Andy Naselli
Feb 8th, 2008
Feb 8th, 2008
Beale and Carson’s Commentary on the NT’s Use of the OT
This uniquely useful volume was published in November 2007:
Beale, G. K. and D. A. Carson, eds. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007.
- Last year I spent two or three hundred hours proofing it, so I am fairly familiar with it. It is not always scintillating reading, but it is a thoughtful, first-class reference that I will continue to consult often (especially since I am planning to write my dissertation on the use of the OT in a NT passage). I anticipate that many theological journals will publish reviews of this book that will unanimously praise it as uniquely useful. Many reviews may point out minor areas of disagreement, but this is inevitable given the eclectic theological perspectives of the contributors. (E.g., I. Howard Marshall’s Arminian perspective comes through more than once in his comments on Acts.)
- The first paragraph of the preface explains some of this project’s background:
- “When the two editors of this volume began the project almost a decade ago, neither of us anticipated that it would take this long to bring it to completion. Unrealistic expectations, illness among the contributors and their families, and shifting and competing obligations all conspired to delay the project. We are profoundly grateful for the patience of the contributors who managed to submit their work in a timely manner, some of whom updated their work later, and of Baker Academic, whose editorial staff encouraged and even cajoled editors and contributors alike, but never nagged” (p. vii).
- This PDF excerpt includes the table of contents and introduction.
- Amazon.com’s Search Inside feature is an efficient tool (even if you own the hard copy).
- Craig Blomberg weighed in on a blog post that questioned the volume’s value.
- Jason Button has compiled some reviews. Cf. Baker’s site.
- Today Collin Hansen’s bi-weekly “Theology in the News” column at Christianity Today is entitled “Two Testaments, One Story: Top evangelical scholars team up for landmark commentary on New Testament use of Old Testament.“ This interview substantively interacts with both Greg Beale and Don Carson. Highly recommended.
