Up to Date (1 Peter Commentaries)

Catching Up on the Latest Biblical Commentaries (2019-2024)

This is a series called “Up to Date,” where I do a sweeping survey of the latest and greatest biblical commentaries. In 2020, I published a little book called The New Testament Commentary Guide: A Brief Handbook for Students and Pastors (Lexham Press, 2020). I’m proud of my “little orange book,” but a resource like this gets outdated. If you are looking for commentary classics and “best picks” I suggest picking up my book. In this Substack series though, I will be looking at what has been published in the last five years (2019-2024).

Important Recent 1 Peter Commentaries

**Click images to purchase or learn more

Rebecca Skaggs (Through the Centuries)

This is not a widely known series, and unfortunately very expensive, but it helpful looks at how readers (esp scholars and theologians) have interpreted and applied the given text over the centuries. Very insightful!

Thomas Schreiner (Christian Standard Commentary)

This volume is a revision of his 2003 NAC commentary on 1-2 Peter, Jude. If you already have that, I don’t think it’s necessary to get this one, but if you don’t, this would be a great exegetical and theological study for pastors and students. But be aware: Schreiner is going to take a complementarian approach to Peter’s Household Code.

Craig Keener (Baker)

Another meticulously detailed “super-commentary” (600+ pp) from the careful exegetical hand of Keener. Another treasury of historical and contextual knowledge.

Ruth Anne Reese (New Cambridge Bible Commentary)

Speaking of Asbury Seminary (Reese is a colleague of Keener’s), here is another excellent recent commentary, more focused on exposition than detailed analysis. If Keener is great at looking at the trees, Reese here is an excellent companion that is more “forest” focused.

David Horrell and Travis Williams (ICC)

In 2023, Horrell and Williams published their 2-volume ICC commentary, which offers very technical, details-oriented, study of the Greek text in context. It has already been hailed as a “must-read” and even a “masterpiece.”

Karen Jobes (BECNT)

Jobes’ celebrated BECNT commentary is now in a second edition. Jobes are become a leading expert on 1 Peter, and you should own at least one edition of this excellent commentary!

Coming Soon (or Not So Soon)

Here are some commentaries that are coming in the future. No clear timeline or release dates for these.

Jeannine Brown (NICNT)

David deSilva (Illuminations)

Dennis Edwards (WBC)

Scott Hafemann (Pillar)

Jennifer Powell McNutt (Reformation Commentary on Scripture)

Michael Wilkins (ZECNT)

Up next: stay tuned for new commentaries on 2 Peter next week!

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