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The Good Book Company (TGBC) continues to publish excellent material. For instance, if you haven’t got Gary Millar’s commentary, 2 Corinthians For You (Good Book Company, 2020) then you should stop reading this right now and go and download it for free here. 

Thankfully, TGBC has also produced Bible Study booklets to accompany the commentaries. And this is a wonderful blessing for preachers and congregations in two ways. 

First, the commentaries are by preachers for preachers. This is important  because I remember hearing Dick Lucas say quite some years ago now that we don’t need any more technical commentaries. We already have many excellent resources in that regard. What we need are commentaries which show us how to teach and especially apply the text in our modern cultural context. This is precisely the need which the ‘For You’ series by TGBC fills admirably.

Second, each commentary is accompanied by a study booklet, nearly always by the same author. Those which I have used are excellent, particularly Meynell’s one on Colossians. While not directly following the same passage break up as found in his commentary, it is a wonderful complement to what one reads there.

What I have appreciated most of all about Meynell’s book is the teaching that is included in the ‘Leaders Guide’ at the back of the book. Growing up, I had a Maths teacher who would sell the text book for $5 but then sell you the answer section—which should have been included but which he expunged—for a further $20! There is just something profoundly helpful and reassuring in being able to check your work.

How much more is this the case when it comes to writing studies on the Bible. The difficulty can often be trying to guess the answer that is in the author’s head. And let’s face it, we all can be a little cryptic sometimes. Having the Leader’s Guide at the end of the booklet  is edifying in not only being able to understand what the author is getting at, but also in being able to better grasp the truth of Scripture.

We are truly blessed with a plethora of Gospel resources. So, if you’re preparing an upcoming sermon series, or need help with material for your church’s small group ministry to using during the week—especially if they follow the same passage as the preaching—then there is a wealth of material here to help. 

                                                                                                            – Mark Powell