Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 134:535 (Jul 1977)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

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BSac 134:535 (Jul 77) p. 262

Book Reviews

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 10. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976. xvi + 508 pp. $14.95.

It is appropriate that a multivolume Bible commentary designed to express the best in contemporary evangelical scholarship should be launched with this volume treating the writings of Paul often referred to as “the evangelical epistles”—Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Galatians. When completed, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary will consist of twelve volumes—six on the Old Testament, five on the New Testament, and a volume containing thirty-three articles on introductory matters such as the inspiration, transmission, language, canon, text, history, archaeology, and theology of the Bible.

An international and transdenominational group of seventy-eight evangelical Bible scholars is writing this commentary under the direction of Frank E. Gaebelein as general editor, who is assisted by four consulting editors: Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. and Bruce K. Waltke on the Old Testament, and James Montgomery Boice and Merrill C. Tenney on the New Testament. The contributors to this tenth volume are Everett F. Harrison (Romans), W. Harold Mare (1 Corinthians), Murray J. Harris (2 Corinthians), and James Montgomery Boice (Galatians).

The commentary on each Bible book begins with a lucid but not overly lengthy introduction covering such matters as authorship, date, and purpose, along with a bibliography. This is followed by a rather detailed outline of the book which is also used as the headings throughout the text of the commentary. Each heading is followed by the biblical text of the New International Version which is the basis of the comments, though the authors refer to other translations and to the original languages. Hebrew and Greek words are transliterated and translated so that they can be easily understood by the reader unfamiliar with these languages. The exposition is essentially verse-by-verse.

As a result of space limitations, some passages in 1 and 2 Corinthians receive only summary statements instead of the more detailed exposition

BSac 134:535 (Jul 77) p. 263

they deserve, although Mare and Harris have both excelled in presenting a concise and clear exposition of their respective books. The comments on Romans and Galatians are also examples of clear and relevant exposition. This reviewer felt the style of the commentary on Romans sometimes tended too much to generalize about the verse under consideration with inadequate attention given to the specific details of the text.

A unifying factor in the four parts of this volume appears to be the essentially Calvinistic interpretation...

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