The Lives & Theology of the Apostles

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New Testament Commentaries

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“The prophets prophesied by the Spirit of Christ – the apostles preached by the commission of Christ.”

John ‘Rabbi’ Duncan

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Subsection

Life, Letters & Theology of Paul

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Order of Contents

Lives of the Apostles  6
Life & Theology of John  12
Life & Letters of Peter  13
Matthew  1
Thomas  1


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Lives of the Apostles

1700’s

Biscoe, Richard – History of the Acts of the Holy Apostles confirmed from other Authors and considered as Full Evidence for the Truth of Christianity  (d. 1748)  610 pp.

**  “Though not commentaries, the three works just mentioned are sources of information not to be neglected by the student of Acts.” – Spurgeon

Doddridge, Philip – ‘The Lives of the Apostles’  in The Life of our Blessed Lord & Savior Jesus Christ  (d. 1751), pp. 300-448

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1800’s, Liberals

Farrar, F.W. – The Early Days of Christianity  (1882)

ch. 5, ‘Writings of the Apostles & Early Christians’
ch. 6, ‘St. Peter’
ch. 19, ‘The Lord’s Brother’
ch. 20, ‘Life & Character of St. James’
ch. 24, ‘St. John’
ch. 25, ‘Life of St. John after the Ascension’
ch. 26, ‘Legends of St. John’
ch.  ‘Characteristics of the Mind & Style of St. John’

Farrar (1831–1903)

Bruce, A.B. – The Training of the Twelve, or Passages out of the Gospels Exhibiting the Twelve Disciples of Jesus under Discipline for the Apostleship  (1877)  560 pp.

Though Bruce was a liberal, this work is a classic.

Stanley, Arthur – Sermons & Essays on the Apostolical Age  (1874)  430 pp.

Some of the historical material is very valuable and conveniently laid out.

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1900’s

Jones, J.D. – The Glorious Company of the Apostles, being Studies in the Characters of the Twelve  (1904)  272 pp.  This was reprinted by Klock & Klock

Holden, John Stuart – The Master & his Men  Pre  Buy  (London: 1953)  125 pp.

“Penetrating studies on the disciples of Christ by one of the memorable preachers of the early twentieth century.” – Cyril Barber

Mackay, William – The Men whom Jesus Made: Studies in the Characters of the Twelve Apostles  Pre  Buy  (Hodder & Stoughton, 1924)  211 pp.

Macartney, Clarence – Of Them He Chose Twelve  Pre  Buy  (1927)  140 pp.

“Indispensable studies of the apostles.” – Cyril Barber

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2000’s

MacArthur, John – Twelve Ordinary Men:  How the Master Shaped his Disciples for Greatness…  (2002)  201 pp.  ToC  Workbook


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The Life & Theology of John  see also the works above

“John… with the eagle eye, is content to gaze, and to rest gazing, on the life which is the light of men.”

John ‘Rabbi’ Duncan

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Short

Evans, Robert Wilson – ‘St. John’  in Scripture Biography, First Series  (1834), pp. 250-64

Evans was a fellow and tutor at Cambridge.

Robinson, Thomas – ‘St. John, the Apostle & the Evangelist’  in Scripture Characters, or a Practical Improvement of the Principal Histories in the New Testament  (1792), vol. 2, pp. 253-68

Robinson (1749-1813) was an Anglican and fellow of Cambridge.

Schaff, Philip – History of the Christian Church  3rd rev.  (1858; Eerdmans, 1910), vol. 1, pp. 406-31

‘St. John & the Last Stadium of the Apostolic Period, the Consolidation of Jewish & Gentile Christianity: The Johannean Literature’
‘The Life & Character of John’
‘The Apostolic Labors of John’
‘Traditions Respecting John’

Whyte, Alexander – ‘John’  in Bible Characters

Whyte was a popular leader and professor in the United Free Church of Scotland.

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Books

1800’s

Gloag, Paton – ‘General Introduction’  in Introduction to the Johannine Writings  (1891), pp. 1-93

Krummacher, F.A. – The Life & Character of St. John the Evangelist & Apostle  (1839)  140 pp.  ToC

F.A. Krummacher (1767-1845) was the father of F.W. Krummacher.

**  “The author’s name is a sufficient guarantee.  He has also written on Cornelius and Stephen.” – Spurgeon

Luthardt, Christoph – St. John, the Author of the Fourth Gospel  trans. Caspar Gregory of Leipzig  (1875)  390 pp.  ToC

The translator was a student of Charles Hodge of old Princeton Seminary and dedicated the translation to him.  Luthardt (1823–1902) was an orthodox, Lutheran, German professor in Leipzig.

MacDonald, James – The Life & Writings of St. John  (1877)  413 pp.  ToC

MacDonald was of Princeton, New Jersey.

Stalker, James – The Two St. John’s of the New Testament  (1895)  280 pp.  ToC

Thomas, W.H. Griffith – The Apostle John: Studies in his Life & Writings  (1881?)  380 pp.  ToC

Thomas was a conservative, Anglican, Oxford principal, early dispensationalist and co-founder of Dallas Theological Seminary.

Trench, Francis – The Life & Character of St. John the Evangelist  (1850)  255 pp.  ToC

Trench was the older brother of R.C. Trench.

Webb, Mrs. J.B. – The Beloved Disciple: Reflections on the History of St. John  (1848)  236 pp.  ToC

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1900’s

Howard, Wilbert – Christianity According to St. John  (1943)  215 pp.  ToC

“A helpful survey of Johannine theology.” – Cyril J. Barber

Thomas, William Henry Griffith – The Apostle John: Studies in his Life & Writings  (1958)  210 pp.  ToC

“A lucid study of the Johannine writings which includes a biographical sketch of the apostle, and an extensive analysis of the Gospel, Epistles, and Revelation.” – Cyril J. Barber

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2000’s

Reymond, Robert – John, Beloved Disciple: a Survey of his Theology  Buy  (2001)  200 pp.

Reymond, known for his systematic theology, has been a conservative professor at Covenant and Knox Seminaries.

“Reymond is a significant scholar in the Reformed tradition but above all he is a Biblical theologian…  This book is the result of detailed and painstaking study and yet it remains accessible and useful to all who have a serious interest in Scripture.” – A.T.B. McGowan

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Latin

Lampe, F.A. – Of the Life of John the Evangelist  in An Analytical & Exegetical Commentary, even Literal of the Real Gospel According to John, vol. 1

Lampe (1683–1729) was a German Pietist pastor, theologian and professor of dogmatics. He was a Cocceian, and follower of Johannes d’Outrein. He is known as the first Pietist leader from a Calvinist rather than Lutheran background.

“Including a bibliographical account of authors who have written the life of St. John.” – James Darling

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German

Zahn, Theodore – The Acts of John  (Erlangen, 1880)  Containing the claimed accounts of Prochorus (1st century) & Leucius (200’s).


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The Life & Letters of Peter  see also ‘Lives of the Apostles’ above

Short

Evans, Robert Wilson – ‘St. Peter’  1834  24 pp.  in Scripture Biography, First Series, pp. 226-50

Evans was a fellow and tutor at Cambridge.

Robinson, Thomas – ‘Saint Peter’  1792  15 pp.  in Scripture Characters, or a Practical Improvement of the Principal Histories in the New Testament, vol. 2, pp. 237-52

Robinson (1749-1813) was an Anglican and fellow of Cambridge.

Whyte, Alexander – Peter   from Bible Characters

Ridderbos, Herman – The Speeches of Peter in the Acts of the Apostles  Buy  (1962)  31 pp.

“Comprises the Tyndale New Testament Lecture for 1961.  Provides a scholarly exposition of Peter’s speeches.” – Cyril J. Barber

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Books

1800’s

Birks, H.A. – Studies in the Life & Character of St. Peter  (1889)  300 pp.  ToC

“This series of messages on selected incidents in the life of Peter contains an analysis of the relationship of Peter and Judas as contenders for the position of leader of the apostles.” – Cyril J. Barber

Blunt, Henry – Nine Lectures upon the History of St. Peter  (1830)  230 pp.  ToC

**  “Printed in such large and widely-leaded type that a very little matter goes a long way.  Very good, but not striking.” – Spurgeon

Green, Samuel – The Apostle Peter, his Life & Letters  n.d.  195 pp.  ToC

***  “Contains a large amount of needful information, condensed and well arranged.  Dr. Green is the writer on Peter’s biography.”

Macduff, John – The Footsteps of St. Peter: Being the Life and Times of the Apostle  (1877)  677 pp.  no ToC

Taylor, William – Peter the Apostle  (1876)  365 pp.  ToC

Taylor (1829–1895) was a Scot born, , presbyterian educated, American Congregationalist minister in New York, USA.

“An excellent biographical study.” – Cyril J. Barber

Martin, Hugh – Simon Peter  (Banner of Truth, 1984)  167 pp.  ToC

Martin (1822-85) was a minister in the Free Church of Scotland.  This work is a classic.

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1900’s

Meyer, F.B. – Peter: Fisherman, Disciple, Apostle  (1919)  240 pp.  ToC

“An exposition of the humanness of the fisherman who became a pillar in the church.” – Cyril J. Barber

Robertson, A.T. – Epochs in the Life of St. Peter  Buy  (1934)

“A clear, chronological presentation of the life, ministry and writings of the apostle.” – Cyril J. Barber

English, Eugene S. – The Life & Letters of St. Peter: containing Landmarks in the Life & Expositions of the Epistles of the Fisherman-Apostle  Buy  (1941)

“Consists of a series of messages on the high points in the life of Peter, together with an exposition of his epistles.” – Cyril J. Barber

Thomas, W.H.G. – The Apostle Peter: Outline Studies in his Life, Character & Writings  Buy  (1950)

“Drawing heavily upon Peter’s natural characteristics the writer shows how these were transformed by the Holy Spirit.” – Cyril J. Barber


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The Life of Matthew

Whyte, Alexander – Matthew  in Bible Characters  †1921


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Life of Doubting Thomas

Whyte, Alexander – Thomas  in Bible Characters  †1921

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Related Pages

Bible Characters in the Gospels

New Testament Background, Survey, Authenticity & Introduction

New Testament Theology

Whole Bible Commentaries

Old Testament Commentaries

New Testament Commentaries