G. K. Beale’s Commentary on Revelation in the New International Greek Commentary  series has been highly esteemed since it was written. Unfortunately, most pastors because of the technical format and untranslated Greek found it too difficult to use. Assisted by David H. Campbell, Beale has responded to requests to make his contribution more accessible. This volume has succeeded on that score and becomes a lively read.

I should disclose that I subscribe to a premillennial interpretation rather than his “eclectic, redemptive-historical idealist view”. Though he is a brilliant author, and knows something about arguing well for his position, he in my opinion too casually addressed those of my persuasion by quoting the most radical he could find in our world. On page 22, he beautifully listed the reasons futurists hold the positions they do, but does not do as well countering them. In fairness to him, my bias may have been at work.

Whether I agreed or not on his overall prophetic approach, I must confess I learned much as I read. He is adept at seeing what is there–words, repetitions, and parallels. His Introduction was given in 34 pages and was outstanding.

I’m glad to have this volume for my studies as he has insights on every page. Like me, you might not agree with everything he says, but you will be enriched for having read it. I’m a pastor who doesn’t want all my commentaries on Revelation to agree with me.

This volume will be a go-to commentary on technical issues, but is far easier to read than the others I have used. This commentary is a solid effort.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

The set is finally complete! Now we have a commentary on Psalms that will be a treasure for the rest of our lives. This isn’t hyperbole–it’s one of the best commentaries we have and certainly the best on the Psalms.

This final volume covers Psalms 90-150 in 1000 pages. If you already use the previous two volumes, you will be glad to know that the quality doesn’t waver as has been known to happen in some other large commentaries. His aim is pastors first and scholars second and he succeeds on both levels.

To see the value you will get in this volume just check out his commentary on Psalm 90. Most modern scholars place this Psalm claimed to be from Moses’ hand as post-exilic. He in just few words shows the shaky ground that claim is on while he argues for Moses. That takes guts in these days and I love it.

He always puts his psalms in the proper context and category. His commentary on Psalm 119 would make a fine book of its own. I might still believe the Pilgrim Psalms were pilgrims heading to worship opposite of his stance, but the commentary is outstanding.

The winning setup remains the same: text and textual footnotes, composition and context, exegetical analysis, commentary in expository form, and message and application. None of those sections are throwaway.

This is an incredible resource for pastors and teachers and I give it the highest possible recommendation.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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Psalms Volume 1

Psalms Volume 2

This volume is one of the best of its kind released in a long time. Though aimed at college-level students, it is ideal for any studious laymen as well. As a pastor, I would love to see those I pastor use this volume in their studies.

Written by Ed Hindson and Elmer Towns, both of whom are experienced at writing to this audience, the book begins with two helpful introductory chapters on how we got the Bible and how to read it. From there we get a chapter on a general introduction to the Old Testament, followed by individual book introductions. We get a similar New Testament introduction before individual NT books are introduced as well.

This book scores a home run on every level. The writing is good, the maps and other graphics are outstanding, and many exceptional charts are included too. Each book has a “Key Facts” graph, a background, an outline, a message of its contents, all followed by a practical application section.

If my guess is correct, this book will be highly successful. The book itself is beautiful and I highly recommend it.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This volume was the first in what is developing into a major commentary series. This entry has enjoyed a favorable reception in the scholarly world and so I looked forward to reviewing it. Now that I have used all the titles in the Apollos series, I personally think the first two volumes (this one and Daniel) has a different feel than later volumes.

I found the Introduction to be unhelpful. He tackled issues of composition that I couldn’t agree with, and more importantly, most pastors find irrelevant. Only when he gave some theological insights was I helped. He also did not accept Mosaic authorship. Though the Apollos is earning a conservative reputation, this one would have trouble earning that designation in places.

Still, the quality of the commentary proper is high. The writing is good, the scholarship mature, and the information helpful. It was engaging throughout. This alone will make for a great commentary volume. The layout is similar to all the volumes: translation, notes on the text, form and structure, comment, and explanation. Consistently, I enjoyed the last two the list the most.

When I said that the first two Apollos volumes had a different feel, it seemed to me they were more for the scholar while the later volumes were better for pastors. If you are a scholar, add a star! In any event, I still recommend this volume and the entire series.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.