Commentaries

What Series of Commentaries do people recommend as I am going through the Tyndale series as whether it is bible notes or other things, they all have a theological bias, which one would you recommend.
I would agree that we should rely on the holy spirit but when we have had vast centuries of people who have also relied on the holy spirit should not we rely on them and pray through what people have gathered through the centuries?

I understand where you are coming from I personally felt the same for a while until I started realizing a lot of my thoughts were driven by a commentator rather the Holy Spirit. I do look at commentaries from time to time for historical references and the like but for the most part I sit down with a notebook and my bible and just start fleshing it out.

On the times I don't understand something fully I will also look at a commentary but lately have been avoiding them because for me there is something satisfying about digging into the word that was never there but now is. It's an adventure into Christ Jesus now and having a relatinoship with Him. That being said I own many different commentaries but now they are dusty :)

I also downloaded E-Sword which comes with downloadable commentaries. One commentary I would avoid is schofield's reference bible, that guy just confuses me. I own a McClelland Commentary and that has been helpful for historical stuff and researching McClelland I found he was nicknamed the "Prince of Expositors" by his contemporaries but again these are getting dusty.

My only real suggestion is go for something that lines up with your denominational belief OR better yet get something NonDenominational meaning, you agree with the author from the get go or you get something that is going to maybe expose you to something different you hadn't thought of before. :)

A few years back I started going through Isaiah verse by verse (which I need to get back on). I would read and then write my own commentary, then read other commentaries to make sure I wasn't just reciting what they said; writing what really stuck out. I used Henry, Wesley, Clarke, Scofield, Geneva Bible, and Paul Washer quotes.

After about 3 chapters I pretty much only referenced Scripture and Matthew Henry. Wesley, Scofield, the Geneva Bible, Washer, etc, had something to offer, but didn't comment on the majority of individual verses. So it became tedious and time consuming looking for commentary when it was hit or miss. Henry comments on about 99% of the things said. Occasionally Henry doesn't comment on a verse that stirred my curiosity and I would reference others, but Henry is definitely the best I could find for accuracy and efficiency. Adam Clark was pretty detailed, but he made some comments that just made me shake my head and have to quit referencing him.

I like Missler, too, but he is more for sitting down and listening to topical subjects. I would say Missler hits verses that make you scratch your head better than anyone I have listened to, but hits them here a little, there a little (probably intentionally). Missler lots of times teases a verse and gives you a hint to make you figure it out on your own. He says it will mean more to you if you find it rather than him telling you; always thought this was cool but also wished he would just spill the beans.

Here are some resources that really help me regularly:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/index.cfm

http://www.studylight.org/

(the Studylight Parallel Bible search allows you to pull up the early English translations super fast for comparison: Wycliffe, Tyndale, Geneva, etc)

I know you asked for no bias but these help me as well:

http://wesley.nnu.edu/

http://www.spurgeon.org/mainpage.htm

Another great resource is opening web pages in Google Chrome, then clicking the wrench on the right hand side and using the "Find" option to look up particular words or phrases. Huge time saver.

I don't see Tyndale's commentary online. Is it available?

I've used Michael L. Brown's commentary on Jeremiah pretty extensively, and I highly recommend it. It's part of the new edition of the Expositor's Bible Commentary. Some of the volumes are still coming out, but that's the series I plan to go to first (if I ever have the money and the leading to get more commentaries). I have seen a little from the Tyndale commentaries, and I wasn't thrilled though I'm sure they have some good information.

deltadom,

You said, "they all have a theological bias..."

I do not think this can be avoided in commentaries.

Just read the posts on this forum or any other and you'd have to agree.

What are each of our posts here on this forum but commentaries of a sort. It's only that we've not officialized and published our words and laborious study.

There are so many commentaries out there. It is difficult to recommend one,because just as there are numerous bad ones there are some good ones.

I am going to recommend the following to you,not because it has no theological bias,because as I mentioned above,such is inescapable. But because it is brief,concise,and so very Christ-centered. If you do get it you'll note that it is always pointing to Christ in every verse.

Here is a link you may find it at:

http://www.sermonaudio.com/source_prodinfo.asp?PID=ma1230805636