Expositor's Bible Commentary - Revised (13 Volumes)

[Andrew G]

At $219 (52% off), this might be the best price yet? for the Expositor's Bible Commentary - Revised (13 Volumes).

 

I've searched through the forums, and will probably purchase this, but was wondering what you guys thought about this commentary set.  A bit surprised that no one is talking about this.

[Paul Meiklejohn]

I've used the original for over ten years and the EBC-revised since it was released and it remains on my list of top 5 go-to commentaries. 

 

Commentary for John 1:1 

 

1 John opens his gospel with a majestic declaration: “In the beginning was the Word.” Before human history ever began, even before creation itself, “the Word already was” (NEB). The Word was not, as Arius would later claim, a created being—first in the order of creation, but nevertheless part of it.

 

The concept of logos (“word,” GK 3364) has an extensive and varied background in Greek religious and philosophical thought. As far back as Heraclitus (fifth century BC), the logos was understood to be the unifying principle of all things. For the Sophists, the logos was predominantly human reason. Philo, a prolific writer and leading citizen of the Jewish community in Alexandria, used the term more than thirteen hundred times as a mediating figure linking the transcendent God and the world (cf. TDNT 4:88). In general, Greek speculation viewed the logos as the principle of reason or order in the world (Bruce, 29).

 

In Hebrew thought, the word of God was a dynamic concept. God spoke and the world came into existence (Ge 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14 et al.; Ps 33:6 [“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made”]; cf. Heb 11:3). In Proverbs 8:22–31, wisdom is personified and its role in creation is described.

 

While it is helpful to be aware of Greek and Semitic backgrounds, John’s doctrine of the logos is only incidentally related. John does not begin with a metaphysical concept but with the person and work of the historical Christ. W. F. Howard (IB, 8:442) notes that “Jesus is not to be interpreted by Logos: Logos is intelligible only as we think of Jesus. At the same time it is true that the broad and varied usage of the term provided an excellent link to contemporary thought and allowed John the opportunity to redefine logos in terms of the incarnate Son of God.

 

Having established the eternal nature of the Word, John now proceeds to declare that the Word was both “with God” and at the same time “was God.” Never has so much christological truth been compressed into such a brief statement. Contrary to the later teaching of Sabellius (a third-century Roman theologian), the Word was personally distinct from God the Father. The common use of pros (“with,” GK 4639) followed by the accusative expresses motion toward. In this context it pictures the Word in a face-to-face relationship with the Father. BDAG, 875, cites John 1:1 as an example of the preposition meaning “(in company) with.”

 

Not only was the Word with God; the Word was God. Tasker, 42, notes that the unique contribution of the prologue is that “it reveals the Word of God not merely as an attribute of God, but as a distinct Person within the Godhead.” The lack of an article before theos (“God,” GK 2536) does not allow it to be translated “divine” (as some have suggested), for the lack is simply common practice for predicate nouns. Had John wanted to say that the Word was divine, he had at hand a perfectly good Greek term (theios [GK 2521]; cf. Ac 17:29). The tendency to regard the Word as somewhat less than God gave rise to the sixteenth-century heretical movement known as Socinianism, which held that the historical Jesus was a good man but only a man. He became God after his resurrection when the Father delegated to him certain divine powers. Socinus’s position laid the foundation for later Unitarian movements. All such heresies overlook the clear teaching of the fourth gospel that the Word was God, or, as the NEB so aptly translates, “What God was, the Word was.” In essence, God and the Word are one.

 

Robert H. Mounce, “John,” in Luke–Acts, vol. 10 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised Edition, ed. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland; Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 367-368.

accord://read/EBC-R#128311

Edited August 10, 2017 by Paul Meiklejohn

[Daniel Francis]

I did mention that is was a great price on the main sale page.... For me this is a very solid core set that anyone should consider. I personally have found it over all more useful to me than the much lauded New American Commentary (have it in other software usually come way from it saying EBCR said the same thing better and with fewer words, this is just me, I am sure you will find a hundred or more that say NAC is so much better). If you owned the original EBC, while EBCR is an improvement one might argue one doesn't need the upgrade. But if you do not own the original I think this is a fabulous core set to give you a good moderate evangelical point to jump off of in your scripture studies. The reflective sections in the series are less frequent than I would like but usually quite insightful when they occur. As it says on it's introductory announcement page it is "Irenic presentations of options in passages where key differences of interpretive opinion exist." One thing that soured me on a great deal of works I have encounter is the strident almost hateful approach (towards "others ideas") one feels from some authors. I see nothing wrong with being an ardent supporter of your stance but I think it is better to always remember that those who disagree with us often love Jesus as much as we do. If we see others views as bruised reeds better a soft word in my mind than a harsh uprooting. Was not meaning to go off on a tangent but I do think the Irenic approach is best and it is one thing I appreciated about EBC and now EBCR.

 

-dan

Edited August 10, 2017 by Daniel Francis

[Michel Gilbert]

I've used the original for over ten years and . . .  it remains on my list of top 5 go-to commentaries.

 

Same here.

[showens]

One thing that gives me pause is that few of the volumes are ranked on Best Commentaries or in various books I have rating commentaries.  While those are not the be all and end all, it is something to put into the decision process.

[Michel Gilbert]

Hi,

 

While it is good to get the "best" individual commentaries, it is also good to buy some commentary series, especially at bargain prices.

 

Sailhamer's Genesis in EBC is underappreciated and misunderstood. It would be on my best commentary list, as high as Carson's Matthew.

 

I know Members have different preferences, but in my opinion, if you buy EBCR, along with the New International, Word Biblical, Continental Commentary, and Anchor Yale sets, you will get some of the best individual volumes in each series, along with other volumes written by top scholars. Round these sets out with other individual volumes, and you would have an excellent library.

 

Regards,

 

Michel

[kpang808]

It is worth buying at this price!

Edited August 10, 2017 by keithp

[Daniel Francis]

I think few are ranked because unless they are outstanding. most grouped commentaries like this tend to be either ignored or looked down on.. "Well if it were a great commentary it would be released on it own" "You are never going to have good within a set" I know if you go to NIB at best commentaries none are ranked even though the Psalms has got to be in the top 5  and many have said NT Wrights Romans is their number 1 favourite romans commentary. Best commentaries has always felt to me to be heavily biased. and while I go there I take it all with a grain of salt. And since its purchase by Faithlife software I sometimes wonder at possible motives (I.E. promotion of sales more than a dispassionate academic look).

 

-dan

[Solly]

Thanks for the excerpt Paul. Dan, I will also check excerpts from the EBC-R that you have posted in the past. My current copy of EBC is rendered by the Zondervan Reference Software tool on a Win 7 virtual machine I keep for the old stuff. Clunky indeed, but I can still get to it on another desktop screen beside my desktop screen with Accordance.

 

I like the John 1.1 excerpt from EBC-R as well as the original EBC commentary on John 1.1. I think the revised version may be slightly more comfortable to follow, and it does complement the original with some additional information. Checking out other excerpts from other posts and comparing the two versions of EBC will keep me occupied this afternoon.

 

Thanks for motivating me to get active on this,

 

Joseph

[ukfraser]

Im totally unimpressed with best commentaries as i am not sure of the criteria being used to score them. Its great to see what is out there and discover things you didnt know about but as for ranking, this forum is much better, especially when you get extracts to get a sample.

 

;o)

Edited August 10, 2017 by ukfraser

[Dieudonne]

Anyone owns the two editions and would like to share the major differences? Is it worth upgrading to the revised from the first version? 

[Daniel Francis]

Expositor's Bible Commentary? has a few samples shared and discussed.

 

-dan

[kpang808]

I own both versions. I can't currently post anything but it is worth it to own both because of new content in the Revised. Plus the introduction volume in the older version. This is a great price for the Revised!

[pbgroover]

I am also considering the EBC-R but already own a few medium sized commentary sets, how does it compare to say Tyndale, UTB and Holman? Does it add anything significant or distinctive to these in the main? Appreciate any advice from those who use the EBC-R.

[Paul Meiklejohn]

Most of your list come from a conservative background, so inevitably there is going to be some doubling up and with similar emphasis.  I own and appreciate them all.  However, in answer to your question, the EBC-R is a substantially larger volume which means they are going to spend much more time explaining the text or passage, and that is certainly the case.  I appreciate that you don't want too much repetition, but experience tells me that each individual commentator will endeavour to bring out something new.  Having a number of different sets helps me to get the very best angle from each of the authors.

 

Holmans is probably the stand out one because of its preacher style layout with more illustrations, life application and prayer segments.

 

Just for your information... here are the physical sizes of the modules.  EBC-R 105 MB; Tyndale 73 MB; Holman 67 MB; UTB 29 MB

[Diatheke76]

In my case, the original set is a keeper and I see no need to upgrade to the Revised version. Holman is a great set, but I prefer The Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible (POSB) as it not only discusses the text, but it does so more in an almost ready to preach sections and more indepth tha Holman and BEC both original and revised. Of course just my opinion. BTW, the POSB is not available in Accordance. It would be a great addition.

 

Blessings!

[pbgroover]

Thanks Paul,

I hadn't appreciated how much larger EBC-R is compared to the other sets, this is good to know.

I am sure that there will be some overlap but it looks like EBC-R may be a step up from what I already have.

 

Thanks,

Paul

[Helen Brown]

POSB is definitely available in Accordance. We have had it for over a year, and there is a Crossgrade offer if you own it on another plarform.

[TCanji]

In my case, the original set is a keeper and I see no need to upgrade to the Revised version. Holman is a great set, but I prefer The Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible (POSB) as it not only discusses the text, but it does so more in an almost ready to preach sections and more indepth tha Holman and BEC both original and revised. Of course just my opinion. BTW, the POSB is not available in Accordance. It would be a great addition.

 

Blessings!

 

Hi Diatheke76,

 

You might have missed it but POSB is available in Accordance! 

 

Here's the link https://www.accordancebible.com/store/details/?pid=POSB%20Commentary

[Daniel Francis]

How Good is the MM "Be" Series price of $5.39 peVolume?

 

Has one more comparative sample between the old and new EBC which  got discussed in the above thread.

 

-dan

[Diatheke76]

Thanks Tomi! Yep, I totally missed it! I already own it, though. Outstanding resource

[Solly]

For those who have the original EBC, don't forget to check the previews offered on Google Books. There are many sections (Biblical books) that are done by new authors and the previews will allow one to compare the original and newly authored sections. I found that I liked the new material and the changes made in the overall layout compared to the original EBC on the ZRS engine. Oh, and even though cutting and pasting to a document was possible with ZRS on a VM on an adjacent desktop, I am getting old and cranky and have become a real advocate of convenience. Above all, the Accordance system with the available texts and tools do work so well together!

 

Shalom,

Joseph

[ukfraser]

Hi joseph, it was interesting seeing a number of familar faces on a different forum in the links posted above by dan.

 

I started with zondervan cds on both windows and apple os and eventually Adopted accordance. I have probably always been old and cranky as since the early 80's i seem to have been evaluating software (and working with developers to meet the needs of the various company i was working for at the time) and totally endorse this

 

Above all, the Accordance system with the available texts and tools do work so well together!

 Shalom,

Joseph

[Dieudonne]

I decided to buy the EBC Revised and recommend it to everyone even those who own the first edition. The new material, in my judgment, based on a cursory reading, is worth the upgrade especially at the current sale price.

 

Buy it now and spare yourself the regret of missing such a great sale price.

[Julia Falling]

I think you made a wise choice.  I upgraded when the EBC-R was first released and have not regretted it.