Commentary & Reference Review

Below are reviews of several commentaries and reference works that can help you gain a deeper understanding of God's word, strengthen your faith, and expand your ability to create a meaningful message.

Most of these books can be found at your local Christian bookstore or at Christainbook.com on the web. Christiansunite.com also has a nice list of free online bible commentaries. Remember, the only way to communicate the gospel effectively is to study, pray and then pray some more!

 Commentaries

Commentaries are a must if we desire to be good expositors of the word. God doesn't want us casually throwing things together. "We must study to show ourselves approved...rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). It's foolish not to tap into the insight that God has given to others who have spent a lifetime studying the Bible.

Studying the works and insights of others helps to insure that we don't get off track theologically. I would suggest never using less than three references during your study. This insures that you are not just using one man's opinion. You can come away from your study confident that you have adequately researched your passage and have heard from God regarding how He wants the message to be applied.

Matthew Henry: This site offers the full commentary for your use. You'll get a lot of good practical observations and applications from his exposition.

John MacArther: In his studies you will find an excellent exposition of scripture. He comes from a very conservative, Calvinistic and anti-charismatic view point. As with any commentary, we must take from it what we can use and not worry with what we cannot use. You'll find most of his teachings on this site.

J. Vernon McGee - Through the Bible: This is a very simple and easy to use online study tool. You will get brief explanations along with excellent insight. This site also offers MP3 downloads of his radio program.

Chuck Smith: Pastor Chuck is one of the better bible teachers of our time. He has a unique ability to make God's word simple and easy to understand. He has both survey as well as in depth studies. This link offers a huge collection of his teachings for free.

William Barclay: Barclay's Daily Bible Study series brings with it a wealth of colorful background facts. It will give you insight into the time and context of your passage, as well as an understanding of the original language. I almost always use this work when studying a book of the bible. I would however be cautious as you study because in certain places in the scriptures he leans strongly toward liberal interpretations. It is good to use, but I would never use it alone. Always use it in conjunction with other conservative commentaries.

Henry Ironside: This is another author and preacher from yesteryear. His teachings are very simple and easy to understand and will give you a lot of practical applications. Most of his writings were birthed from what he preached.

Martin Lloyd Jones: This man is considered by many to be one of the foremost bible expositors. His are not brief teachings. If you are looking for an in-depth study of the word his writings are a must.

 Reference Books

The reference books listed below are a few of the most fundamental works for the study of God's word. They are especially good for those who are new to preaching and the ministry.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance: This is imperative for any bible student, especially for beginners. You can look up any word and find out every place it appears in the bible. This can be a great tool for topical messages.

For instance, if your wanting to teach or preach on a particular topic you can look up that word and after seeing where each passage is found, the context from which it is taken can give you a different point within your message. It also has Greek and Hebrew dictionaries so you can look up the word's basic meaning from the original.

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon: This is a Greek dictionary for looking up the original meanings of the words in the bible. The numbers next to each word in both Strong's and Thayer's correspond with one another for easy use. This is good for both beginning and seasoned students.

Vines Expository Dictionary: This is also good for looking up key words in your study. In this you'll be able to find not only the meaning of the word but also whether it's a verb or noun, etc. A must for every serious bible student.

Word Studies: There are multiple word studies you can tap into. Some of these include Wuest's, Vincent's, and Robertson's Word Pictures.