Commentaries on the New Testament Epistles

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For more great commentaries on the Epistles, be sure to check:
Commentaries on the Epistles, Commentaries on the Whole New Testament
& Whole Bible Commentaries

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Subsections

Individual Commentaries on:

Romans                          Philemon
1 Corinthians                  Hebrews
2 Corinthians                  The Catholic Epistles
Galatians                               James
Ephesians                             1 Peter
Philippians                             2 Peter
Colossians                            The Letters of John                    
1 Thessalonians                           1 John                     
2 Thessalonians                           2 John                      
1 Timothy                                      3 John                 
2 Timothy                              Jude
Titus             

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Order of Contents  13+

The Best Commentaries  5
Commentaries  9
Background to the Epistles

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The Best Commentaries on the Epistles

1600’s

Dickson, David – An Expositon of all St. Paul’s Epistles together with an explanation of those other epistles of the apostles St. James, Peter, John & Jude, wherein the sense of every chapter and verse is analytically unfolded and the text enlightened  (Romans-Jude)  Buy  1659  

Dickson was a prominent Scottish covenanter.

*** – ‘Dickson is a writer after our own heart.  For preachers he is a great ally.  There is nothing brilliant or profound; but everything is clear and well arranged, and the unction runs down like the oil from Aaron’s head.  In this volume the observations are brief.’

Fergusson, James – A Brief Exposition of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and the Thessalonians  Buy  1656-74

Fergusson was a Scottish covenanter.

*** – ‘He who possesses this work is rich.  The author handles his matter in the same manner as Hutcheson and Dickson, and he is of their class–a grand, gracious, savory divine.’

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Advanced, 1800’s

Ellicott, Charles – Commentaries, Critical and Grammatical, on the Epistles of St. Paul, vol. 1 (Gal, Eph, Thess), 2 (Phil, Col, Phile, Tim, Tit)  1890
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Ellicott was an Anglican professor and bishop.  His works exhibit valuable scholarship though he had some liberal tendencies.
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***  “Dr. Eadie says, ‘Ellicott is distinguished by close and uniform adherence to grammatical canon, without much expansion into exegesis.’  Dr. Riddle thinks Ellicott to be in many respects without an English rival.  For scholars only.” – Spurgeon
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Eadie, John – Commentary on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians

Eadie (1810-1876) was a justly renowned evangelical professor and exegete of the Scottish Secession Church.

On Galatians:  ***  “This is a most careful attempt to ascertain the meaning of the Apostle by a painstaking analysis of his words.  The author is not warped by any system of theology, but yet he does not deviate from recognized evangelical truth.  As a piece of honest grammatical exegesis the value of this commentary is very great, though there is room to differ from it here and there.” – Spurgeon

“Expositions on several of Paul’s letters to the churches of the New Testament era followed [by Eadie], and it is significant that Dr. C.J. Ellicott considered them to be superior to anything in England up to that time.” – Cyril J. Barber

Lightfoot, J.B. – Commentaries on Rom. 1-7, 1 Cor. 1-7, Galatians, Eph. 1:1-14, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians

Lightfoot (1828-1889) was an Anglican scholar and bishop.  His commentaries are generally conservative and are some of the best technical commentaries there are, though he did not hold to the inerrancy of the books he treats.

On Galatians:  *** – The Spectator says: ‘There is no commentator at once of sounder judgment, and more liberal [in a good way], than Dr. Lightfoot.'” – Spurgeon

On Philippians:  ***  “Deservedly regarded as a standard work.  The more instructed student will appreciate it.” – Spurgeon

“Exceedingly helpful.” – Cyril J. Barber

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Commentaries on the Epistles

Simple, Practical & Devotional

Whitehead, David – Lections and Homilies on St. Paul’s Epistles

Whitehead (1492?–1571) was an English evangelical priest, a Marian exile and author.

Pink, A.W. – Gleanings from the Apostle Paul  470 pp.

“Concentrates on the prayers and notes of praise of the apostle Paul.  Expounds the Scriptures so as to give a better understanding of Paul himself.” – Cyril J. Barber

Thomas, William Henry Griffith – The Prayers of St. Paul  1914  150 pp.

“A devotional gem which makes rewarding reading and contains numerous seed thoughts for preachers.” – Cyril J. Barber

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Intermediate

1700’s

Whitby, Daniel – A Paraphrase & Commentary upon all the Epistles of the New Testament  (London [1700])

Whitby (1638–1726) was a strongly Arminian, Anglican minister who later gave evidence of Unitarian tendencies.

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**  “Anything from such a man is worthy of attention, and this place, as a protest against rending texts from their connection, is most judicious.  The paraphrase, though open to criticism, is executed with great candor, and really illuminates the text.  (See Benson)” – Spurgeon

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1800’s

Denton, W. – Commentaries on the Epistles for Sundays and Holy Days, vol. 1, 2  1869-71

**  “Will be a treasure to Churchmen.  Denton is a good author.” – Spurgeon

 
Godet, Frederick – Studies on the Epistles of St. Paul  1889  358
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Marston, Charles – Expositions on the Epistles  Buy  1868
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**  “Expositions of each Epistle as a whole.  An admirable method of instruction.  To do this in a popular style is as praiseworthy as it is difficult.  Mr. Marston has succeeded.” – Spurgeon
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**  “Suggests a rich vein for the student’s own working.  Few, we fear will carry it out, but these will prize the Epistles more than others.” – Spurgeon
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Prichard, C.E. – Commentary on Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians  1865
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**  “Not too diffuse: among the notes are some admirable hints which may be worked out.  The book is a small one for so large a subject.” – Spurgeon
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Advanced

Benson, George – Paraphrase and Notes on 1 & 2 Thess., 1 &2 Tim., Philemon, Titus

Benson (†1762) was an Anglican.

**  “Benson has closely followed Locke’s method, though scarcely with equal footsteps, and has paraphrased those Epistles which Locke did not live to complete.  In the consecutive reading of an Epistle Locke and Benson are great assistants, but as Benson was an Arian he must be read with great caution.” – Spurgeon

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Background and Introduction to the Epistles
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“For the balancing of the truth, there is nothing like the Pauline letters; for vitality and freshness, there is nothing like the facts of the gospel.”

John ‘Rabbi’ Duncan

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Related Pages

Whole Bible Commentaries

Old Testament Commentaries

New Testament Commentaries