What Makes a Good Commentary

Matt Smethurst at The Gospel Coalition recently interviewed New Testament scholar D.A. Carson about what makes a good commentary. Carson pointed out a few things to look for and a few pitfalls to avoid.

As far as what to look for, Carson begins, “Good all-round commentaries help readers think their way through the text.” He gives some helpful details on what that looks like, but notice what he considers most important: The best commentaries serve our study of the text. They never replace it.

Carson mentions the following pitfalls:

1. Turning to commentaries too soon in your study.
2. Turning to commentaries too late (or not at all).
3. Relying on commentaries instead of developing a robust understanding of biblical, historical, systematic, and pastoral theology.
4. Allowing commentaries to supplant close study and desperate prayer (trusting the commentators more than the Lord).

I wrote a post a while back about four mistakes to avoid when using commentaries, where I had some similar ideas. But Carson puts it better than I did.

These concepts are not just for full-time preachers, but also for Sunday School teachers, Bible study leaders, and leaders of all stripes.

Check it out!