We Asked: What Texts Are You Referencing Each Week?
When I graduated from Knox College way back before the turn of this century… the Bible Commentary of choice was the Interpretation series from Westminster John Knox Press (WJKP). Over a decade or so, a new one or two would be released each year until the set was complete (now available for about $1000 USD)… and in my research for this email - I see that they are releasing what I assume are revised editions of the series. Most of my early sermon prep came from books back in the day… and so, when a professor asked me recently about recommending a Bible Commentary for people, I thought - do people even use books anymore?
I asked some folx… and apparently, the answer is YES, a little… but mostly people are researching and digging into texts online. Not surprising really. But I wanted to know what they are referencing week to week… and I thought some of you might like to know too. If you are a lay preacher, these are some great recommendations to consider adding to your toolkit. Here’s what people shared with me:
Books:
Feasting on the Word (WJKP)
With this new lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. The twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day. For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays–one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion. The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series will follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume will contain an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents. Find It Here
Women’s Bible Commentary (WJKP)
The Women’s Bible Commentary is a trusted, classic resource for biblical scholarship, written by some of the best feminist scholars in the field today. This twentieth anniversary edition features brand new or thoroughly revised essays to reflect newer thinking in feminist interpretation and hermeneutics. It comprises commentaries on every book of the Bible, including the apocryphal books; essays on the reception history of women in the Bible; and essays on feminist critical method. The contributors raise important questions and explore the implications of how women and other marginalized people are portrayed in biblical texts, looking specifically at gender roles, sexuality, political power, and family life, while challenging long-held assumptions. This commentary brings modern critical methods to bear on the history, sociology, anthropology, and literature of the relevant time periods to illuminate the context of these biblical portrayals and challenges readers to new understandings. Find It Here
The New Interpreter’s Bible One-Volumne Commentary (Abingdon Press)
Pastors and students who want a one-volume commentary to complement the New Interpreter's Study Bible will be pleased to find in this resource the quality of scholarship that is a hallmark of other New Interpreter's Bible resources.
The portability, accessibility, and affordability of the one-volume commentary will appeal to professors and students as well as lay persons and pastors.
This commentary contains articles on all the books of the Bible, including the Apocrypha, as well as numerous general articles on biblical interpretation, geographical and historical setting, religion, text, canon, translation, Bible and preaching/teaching, with bibliographies for each article. Find It Here
Online:
Working Preacher from Luther Seminary
Working Preacher is a comprehensive resource created by Luther Seminary to support the entire church. It offers a variety of resources, including a "Preach This Week" section covering the Revised Common Lectionary texts and the Narrative Lectionary. Additionally, it features blogs and articles on preaching series, culture, sermon development, and worship.
Resource Highlights
Weekly Lectionary Content: Provides timely and relevant commentary on lectionary texts to aid in sermon preparation.
Blogs and Articles: Covers a range of topics including preaching techniques, cultural insights, and worship as a whole, with contributions from experienced preachers.
Contributor Network: Enlists over 500 biblical scholars, theologians, homileticians, and pastors to provide trustworthy and compelling content.
Bible Hub Interlinear Greek Translation - for those still working with the original languages
Bible hub is a production of the Online Parallel Bible Project. This project is privately owned and supported for the express purpose of sharing Bible study tools online. Their mission is to Increase the visibility and accessibility of the Scriptures online. Provide free access to Bible study tools in many languages. and to promote the Gospel of Christ through the learning, study and application of God's word.
Kata Biblon - again for those Greek and Hebrew curious
Wiki Translations - The New Testament in its original language and Greek Septuagint with interlinear and publicly editable translations and Hebrew Bible with publicly editable translations that anyone can edit.
Wiki Lexicon - A publicly editable Greek-English dictionary of the New Testament with concordance of all occurrences of a word in both the GNT and LXX that anyone can edit.
Logos Bible App
The Pastor’s Professional Tool for Exploring Scripture:
Consult multiple commentaries or lexicons in the time it would normally take to look at only one. Write your sermon in the same place you do your study. And drill down into any word with nothing but your phone.
Catalog your print library in Logos by scanning its barcode with the Logos mobile app. Then, when you’re searching for sermon ideas or topics, Print Library Catalog will pinpoint the location in your relevant print books.
Using Smart Search is as easy as using Google, only it pulls from your curated library, even your print books. Logos creates a synopsis of the top results with footnotes and links, so you can dig deeper for sermon writing, research, and study. Plus, search your Bible just as easily.
Zeteo Preaching and Worship
Zeteo Worship is a collaborative resource designed to support preachers, worship planners, and Bible students by providing access to a rich mosaic of content from over 100 online sources.
Zeteo Preaching + Worship is a place to search for inspiration and information on whatever you’re preaching on.
We help you easily access a variety of informative resources, helping you to listen, learn, and discern.
We have much to learn from each other, even if we don't agree.
Reformed Worship
Reformed Worship (RW), a ministry of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, is dedicated to connecting, equipping, and inspiring worship leaders, pastors, musicians, and worshiping communities around the world through the sharing of proven practices, thoughtful articles, imaginative resources, and collaborative learning, all rooted in the Reformed/Presbyterian tradition.
Grounded: Evergreen and theologically rich, RW provides timeless, biblically sound worship resources that honor Reformed traditions while remaining relevant for today’s church.
Imaginative: Open and inquisitive, RW encourages creativity in worship by offering fresh, thoughtful resources that inspire reflection, innovation, and deeper engagement with God.
Hospitable: Warm, accessible, and service-minded, RW welcomes all worship leaders with practical, inclusive, and resourceful tools designed to enrich congregational worship.
Artful: Vibrant and expressive, RW celebrates beauty in worship through music, liturgy, and visual storytelling that enhance the worship experience
A few referenced Substack posts from various thinkers and preachers as a way of tying current events to one’s preaching. Some mentioned looking up other people preaching on the same text on YouTube to see if one is adding anything new to the conversation, if it’s the same interpretation, or if there’s another way of entering the text.
What about you?
We are always looking for new resources to add to our Resource Hub.