Pastor's Bookshelf: Philippians

I'm not keeping up with this commentary list, spending too much of my time doing what Paul seems to be doing to the left, but here goes on Philippians.

The first commentary I consult on Philippians is Gordon Fee, and I do so in part because he's such a good writer, because he is sensitive to Greek exegesis and because he's theologically alert to the text for preaching and pastoring: Paul's Letter to the Philippians (New International Commentary on the New Testament) .

The second one I consult is Peter O'Brien, which has all the characteristics of Fee but is five years older: The Epistle to the Philippians: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary) .

The third one is even a little older and now revised, but a goldmine of accuracy and scholarship, and it was written by G.F. Hawthorne, Philippians: Revised (Word Biblical Commentary) .

The big kahuna for Philippians -- over 800 pages! -- is John Reumann, Philippians (The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries) .

Recently I came across Dean Fleming, NBBC, Philippians: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (New Beacon Bible Commentary) , and I have found this commentary clear and useful. This series has three parts to each passage: behind the text, in the text, and from the text.

Some of Ben's readers have asked me why I don't mention Ben Witherington III more often. Well, when someone has written a commentary on every NT book, it is unlikely they can be mentioned with those who have spent a decade or more on a book, but Ben's stuff is very good and highly useful for pastors. On Philippians, here's Ben's: Friendship and Finances in Philippi (New Testament in Context) .