The Pastoral Epistles: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary (International Critical Commentary Series)

Rating:
Summary: A worthy commentary
Review: I. Howard Marshall has labored to produce a wonderful commentary worthy of inclusion in any pastor and theologian's library. Following suit with the other members of the ICC family, Marshall goes about his exegetical task of taking the Greek and bringing forth meaning in a practical and academic manner. The healthy bibliography allows the student, pastor, and theologian equal access to the mountain of works applicable to a particular passage.

Though Marshall denies Pauline authorship, his arguments, as aforementioned by a fellow reviewer, are not convincing (though exhaustive of the issues confronting authorship.) A rather remarkable approach, Marshall places Titus at the front of the commentary in a bold step to bring to the face a usually neglected book. The commentary is better for this practice.

Having used Knight, Mounce, Quinn and Wacker, Debellious and Counzelmann, and several other competent commentaries in a exegesis course on the Pastoral Epistles, Marhsall's commentary was a steadfast primary resource in my studies. Though the pastor not educated in languages will not be able to follow this commentary easily, the educated clergy will find it invaluable in their pursuits of exegesis and exposition from the PE. Marshall has given us a staple for NT scholarship.

Rating:
Summary: Long Awaited and Masterful
Review: The pastorals have been often overlooked. Finally a superb technical commentary from an evangelical. Some will quibble with major and minor points (though clearly evangelical, he denies Pauline authorship for starters), there is so much that is illuminating in these pages. A real window into early christianity!

Rating:
Summary: Detailed, Readable, Lucid
Review: When I first got this long awaited addition to the ICC series, I was suprised to find that it is quite a bit easier to read than most others in this series. It is obvious that Dr. Marshall and the ICC editors intended it to be more user-friendly. I like the format and the size of the print. It is bound nicely, which is one of the reasons for the outrageous price. Dr. Marshall accompished this work in collaboration with Dr. Phillip Towner of Regent College. Towner has spent a good deal of his career in the Pastoral Epistles and I am looking forward to the release of his work on these letters in the NICNT series.

One of the negative aspects of this work (in my view), is Marshall's denial of Pauline authorship. I found his arguments unconvincing (especially after reading Knight and Mounce on Pauline authorship of the PE), and it seems to me that Marshall is too inclined to accept the consensus of liberal scholarship on this matter (e.g., Dibelius and Conzelmann).

Nevertheless, there is much gold to be mined in this work. Dr. Marshall is a brilliant man who is obviously "mighty in the scriptures." The introduction is excellent and the exegesis is thorough and lucid. If you can afford it, you should get it and use it along with Knight, Mounce and Fee.

Dr. Marshall tells us in his preface; "The chief aim has been the understanding of the flow of the argument and the exposition of the theology which it enshrines, so that the message of the letters emerges with all desirable clarity. At the same time I have commented in some detail on Greek syntax for the benefit of students who may appreciate all the help that they can get with the text. Organising the mass of material in what is now called a user-friendly manner has not been easy...."

Well, I am grateful for Dr. Marshall's successful effort. This is a work that abounds with careful thought and helpful insights. I must rank it along side of Knight and Mounce.