Seeking good commentary on gospel of Mark...

[Perry]

I am considering the revised expositor's commentary (linked below), though it is a bit pricy. It contains a commentary on Matthew as well however.

Does anyone have any other recommendations?

Thanks,
Perry

http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Mark-Expo ... -2-catcorr

[mattrose]

I actually think the site 'bestcommentaries.com' is pretty helpful.. here's the link for Mark
http://bestcommentaries.com/mark/

[Perry]

Thanks for the link Matt.

BTW, I'm enjoying your blog web sites, particularly the one with the notes on each of the books of the Bible.

[mattrose]

Thanks Perry... that is encouraging.

I haven't done much with that 'notes' blog recently, but I have a plan! When I finish up my thesis in the late spring / early summer, I will be updating the 'notes' blog with stuff from the past year that I've neglected to upload.

[backwoodsman]

What are you looking for in a commentary? Have you looked at Albert Barnes? Is there something in particular you don't like about some of the older commentaries? I usually find little to like better about the newer commentaries, and the old ones can be had much cheaper, or even free in electronic form. The Bible hasn't changed, and most of the theological changes since the older books were written are, arguably, not for the better.

The link Matt gave looks interesting. But, Daniel is usually the first book I look at in a commentary, to see its attitude toward Scripture and prophecy, and that site's highest-rated commentary on Daniel is one that holds to a late date for Daniel. What good (to a Christian, at least) is a Bible commentary by someone who thinks the Bible is fiction? And what good is a rating site that gives such a commentary its highest rating, or even a favorable rating? Sorry to sound harsh, but if I'm going to take the time to read a commentary, I want to know the writer at least believes he's dealing with Scripture.

[Perry]

What are you looking for in a commentary?
Well, let’s see. I’d like it to be accessible, yet authoritative and accurate. I don’t want something that’s too heavily biased towards specific doctrinal positions (dispensational or nondispensational /pretorist or nonpretorist /Calvinistic or Armenian, etc). Ideally it would give the arguments both for and against these main doctrinal viewpoints. I’d like it to give an accurate historical perspective, as well as good textual criticism. And it needs to be really inexpensive. I’m not asking for much.

Have you looked at Albert Barnes?
Some, and I’ll be looking at it much more in the near future. You'll understand better when you get to the end of this post. I have it in electronic form.

Is there something in particular you don't like about some of the older commentaries?
Not at all. I have many of the older commentaries which can be had in e-sword for free. I also own a rather haphazard collection of commentaries, study bibles, and other biblical references that I've acquired over the years.

My main reason for starting the thread was to find out if anyone here had any experience with the particular commentary linked in my original post as it has been recommended to me.

I view commentaries as something akin to spoken verse-by-verse teachings in book form, with, perhaps, a bit more depth and scholarly rigor. I regularly listen to verse-by-verse teachings from various sources. Among others I’ve listened to Steve Gregg (of course), Ray Stedman, Zac Poonen, Chuck Smith, and J. Vernon McGee.

I’ve been asked to start speaking in my local congregation and I have tentatively agreed provided I can do so in a similar verse-by-verse format. I thought the Gospel of Mark would be a good place to get my feet wet. I felt I should begin adding a bit more rigor and organization to my studies.