Studying the Scriptures is one of the most rewarding ventures known to man. For in it, we explore the depths of God, and are confronted not only with His holiness, but with our sinfulness, and thus our desperate need for Him as well. We know from Ephesians that God has provided teachers for the church in order to faithfully explain the Scriptures in all its fullness and depth. What if you could sit down with one of these teachers and listen to them teach on various books and verses in the Scriptures in a way that is understandable and accessible?
Well that is what we get when we sit down with the ESV Expository Commentary series. We get a verse by verse, biblical exposition, presented in such as way that feels like we are having a conversation with a friend. Clearly formatted, containing the entirety of the text being studied, this commentary is one that will not simply sit on our shelves, but be consulted on a regular basis.
According the publishers and contributors, the goal of this series “has been to provide a clear, crisp, and Christ-centered explanation of the biblical text.” Each of the contributors were asked to provide commentary that is:
– Exegetically Sound – self-consciously submissive to the flow of thought and lines of reasoning discernible in the biblical text;
– Robustly Biblical-Theological – reading the Bible as diverse yet bearing an overarching unity, narrating a single storyline of redemption culminating in Christ;
–Globally Aware – aimed as much as possible at a global audience, in line with Crossway’s mission to provide the Bible and theologically responsible resources to as many people around the world as possible;
–Broadly Reformed – standing in the historical stream of the Reformation, affirming that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, taught in Scripture alone, for God’s glory alone; holding high a big God with big grace for big sinners;
–Doctrinally Conversant – fluent in theological discourse; drawing appropriate brief connections to matters of historical or current theological importance;
–Pastorally Useful – transparently and reverently “sitting under the text”’ avoiding lengthy grammatical/syntactical discussions;
–Application-Minded – building brief but consistent bridges into contemporary living in both Western and non-Western contexts (being aware of the globally diverse contexts toward which these volumes are aimed);
–Efficient in Expression – economical in its use of words; not a word-by-word analysis but a crisply moving exposition
-Taken from the Preface – ESV Expository Commentary
Philip Graham Ryken, president of Wheaton College, writes,
“The ESV Expository Commentary is one of the best, most useful building blocks for a Bible teacher’s basic library. Readily accessible to lay readers and at the same time sufficiently learned to assist experienced expositors, this twelve-volume set seems destined to become a standard Bible reference tool for serious students of Scripture around the world.”
The complete series will contain 12 volumes. Currently, three of the twelve volumes are available (click on the link to read more and purchase a copy):
Ephesians – Philemon (Volume 11)
Hebrews – Revelation (Volume 12)
Upcoming volumes include:
Genesis–Numbers (Volume 1)
Deuteronomy–Ruth (Volume 2)
1 Samuel–2 Chronicles (Volume 3)
Ezra–Job (Volume 4)
Psalms–Song of Solomon (Volume 5)
Isaiah–Ezekiel (Volume 6)
Matthew–Luke (Volume 8)
John–Acts (Volume 9)
Romans–Galatians (Volume 10)