Commentary Review: 1 Corinthians

I have finally concluded my study through 1 Corinthians, so now it is time to write some commentary reviews! While for the blog posts I relied on just two commentaries, in the past I have extensively used two others and will include those in my reviews as well. These are not the only top notch 1 Corinthians commentaries on the market. Fee and Garland also come to mind, but I have not spent as much time with them as the four below.

As always, please check out my Commentary Series Overview post for details on the various series these commentaries come from.

If you've been reading my posts then it will be no surprise that I place Thiselton's commentary at the head of the class. I do not possess enough superlatives to describe this commentary. It's a one stop shop for all of your interpretive needs. One of the most helpful features is his translation. Contrary to most commentary translations, he did not produce a literal translation of the text, but made a very dynamic translation that brought Paul's letter to life. Of course the discussion of the translation and the historical, cultural, and philosophical background were also quite excellent. This latter aspect was another unique feature, particularly in Thisleton's recourse to speech act theory which allowed him to emphasize what Paul was trying to accomplish through the text, thus going beyond describing the content of the letter. Of course, Thiselton is also a theologian, so in addition to these technical matters he also provides helpful theological commentary that is rooted in his exegesis. His comments in the first few chapters on wisdom and competition for honor are not to be missed!

The only complaint I could see one leveling against it is that it's too long, checking in at nearly 1,500 pages. Well, Thiselton has given us a shorter commentary that I'm sure is excellent if this volume proves too daunting. Overall, very few commentaries on any book measure up to this gem, a definite 5 stars out of 5.

The race for second was close, but I would have to go with Ciampa and Rosner's volume in the PNTC series. While briefer than Thiselton's commentary, it is still quite thorough, and in many ways it forms a nice complement with that volume. If there is a shortcoming to Thiselton's work it is that it does not explore the Hebrew Bible background to the letter extensively. Ciampa and Rosner focus heavily on this aspect. Their work on the background to the discussion of the Lord's Supper was very helpful.

While from time to time there were sections that were simply adequate, overall it's a very helpful commentary. If Thiselton's is too long and technical for your liking, this could make a good primary commentary, but it's best used as a supplement to that work. 4.5 stars out of 5.

Several years back I consulted Richard Hays' commentary on 1 Corinthians rather extensively. Compared to many volumes in the Interpretation series it is quite substantive. As one would expect, the best aspect of this work is its sensitivity to Hebrew Bible echoes throughout the letter. Keeping with the series goals, Hays also has useful comments on how to preach from 1 Corinthians. Definitely a must have on every pastor's shelf, 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Fitzmyer has written a nice commentary in the Anchor Bible series. As one would expect with him, his attention to lexical and grammatical matters is strong, but there was nothing all that unique that commended this work over that of Thiselton's or Ciampa's and Rosner's, nor did I think it was on the level of his earlier work on Luke/Acts, Philemon, or Romans. If one already possesses one of those volumes I don't see a strong need to buy Fitzmyer's as well. 3.5 stars out of 5.