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For more great commentaries on the Epistles check:
Commentaries on the Epistles, Commentaries on the Whole New Testament
& Whole Bible Commentaries
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Subsections
Romans Philemon
1 Corinthians Hebrews
2 Corinthians Catholic Epistles
Galatians James
Ephesians 1 Peter
Philippians 2 Peter
Colossians Letters of John
1 Thessalonians 1 John
2 Thessalonians 2 John
1 Timothy 3 John
2 Timothy Jude
Titus
Epistles’ Background & Introduction
Poetry
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Order of Contents 15+
Best 5
Commentaries 10+
Early & Medieval 3
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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 & Verse is Analytically Unfolded & the Text Enlightened (Romans-Jude) (London: Eglesfield, 1659) 323 pp. ToC
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 & the Thessalonians (1656-1674; London: Ward, 1841) 490 pp. no ToC Reprinted by Banner of Truth
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
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 & Philemon, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians (London: MacMillan, 1895)
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
1550’s
Whitehead, David – Lections & Homilies on St. Paul’s Epistles
Whitehead (1492?–1571) was an English evangelical priest, a Marian exile and author.
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1900’s
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 (NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1914) 150 pp. ToC
“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]) 698 pp. ToC Indices: Subject, Phrases,
Whitby (1638–1726) was a strongly Arminian, Anglican minister who later gave evidence of Unitarian tendencies.
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1800’s
Denton, W. – Commentaries on the Epistles for Sundays & Holy Days, vol. 1, 2 (1869-1871; London: Bell, 1888-1890) no ToC
** “Will be a treasure to Churchmen. Denton is a good author.” – Spurgeon
Advanced
1700’s
Benson, George – Paraphrase & 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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Early Church
Theodore of Mopsuestia – The Commentaries on the Minor Epistles of Paul [Gal-Phile] trans. Rowan Greer in Writings from the Greco-Roman World Pre (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2010) ToC
Theodore (c. 350 – 428) was a bishop of Mopsuestia and is also known as Theodore of Antioch, from the place of his birth and presbyterate. He is the best known representative of the middle Antioch School of hermeneutics.
Theodoret of Cyrus – Commentary on the Letters of St. Paul, 2 vols. Ref (Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2007)
Theodoret (c. 393 – c. 458/466) was an influential theologian of the School of Antioch, biblical commentator and bishop of Cyrus.
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Medieval Church
1200’s
Aquinas, Thomas – Ninety-Nine Homilies… Upon the Epistles & Gospels for Forty-Nine Sundays of the Christian Year trans. J.M. Ashley (London: Church Press, 1867) 200 pp. no ToC
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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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