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The New International Commentary on the New Testament
The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians
“. . . undertaken to provide earnest students of the New Testament with an exposition that is thorough and abreast of modern scholarship and at the same time loyal to the Scriptures as the infallible Word of God.” This statement reflects the underlying purpose of The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Begun in the late 1940s by an international team of New Testament scholars, the NICNT series has become recognized by pastors, students, and scholars alike as a critical yet orthodox commentary marked by solid biblical scholarship within the evangelical Protestant tradition.
While based on a thorough study of the Greek text, the commentary introductions and expositions contain a minimum of Greek references. The NICNT authors evaluate significant textual problems and take into account the most important exegetical literature. More technical aspects — such as grammatical, textual, and historical problems — are dealt with in footnotes, special notes, and appendixes.
Under the general editorship of three outstanding New Testament scholars — first Ned Stonehouse (Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia), then F. F. Bruce (University of Manchester, England), and now Gordon D. Fee (Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia) — the NICNT series has continued to develop over the years. In order to keep the commentary “new” and conversant with contemporary scholarship, the NICNT volumes have been — and will be — revised or replaced as necessary.
The newer NICNT volumes in particular take into account the role of recent rhetorical and sociological inquiry in elucidating the meaning of the text, and they also exhibit concern for the theology and application of the text. As the NICNT series is ever brought up to date, it will continue to find ongoing usefulness as an established guide to the New Testament text.
While based on a thorough study of the Greek text, the commentary introductions and expositions contain a minimum of Greek references. The NICNT authors evaluate significant textual problems and take into account the most important exegetical literature. More technical aspects — such as grammatical, textual, and historical problems — are dealt with in footnotes, special notes, and appendixes.
Under the general editorship of three outstanding New Testament scholars — first Ned Stonehouse (Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia), then F. F. Bruce (University of Manchester, England), and now Gordon D. Fee (Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia) — the NICNT series has continued to develop over the years. In order to keep the commentary “new” and conversant with contemporary scholarship, the NICNT volumes have been — and will be — revised or replaced as necessary.
The newer NICNT volumes in particular take into account the role of recent rhetorical and sociological inquiry in elucidating the meaning of the text, and they also exhibit concern for the theology and application of the text. As the NICNT series is ever brought up to date, it will continue to find ongoing usefulness as an established guide to the New Testament text.
470 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1984
64 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
F.F. Bruce
249 books135 followersFrederick Fyvie Bruce FBA was a Biblical scholar who supported the historical reliability of the New Testament. His first book, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (1943), was voted by the American evangelical periodical Christianity Today in 2006 as one of the top 50 books "which had shaped evangelicals".
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 30, 2018
F.F. Bruce. What more needs to be said?
This is a quality commentary by a thorough scholar. He examines each book, but also draws parallels between them. And, the messages to the Colossians and to the Ephesians have many similarities.
Bruce is conservative in his approach to Scripture. He tends to side with Calvinistic interpretations, but his commentary is not one that adheres to all things Calvin.
For the most part, the reader can follow the commentary without a knowledge of koine Greek, but familiarity with the language of the New Testament does help.
A useful commentary still, even though it was written some time ago.
This is a quality commentary by a thorough scholar. He examines each book, but also draws parallels between them. And, the messages to the Colossians and to the Ephesians have many similarities.
Bruce is conservative in his approach to Scripture. He tends to side with Calvinistic interpretations, but his commentary is not one that adheres to all things Calvin.
For the most part, the reader can follow the commentary without a knowledge of koine Greek, but familiarity with the language of the New Testament does help.
A useful commentary still, even though it was written some time ago.
November 8, 2024
I found this one was far too short to be of much value. I consulted Cohick, Bruce, O'Brien, and Lincoln weekly, so going up against those heavy hitters (in word count, at least) is a difficult comparison, I know. I'd barely recommend it even if you were looking for a concise work on Ephesians. Better to go with a devotional study book, perhaps. I guess you could make the case that this book would give a QUICK scholarly look at every verse of Ephesians, so if that was what you were after, this could be useful for you.
I'm also judging it entirely on the Ephesians portion. I did not read the entire volume, so the rest of it might be very good.
I'm also judging it entirely on the Ephesians portion. I did not read the entire volume, so the rest of it might be very good.
April 24, 2009
I've read Bruce's comments on Colossians before, and I just also finished Ephesians. I wouldn't really recommend as all that helpful if you're looking to get a lot out of the text. What Bruce does well is cross-reference each verse to the rest of Paul's writings. He doesn't, however, do literary analysis or application very well at all.
February 22, 2011
F.F. Bruce's commentary on the epistles to Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians in the New International Commentary series is a valuable asset to any student of biblical theology, pastor, or layman. The late author's own admission was to study and write so that he should gain a better understanding of "what is involved in the interpretation of Colossians." He felt a great value in the inclusion of Philemon due to its close connection with the history of Colossians and also included a fresh commentary on Ephesians due to its theological connection with Colossians. Of the 442 pages, 188 are devoted to the book of Colossians (36 to introductory issues). The next 37 pages explain the text of Philemon (14 on introductory matters). The Ephesians commentary comprises 189 pages (21 for book introduction). The final 25 pages are subject and scripture indices.
Each commentary is a superb example of Bruce's classic writing ability. Each sentence and paragraph is used to clearly convey specific points. The text is thoroughly documented, but quotations are concise. Fine details of the text are addressed along with broader themes of the passage or book at hand. Bruce's ability to explain the nuances of the Greek language (terms, declensions, and uses) significantly aids the reader in the interpretation of the books. The nature of the work is scholarly and does deal with the Greek language and complex details of the text. The purchaser should be aware that an attentive layman (one without formal seminary or Greek instruction) will understand and find about 75-80% of the work applicable for use in personal or didactic study. Greek words are not transliterated and a basic understanding of current theological dialogue is anticipated by the author. For this reason, I would recommend that the average layman utilize The Expositor's Bible Commentary 5-Volume New Testament Set: Vols. 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 (Expositor's Bible Commentary, The) on Colossians in order to receive the greatest value from their investment; however, for the scholar, pastor, or teacher who has a basic grasp of the Greek language and theological discourse, few commentaries on Ephesians or Colossians can rival Bruce's work.
The Colossians commentary has one of the most extensive introductions available regarding the geography, history, and ethnic backgrounds of the Lycus valley and its inhabitants. The introduction, as all good Colossians commentaries do, contains the author's explanation of the Colossian heresy against which Paul was writing. Bruce presents an impressive array of historical interpretations of the heresy and seems to tentatively accept that the heresy in view was some form of Jewish merkabah mysticism. His understandable caution to firmly promote this view seems prefaced by some of the embarrassing and erroneous views Bruce reviews throughout the section. The introduction also includes a brief overview of the content and themes of the book, critical issues, and a suggested outline of the book. Bruce presents arguments for the traditional conservative approach to the authorship and ably defends against the concept that the style or vocabulary of the book is somehow not Pauline. Bruce does posit the possibility that Timothy was some sort of co-author (30, 41), but does not explain the nature of such a relationship. The author's support of the co-authorship view seems to be an unnecessary equivocation on the matter of Pauline style in the book due to Bruce's abundant proofs to the contrary.
The exposition of the text of Colossians is invaluable. For example, Bruce's spends several pages (120-122) discussing the nature of the word embateuo (KJV - "intruding into," ESV - "going into detail about") in 2:18. Bruce describes the word as originating from the initiation ceremony of Greek temple worship in the area. He points out that "it does not denote the initiation itself but the next stage, entering the sacred area in order to see the mysteries" (121). The writer offers excellent historical context to this, one of the most obscure verses in the New Testament. He goes on to make insightful statements regarding the false teachers' commands in 2:21 and clearly presents the "ethical catchwords" that occur throughout chapters three and four. Bruce's summary of the ethical commands in general is beautiful and concise: "be (in actual practice) what you now are (by a divine act)" (140). Throughout the text, the author brings out subtle emphases such as athletic and military metaphors. Bruce gives fair treatment of both interpretational difficulties and textual variants, often presenting the evidence and then allowing the student to make the best choice.
The introduction to Ephesians is as conservative, if not more so, than that of Colossians. Bruce asserts Pauline authorship immediately (229) and argues that the letter is an "encyclical" letter to the churches of Asia minor (230), holding that the phrase "at Ephesus" in the first verse is "not part of the original wording" (250). The author also provides the reader with one of the best essays on the doctrine of the church in the book of Ephesians (237-240).
The commentary on the text of Ephesians is certainly excellent. He avoids the trap of attempting to create artificial distinctions between synonyms (e.g. 259). The exposition of the opening prayer is masterful along with the explanations of the berakhah (252) and the concept of the "Beloved One" (258). Time and time again, Bruce presents and analyzes interpretational difficulties. For example, in 1:13, the writer presents the two views of and defends the use of the subjective genitive to describe the "Holy Spirit of promise" (265). He also weighs in on the use and understanding of the term "fullness" in 1:23. Bruce's discussion of the numerous questions associated with the word and its context fills a good portion of three pages (275-277).
The commentary is, without a doubt, an excellent resource for the library of any pastor, teacher, or seminarian who seeks to have a thorough understanding of the text and introductions of the books of Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians. The work, like any other, is not without faults. The text, in my mind, does not flow in the more readable manner of commentaries such as The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (Pillar New Testament Commentary) by Douglas J. Moo. Also, Bruce's handling of Colossians 2:11-12 seems weak, both in comparison to other commentaries and to his own work throughout the majority of the commentary. Finally, Bruce's equivocation on the sole Pauline authorship to include the "co-authorship" of Timothy is highly suspect. In fact, Moo makes some rather compelling counterpoints in his commentary on Colossians 1:1. Due to these issues, I can't in good conscience give the commentary a full 5 stars; however, outside of these relatively few issues, the commentary is indeed an important contribution to the scholarly study of Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians. No doubt, F.F. Bruce not only, as he intended, learned the inner-workings of the interpretation of the books, but, thankfully, shares them with his readers.
Each commentary is a superb example of Bruce's classic writing ability. Each sentence and paragraph is used to clearly convey specific points. The text is thoroughly documented, but quotations are concise. Fine details of the text are addressed along with broader themes of the passage or book at hand. Bruce's ability to explain the nuances of the Greek language (terms, declensions, and uses) significantly aids the reader in the interpretation of the books. The nature of the work is scholarly and does deal with the Greek language and complex details of the text. The purchaser should be aware that an attentive layman (one without formal seminary or Greek instruction) will understand and find about 75-80% of the work applicable for use in personal or didactic study. Greek words are not transliterated and a basic understanding of current theological dialogue is anticipated by the author. For this reason, I would recommend that the average layman utilize The Expositor's Bible Commentary 5-Volume New Testament Set: Vols. 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 (Expositor's Bible Commentary, The) on Colossians in order to receive the greatest value from their investment; however, for the scholar, pastor, or teacher who has a basic grasp of the Greek language and theological discourse, few commentaries on Ephesians or Colossians can rival Bruce's work.
The Colossians commentary has one of the most extensive introductions available regarding the geography, history, and ethnic backgrounds of the Lycus valley and its inhabitants. The introduction, as all good Colossians commentaries do, contains the author's explanation of the Colossian heresy against which Paul was writing. Bruce presents an impressive array of historical interpretations of the heresy and seems to tentatively accept that the heresy in view was some form of Jewish merkabah mysticism. His understandable caution to firmly promote this view seems prefaced by some of the embarrassing and erroneous views Bruce reviews throughout the section. The introduction also includes a brief overview of the content and themes of the book, critical issues, and a suggested outline of the book. Bruce presents arguments for the traditional conservative approach to the authorship and ably defends against the concept that the style or vocabulary of the book is somehow not Pauline. Bruce does posit the possibility that Timothy was some sort of co-author (30, 41), but does not explain the nature of such a relationship. The author's support of the co-authorship view seems to be an unnecessary equivocation on the matter of Pauline style in the book due to Bruce's abundant proofs to the contrary.
The exposition of the text of Colossians is invaluable. For example, Bruce's spends several pages (120-122) discussing the nature of the word embateuo (KJV - "intruding into," ESV - "going into detail about") in 2:18. Bruce describes the word as originating from the initiation ceremony of Greek temple worship in the area. He points out that "it does not denote the initiation itself but the next stage, entering the sacred area in order to see the mysteries" (121). The writer offers excellent historical context to this, one of the most obscure verses in the New Testament. He goes on to make insightful statements regarding the false teachers' commands in 2:21 and clearly presents the "ethical catchwords" that occur throughout chapters three and four. Bruce's summary of the ethical commands in general is beautiful and concise: "be (in actual practice) what you now are (by a divine act)" (140). Throughout the text, the author brings out subtle emphases such as athletic and military metaphors. Bruce gives fair treatment of both interpretational difficulties and textual variants, often presenting the evidence and then allowing the student to make the best choice.
The introduction to Ephesians is as conservative, if not more so, than that of Colossians. Bruce asserts Pauline authorship immediately (229) and argues that the letter is an "encyclical" letter to the churches of Asia minor (230), holding that the phrase "at Ephesus" in the first verse is "not part of the original wording" (250). The author also provides the reader with one of the best essays on the doctrine of the church in the book of Ephesians (237-240).
The commentary on the text of Ephesians is certainly excellent. He avoids the trap of attempting to create artificial distinctions between synonyms (e.g. 259). The exposition of the opening prayer is masterful along with the explanations of the berakhah (252) and the concept of the "Beloved One" (258). Time and time again, Bruce presents and analyzes interpretational difficulties. For example, in 1:13, the writer presents the two views of and defends the use of the subjective genitive to describe the "Holy Spirit of promise" (265). He also weighs in on the use and understanding of the term "fullness" in 1:23. Bruce's discussion of the numerous questions associated with the word and its context fills a good portion of three pages (275-277).
The commentary is, without a doubt, an excellent resource for the library of any pastor, teacher, or seminarian who seeks to have a thorough understanding of the text and introductions of the books of Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians. The work, like any other, is not without faults. The text, in my mind, does not flow in the more readable manner of commentaries such as The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (Pillar New Testament Commentary) by Douglas J. Moo. Also, Bruce's handling of Colossians 2:11-12 seems weak, both in comparison to other commentaries and to his own work throughout the majority of the commentary. Finally, Bruce's equivocation on the sole Pauline authorship to include the "co-authorship" of Timothy is highly suspect. In fact, Moo makes some rather compelling counterpoints in his commentary on Colossians 1:1. Due to these issues, I can't in good conscience give the commentary a full 5 stars; however, outside of these relatively few issues, the commentary is indeed an important contribution to the scholarly study of Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians. No doubt, F.F. Bruce not only, as he intended, learned the inner-workings of the interpretation of the books, but, thankfully, shares them with his readers.
November 3, 2024
Read commentaries on Colossians and Philemon, but not Ephesians.
The introduction and historical background sections for each of the books were great, but the verse-by-verse commentary wasn't as deep or as thorough as I had hoped.
The introduction and historical background sections for each of the books were great, but the verse-by-verse commentary wasn't as deep or as thorough as I had hoped.
August 27, 2018
A bit disappointing, and generally underwhelming.
March 27, 2020
Good English commentary. Any Greek references, which are limited, are transliterated. I used it for parts of Ephesians, and I'm looking forward to coming back to it some day.
January 24, 2014
Може би съм донякъде несправедлив към коментара на Брюс. Той (прочетох засега само коментара на Ефесяни)всъщност не е лош, но като цяло е твърде технически и доста откъснат от практиката. оже би поради тази причина ми се видя до известна степен сух и слаб. Макар че не съл голям фен на Стот, че тейки паралено неговият коментар го намирам за доста по-полезен.
Коментарът към Филемон (изключително интересно, макар и много пренебрегвано послание)намирам за доста по-добър.
Коментарът към Филемон (изключително интересно, макар и много пренебрегвано послание)намирам за доста по-добър.
September 26, 2016
This book to me was rather repetitive in certain aspects. Bruce is a brilliant scholar with lots of insight and thorough research. He is a bit unorderly and tends to jump around quite a bit. Not my favorite read but there is much to be learned from this text.
February 11, 2022
Excellent, like all of Bruce's commentaries. My top recommendation for NT commentaries.
A quibble is that sometimes I think he engages with opinions he doesn't agree with too much.
A quibble is that sometimes I think he engages with opinions he doesn't agree with too much.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews