Commentary Study for Sermon Preparation

Verify, Amplify, and Glean

 I began this series on examining the text by comparing our study of the text to standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon.  Some things you have to experience for yourself.  Once you have seen a mile-deep hole in the ground with your own eyes, all other descriptions or images of it comes alive as they resonate with your own observations.

 This is why we save our commentary study for the end of our process of examining a biblical text.  If you are to preach from a text with a compelling sense of authority, you need to have explored it for yourself.  If you turn first to the descriptions of others, you are likely merely to repeat what they say.  Your presentation may be accurate, but you will lack the first-hand experience to make it real.  After all, if you are planning a vacation to a particular destination, wouldn’t you rather work with a travel agent who had actually been there?

But once you have done your own work on the text, there is real value in going to some trusted biblical commentaries to add the insights of others to your study.  Here are three major purposes for this reference study:

• Verify. 

  Commentary study helps us to know that we are on the right track in our interpretation of a passage.  As careful as you try to be, it is always possible that you could make a mistake.  You may have missed a detail that makes a significant difference in our understanding of the text.  You may have made a connection that is not warranted.  If you think you have discovered an exegetical insight that no scholar has ever thought of before, there’s a good chance you might be wrong.  Commentary study is a way of “checking your work,” to make sure your message is on solid biblical footing.

• Amplify.  

  We also go to commentaries to expand our understanding of the text.  Scholars who have spent lifetimes studying the details of the biblical text will have noticed nuances and details that you didn’t see.  Differences of opinion, even among experts, point to the fact no matter how skilled we might become, we can always benefit from the perspectives of others.  Commentary study helps us to avoid a kind of exegetical “tunnel vision” that puts our own biases and pet issues in control of our reading of the text.

• Glean.

  Sometimes, you will find that an author has managed to say exactly what you would like to say in words that are clear, concise, and memorable.  In these cases, you might want to glean a quote that you can cite (giving proper credit of course!) in your sermon.  A pithy quote can be helpful for your sermon, but I would offer two cautions:  First, be sure not to overuse quotes.  You want your sermon to feel more like a conversation than a research paper.  Second, don’t use quotes that are too long.  Reading a paragraph from a commentary is hard to follow.  If the quote is too long for your hearers to remember or quickly write down in their notes, it should probably be left in your study.

What Commentaries Should You Use?  The Commentary Spectrum.

 All commentaries are not created equal.  This is not necessarily a comment on their quality or value.  Sometimes comparing commentaries is like comparing apples and oranges.  I like to think in terms of three different types of commentaries: Exegetical, Homiletical, and Devotional.  Each type has its value, but we need to use them properly and in the proper sequence.  How do you know which type of commentary you are holding in your hand?  Here are some questions to ask:

• Does it comment on phrases, verses, paragraphs, chapters?

• Does it deal with word meanings, details of syntax, cultural background, etc., or more theological reflection and contemporary application?

• Does it consider original languages or just English text?

• Is it written by scholars, pastors, or popular teachers?

 Here is a chart to help you to identify the kind of commentary you are considering:

This chart can give you some general ideas, but the lines are not hard and fast.  For example, sometimes a highly recognized biblical scholar will write an excellent devotional commentary.  And a homiletical commentary may tap into some details of word meanings, syntax, and historical details to support its reflection on the text.  Some commentaries, such as the NIV Application series, will devote sections to all three categories. 

How to Use Your Commentaries

 Categorizing commentaries as suggested above is helpful not for the purpose of ranking their value, but to help you to use them properly.  I strongly suggest that, as a rule of thumb, you begin with the exegetical commentaries, and then later move to the homiletical and devotional commentaries.

 Why this sequence?  First, getting a good grasp of the technical issues discussed in the exegetical commentaries will give you discernment to evaluate the conclusions of the homiletical and devotional commentaries.  Also, beginning with the higher-end (exegetical) commentaries will allow you time to begin to formulate your own ideas about the contemporary meaning of the text before you start processing the application ideas of others. 

 If you begin with a very good homiletical commentary, for example, the author’s thoughts on organizing a sermon or applying its meaning are likely to cut ruts in your thinking that are impossible to escape.  If the goal is to preach your own sermon (and it should be), start with the more technical commentaries and begin to formulate your own thinking about the sermon before you look at homiletical and devotional sources.