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Let's study 1 Timothy

Too much information

LET’S STUDY 1 TIMOTHY
By W. John Cook
Banner of Truth. 130 pages. £6.75
ISBN 978-1-84871-047-4

The Banner of Truth’s ‘Let’s Study’ commentary series aims to explain and apply the message of the Bible. All the commentaries are quite brief and aimed at ordinary Christian people. They are written ‘in the language of a friend, seated alongside you with an open Bible’.

The volume on 1 Timothy has been written by John Cook, who now serves in pastoral ministry at Wilberforce Evangelical Church in Barry, though previously he lectured at Bible colleges on the New Testament.

The book contains a two-page introduction to the letter which sets the context. There is then a two-page outline of the contents of the letter which lists its main themes. Then follows the commentary proper. On average, there is about one page of commentary per verse, though, of course, some verses are given fuller treatment than others.

John Cook has been extremely thorough. Virtually everything in 1 Timothy receives some attention. He has a go at tackling most of the trickier passages in the book, though in a way which avoids lots of technical detail. There is an unbelievable number of cross-references, where the reader is referred to other relevant passages in the Bible. When you’ve read through the entire commentary, you feel that you’ve really got to grips with the letter. This is a real strength.

Perversely, however, this real strength is also the book’s greatest weakness. Because there is so much information, it tends not to be an effortless read. Some of the sentences are quite long and complex and take a bit of thinking about. Some parts feel a bit clunky.

At the end of the book, there is a helpful four-page guide to running small group Bible studies (a guide which appears in all the ‘Let’s Study’ volumes). Then there are some questions which can be used in group discussions, some of which are better than others.

All in all, I’d recommend Let’s Study 1 Timothy. It’s written in the language of a friend, seated alongside you with an open Bible. But quite a clever friend.

James Muldoon,
Carey Baptist Church, Reading