William Barclay

by James H. Martin

This text explores the life of William Barclay. Here we glimpse the real man as he was known by his close friends. A man whose self-confessed aim was to destroy the theological gobbledegook so prevalent in Christian circles, and make the Gospel message clear and relevant to the ordinary man and woman.

106 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Terry Austrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read a lot of the New Daily Study Bible series for the Gospels, by Barclay, it was apparent that I had a lot of misunderstandings concerning his background. I find myself changing my opinion of him after reading this book. The comment that this author made about this being a Panegyric to Barclay was appropriate. Having used other sources like Sacra Pagina by Harrington and others, it is obvious to me that what attracts us over and over again to using Barclay as the primary source in every gospel study that we are engaged in, is the down to earth humanness of his commentary. His scholarship matches that of any current Bible study book that has been used as a supplement for each Gospel study.

This author’s comments as to the development of the New Daily Study Bible series, which he helped revise, were very enlightening. More than anything, I found that this story of a man of God leads me to a greater understanding of the many times I wished to have been in attendance at one of his lectures. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever read the commentaries by Barkley and enjoyed them. A greater love of God and the Gospel of Love that Jesus preached shows in every line of text in this book.

[Christopher Pokorny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This text serves as a brief snapshot into the life of William Barclay. He was infamously known as a biblical scholar, producing his 17 Volume Daily Bible Study series. This memoir remembers him as a writing machine, pastoral care extraordinaire, and charitable professor, always making time for people.