General Epistles: A Very Short Bibliography

General Epistles: A Very Short Bibliography Robert M. Bowman, Jr. November 22, 2016 Note: This bibliography lists just five works for each epistle or group of epistles. Each list of five books is meant to provide a balanced set of resources, including at least one non-evangelical work, while keeping to the limit of five so that students will be sure to consult some of the most important reference works. This self-imposed restriction necessitates omitting somewhat arbitrarily other recent commentaries that are arguably just as fine or noteworthy as some of these. One commentary for each epistle or group of epistles is marked with an asterisk (*) to indicate that it is especially recommended. Hebrews Bateman, Herbert W. Charts on the Book of Hebrews. Kregel Charts of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2012. Numerous helpful charts regarding the different views on the authorship of the book, historical and religious backgrounds, various interpretive issues, and the like; evangelical. Bateman, Herbert W., ed. Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2007. “A classical Arminian view” (Grant R. Osborne); “A classical Reformed view” (Buist M. Fanning); “A Wesleyan Arminian view” (Gareth Lee Cockerill); and “A moderate Reformed view” (Randall C. Gleason); conclusion by George H. Guthrie. Koester, Craig R. Hebrews: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible 36. Garden City, NY: Doubleday–Anchor Books, 2001. Standard academic reference from a liberal/secular perspective. O’Brien, Peter Thomas. The Letter to the Hebrews. Pillar NT Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans; Nottingham: Apollos, 2010. Currently the best-selling commentary on Hebrews, by a conservative Australian scholar best known for his Pauline commentaries. *Schreiner, Thomas R. Commentary on Hebrews. Biblical Theology for Christian Proclamation. T. Desmond Alexander, Andreas J. K̈stenberger, and Thomas R. Schreiner, series eds. Nashville: B&H—Holman Reference, 2015. Following a thorough introduction, noted Southern Baptist NT scholar Schreiner gives a detailed commentary and then concludes with a rich study of the biblical and theological themes in Hebrews. First volume released in a promising new commentary series. James Bauckham, Richard J. James: Wisdom of James, Disciple of Jesus the Sage. London: Routledge, 1999. Very important monograph on the epistle examining its historical and intellectual context. *Blomberg, Craig, and Mariam J. Kamell. James. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the NT 16. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008. Very good evangelical commentary; Blomberg has Bowman/General Epistles: A Very Short Bibliography—page 2 written extensively on New Testament teachings about the rich and the poor, a major theme of the epistle. Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Letter of James: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible 37A. New York: Doubleday, 1995. Commentary by a moderate, independently-minded Roman Catholic scholar. Argues for the unity of the epistle, its early date and authorship by the historical James, and against the claim that James and Paul conflicted over faith and works. Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. Pillar NT Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000. Probably the most popular commentary on James, by a scholar even better known for his commentary on Romans; solidly evangelical. Vlachos, Chris A. James. Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament. Murray J. Harris and Andreas J. Köstenberger, gen. eds. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2013. Excellent recent evangelical commentary providing close exegesis of the Greek text. 1 Peter Achtemeier, Paul J. 1 Peter: A Commentary on First Peter. Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996. Well-done but now somewhat dated commentary reflecting standard mainline/liberal approach to the epistle. *Elliott, John H. 1 Peter: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries 37B. New York: Doubleday–Anchor Bible, 2000. Nearly a thousand pages long commentary by the premiere modern Petrine scholar, a Lutheran who taught for decades at the Jesuit-run University of San Francisco. Even though it is older than the excellent commentaries by Forbes and Jobes, this one remains an absolute must for serious exegetical study of the epistle. Forbes, Greg W. 1 Peter. Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament. Andreas J. K̈stenberger and Robert W. Yarbrough, series eds. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2014. Recent commentary by an Australian evangelical scholar focused on the exegesis of the Greek text. Jobes, Karen H. 1 Peter. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005. Excellent commentary by an evangelical scholar whose work deserves to be better known. Pierce, Chad T. Spirits and the Proclamation of Christ: 1 Peter 3:18-22 in Light of Sin and Punishment Traditions in Early Jewish and Christian Literature. T̈bingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2011. The most thorough recent monograph on what may be the most controversial passage in the New Testament, offering a careful review of the relevant ancient literature. 2 Peter and Jude Note: Due to the close relationship between 2 Peter and Jude, many if not most commentaries and studies include the two epistles together. Bauckham, Richard J. Jude, 2 Peter. Word Biblical Commentary 50. Waco: Word Books, 1983. One of the most often-cited commentaries on the epistles, and justly so; worthy of being on this list although it is now somewhat dated. Bowman/General Epistles: A Very Short Bibliography—page 3 Bauckham, Richard J. Jude and the Relatives of Jesus in the Early Church. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1990. Moderately conservative study exploring the connections between the epistle of Jude and the historical Jesus. Davids, Peter H. The Letters of 2 Peter and Jude. Pillar NT Commentaries. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006. 5.0; 5 reviews; 316K. Perhaps the most popular academic commentary on the epistles; recommended by Clint Arnold, Jerome Neyrey, Seyoon Kim, and Ralph P. Martin. *Green, Gene. Jude & 2 Peter. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008. One of the best recent evangelical commentaries on the epistles; recommended by both Bauckham and Davids. Neyrey, Jerome H. 2 Peter, Jude: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible 37C. New York: Doubleday, 1993. Moderately critical Roman Catholic scholar’s commentary on the epistles. Epistles of John Brown, Raymond E. The Epistles of John: Translation with Introduction, Notes, and Commentary. AB 30. New York: Doubleday, 1982. Massive commentary (over 800 pages) by the most influential Roman Catholic biblical scholar of the twentieth century (taking a moderately critical approach). Culpepper, R. Alan, and Paul N. Anderson, eds. Communities in Dispute: Current Scholarship on the Johannine Epistles. Early Christianity and Its Literature. Atlanta: SBL Press, 2014. Collection of essays representing current mainline/liberal scholarship on the epistles. *Jobes, Karen H. 1, 2, and 3 John. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the NT. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014. Most up-to-date evangelical commentary on the epistles. Lieu, Judith M. I, II, and III John: A Commentary. NT Library. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008. Mainstream scholarly commentary, dissociating the epistles from the Gospel of John. Yarbrough, Robert W. 1–3 John. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the NT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008. Noteworthy in-depth evangelical commentary.