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Trinity
Journal of Apologetics and Theology A Review And Pedagogical Journal |
The Minor Prophets, James Montgomery Boice, Michigan: Baker Books, 2006, 2 Vols, 635P
You Can Obtain The Book From Baker Books∞
You Can Obtain The Book From Baker Books∞
These days when words have become flexible-enough to imply exactly opposite of what they actually mean, I took this set into my hands with some [justified, at least to me] skepticism. The only assuring factor was the name of Boice, whose books I have enjoyed for a few decades now.
Having read, or seen, a number of so-called "technical" commentaries in the last few years -- that are mainly an evangelical self-justification in front of the non-evangelicals -- I definitely wanted to see a commentary that is written not to tell that we evangelicals (or conservatives) know something, but to expound the Scripture. This book fulfills that criterion. That apart, we need to have a hard look at the set.
The Expositional Commentary is a multi-volume set about a decade old, and is now being released in paperback. That is a great relief on the pocket, and today's paperbacks are usually not less durable than yesterday's hard bound volumes. Thus a commentary for prolonged use in paperback should be seen as a demerit.
Boice covers Hose to Malachi in this volumes. Actually the commentary was born first in his heart when he started preaching from the "minor" prophets hoping to have an easy job with the small books. He, however, was in for a surprise. The books simply gripped him. So much so that he went on studying and preaching, and the "minor" prophets were with him in the pulpit for a full ten years. The present set brings that expositor preaching, minus the verbiage and repetition that is essential in pulpit exposition. What is more, after ten years of teaching and reflection, the author is able to incorporate his insights and give relative importance to passages, in a much more accurate and seamless way. This has been done in this set. Technicalities unnecessary for an expository commentary have been avoided.
The exposition is short enough for the dedicated Bible Student, but also long enough to do justice to the books being expounded. He is able to bring out the message and emphasis of each book in such a way that none who reads these books will remain untouched.
There are no footnotes to distract the busy pastor or even the dedicated student of Bible exposition. There are end-notes, but to a researcher they will look only superficial. It seems they are there because that is the fashion today with books. Unfortunately, there is no bibliography. Even a handpicked and annotated bibliography of expositor works and tools for understanding the background would have enhanced the value of the commentary.
I strongly recommend this commentary to Bible teachers, expository preachers, and Christian communicators. Even new believers will get plenty of material here. Buy it if you can, and you will find yourself reaching for it very often.
Reviewed By: Dr. Johnson C. Philip
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