Personal Thoughts About Commentaries: Acts

Read the series.

This list of commentaries on Acts are the ones I think are the best for the Pastor and Bible Teacher.

1. Darrell L. Bock – Bock is known for his massive two-volume Luke commentary. This commentary on Acts rises to the same high standard. Bock is a progressive dispensationalist, so I do not agree with his view that Christ is ruling today. But this readable exposition covers all the bases.
2. Eckhard Schnabel – An excellent, detailed exposition of Acts from an expert in the background.
3. F.F. Bruce – An older but classic work by the perfect scholar to write it. Bruce was a Classicist and his commentary is greatly helped by his insights.
4. Ben Witherington III – One of the author’s socio-rhetorical commentaries. Acts is well suited to this approach.
5. Richard N. Longenecker – Found in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary set. This is an excellent level-headed work.
6. I. Howard Marshall – Brilliantly written and packed with great content despite its relatively small size.
7. David G. Peterson – Part of the Pillar series. This one is on all the lists.
8. John Polhill – A very solid and reliable commentary.
9. John Stott – The best of the “preachers” commentaries.
10. Craig S. Keener – The huge four-volume work which I’m sure is brilliant. But who can spend the time to read it?

As for other works, I like Stanley Toussaint’s contribution in the Bible Knowledge Commentary. Richard B. Rackham’s old work is well worth getting if you can. James D. G. Dunn has a commentary on Acts, but I think his treatment in Beginning From Jerusalem is very helpful. Simon Kistemaker’s commentary is well done, as is the one by R.C.H. Lenski. Ajith Fernando’s work is very useful. Finally, I really like F. Scott Spencer’s Journeying through Acts.