Philippians: Rejoicing and thanksgiving

David Chapman is a world-class scholar. (His works on crucifixion are some of the best published today.) In this commentary, his skills as a scholar, and his ability to communicate in a non-scholarly way, are both on clear display. The result is a superb commentary with numerous strengths. - It is written very clearly. There is a minimum of technical jargon, and the prose is lucid and easy to follow. - It is well-researched and yet non-technical. It is very clear that Chapman has interacted deeply with the Greek text, yet he explains things in such a way that those who do not know Greek are able to follow along and understand. He also provides “Additional Notes” at times that go into further discussion on debated issues present in the secondary literature. - It is concise. It does not get bogged down in discussion of the secondary literature. It is certainly aware of the discussion (see previous point), and those familiar with the debates will see Chapman providing support for where he lands on various issues, but he focuses on the text itself and how it should be understood. - It is pastorally sensitive. The commentary series he is writing for does not intend for commentators to have in-depth discussion of matters of application, but Chapman provides guidance in such matters all along the way. The commentary does not go more than a page or two without pausing in some way to help the reader think of what the implications of the letter are for Christian living today. In short, this is a well-researched commentary that will give you a clear explanation of the text in a pastorally sensitive way. It will provide guidance in terms of debates in the secondary literature without getting bogged down in the details. In terms of a concise and lucid explanation of Philippains, it will be hard to do better.