Best Commentaries on 2 Corinthians

An excellent overview of Harris’s reading of 2 Corinthians that’s more accessible than his massive volume in the NIGTC series (see below).

A great place to begin for a brief and basic introduction to this epistle. Kruse gives a helpful overview of the literary history behind the Corinthian correspondence. Then, he focuses on how Paul contrasts the old and new covenants, and how he emphasizes the Christian’s ministry of reconciliation.

Carson says this volume should be “considered a must for serious expositors.” She shows how Paul’s wisdom and strategies for confronting the problems in Corinth still serve as a helpful model for us as we respond to a culture marked by individualism and materialism.

Drawing on his rich ministry experience, Casto combines faithful interpretation with heart-searching application. His sermonic approach makes the apostle’s message clear and relevant for the contemporary church.

Hughes shows how today’s church has much in common with ancient Corinth. His commentary models expositional preaching and sound application. It’s a concise and helpful resource to consult during sermon prep.

A well-written academic commentary that, says Mathison, “is so well written that one can easily read it straight through,” and not merely consult it as a reference work. It provides a particularly rich treatment of the letter’s social and historical background with strong biblical-theological reflections; the author takes pains to tie together various theological themes from the Pauline corpus.

Carson described Garland’s 1999 commentary in the NAC series as “probing in the theological arena.” The revised edition includes more than a hundred additional pages, showing the author’s careful engagement with the last two decades of scholarship. Garland’s prose is incisive and compelling, and his emphasis is on how Paul clarifies the implications of the gospel.

Guthrie’s commentary is a technical guide to the letter’s Greek syntax and historical context, but his detailed exegesis doesn’t obscure the reader’s big-picture perspective. That’s because Guthrie never loses sight of the apostle’s pastoral priorities.

This lengthy and technical treatment of the epistle is one of the best available on the Greek text. The thorough introduction interacts with scholarly debates about the letter’s unity. But though it’s designed for scholars with a working knowledge of Greek, the commentary as a whole retains a pastorally sensitive eye for application.

Unlike many commentaries, Seifrid doesn’t catalog and evaluate the opinions of modern scholars. Instead, he provides a sustained exegetical argument for his own reading of the letter and its theology. Seifrid’s theological reflections are rich and rooted in a Reformational Lutheran understanding of justification by faith.