Philippians

Mark's #26 - The NIV Application Commentary: Philippians by Frank Thielman

I recently completed an eight part sermon series on the book of Philippians entitled Joy Unbound.  To help prepare me for that task, I read this book as one of my resources. I've bought several other commentaries in the series to help with other sermon series.  I generally like, but don't love,  the commentaries, and find them occasionally useful in developing and clarifying my thoughts on a particular passage.

Each book in the series is written by a different author, so their value varies depending on the author.  Nonetheless, each book aims to follow the same basic principles. First, the author works to explain and clarify the original context and meaning of the passage.  From there, the author moves on to explain the timeless truths and potential interpretive pitfalls of the passage.  Finally, the author offers helpful suggestions and personal illustrations for applying the text to the modern listener.  A strength of the series is that it doesn't get too technical, yet it seems to point out important points of grammar and vocabulary when necessary.

As I said, it's a good resource, though not fantastic.  While I was able to gain some insight on the Philippian church and Paul's circumstances, I wasn't particularly persuades by much of Theilman's points of application.