Browsing the book table at the Banner of Truth Ministers' Conference in Elizabethtown, Pa. this evening. Picked up J. A. Alexander's Acts volume in the Geneva Commentary series and glanced at his commentary on Acts 8:37 defending its authenticity.
Most modern evangelical commentaries are nearly useless when it comes to defense of the traditional text. This is why it is good to get older works (and even older ones than this Acts volume--going back even further to the Puritans and men of the Reformation) when building one's library.
JTR
Why not a bibliography of TR based commentary?
ReplyDelete"8. But again: Whom did Philip preach to the eunuch of the queen of the Ethiopians, returning from Jerusalem, and reading Esaias the prophet, when he and this man were alone together? Was it not He of whom the prophet spoke: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb dumb before the shearer, so He opened not the mouth? But who shall declare His nativity? For His life shall be taken away from the earth. Acts 8:32; Isaiah 53:7-8 [Philip declared] that this was Jesus, and that the Scripture was fulfilled in Him; as did also the believing eunuch himself: and, immediately requesting to be baptized, he said, I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. Acts 8:37 This man was also sent into the regions of Ethiopia, to preach what he had himself believed, that there was one God preached by the prophets, but that the Son of this [God] had already made [His] appearance in human nature (secundum hominem), and had been led as a sheep to the slaughter; and all the other statements which the prophets made regarding Him." Iranaeus Book 3, Chapter 12, section 8. It's hard to refute this, yet it surprises me that so many ignore such a great piece of evidence. Thank you for sharing the commentary. I'm going to give it a look!
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. Yes, that would be a good idea. I am currently working on an annotated bibliography for a Gospels class I am teaching in August and list a few pro-TR commentaries (all old). Something like that for the whole Bible would be good.
For starters, I'd say begin with commentaries by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole (my favorite), and John Calvin.
JTR
Phil, Thanks for sharing this. Yes, like the ending of Mark, Irenaeus shows he his well familiar with Acts 8:37 c. AD 180.
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