★★★★★ 5
Very conservative approach, BUT that's not necessarily a hard pass if you're more progressive
Format: Hardcover, Format: Hardcover
A few things you should know if you're considering this purchase:
1. This commentary set has a conservative take on many topics. I haven't read through everything, but that is the general approach.
2. This commentary set is has a very strong complementarian view, and it takes the time to argue this extensively in all the key passages like the Creation story, 1 Corinthians 11, Ephesians 5, 1 Timothy 2 and 3, and Titus 2. It also makes reference to it in smaller passages like Romans 16:1-3 and Acts 18:26.
3. The conclusion given for the practical application of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 is that this passage should be put into practice with whatever is relevant in the culture you live in. Many denominations would take this approach; very conservative denominations will find issue with the application not being specifically head coverings.
The only reason I'm mentioning these things is so you get a better understanding of what approach this commentary set takes. The fact that I gave this set 5 stars is not because of its conservative views, but rather for the following reasons:
1. The commentary is written in a way that's easy to understand and follow. I felt like the language and sentence structure is pretty down to earth compared to other deeply theological and intellectual commentaries I've read.
2. It's formatted in a way that feels digestible. It goes through the whole Bible taking one chunk of Scripture at a time. So this is what it looks like: A big title saying what the Scripture passage is, then a paragraph or two of Scripture, and then the commentary on the Scripture. The commentary is broken up into these sections: Section Overview, Section Outline, Comment (which has commentary clearly marked verse by verse), and Response. I've included a picture to show what I mean. (Many Scripture passages are longer than the one shown in the picture though.) I find this format to be pretty easy to follow along.
3. It's easy to tell that a lot of thought and effort went into this set. It feels thorough, but not overwhelmingly detailed.
Now, for a bit of my personal opinions about the views this commentary set holds. I'm not certain where I fall in the whole conservative/progressive spectrum. I'm not sure I can clearly define whether I'm complementarian or egalitarian. But I do believe in actively listening to opposing viewpoints, even when it feels uncomfortable to do so. It was truthfully uncomfortable for me to read a very strong complementarian view. However, even in the discomfort, I still came across other things in this commentary set that gave a more clear understanding of Scripture, things I'd never thought of before and that were good for me to read.
If you're more progressive, it goes without saying that this commentary set will not align with your views on everything. However, I don't necessarily think that means the set is absolutely not for you. I believe that the church at large, regardless of where we are on the conservative or progressive spectrum, would benefit from reading and listening to views we might not necessarily agree with. I believe it helps us grow in compassion and understanding and grace toward each other. And even though you may find yourself strongly disagreeing with some of the conservative views, I really do think there's a lot of other commentary that you would probably find really helpful and great to read.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2025
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