Bible study and commentaries, part 8

Last time we talked about several different kinds of commentaries, and listed some of the different ones in each level of difficulty.  In this post, I would like to briefly go over how I use commentaries in my Bible study. 

Let’s say that I am studying a selected passage of Scripture, such as Romans 1:18-32.  After reading the passage and doing my own word studies and my own interpretation, I will then check my own work with that of others who are undoubtedly better equipped than I am to interpret Scripture.  I try and read the commentary on the selected passage in different types of commentaries, such as a technical one first (in this case such as Moo’s and/or Schreiner’s commentary on Romans), then try and determine each author’s line of thought and why he thinks and writes that way.  What does the writer believe is going on in this particular passage, and why does he think so.  Sometimes following the author’s logic can be difficult, so take your time and try and work out the thoughts and lines of reasoning. 

I will then take the time to look at other types o commentaries, such as the NAC commentary or Kistemaker/Hendrickson commentaries, which are less technical.  I will also read as a habit the Bible Speaks Today commentary, and in this case for Romans, I will read Boice’s expositional commentary and Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s expositional commentary both on the same passage.  The Reformed Expositional Commentary set is also a good expository view that is very helpful.  That way, I will get a good technical reading, and at the same time a good expositional reading, which may serve to clarify some of the technical points that I may not understand or that I may need some additional perspective.  I always try and read at least two commentaries on a particular passage in order to provide some checks and balances on the views of passages, especially problem passages. 

I will take additional notes from the commentaries on my notes pages, or in a separate notebook for this particular book.  Make sure you note which commentary and the page number for your notes so you can go back and find your sources. 

Especially with problem passages or passages that may have several interpretations, multiple commentaries provide a good overview of the different ways to look at these passages.  Good commentaries, such as Moo and Schreiner on Romans, offer multiple interpretations of problem passages, and discuss the pros and cons of each interpretation, while finally making a recommendation on a preferred interpretation.  Some things that a reader should look for are multiple interpretations, and the author’s reasons.  What kind of reasons does the author give for his readings?  What is the logic that he follows?  Do the arguments make sense?  What does he choose one over the others? 

Sometimes a commentator may same something like, “This means X because Paul never used this word in any other way in his other letters.” Or perhaps, “My interpretation is Y because of Scriptures A, B, and C.”  Double check the author’s work by looking up these Scriptures for yourself and see what they say.  This helps your understanding of the passage and your biblical knowledge.  How the Bible is a unified book, and how Scripture interprets Scripture, is an important part of Bible study. 

I use commentaries to check my own work, and use them to help me understand the issues and arguments surrounding problem or difficult passages.  I also use them to help me understand the historical context surrounding the writing of the text.  Sometimes, man times, the historical context helps to shed light on why the Biblical author wrote, what the issues were, and how those issues might be similar to what is happening today.  Chances are, our enemy is repackaging some of the same old temptations and problems in new clothing, and understanding how the Biblical writers dealt with issues in the church during their time may help us to deal with the same problems in our time.  Historical context helps me to bridge the gap between their time and my time. 

Many commentaries provide insights into the text that I would never have though of.  Deeper meanings of words and phrases, historical insights, grammatical constructs, cultural nuances that would not be apparent to a typical reader of the Bible, political, religious, and economic issues that may impact our understanding on the actions of Biblical characters are all things I look for in commentaries that I might otherwise not know.  Commentaries allow us to make use of the abundant knowledge of wise men and women who have gone before us, devoted their entire lives to the gospel and the Biblical texts, and have been blessed with insight and illumination by the Holy Spirit.  We cannot depend on these as a crutch or as an excuse for the lack of our own study, but we should definitely make use of them and the wisdom within them.