One incredible thing about being alive today is the amount of valuable material created by Christians who came before us. Those Christians who had the same Holy Spirit living inside them devoted their lives to learning, studying, and teaching the word of God. Today, we have the blessing of standing on their shoulders, building upon the foundation they laid.
A commentary is one way the Christians of the past (and present) are able to offer such a rich blessing to our walk with Christ. We can grow from their years of study and lifetime of wisdom granted to them by the Holy Spirit. We can find our own walks deepened, our understanding of the Bible strengthened, and our hunger for God’s word increased even more.
The concept of commentaries may be daunting, or even unknown, to some. They’re wonderful tools when understood correctly, but it’s not surprising that many people see them as something for pastors and Bible nerds. However, a commentary is something useful for all Christians, no matter where they are in their walk with Christ. I’ll start by briefly explaining what a commentary actually is, then share three ways a commentary can help Christians at any level of spiritual maturity.
What are commentaries?
In their most basic sense, a commentary is a thorough look at what the Bible says, often going verse-by-verse to explain the context of words and phrases being used. Most commentaries are available for the entire Bible, while others can be purchased one book at a time. Regardless of what you use, you’ll find something that takes a deep dive into God’s word and gives an insightful, Biblical, and historical look at what a Bible writer is saying.
What does this look like in practice?
Some commentaries are available as footnotes in the Bible, offering brief comments and explanations for trickier parts of the Bible. For the sake of this article, I’m going to focus on commentaries that are their own books, leaving it to the reader to open their own Bible and see what’s being written. Let’s look at how a commentary might help us understanding Romans.
Most commentaries will start with the basic info of the book: author, date, other historical info, what the book is about, a basic outline, and other things that can help us get a good understanding of what we’re about to read. From there, a commentary will often start at Romans 1:1 and break down all the important bits we may wonder about (and even some we often read over without a thought). For example, here’s Romans 1:1
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1)
Most of us often treat this as a throwaway verse, but a commentary can give us great insight into what is being said, and why. It may give info such as:
- Why does Romans begin with a greeting at all?
- Who is Paul?
- What is a bond-servant?
- Why is he a bond-servant of Christ?
- What is an apostle?
- How was he called?
- What does “set apart” mean?
- What is the “gospel of God”?
As I said, we often glance right over this verse so that we can get to the “good stuff,” but look at how much important information it contains. The answers to all of these will help us set the stage for everything else Paul (whoever that guy is) is about to say.
And that’s what a commentary does. It can explain something we don’t understand, refresh our knowledge, or give us other places to go in God’s word to help us better understand something being said.
Understanding that, here are three ways to use a commentary in your daily Bible reading. Although all of these ways are viable for any Christian, it can be helpful to see these as progression steps. If you’re new to Bible reading or struggling to understand what you read, begin with the first method. Once that becomes easier, move on to the next one.
1. Read it before your Bible
If you sit in a movie theater or just watch Netflix, you’ll notice that most movie trailers give away the majority of what a movie is about. Audiences complain about going into a movie “already knowing what’s going to happen” and just assume that an industry that makes incredible amounts of money must be incompetent. There are a few reasons why trailers give away so much, but one of them can give us insight into how to use a commentary.
When we know the basics of what a movie is about, we aren’t distracted by trying to figure out the very basics of what we’re watching and what we should expect. If we sit down and don’t know whether we’re watching a mystery, comedy, or documentary, we won’t know how to interpret the early scenes nor understand what mindset we should be in.
A commentary can serve the same function as a movie trailer. If we’re about to study the final few verses in Romans 8 or read the Sermon on the Mount, perhaps for the very first time, it can be valuable to get a helping hand from a commentary so we can know what we’re about to experience. When we understand things like historical context, the meaning of certain words, or even references to other parts of God’s word, then our minds can be more actively engaged when we sit down to read it for ourselves.
This method is perfect for those who currently struggle to understand what they’re reading. Many Christians, whether they’re new or not, can spend years struggling with their Bible reading simply because they don’t know how to understand it well. We often try to read it like an entertaining novel or a well-written biography because that’s what books tend to be, and walk away frustrated because the Bible is nothing like any piece of literature we have today. Trustworthy, reader-friendly commentaries help bridge a difficult gap so that people can see the deeper truths of God’s word. It can help prepare them for what they’re about to read for themselves, letting people get those “Aha!” moments by first reading a commentary’s explanation, then reading the Bible and seeing how the commentary came to a conclusion about what a verse is saying.
Note that this method is really best for those who struggle to understand the Bible on a fundamental level. This is the weakest method because it lets the commentary do all the interpreting for us, which is something I’ll discuss toward the end of this article. However, for some people, this may be just the boost they need to get them into God’s word and start growing.
2. Read it next to your Bible
This is where most people will find value in a commentary. While the Holy Spirit often illuminates truth to us in God’s word, we need to be humble enough to admit that there are things we simply don’t understand. Many bad interpretations don’t come from wicked intentions, but simply a poor understanding of context. For example, the meaning of being “lukewarm” takes on a very different meaning when we understand the water situation of the Christians who were being rebuked.
This is where a good commentary can come to our rescue. As we’re reading and studying God’s word, we should always be asking questions about what we just read. The more we examine what’s being said, the more we may realize we want more than a surface-level understanding of the text.
Going back to Romans 1:1, we may already understand the vast majority of what Paul is referring to in that verse. However, perhaps “bond-servant” doesn’t quite make sense to us, or we want to see what someone else has to say about it. We know it probably doesn’t change the meaning of the book of Romans, but it can give us a deeper appreciation for who Paul is and what he’s going to say.
In that situation, we can pause our reading, grab our commentary to see what bond-servant meant to people of that time… maybe spend 10 minutes getting lost in the rabbit-trails of reading the various cross-references (I know I’m not the only one!)… and then get right back to reading our Bibles.
Most Christians will find value in this method because it allows them to find gaps in their understanding and fill them in instead of shrugging their shoulders and moving on. It encourages readers to be inquisitive and regularly ask questions, knowing that a commentary can get them moving in the right direction for an answer. It also keeps us focused on the context, holding us responsible for reading the Bible how it’s meant to be read, rather than leaving it open to our personal, often-flawed interpretation.
A primary weakness of this is that it can make us dependent on the commentary. Understanding context can be daunting, and it can be easy to get scared (or lazy) and immediately reach for a commentary as soon as any question pops up. If we aren’t careful, our critical thinking skills won’t get stretched because it’s just easier to see what a mature theologian says. Moderation is the key to making sure this method helps us learn without preventing us from continual growth.
3. Read it after your Bible
I love talking to pastors about what their lives are like as a full-time shepherd, and hearing how they prepare sermons is something I always want to hear about. Without fail, those pastors who want to make sure they’re accurately preaching God’s word in its proper context will tell me about some variation of this method. But this isn’t just a method for pastors or “super Christians,” but instead is the method we should all desire to reach as the Holy Spirit continues to grow our faith, wisdom, and spiritual maturity.
If you’ve read the first two points, this method is the obvious next step. Rather than regularly pausing to check our specific understanding of specific words or phrases in a passage, this method allows us to fully stretch our interpretation muscles while still having a safety net. Rather than reading Romans 1 and regularly pausing to check what a commentary says, this method requires us to do the work for ourselves, figuring out the interpretation before we touch a commentary.
It may mean finding information on ancient Roman bond-servants, reading about the apostles (and especially Pauls’s conversion) in Acts, and often continuing on with finding our own interpretation and understanding of Paul’s complete thought that ends in verse 7. Then, and only then, do we open a commentary (or four) and see what we got right, what we got wrong, and where others may have taken a different approach with the text.
At first, this may sound terrifying, and perhaps even impossible. How can a single person possibly be able to know all of this without the help of others? And when we first leave the safety of having a commentary at the ready, we will likely make a lot of mistakes and find that we’ve bungled far more things than we thought we might.
But when done correctly, failing at our Bible interpretation is one of the best things for us. Failure isn’t something to be avoided, but expected. It shows us where we’re weak, where we’ve made mistakes, and where we still need to grow. And if we’re excited about learning to love God’s word even more, then failure shows us how deep the riches of this book truly run.
And for many who have spent enough time using commentaries next to their Bible, they may find that they’re more equipped than they thought. The more you reference commentaries to answer questions, the more you’ll learn how to make connections to other parts of the Bible, learn what words mean, and get used to reading before and after a verse to better understand why something is being said. Without realizing it, we slowly become weaned off of constantly needing commentaries as good Bible interpretation becomes more natural to us.
This final method of using a commentary allows us to enjoy all the ways God has equipped us in our growing maturity while still keeping us grounded and challenged by the wisdom and study of other believers. It allows us to be much more in tune to God’s leading while protecting us from error by making sure we aren’t confusing our opinion with the Holy Spirit.
A quick note for those still bothered by commentaries
There are those who will refuse to use commentaries, fearing that it lets a human teach us instead of the Holy Spirit. The phrase “I just need the Holy Spirit and the Bible” is a popular one. While this is beyond the scope of this article, I want to address why this belief, despite coming from good motives, is both inconsistent and potentially disastrous.
First, in order for us to truly believe that we need to avoid the influence of any else’s commentary on God’s word, we need to reject everything spoken by our pastor from the pulpit. Unless we attend a church that only reads straight from the Bible, then a good sermon is ultimately a man standing up, giving the context of a passage, and explaining how it applies to our lives. In a sense, a pastor is like a commentary you can talk to later on.
(Not only that, but we would also have to reject any Bible with verse numbers, since those are a human’s opinion on where certain ideas begin and end. Not to mention things like blogs or conversations with friends, where everything said will slightly affect how we read and understand God’s word)
As far as pride, it’s important to realize that those who write commentaries have the exact same Holy Spirit as we do. He hasn’t changed in the centuries since the biblical authors were inspired, and thus the only thing that really changes over time is the application to daily life. If we refuse to listen to anyone else, it may be a sign of our pride saying that we don’t want to be wrong, we want to interpret the Bible in our own way, or that we think we can figure out some new truth that has been misunderstood for 2,000 years.
If we outright reject all the work done by those who come before us, we miss out on the blessing of what God has taught them, and we will end up having to spend decades working through the basics instead of standing on the shoulders of those who came before. A commentary isn’t a final authority on what a verse or passage means, but it’s a useful tool that we’re blessed to have in our toolbelt.
Which commentary should I get?
Commentaries vary in their depth, experience of their writers, and even the religious tradition they use to explain certain verses. There’s no single best commentary, largely because our understanding of things like history and language are constantly improving over time. Not only that, but there are various areas in the Bible where two intelligent, wise, God-fearing people will completely disagree, largely because they come from different denominations.
When it comes to choosing the right commentary, there are a few things to look for:
- Arminian or Calvanist understanding of salvation
- Rapture, amillenial, or some other understanding of the “end times” (also known as Dispensational vs. Covenant Theology)
- Beliefs and interpretations specific to denominations such as baptism, gender roles, how we are affected by the Old Testament law, the role of the local church and its leadership, supernaturla gifts, etc.
The first thing to realize is that we will never find the perfect commentary. Even a commentary written by someone we largely agree with will contain some things that we will interpret differently. It’s important to realize that it will happen, and it’s not a problem as long as we hold commentaries in their proper place. Too often people can get stuck in a rut and try to win arguments by saying “Well, John MacArthur says _____” as though invoking the name of a theologian should put the matter to rest. That’s a sign we’re putting too much emphasis on a teacher’s words.
That being said, I’m sure it’s no surprise that I’ll say I can’t recommend the right commentary for you because our needs are different. Instead, I will offer some advice on what to look for, and avoid, and then end with a few of my personal recommendations.
First, I’d recommend finding a quality commentary from the last few decades. It’s not to say that a commentary written centuries ago is bad, but over time our understanding has been refined and deepened thanks to the work of those who came before us. A good theologian will build on an existing foundation, giving better insight into things that may have been misunderstood based on information people had (or lacked) centuries ago.
I’d also avoid free commentaries. There are a number of them available online, but it’s often a classic case of “you get what you pay for.” It can be difficult to put up money when we feel like we can get something good enough for nothing, but the time and effort that goes in to a commentary will justify the price.
Finally, I’d recommend one or two commentaries from people you don’t agree with. Even if you are just going to commentaries when you have questions, getting a variety of perspectives can be valuable. The most obvious benefit is that it gives different ways of looking at a topic, but another subtle one is that it will force us to better understand our own beliefs. If we let a single commentary spoon-feed us truth, we have no need to ask why we believe what we believe. But when two or three believers are saying different things about something like baptism or communion, it’s our call to do some more study and figure out where we truly stand on the subject.
With all of that being said, here are some commentaries worth considering:
Beginner Commentary: The MacArthur Bible Commentary. This is a single book that goes from Genesis to Revelation, offering great information and biblical application in a reader-friendly style. Even if you don’t agree with all of John MacArthur’s beliefs, this is still my top recommendation for a first commentary. I also use the Believer’s Bible Commentary on my Olive Tree digital Bible, and have found it to be well-written (and over time, this may become my top recommendation).
Study Bible: NIV First-Century Study Bible or MacArthur Study Bible. These are a full Bible with helpful commentary for the bigger questions people may have. The first is great for understanding the historical context, while the second is a good all-around study Bible (which is available in a variety of translations). These are great to have handy when you just want to read the Bible and get quick answers to common questions people have about the text.
Full Commentary: Expositor’s Bible Commentary or Pillar New Testament Commentary. These strike a great balance of thorough explanation of the text without being too academic (though Expositor’s wins for being much more reader-friendly and more affordable). You can slowly buy individual books or track down a complete set.
And the rest: For those who want to jump in to commentaries and get a deep understanding of context and meaning, Logos has 7 suggestions for the best Bible commentaries. If you want to find the most widely-recognized commentaries on each specific book of the Bible, check out BestBibleCommentaries.com. You can also ask your pastor what he uses or recommends.
Whichever commentaries you choose, the most important thing to remember is that the believers who worked on them wanted to help you grow closer to God. Commentaries aren’t the final authority on what the Bible says, but they can help us on our journey to better understand why we believe what we believe, and in that way they help us grow closer to Jesus Christ.
