My office resembles a Don Carson quip: “Some people have a filing system; I have a piling system.” Pick any passage of Scripture or theological issue, and I have a handful of books at my fingertips to provide additional insights. But as I’ve taught in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, I regularly encounter pastors whose library is either nonexistent or merely a shared bookshelf at a central training site. I encounter leaders whose appetite for biblical study often exceeds what I see in the U.S. but whose resources pale in comparison.
And this is all the more true when it comes to the staple biblical study resource for pastors and teachers—the commentary. I’ve wished for a commentary that’s modern, understandable, legally available, trustworthy, polished, and useful to the global church.
Solution to the Empty Bookshelf
Today, I’m excited to announce this wish for the global church has come true. The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary is now available in English to fulfill this need, with translations already started in other languages. Even though a handful of books and enhancements are still awaiting publication in early 2023, I couldn’t wait to begin making our readers aware of this valuable resource for the global church right away. Here’s a glimpse into what’s already available:
- Doug O’Donnell’s commentary on Matthew includes enhancements that bring readers into the land of the Bible.
- Gary Millar brings light and passion to his commentary on Deuteronomy, providing a delightful overview of the “theological heart” of Deuteronomy in chapters 29 and 30.
- Dan Doriani’s insightful commentary on James makes the book easy to preach, particularly the section on the “Three Tests of True Religion.”
- Section overview essays, such as the ones on the Old Testament (Jason S. DeRouchie), New Testament (Benjamin L. Merkle), and even the era between the Testaments (Daniel M. Gurtner), provide broad context for large swaths of Scripture.
And this isn’t TGC’s first foray into serving the global church with high-value staple content for Christian leaders. We’ve provided an easily deployable catechism, free courses, a daily Bible reading plan with a free devotional, a complete modular systematic theology resource, and much more.
Help Build the Bookshelf
The reality of projects of this quality and scope is that—even though they’re free or cheap for the pastor in Peru or India or Nigeria—they’re incredibly expensive to produce. Even with care on our part to steward resources well, this project cost TGC around $500,000. But we’re producing resources like these because we believe God has called us to this mission. We’re trusting he’ll send us partners who believe in the same mission and will help us continue to build the standard bookshelf of resources for pastors around the world.
Would you consider partnering with us in this mission? One simple way is to subscribe to our ministry resources newsletter and help spread the word about these new resources to your friends in ministry around the world. Another incredible way to partner with us is to become a regular supporter of the ministry of TGC.
Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?
In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
