I hit a used book sale at the library in Manchester, VT last Friday and struck gold. While I got my hands on a biography of Harry Truman by his daughter Margaret that I’ve been on the look-out for, my real find was Tom Wright’s commentary on the Gospel of John, chapters 1-10. It’s part of Wright’s NT commentary series for everyone, complete with his own translation and discussion of each passage.
I have heard good things about this series and have been waiting for an opportune time to grab a copy. So far I have not been able to put it down. First of all, Wright’s translation strikes me as a nice blend of the Message and the ESV. The words are still familiar to readers of the NIV, NASB, etc. and seem to capture the essence of what was happening, but there is a fresh, new sense that is not odd and corny as the Message can occasionally be. No slang, no over-use-of-hyphens, no cheesy phrases, but also no stilted, antiquated words and expressions that somehow stick around because of the KJV’s influence. All in all, it’s a very good translation that is enjoyable to read.
Another area where Wright succeeds is in providing just enough information in his commentary. The ban of commentaries is the feast or famine of information. Short commentaries are like a leaf of lettuce for a hungry man and exhaustive, scholarly commentaries are like a 12 oz steak for a new born. It’s quite hard to find a commentary that provides ample background, contextual, and linguistic information to be helpful without losing the reader in grammatical, theological debates that need not be mapped out in extensive detail for the average reader. Wright toes the line down the middle, erring on the side of giving less, but always putting a solid meal on the table.
My recommendation? If you’re looking for an accessible commentary that will help you dig a little deeper into the text without having to buy a massive library of enormous commentaries, check out Wright’s series. He’s "the man" on Paul, so you may want to check out his commentaries on Paul. But in any case, I trust no one else like I trust Wright. Enjoy!
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I agree on Wright. I’ve now read a cople of his “For Everyone” books and haven’t been disappointed yet. (Paul for Everyone: Galations and Thessalonians is particularly good.) I agree that the strength is how Wright gives you just the right amount of meat without wallowing you down.
Thanks Clave, it’s good to know that I’m on the right track. It’s hard to know which commentaries to recommend to people when they ask for advice. I’m looking forward to reading Wright’s commentaries on Paul. His book: What Saint Paul Really Said, is one of the best I’ve ever read.