Recommended Acts Commentaries

What to read when you're reading through the Book of Acts?

I just got my copy of N.T. Wright’s new book on Acts. It is not a commentary, but it is a very helpful overview that summarizes the contents, and points to the main themes. It is not big, only 140 pages, you can read it over a couple of days (or on one 17 hour flight!). I just got back from a study tour in Turkey/Greece doing an “on location” study of the Book of Acts, and this is what I was recommending to the laypeople joining us on the tour.

Here’s a video from Tom about the book:

So what are the best commentaries on Acts that you need to know about?

For reference works, there is Craig Keener’s Acts commentary, which is 4 volumes, more of an encyclopedia than a book, but pure gold and detailed as anything. Do yourself a favor and buy it on Logos to save postage which will cost nearly as much as the volumes. There is also the 5 volume series on The Book of Acts in its First Century Setting, a multi-author work, with great stuff by Richard Bauckham and Irena Levinskya among others, again, buy it on Logos.

For critical commentaries, there C.K. Barrett’s ICC 2 volume commentary which is the capstone and climax of a great career. I should also add that the first volume of Steve Walton’s WBC commentary on Acts is approaching and it looks like it will be a ripper.

For shorter commentaries, I like David J. Williams, a Ridley lecturer who taught with Leon Morris, both now of blessed memory. James D. G. Dunn also has a stand alone commentary which is quite helpful. Mention too for Beverly Gaventa and her commentary on Acts which is a true gem. There is some good stuff in Willie James Jennings volume which exposits Acts out of the black church tradition. Craig Keener and Robert Menzies have one in a Pentecostal series which comes out in 2025 - not read it yet, but might be good.

For Greek-focused commentaries, there is Mikeal C. Parson and Martin M. Culy in the series form Baylor Uni Press. Also, L. Scott Kellum in the EGGNT. Also, Eckhard Schnable in the ZECNT series. I recommend any of these books to students doing Greek work in Acts.

For preaching commentaries, my favourite is Dean Pinter in the SGBC series, but I also like Tony Merida and David Garland too.

For medium-sized commentaries ideal for exegetical students, in the NCCS series which I edit with Craig Keener, we teamed up two Korean scholars with Yongmo Cho and Hung Dae Park - one is Presbyterian and the other is Pentecostal - to write a terrific two-volume work. Craig Keener has a shorter commentary which only takes one life-time to read and it’s a good distillation of his mega-uber-commentary. Ben Witherington’s socio-rhetorical commentary I think is one of his best ones! F.F. Bruce is an oldie but a goodie still, the dude knew his classical sources. In Australia, David Peterson’s volume in the PNTC is popular too, but I’ve not had the chance to use it. It’s hard to go passed Darrell Bock for sobriety of judgment and attention to detail in the BECNT series. I don’t mind Mikeal Parsons (Paideia) for brevity with some depth, the same goes for Luke Timothy Johnson (Sacra Pagina) which show cases his amazing knowledge of the Greco-Roman world. But my #1 recommendation for now is Patrick Schreiner, the new kid on the block, with his terrific work in the CSC series.

If I was teaching Luke-Acts in a secular context, I’d use Bruce Longenecker’s The Lost Letters of Pergamum, which are fictional letters that explain Luke-Acts. I’m not an emotional man, my wife calls me the world’s only living heart donor, but this book did make me tear up at the end!

Here’s a video I made with these recommendations:

Otherwise, you might want to check out my book, A Bird’s Eye-View of Luke and Acts, which is a thematic survey of both Lucan books.