One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is, “What are the commentaries you recommend for serious study of the New Testament?” Alas, I have compiled my list. A similar list appears in my hermeneutics text (co-edited with Richard D. Patterson), Invitation to Biblical Interpretation: Exploring the Hermeneutical Triad of History, Literature, and Theology, in the Invitation to Theological Interpretation series (now in its second edition). The list is below.
Matthew
Blomberg, Craig L. Matthew. NAC. Nashville: Broadman, 1992.
Carson, D. A. “Matthew.” EBC 8. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984, 3–599.
Davies, W. D. and Dale C. Allison. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. ICC. 3 vols. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1989, 1991, 1997.
Hagner, Donald A. Matthew. 2 vols. WBC. Dallas: Word, 1993, 1995.
Keener, Craig S. A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999.
Wilkins, Michael. Matthew. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004.
Mark
Evans, Craig A. Mark 8:27–16:20. WBC. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2001.
France, R. T. The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.
Garland, David E. Mark. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.
Guelich, Robert A. Mark 1–8:26. WBC. Dallas: Word, 1989.
Gundry, Robert H. Mark: A Commentary on His Apology for the Cross. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993.
Lane, William L. Commentary on the Gospel of Mark. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.
Luke
Bock, Darrell L. Luke. 2 vols. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994, 1996.
Fitzmeyer, Joseph A. The Gospel According to Luke. AB. 2 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1981–85.
Green, Joel B. The Gospel of Luke. Rev. ed. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.
Marshall, I. Howard. Commentary on Luke. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978.
Nolland, John. Luke. WBC. 3 vols. Dallas: Word, 1990–93.
John
Carson, D. A. The Gospel According to John. PNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.
Keener, Craig S. The Gospel of John: A Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003.
Morris, Leon. Commentary on the Gospel of John. Rev. ed. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.
Ridderbos, Herman N. The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.
Acts
Barrett, C. K. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles. ICC. 2 vols. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1994–98.
Bock, Darrell L. Acts. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007. [to be released later this year]
Bruce, F. F. Commentary on the Book of Acts. Rev. ed. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.
Fitzmyer, Joseph A. The Acts of the Apostles. AB New York: Doubleday, 1999.
Longenecker, Richard N. “Acts.” EBC 9. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981, 207–753.
Romans
Cranfield, C. E. B. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. ICC. 2 vols. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1975–79.
Dunn, James D. G. Romans. WBC. 2 vols. Dallas: Word, 1988.
Moo, Douglas J. The Epistle to the Romans. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.
Schreiner, Thomas R. Romans. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998.
Wright, N. T. “The Letter to the Romans.” New Interpreter’s Bible. Nashville: Abingdon, 2002, Vol. 10, 393–770.
1 Corinthians
Barrett, C. K. A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Harper’s New Testament Commentary. New York: Harper, 1968.
Blomberg, Craig L. 1 Corinthians. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.
Fee, Gordon D. The First Epistle to the Corinthians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987.
Garland, David E. 1 Corinthians. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003.
Thiselton, Anthony C. The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.
2 Corinthians
Barnett, Paul. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.
Garland, David E. 2 Corinthians. NAC. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999.
Hafemann, Scott J. 2 Corinthians. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.
Harris, Murray, J. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005.
Martin, Ralph P. 2 Corinthians. WBC. Waco: Word, 1986.
Galatians
Bruce, F. F. Galatians. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982.
Dunn, James D. G. The Epistle to the Galatians. HNTC. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1993.
Fung, R. Y. K. The Epistle to the Galatians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.
George, Timothy. Galatians. NAC. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994.
Hays, Richard B. “The Letter to the Galatians.” New Interpreter’s Bible. Nashville: Abingdon, 2000, Vol. 11, 181–348.
Longenecker, Richard N. Galatians. WBC. Dallas: Word, 1990.
Ephesians
Best, Ernest. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Ephesians. ICC. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1998.
Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984.
Hoehner, Harold W. Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002.
Lincoln, A. T. Ephesians. WBC. Dallas: Word, 1990.
Philippians
Bockmuehl, Markus. The Epistle to the Philippians. Black’s NT Commentaries. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1998. Paperback edition New York: Continuum, 2006.
Fee, Gordon D. Philippians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.
Hawthorne, Gerald. Philippians. WBC. Rev. and exp. by Ralph P. Martin. Nashville: Nelson, 2004.
O’Brien, Peter T. The Epistle to the Philippians. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.
Silva, Moisés. Philippians. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005.
Thielman, Frank. Philippians. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.
Colossians and Philemon
Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984.
Dunn, James D. G. Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: A Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.
Garland, David E. Colossians and Philemon. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.
Martin, Ralph P. Colossians and Philemon. New Century Bible. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973.
O’Brien, Peter T. Colossians, Philemon. WBC. Waco, TX: Word, 1982.
Wright, N. T. The Epistles of Paul to the Colossians and to Philemon. TNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986.
1–2 Thessalonians
Bruce, F. F. I and II Thessalonians. WBC. Waco, TX: Word, 1982.
Green, Gene. The Letters to the Thessalonians. PNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.
Marshall, I. Howard. I and II Thessalonians. New Century Bible. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.
Morris, Leon. The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians. Rev. ed. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.
Wanamaker, Charles A. The Epistles to the Thessalonians. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.
1–2 Timothy, Titus
Johnson, Luke Timothy. Letters to Paul’s Delegates: 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus. New Testament in Context. Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press International, 1996.
Knight, George W. III. The Pastoral Epistles. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992.
Köstenberger, Andreas J. “1 and 2 Timothy, Titus.” EBC. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006, 487–625.
Marshall, I. Howard. The Pastoral Epistles. ICC. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1999.
Mounce, William D. Pastoral Epistles. WBC. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000.
Quinn, Jerome D. and William C. Wacker. The First and Second Letters to Timothy. ECC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.
Towner, Philip H. The Letters to Timothy and Titus. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006.
Hebrews
Attridge, Harold. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Hermeneia. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1989.
Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Hebrews. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.
Ellingworth, Paul. The Epistle to the Hebrews. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993.
Hagner, Donald A. Hebrews. NIBC. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1990.
Lane, William L. Hebrews. WBC. 2 vols. Dallas: Word, 1991.
James
Davids, Peter H. Commentary on James. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982.
Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Letter of James. AB. New York: Doubleday, 1995.
Martin, Ralph P. James. WBC. Waco, TX: Word, 1988.
Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. PNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.
Richardson, Kurt. James. NAC. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1997.
1–2 Peter, Jude
Bauckham, Richard J. Jude, 2 Peter. WBC. Waco, TX: Word, 1983.
Davids, Peter H. The First Epistle of Peter. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.
Jobes, Karen H. 1 Peter. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005.
Grudem, Wayne A. The First Epistle of Peter. TNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.
Michaels, J. Ramsey. 1 Peter. WBC. Waco, TX: Word, 1988.
Moo, Douglas J. 2 Peter and Jude. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.
Schreiner, Thomas R. 1, 2 Peter and Jude. NAC. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2003.
1–3 John
Akin, Daniel L. 1, 2, 3 John. NAC. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2001.
Bruce, F. F. The Epistles of John. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979.
Kruse, Colin G. The Letters of John. PNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.
Marshall, I. Howard. The Epistles of John. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978.
Smalley, Stephen S. 1, 2, 3 John. WBC. Waco, TX: Word, 1984.
Stott, John R. W. The Epistles of St. John. Rev. ed. TNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.
Thompson, Marianne Meye. 1–3 John. IVPNTC. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1992.
Revelation
Aune, David E. Revelation. WBC. 3 vols. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997, 1998.
Beale, G. K. The Book of Revelation. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999.
Ladd, George Eldon. A Commentary on the Revelation of John. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972.
Mounce, Robert H. The Book of Revelation. Rev. ed. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.
Osborne, Grant R. Revelation. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001.
Note: For further recommendations see the most recent edition of D. A. Carson, New Testament Commentary Survey (Grand Rapids: Baker).