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The Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament: James is the second book in a projected series of twenty volumes that seeks to bring together classroom, study, and pulpit by providing the student or pastor with information that is helpful to understand and expound the Greek text of the New Testament. Author Chris Vlachos aims to close the gap between grammatical analysis and exegesis, leading readers into an in-depth understanding of the New Testament Greek text by guiding them through an exegetical process that flows into sermon construction.
Each volume provides the following for the biblical book or books on which it is written:
Brief introduction on authorship, date, occasion, and purpose List of recommended commentaries Extensive exegetical notes Comprehensive exegetical outline 405 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 20, 2022
2022 reads: 14
Rating: 4 stars.
Brilliant resource.
Rating: 4 stars.
Brilliant resource.
May 3, 2026
As a layman who taught myself Greek and likes to read the New Testament in Greek for purposes of Bible study, I find the exegetical guides to be a Godsend. Sometimes there are odd constructions or idioms that academic commentaries such as the New International Greek Text Commentary don't explain. They might provide theological commentary educated by Greek text details but don't explain such semantic intricacies. That is where the exegetical guides come in. Furthermore, sometimes there may be more than one translation option or even more than one credible text reading. In such instances, the exegetical guide lists the options and evaluates relative strengths and weaknesses without necessarily drawing a conclusion. In his book Exegetical Fallacies, D.A. Carson brings up the fallacy of bifurcation, in which the exegete is choosing between options A and B. If he rules out one option, the other wins by default. However, there might be additional options that haven't occurred to the exegete. While this listing of options may not eliminate all bifurcation risk, it certainly reduces it. In short, I really appreciate the exegetical guides.
October 10, 2018
These exegetical guides are great. I've used them working through a couple Biblical books now. They are helpful in that they focus on all of the Greek issues in the text, giving the grammatical and contextual options without necessarily always giving the answer. It points out facets of the language but not always telling you the significance. It's less than a commentary in that it does comment on everything in the text but also more than a commentary in that when there is an important issue you are given clear guidance in understanding the options. Very helpful for those who are trying to keep up their Greek after seminary, wanting someone to come alongside their study of the text without giving everything away. I've enjoyed this series and look forward to the next teaching series I do where I will need to work with these again. Highly recommended.
February 15, 2021
I found this to be a useful tool in the beginning phase of sermon preparation when I translate the original Greek text.
I did find that many of his exegetical comments were similar to, or direct quotations from, Moo and others. So at times the exegetical guide seemed redundant since the commentaries were essentially saying the same thing. However, it was useful to have a concise and distilled presentation of issues of word connotations, syntax, and grammar all in one place.
I did find that many of his exegetical comments were similar to, or direct quotations from, Moo and others. So at times the exegetical guide seemed redundant since the commentaries were essentially saying the same thing. However, it was useful to have a concise and distilled presentation of issues of word connotations, syntax, and grammar all in one place.
July 16, 2020
Step by step through the Greek text. If you want a detailed description of every nuance, this isn’t for you. But if you want to see the major thoughts that are out there and a quick but comprehensive discussion of key Greek terms and words, it’s excellent to have handy.
May 28, 2022
Vlachos has produced a very straightforward exegetical guide. He provides just enough help to guide the reader. He studied under Moo so tends to take similar lines. As usual in this series the homiletical suggestions are very elementary - don't buy it for sermon prep!
September 28, 2018
Dr. Vlachos' approach to James is clearly text centered and faithful.
May 14, 2021
Remarkably detailed
April 14, 2026
A helpful resource for someone wanting to dive deep into the Greek text of James. It has little beyond an examination of the Greek but if that is what you want this is a great resource.
November 1, 2015
Chris A. Vlachos is the Ph.D. program administrator and adjunct assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. Prior to joining the staff and teaching at Wheaton College in 2007, Vlachos served in Utah for thirty years, twenty-two years of which as an instructor and professor of Greek and New Testament at Salt Lake Theological Seminary. Vlachos earned an M.A. in New Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in Biblical Theology of the New Testament from Wheaton College. Vlachos is the author (with Marvin R. Wilson) of A Workbook for New Testament Greek: Grammar and Exegesis in First John (Baker Academic, 2010) and The Law and the Knowledge of Good and Evil: The Edenic Background of the Catalytic Operation of the Law in Paul (Wipf & Stock, 2009). Most recently, Vlachos has authored a welcomed commentary in the EGGNT series, Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament: James (B&H Academic, 2013).
The Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament series seeks to function as a bridge to narrow the gap between the text of the Greek New Testament (UBS4) and the available lexical and grammatical resources being utilized by pastors and teachers today. The book begins with a brief introduction, discussing issues of authorship, date, occasion and purpose. If you are looking for extensive introductory material on the epistle you will need to look elsewhere, but Vlachos will provide you with a good survey of the need-to-know introductory information. As the commentary opens the reader is met by diagramed Greek text that functions as the roadmap for the commentary that follows. This is helpful for understanding the flow of the epistle and the overall thought of James as his pen hit the page. The commentary is discussed at the clausal level, as Vlachos explains and surveys the grammatical and exegetical discussion amongst biblical scholarship. Overall, I think Vlachos was objective in his evaluation, presenting the evidence in a responsible way in which cultivates contemplation on the part of the reader. Each unit in the commentary closes with a “For Further Study” section that includes a topically organized bibliography, as well as a “Homiletical Suggestions” segment which provides the reader with a number of text-derived preaching and teaching proposals.
The highlights of this commentary are numerous. First, Vlachos is clear, concise, and careful in his treatment of the text. If you are looking for a commentary that delivers sprinkles and frosting to decorate the cake, then you will want to look elsewhere. Vlachos is going to give you the cake alone. But the cake that Vlachos delivers is going to be some of the best cake you have ever tasted. It will be refreshing, enjoyable, and bursting with flavor. In other words, at under 200 pages, Vlachos will give you what you to know rather than what you may want to know. Second, as someone who seeks to engage in conversation with Mormon’s often, and given Vlachos’ prior position in Salt Lake City, I found his interaction on James 2:14-26 incredibly insightful. This is also testimony to the text-centered objectivity of Vlachos’ approach as he seeks to provide you with what the text says (and could say) without diverting into theological name-calling. Lastly, I found the grammatical index at the back of the book to extremely helpful for consulting the grammatical ideas flow across the letter. Not to mention, I seem to remember grammatical phraseology well, and thus can find the section I need quickly.
It is certainly no easy task to follow up the inaugural volume of what has come to be recognized as one of the best exegetically oriented series on the Greek New Testament. But if that wasn’t enough pressure on Vlachos, the introductory volume was written by one of the world’s foremost respected biblical exegetes Murray J. Harris. Still, despite these mental challenges that inevitably entered into his mind, Vlachos has produced a clear and concise compilation of some of the best work on the letter of James, and did so while walking the reader through the grammatical and exegetical forest of one of the most important New Testament writings. If you are a pastor, teacher, student, or trained laymen, Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament: James is a resource you will not want to see missing from your bookshelf. It follows closely in the footsteps of Harris’ work and has become the first book off my shelf when studying the letter of James.
I received a review copy of this book in exchange for and honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
The Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament series seeks to function as a bridge to narrow the gap between the text of the Greek New Testament (UBS4) and the available lexical and grammatical resources being utilized by pastors and teachers today. The book begins with a brief introduction, discussing issues of authorship, date, occasion and purpose. If you are looking for extensive introductory material on the epistle you will need to look elsewhere, but Vlachos will provide you with a good survey of the need-to-know introductory information. As the commentary opens the reader is met by diagramed Greek text that functions as the roadmap for the commentary that follows. This is helpful for understanding the flow of the epistle and the overall thought of James as his pen hit the page. The commentary is discussed at the clausal level, as Vlachos explains and surveys the grammatical and exegetical discussion amongst biblical scholarship. Overall, I think Vlachos was objective in his evaluation, presenting the evidence in a responsible way in which cultivates contemplation on the part of the reader. Each unit in the commentary closes with a “For Further Study” section that includes a topically organized bibliography, as well as a “Homiletical Suggestions” segment which provides the reader with a number of text-derived preaching and teaching proposals.
The highlights of this commentary are numerous. First, Vlachos is clear, concise, and careful in his treatment of the text. If you are looking for a commentary that delivers sprinkles and frosting to decorate the cake, then you will want to look elsewhere. Vlachos is going to give you the cake alone. But the cake that Vlachos delivers is going to be some of the best cake you have ever tasted. It will be refreshing, enjoyable, and bursting with flavor. In other words, at under 200 pages, Vlachos will give you what you to know rather than what you may want to know. Second, as someone who seeks to engage in conversation with Mormon’s often, and given Vlachos’ prior position in Salt Lake City, I found his interaction on James 2:14-26 incredibly insightful. This is also testimony to the text-centered objectivity of Vlachos’ approach as he seeks to provide you with what the text says (and could say) without diverting into theological name-calling. Lastly, I found the grammatical index at the back of the book to extremely helpful for consulting the grammatical ideas flow across the letter. Not to mention, I seem to remember grammatical phraseology well, and thus can find the section I need quickly.
It is certainly no easy task to follow up the inaugural volume of what has come to be recognized as one of the best exegetically oriented series on the Greek New Testament. But if that wasn’t enough pressure on Vlachos, the introductory volume was written by one of the world’s foremost respected biblical exegetes Murray J. Harris. Still, despite these mental challenges that inevitably entered into his mind, Vlachos has produced a clear and concise compilation of some of the best work on the letter of James, and did so while walking the reader through the grammatical and exegetical forest of one of the most important New Testament writings. If you are a pastor, teacher, student, or trained laymen, Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament: James is a resource you will not want to see missing from your bookshelf. It follows closely in the footsteps of Harris’ work and has become the first book off my shelf when studying the letter of James.
I received a review copy of this book in exchange for and honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
July 19, 2021
This has quickly become one of my favorite series. The Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament guides the reader through the Greek language while faithfully engaging with the Biblical text. I cannot recommend series enough.
March 30, 2015
See my review at https://eisdoxan.wordpress.com/2015/0...
December 29, 2015
bueno
esta bueno como quiera estaría bien traducirlo... alguien sabe si lo van a traducir al español, ya que se necesita.
esta bueno como quiera estaría bien traducirlo... alguien sabe si lo van a traducir al español, ya que se necesita.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews