by pirata 11 Replies latest watchtower bible
Are there any commentaries or Study Bibles that anyone can recommend? I'm not sure if it's possible to be 100% unbiased, but looking for something that tries to keep theological speculation, or scripture bending to fit theology, to a minumum.
ESV Study Bible was referenced in another thread, but the description says it is "evangelical". Not sure if that indicates a theological bias or not.
The Jerusalem Bible is pretty good. When I took a history of early Christianity class, that's what we used (and my professor was apparently a disgruntled ex-catholic, so his choice of that bible seems to attest to its quality.)
If you are just looking for good Bible versions you might try the NIV, NASB, and NLT.
I don't know which perspectives you consider biased.
All commentaries have particular point of view, as do Study Bibles that have mini-commentaries on various passages. They highlight what they consider important and explain why they believe their interpretations are correct.
When you see such books, read their introductions to see where they are coming from and what the commentators' credentials are. Usually, they are up front about it.
Try several different ones. Often, the differences aren't as great as you might suppose, especially on major doctrines.
I don't know which perspectives you consider biased.
I consider all perspectives biased at the moment :) I was thinking of somethng that spelled out various options of meaning and left it open to the reader.
Thanks to all for your input so far.
All commentaries are biased and most study bible are too, though only in the details and not the over all message, for whatever that is worth.
I suggest getting a few different commentaries to which ever book/letter of the bible you choose to study at a time or get one and research the counter points on the net.
Leolaia is a great one to ask for advice on this, she has helped me many times with here excellent suggestions and recomendations.
In the end, ALL comentaries are opinions, jst like any book you get on any subject matter that is not "written in stone' if you pardon the pun.
But you are on the right tract, learning for YOURSELF and TESTING what you are reading, props for you !
There is no such thing as an "unbiased" commentary because each interpreter has a particular point of view and background.
A commentary that uses a critical and exegetical methodology will probably better capture what a text itself has to say than an approach interested in accommodating it to other texts in the interest of constructing a systematic theology or a totalizing harmonization of scripture. Commentaries with an evangelical background may indeed have a commitment to certain beliefs about canon, inerrancy, inspiration, etc. that may influence the decisions made in interpretation (e.g. in minimizing differences in perspective between texts). But even a commentary employing a critical methodology will be shaped by what currently is the knowledge base in scholarship and what hermeneutical analyses have thus far been undertaken. Top-notch exegetical commentaries written in the 19th century will thus show differences in perspective and interpretation than what is published today. And there are evangelical scholars who also produce high-quality exegetical work.
Just read a wide variety of commentaries from different perspectives and see how they approach the text and explain it. There are many commentary series but I would look first at the Hermeneia (Augsburg/Fortress), the ICC (T&T Clark), the WBC (Nelson), and the NIC (Eerdmans) series. But very often the quality is not in the series per se but the individual author. It is usually best to read a variety and see what the consensus is about reading a text. Usually even a single commentary is an excellent start.
Leolaia makes great points.
I'll just add what I said in another thread: It was so much easier when we had the FDS to do all our thinking for us... far less complicated... easier on the brain cells...
ESV Study Bible was referenced in another thread, but the description says it is "evangelical". Not sure if that indicates a theological bias or not.
I think you will like it, I am finding it excellent in nearly all respects.
For much of the time it give common (and some less common) interpretations for different passages.
The cross refs are excellent too, a great too to aid understanding in themselves.
If you are interested, I can look up the study notes for some passages you are interested and post them here if you like?
I have the NIV Study Bible but it isn't as good by far.
Blessings,
Stephen
