Top Ten Commentaries to Purchase in Logos
The top ten commentaries to purchase in Logos is my personal list of go-to commentaries when I prepare a sermon. I have used Logos as my primary sermon preparation tool for years. In recent years, I have bought several commentaries to help in my research to prepare for sermons. Commentaries fall into different categories based on a variety of reasons. Some commentaries of more technical than others. While many commentaries are more devotional in nature. Some commentaries stress a certain denominational point of view. A variety of commentaries are organized by books of the Bible, but some are organized by the church lectionary.
In preparing sermons, the hardest challenge I have is in illustrating and applying the text. Many commentaries do not concentrate on illustration or application. In this list, the commentaries I will share start with from focusing on exegetical nature of the text to focusing on application of the text. I have provided affiliate links to these resources on Logos. Clicking on the links here helps me as I help you. You can also choose a Logos Base Package and receive a discount on that purchase through this link.
Exegetical
This set of commentaries, known as the New International Commentary of the Old Testament (NICOT) and the New International Commentary of the New Testament (NICNT) provide an exposition of Scripture that is thorough and abreast of modern scholarship, yet at the same time loyal to Scripture as the infallible Word of God. If a pastor wants to complete basic exegetical work on a text, this should be the first commentaries to consult.
Evangelical Exegetical Commentary
The Evangelical Exegetical Commentary is a brand new, 44-volume commentary series which incorporates the latest critical biblical scholarship and is written from a distinctly evangelical perspective. The EEC is the next standard commentary on the entire Bible for evangelicals.
Unlike other commentary sets, the EEC marks the first time a major Bible commentary series has been published in digital form before its print counterpart—and the first time it has been published with a digital format in mind.
Based on the NIV translation, and formatted for Logos Bible Software, The New American Commentary (NAC) series brings the best of contemporary evangelical scholarship that honors the full trustworthiness and authority of Scripture to the task of serious exegetical and theological exposition of the Word.
The NAC is for those who have been seeking a commentary that honors the Scriptures, represents the finest in contemporary evangelical scholarship, and lends itself to the practical work of preaching and teaching. This series serves as a minister’s friend and a student’s guide.
Lexham Research Commentary
The Lexham Research Commentary Series (formally known as the Lexham Bible Guides) is your starting point for study and research. Each volume gives you the tools you need to find answers quickly. This commentary set is designed to do all the dirty work of searching through commentaries, journal articles, and monographs to find the information you need, saving you valuable time by curating all of the best literature in one place—it’s a commentary on the commentaries.
The handy series comes with slides to use in sermon preparation. This unique commentary series summarizes the thoughts of other scholars (with links to those commentaries in Logos format) in which one can refer in their study.
The Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old and New Testament is a great thorough series to help the pastor in sermon preparation. This is the only commentary series with a theology in application section and identification of the main idea for each section. These texts are written primarily for pastors and Bible teachers. The series addresses contemporary issues in the church. This makes the ZECOT and ZECNT a focused resource for anyone teaching, preaching, or studying these passages.
Devotional
The twelve volumes of this series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays—one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
This commentary series to be useful when one plans to preach a text from the Lectionary, or a pastor wants to explore a different perspective on the text.
This set of commentaries on the Old and New Testaments is edited by R. Kent Hughes, of College Church in Wheaton Illinois. The value of this set of commentaries is that it was written with pastors in mind. The series provides practical application points and stories to use in sermon preparation.
The Preacher’s Commentary Series
The Preacher’s Commentary Series blends sound scholarship with life-related illustrations and useful outlines for teaching and preaching.
Illustration and Application
Courson’s Application Commentary
Jon Courson’s Application Commentary combines a verse-by-verse teaching of every paragraph of Scripture with practical topical studies throughout. Courson has amassed more than 1,500 teachings in an expositional style. With a pastor’s heart, Courson provides important thoughts for each passage.
The NIV Application Commentary (NIVAC) series shows you how to bring the Word’s ancient message into our postmodern context. It explains what the Bible meant and how it speaks so powerfully today. It treats all the elements of traditional exegesis, and its authors bridge the gap between the Bible’s world and the world of today, between the original context and the contemporary context by focusing on both the timely and the timeless aspects of the text. The NIV Application Commentary discusses the Bible in a way that engages contemporary life and culture.
NIVAC does the heavy lifting that a pastor needs when studying a passage. While some pastors focus on the technical nature of the passage. Still some pastors focus on the contemporary significance and application. This commentary set helps the pastor accomplish both tasks.
Bonus:
The Teach the Text Commentary Series is one of the best commentary series in publication. The volumes in this series allow pastors to quickly grasp the general movement, concepts, and themes of each passage of Scripture. Along with providing the necessary overview, there are slides and suggested illustrations and stories for the pastor who preaches the text. Unfortunately, the commentary series was cut short from the planned thirty-four to twenty-one commentaries by the publisher. Still, this series makes a great addition to any pastor’s library.
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