to what God has to say.  They are not too long, not too short: just enough meat but not too much to cause indigestion.  Most importantly, they treat the text reverently, without the skeptical attitude that permeates some commentaries.

There are down-sides: some have criticized that their literary criticism is often not methodologically consist. They can be uneven (as pointed out by Carsons in his NT Commentary Review book on Sacra Pagina.)  Not everyone is convinced that literary/narrative criticism brings anything new.

DAL said:

Beloved said:

Greg Corbin said:

Of the things still on the board, the WBC and NICOT/NICNT at a big discount are certainly worth purchasing. They remain two of the best commentary sets available. Also, the new version of the EBC at half price or more would make me take a hard look as I understand that this version has at least 60% new material. Many of us have the old version and found it very helpful.

Of the things that already have their final price set, here are my opinions of the best values...

1.   UBS Handbook Series OT/NT for $395 is well worth the money. Don't' let the name fool you; this is a very valuable set that will become one of your favorites.

I own all of the commentaries that you mention except the Preacher's Outline which I feel could still be offered at a better price. I agree that NICOT/NT, WBC, and UBS Handbook are must-haves. The other titles are offered in base packages, so if you're still building your library these can be better picked up in this manner.

You are correct Beloved! The preacher’s outline and sermon Bible could be offered at a better price. ALL the competitors have offered the entire set for $250 and with a format far superior than the one Logos offers. It’s a great resource but overpriced in the Logos platform, unfortunately. Besides, aside from NIC and WBC, many other resources are part of base packages, so it’s cheaper to buy them that way, than to pay discounted prices for just one resource (e.g. Holman NT commentary, usb handbooks, etc.).

DAL

Not to mention the formatting of the Preachers Outline/Sermon Bible is far inferior to the other competitors.