Pastor to Pastor: The Minister’s Treasure, Part 3—If I Only Had Five Commentaries
William Shishko
Extracted from Ordained Servant vol. 6, no. 3 (July 1997)
Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52).
Reformed pastors in the United States are usually blessed with rich libraries. Until we see how sparse a pastor’s library often is in a Third World country (sometimes with no more than a dozen books in addition to the Bible) we have no idea what spiritual wealth is ours in this land of mass publications, ease of shipping, and relatively low costs.
Occasionally I have wondered which commentaries I would choose if I could only have five of them. I urge you to try this mental exercise, too, because it will make you ask yourself what is truly helpful in the plethora of biblical commentaries available in our day. It’s also a fruitful way to increase your own ability to give guidance to young Christians (perhaps even a future minister!) who are beginning libraries that are meant to be wisely-chosen and useful tools for a lifetime.
Keeping in mind the principle that a minister’s treasure, including the treasure of expositions of the Word of God, includes “things new and old,” I have selected some of each as I offer you my selection. In every case they are chosen as books that I have found “tried and true” to help me both as a Christian and as a pastor.
If I’m moving to a mission field and I can only have five commentaries (no full sets, please, they are simply too large to carry!), what would they be?
First on my list would be Charles Bridges’ Commentary on Proverbs (Banner of Truth Trust). While current Semitic research has no doubt enhanced our understanding of everything from “conies” to “strong drink,” no findings have been so significant that they would outdate this 19th century pastor’s compilation of exposition, parallel references, quotations from earlier writers, and just plain sagacity and Christian wisdom. The footnotes alone are a library in themselves. And all of this comes in a package that brings Christ and the Gospel to the forefront without resorting to allegorizing. I would not want to be without Pastor Bridges exhorting and challenging me, and that he does in this masterpiece.
Second (with a bit of cheating since the commentary is in three volumes) would be Charles Spurgeon’s The Treasury of David (MacDonald Publishing Company). Jesus spoke of all the things “written in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms” concerning Himself, cf. Luke. 24: 44. If I couldn’t have helps for the first two of these portions of the Old Testament, I would certainly want something that treats the Psalms, and nothing even comes close to Spurgeon (and the hundreds of other writers that he cites in the “Explanatory Notes and Quaint Sayings” which follow Spurgeon’s own expository notes on each Psalm). Here again Christ and the Gospel are central as Psalm after Psalm is opened up by the “Prince of Preachers”. Yes, there are some weeds and a little bad fruit in this garden of exposition, but what a delight it is to smell the various flowers of devotional commentary, to study the stalks and buds and roots of exegetical remarks on words and phrases, and to eat the sweet fruit of the promises of God which are ripe for the picking on every page of this delightful set.
Third on my list (with a little more cheating, since these are also multi-volume works) are Bishop J. C Ryle’s Expository Thoughts On The Gospels (Banner of Truth Trust). In these 19th century gems, as in the ones above, are pithy, insightful applications of the well-outlined Gospel narratives, as well as a compilation of exegetical notes showing the author’s familiarity with various schools of interpretation and theology. Many a time these precious volumes have helped me know how to open a passage of the Gospels and make applications which otherwise I would have missed. If I could only take Bishop Ryle’s treatment of one Gospel it would be the one on Luke (my favorite Gospel, and–I think–the best of this series by Ryle), but if I could make the space I’d surely try to pack the one volume each on Matthew and Mark, and the three on John, too.
Since my tiny commentary library (now marked by the writings of two Anglicans and a Baptist!) would hardly adorn my Presbyterian convictions, fourth on my list would be Professor John Murray’s The Epistle To The Romans (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company). Yes, I know this has been updated by the two volumes by Cranfield, but Cranfield just isn’t Murray! Professor Murray’s exegetical and interpretative precision is a model I would want to follow as a pastor, and this volume is simply the best example of the precision that made Professor Murray the revered theologian that he was. How easy it is to go off track making our way through the rich summary of the Gospel given in Romans. Wherever I am, I want Professor Murray’s steady hand directing me.
And last of all would be anything by William Hendricksen (Commentaries on Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Romans, Galatians & Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, & Philemon, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy & Titus all published by the Banner of Truth Trust). I’m not at all surprised when I see Hendricksen’s superb commentaries on the shelves of pastors in some of the most remote areas of the world. Here is Reformed theology at its best coupled with lucid treatments of some of the most difficult passages, concise summaries of the range of interpretation in controverted points, technical linguistic notes, and suggested applications all in one volume! If I could take all of Hendricksen’s commentaries I would, but give me at least one!
There’s my list! I’d be interested to know what yours would be. It’s helpful to keep us away from the worst if we will take a bit of time to ask ourselves what is really the best!
A postscript: Most of us are not limited to just five commentaries! For some excellent guidance in purchasing numbers six and beyond, you will do well to get Old Testament Commentary Survey by Tremper Longman III (now in the second edition) and New Testament Commentary Survey by D. A. Carson (now in the fourth edition), both published by Baker Books.
For some insightful and frequently humorous comments on older commentaries get a copy of Charles Spurgeon’s Commenting and Commentaries, which has been reprinted by various publishers.
William Shishko is pastor of Franklin Square OPC, Franklin Square, New York.