For one of my classes at PTS. Looking for the one that will help me the most in the Future. None are what you would call "Reformed" or "Evangelical" but I have to buy one and need some wisdom in selecting.

Thanks in advance.

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Benjamin P. Glaser, M. Div
Licentiate Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

Member: Fairmount ARP Church Pittsburgh, PA
Attending: Looking for a Reformed church in North Central WV
Preaching: Nov. 8 Belington Presbyterian & Beverly Presbyterian PC(USA) Churches

Deo Vindice

Let me first state that I do not know anything about these books, but I would buy "Joel and Amos" simply for the fact that you get a commentary on two books whereas all the others are only on Amos.

Just my

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Boliver
Future Chaplain
EPC
Hankamer, TX

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For the Glory of our King,
Joe Johnson
Slave of Christ, husband, father, Preacherboy at Cornerstone Community Church, Escanaba, MI. and TMS graduate. Personal website - SoundLife.org

I do not know, and I do not say, that a person cannot believe in Revelation and in evolution, too, for a man may believe that which is infinitely wise and also that which is only asinine. ~ CHS

I voted for the Mays commentary, put out by Westminster Press, mostly because this is the only one I can really remember anything about. I know I have consulted the two by Fortress press (Paul and Wolff), but sorry, I don't remember too much about them -- my knowledge of critical commentaries on the minor prophets is still all too sparse at this young age in my life. At the very least, even if you have radical differences of theological thought than the commentaries, I have always found all the commentaries and works put out in the Westminster Old Testament Library to be highly useful. And though I haven't had as much experience with the commentaries put out by Fortress, I have normally found them to be useful and worth the effort of consulting.

Bottom line: I'd go with Mays.

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Paul Korte
OPC
Flint, MI

They who perceive in themselves discoveries of the divine goodness, so full and absolutely perfect, and who make them the subject of earnest meditation, will never embrace new doctrines, by which the very grace they feel so powerfully in themselves is thrown into the shade. --John Calvin

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I have used Freedman in other books. He is fairly textual (although with liberal presuppositions). His Hebrew work in the Psalms is helpful. I have used Wolff before too (not in Amos) and his liberal leanings controlled the work so much it had little redeeming value. FWIW

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Rev. Adam King
Minister in the RPCNA
Pastor,Trinity Reformed Church
Wichita, KS

I voted on the first one, where Andersen was one of the authors, as I have been using his Tyndale commentary on Job and found it excellent (save his take on Elihu, where I side with WH Green and Hywel Jones). I would buy another of his commentaries if I had to preach on that book.

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Steve Rafalsky
Elder, International Evangelical Church (Reformed)
Limassol, Cyprus

"I am set for the defense of the gospel" (Philippians 1:17)

"Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious
power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness..." (Colossians 1:11)

Blog: A Great and Terrible Love

Let me first say that I think every preacher should have at least two books that help in the selection of modern commentaries. (For older, Puritan commentaries, you can use this:

Amazon.com: The Essential Commentaries for a Preacher's Library: Derek H. Thomas, John W. Tweeddale: Books

Amazon

Amazon.com: Commentary and Reference Survey: A Comprehensive Guide to Biblical and Theological Resources: John Glynn: Books

Amazon

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Fred Greco
Senior Pastor, Christ Church PCA (Katy, TX)
Christ Church Blog

"The heart is the main thing in true religion...It is the hinge and turning-point in the condition of man's soul. If the heart is alive to God and quickened by the Spirit, the man is a living Christian. If the heart is dead and has not the Spirit, the man is dead before God." (J.C. Ryle)

My on the conservative/moderate/liberal/critical nature of commentaries:

Obviously, you're going to recommend different reading for different people. For a normal church member asking an elder about suggestions for reading material to help him understand the word of God, naturally it would be rather unthinkable to recommend something which has a low view of scripture, or teaches ridiculous things, etc. However, for a graduate student in an academic environment (especially for one who is thoroughly convinced of confessional truth), I think it is important to read, interact with and make use of the dominant theological and exegetical trends of the present age. As a pastor, John Owen would surely not recommend the works of Socinians to his congregation; but can you imagine the loss we would be at today if Owen himself had ignored these books because they contained bad theology?

I think that for the pastor-scholars of today, who have been taught in and our assured of our confessional, Christian truths, interaction with such commentaries is both useful and necessary. I think if we take seriously our belief in the perseverance of the saints, and thoroughly apply ourselves both to the administration and use of the ordinary means, we have nothing to fear from our pastors making use of them.

-----Added 12/1/2008 at 01:53:26 EST-----

(Sorry if that was too off topic)

I would say any one except the one by Paul... it is a bit redundent in the name and thus would make a boring read.

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Jessica Auner
Wife, Mother,
Garden City, Ga
Ephesus Church
(a Reformed Baptist church)

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

The Andersen/Freedman and the Paul commentaries are the two best commentaries on that list (and are among the best on Amos period). Paul is Jewish, of course, which might influence your decision, but it is an excellent commentary, nevertheless.

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Rev. Lane Keister
Teaching Elder, PCA, North Dakota (working out of bounds in a CRC and an RCA church)
http://greenbaggins.wordpress.com
http://brahmsgreenglove.blogspot.com
http://accenttranslation.blogspot.com
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Go with: Amos: A New Translation with Notes and Commentary" by Francis Andersen and David Noel Freedman

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Sterling Harmon
Presbyterian Church of Coventry (PCA)
Coventry, CT
Deacon
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"Whatever is laudable in our works proceeds from the grace of God."
-- John Calvin, Institutes III:xv.3.

"Our Lord God must be a good man, to be fond of worthless fellows. I cannot like them, and yet I, myself, am one."
-- Martin Luther, Table Talk
Interim Pulpit Supply of New England

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