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Title: The First Epistle to the Corinthians (New International Greek Testament Commentary) by Anthony C. Thiselton, I. Howard Marshall, Donald Alfred Hagner ISBN: 0-8028-2449-8 Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Pub. Date: December, 2000 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $80.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (7 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Too Much of a Good Thing!
Comment: This commentary is simply too much of a good thing. It has too many words, too many concepts, too many theories, too many names--to be useful to anybody but either a very scholarly pastor or a seminary professor. It is unnecesarily technical and often gets lost in overly subtle hermeneutical or linguistic arguments. I am very grateful for his own translation (why France writing on Mark in the same series opted not to do the same is a mystery). It should also be noted that Thiselton is much more of a philosopher/hermeneut/semanticist than he is a theologian per se. Also, Thiselton does almost no serious text criticism, which is a notable failure for a commentary on the Greek text! Lastly, in defense of others who find the book too technical, it must be recalled, in the words of the editors, "the purpose of the series is to cater to the needs of students who want something less than a full scale commentary . . .the authors will bear in mind the needs of the beginning Greek student as well as the pastor or layperson...who does not use the language on a regular basis." If that is the stated aim of this series, Thiselton has failed that aim since this is the largest, most technical commentary on 1 Corinthians in the history of the English language. I would like to see this commentary reduced by about half, removing the scholary paraphenalia, and highlighting his conclusions. Thus, our best bet for a scholarly commentary interacting with the Greek text of 1 Corinthians remains Fee's in the NICNT series, and we look forward to Garland's commentary in the BECNT series.
Rating: 5
Summary: A brilliant scholarly commentary
Comment: First of all, the NIGTC series has never claimed to be anything but a scholar's series. So it needs to be judged on those terms. Judging it on value to the pastor who may or may not have the advanced Greek knowledge this commentary demands (2 years minimum, probably exegesis experience as well), is like judging the NIV Application series' value for scholars. This is not to say Thistleton does not deal with issues of application, he does. But the primary purpose is to survey the critical literature in view of the text.
Thistleton is one of the leading British scholars of hermeneutics today, and it shows in the work. This is thorough and careful exegesis, often much more careful than Fee's work, which I also admire. This, plus Thistleton's immense vocabulary, can daunt even the most sophisticated reader. But his style is lucid, and, for a commentary, enjoyable. His scholarship is impeccable, and even when one disagrees with him in the end, one understands why one can come to such a view rationally even if you don't accept his presuppositions, which is not always possible in Fee's work.
In short, this commentary is the new standard in Greek scholarship, and is set to be it for a long time. If you don't have the background for this commentary, it is very difficult going. But it rewards careful study.
Rating: 4
Summary: Brilliant, but Bloated
Comment: For this review, it may help to know that I am a pastor and a Ph.D. candidate. On the one hand, this is an amazing scholarly achievement. Having read several key passages, I am thoroughly impressed by Thiselton's abilities: his mastery of secondary material, his sophisticated understanding of language and interpretation, his exegetical nuance and synthetic skill. This is simply the best commentary on 1 Corinthians in English for the scholar or seminary student. On the other hand, if you are a pastor trying to preach/teach through 1 Corinthians, I recommend you look elsewhere. There is just too much extraneous information in this book which does not directly bear on our tasks. Also, while I commend Thiselton for listing nearly every possible position on a subject, it is frustrating to read so many pages and not be sure what Thiselton's opinion is or why he holds it. There is an astonishing amount of erudite information in this book, but often too much! I wish the publishers of the ever more girthsome commentaries would realize that often, less is more! Thus, I rate the book 4 stars (5 for scholars, but only 3 for preachers). For the pastor, I still recommend Fee as the best commentary, with Barrett and Kistemaker as great complements.
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