One of my personal favorite commentaries is the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (BECNT), published by Baker Academic. I really appreciate their approach: technical exegesis, working with the original Greek, dealing with critical issues, and yet very readable and understandable for the layperson. This review is for the newest volume in the series: Colossians and Philemon by G. K. Beale.
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About the Author: G. K. Beale
Beale is a notable New Testament scholar, and his work on Colossians and Philemon is nothing short of masterful! From his excellent short introduction to his careful, meticulous exegesis of the Greek text along with impressive historical and theological points, Beale proves to all that he is more than competent to be the author of this volume! He not only rehashes through what has already been said about Colossians and Philemon (although he certainly does this with great knowledge and understanding of the already existing scholarship), but he also “breaks new ground” in how he deals with certain aspects of these letters.
Layout and Content
Each section of the commentary begins with a short (but very insightful and helpful) introduction, followed by an “Exegesis and Exposition” section. The text is provided in English (taken from the NASB translation) and then followed up with commentary of each verse.
I really appreciate how Baker has included the verse number in the margins and in bold typeface, making it extremely easy to consult a specific verse (not all of the older BECNT volumes have this feature).
There is then an “Additional Notes” section found at the end of each passage. This section is rich! It is often quite a few pages long, so it’s actually a very important aspect of the commentary. I wouldn’t personally skip over it, but for those who are wanting to read this commentary without getting into all of the finer details, then the reader is at liberty to skip over this section. It really is quite amazing to me how in depth these notes go. One would think that even without this section that the commentary is already quite comprehensive, but when you check out the additional notes, you realize that Beale has written to make this a rather exhaustive volume!
I loved the section on Colossians 1:15-23 (on Christ’s supremacy), and Beale provided 12 pages on verse 15 alone! Fantastic exegesis and interpretation! I also appreciate his teaching on Colossians 2:6-15, specifically his points on the relationship between baptism and circumcision. This is a section of Scripture that is highly debated, and one that has bearing on the issue of the recipients of baptism. As a Presbyterian, I for one was beyond grateful and elated with Beale’s dealing with this text. In regards to Philemon, I really appreciated how Beale dealt with the issue of slavery in that letter.
About the BECNT
As mentioned above, I love the format of the BECNT. I love that Beale deals with the Greek text, but I want to point out to those who are unfamiliar with Greek that there is a transliteration (the Greek term found in English letters) in the main body of the content. In other words, this volume is great for both the pastor and scholar as well as the layperson who wants to better understand these glorious letters of God’s Word.
I also want to point out that the BECNT has had their cover redesigned. This volume is one of the few volumes that have the new cover. Let me just say that I absolutely love the new design! The only sad part for me (and many others) is that all of the other volumes in this series that I own (which is all of them) have the old cover design, so now I have a set of commentaries that don’t match up. With that sad news aside, I really do prefer this new look.
Conclusion
This commentary is the greatest commentary available today on the books of Colossians and Philemon! The amount of content, the excellence of that content, the excursus sections, the charts and diagrams, the additional notes section, and so much more make this a must-have commentary on these books of the Bible! I truly couldn’t recommend this commentary more highly! Tolle lege, take up and read!
Disclaimer: My thanks to Baker Academic for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Matt became a joyful follower of Jesus at the age of 21. He is very grateful to be a husband to Lindsey, and a father to four boys. He is an ordained minister (teaching elder) in the PCA. He previously served as a pastor of biblical counseling and is currently a corporate chaplain in southern Delaware. Matt received his Master of Divinity degree in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and holds an advanced certification in biblical counseling from the Association of Biblical Counselors. In his free time, he loves playing with his boys, traveling with his wife, and reading (and buying!) books.
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