Becker Professional Theology Academy Archives

BI101-22: Lesson 22 - Introduction to Commentaries

Archived prerequisite class BI101-22 at Becker Professional Theology Academy that introduces commentaries available to the modern-day interpreter of Scripture

Scholarly commentaries go verse by verse through the Books of the Bible while they also add backgrounds of the worldview cultures that were present during the times of the Biblical accounts.  But, as Dr. Heiser points out, all commentaries are not created equally.

Devotional or popular commentaries do not consider the original languages of Scripture text; rather, they focus on only the English text of Scripture. They are ideal for summarizing Scripture into smaller portions of text that is able to be applied to the lives of those seeking to understand.  But, it fails to address the different interpretations of a difficult text, or the problems inherent in its translation or its ideas that conflict with other text.  Scholars seldom consult devotional or popular commentaries because of the lack of detailed content with its generalized summary.

Expositional commentaries are also mostly focused upon the English language Bible.  Small word studies in the original language are sometimes considered; but, the examination is rudimentary and helpful for common study of the Bible. Some background context is included, which makes it a step-above the devotional commentaries. Most controversies, if addressed at all, are simplistically explained without a great deal of scholarship to guide a critical study of the problems. Some have simple varying viewpoints listed within their verse explanations and are therefore a step above devotional commentaries.

Scholarly commentaries are introductory writings filled with details that utilize studies of the original languages of Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic written in the original manuscripts of the Bible. Scholarly commentaries are not always written with Hebrew and Greek references, but the English used to define these words adds great background detail to contemplate.  It is the level of detail that Dr. Heiser uses to declare them either scholarly or not [1]. Most scholarly commentaries have a great deal of background information.  Their shortcomings are often that there is so much detail that they sometimes stray away from usable material. Modern-day theological studies have been narrowed to specific, small-bit items that are pondered in detail by many doctoral candidates and seminary professors with debates formed in the paper publishing process.  In other words, so much detailed information can become “much ado about nothing.”

Professional Theologists’ success in forming studies of Scripture is critical to the selection of scholarly commentaries.  But, their training and discernment must be at such a level that they are able to glean the important information, and disregard the ever-narrowing topics of modern-day debate that are not important to their current study.  Every time Professional Theologists use commentaries, they must do so with the intentions of walking upon a specific chosen path to find a specific chosen solution or reflection of different solutions that resolve the conflicts of modern-day scholarship. 

Scholarly commentaries will move from verse reflections to the archaeological, literary parallel, and possibly brief discussions on other writings concerning the discussion at hand. They are perfect tools for Professional Theologists to use to find an enormous amount of detailed background information; but it must be supplanted with further study, or it becomes less useful within the Professional Theologists teachings. If new details of study are not fully prepped and absorbed with Scripture study by Professional Theologists, then any teaching they do will often be based upon Academic Theologians works that are without full Scripture reference that conform to God’s Word.  If anything has been learned about Professional Theology in this class to date, it must be this:  There are three, not two, divisions of theology application. The Ministerial Theologians and the Academic Theologians do their parts very well.  It is crucial that the Professional Theologists develop their works for God at the level of professionalism the other two have achieved.  This requires dedicated study, possibly first stirred by scholarly commentaries, and a hands-on, nose-to-the-grindstone effort to fully explore all paths leading to Scriptural representation and application that informs students of both scholarship findings and God’s will.

This means that scholarly commentaries must supplant, rather than form, the ideas gleaned from them.  If Professional Theologists find interesting diversions from the information first sought in consultation of scholarly commentaries, then those diversions should be separated for further examinations and studies.  They should not be added to the study preparation for their original subjects; this leads to a bulbous paper that confuses the thesis and delivery of Bible teachings.  When scholarly commentaries provoke Professional Theologists interest, time should be set aside for personal study, with Scripture consideration and the reading of Academic Monographs that fully inform the subject matter. Then dependable scholastic commentaries and professional journals of current scholarship gives Professional Theologists enough knowledge to form a foundation of teaching opportunity.  But, until that full path of learning is accomplished by Professional Theologists, no successful teaching efforts will result.  The Professional Theologist teachers must know the material inside-and-out before they can teach; scholastic commentaries, though probative and intense upon detailed items of scholarship, do not offer the full picture necessary to structure teachings upon.

Dr. Heiser has an excellent presentation that shows all three categories of commentaries in Lecture #29, “Illustrating Different Types of Commentaries” [2].   Open your LOGOs, and follow his example step-by-step to visualize the great amount of differences between devotional, expositional, and scholarly commentaries.  His example also familiarizes the LOGOS “Link Set” technique that creates linkage between several resources and Scripture texts.  This technique will be invaluable in the research efforts of Professional Theologists and is required protocol for linking techniques in the use of LOGOS for Academy students.

Expect at least two questions on the quiz and exams on Dr. Heiser’s teachings on this illustration. Also, Becker Academy students would wisely highlight and mark Black’s “New Testament Commentary on First and Second Thessalonians” and all other commentaries written by Black as favorites that are highly reliable and respected for their scholarly presentations.  These commentaries written by Black should be popular resources among all Professional Theologists.

Bibliography

Heiser, Michael S. BI101 Lecture Introducing Biblical Interpretation: Contexts and Resources: LOGOS Bible Software.

Links