Comments on: William Barclay: theological hero or heretic?

By: Wanda

Wanda — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:12:29 +0000

I am wondering the same thing. Matthew Henry gives more insight and truth at least.

By: Doz

Doz — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:26:47 +0000

It just goes to show that we must all study the scriptures when we read, hear or find something regarding the Christian faith for ourselves. Keeping the Bible in context and getting all of scripture on a subject should be our all sufficient rule for proper Bible study. I am currently working on attempts to reform some long time Jehovah’s Witness’s, by proving from the Word that Jesus Christ is God, and not just ‘a god’. They gave me an article attacking John 1:1 in it WatchTower have quoted Barkley’s interpretation of it. Obviously to justify their own beleifs, that Jesus Christ was rather a created spirit of God. Thanks for your write up its helped my study.

By: James Parker

James Parker — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:33:12 +0000

I guess I am mystified, as to how an acknowledged heretic (Barclay) who denied the deity of Christ and His miracles, could “excite” and “challenge to put feet on our faith”; faith in what?

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:33:43 +0000

Rick, for the OT, I have Gibson’s volume on Job and D.S. Russell’s volume on Daniel. I agree with your assessment that the spark of Barclay’s writing is what makes the NT volumes shine. I doubt that I would pursue any more of the OT titles unless I had a specific interest in the author’s work.

I have the “Revised Edition” of the NT series (blue and white covers, paperback), published in the mid-70s. I think it was 1st Edition (1956), 2nd Edition (1958), Revised Edition (1975). There’s been some editing of Barclay’s original texts by Rev. James Martin, but not nearly as significant as the current “New Daily Study Bible”. I think one of the reviews on Amazon has more information on the changes made by Martin.

By: R. Mansfield

R. Mansfield — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:22:13 +0000

EE, have you read any of the OT volumes in the Daily Study Bible series? I have the first volume on Genesis. I’m trying to give vol. 1 in Genesis a shot, but I’m not as enthusiastic about it. It’s not that the writer (John C. L. Gibson) is a bit to my left theologically, but rather that what made the NT DSB so goo–the excellent writing style and insight of Barclay–is simply missing here. It’s not the idea for the series that makes the NT DSB significant but the writer of them.

Incidentally, the current version of the NT series is highly edited by other writers. My copy of the NT series is the second edition which was still strictly by Barclay. This is the one to own from what I’ve gathered.

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:23:30 +0000

Agreed – I was thinking more of the application prayer that this new series has at the end of each commentary section.

By: R. Mansfield

R. Mansfield — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:05:43 +0000

True that Barclay is not a devotional per say, but the connection is in my mind because I’ve used it as such.

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:19:30 +0000

Thanks for the link, Rick. Looking at the excerpts on CBD, it does seem somewhat similar to the Barclay series in approach, though the latter obviously wasn’t a devotional. I suppose the thing to do would be to get one volume on a book of particular interest and compare it directly.

By: R. Mansfield

R. Mansfield — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 04:08:27 +0000

EE, Second time this weekend I’m visiting an older post of yours. Have you seen the new Daily Bible Commentary just released last year (as far as I can tell) from Hendrickson? http://www.hendrickson.com/html/product/56143x.trade.html?category=all

The writers seem top notch and there’s a two-page spread for every section. I wonder how this compares with Barclay? Interestingly, the textual base is the Modern Language Bible (which Hendrickson now holds the rights to–and just when I thought it was completely dead!). I also noticed that CBD has the whole set for $69 which can’t be too bad of a deal.

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:23:56 +0000

Thanks for the comments, Rick. To be given such a gift as you’ve described is a treasure indeed!

I’ve found that there is often as much insight in Barclay’s translation as there is in his study notes – I was just browsing Amazon and found that his New Testament has been published and is available. Interestingly, he’s reordered the books in their order of supposed authorship:

Mark, Matthew, Luke, Acts, John, Galations, 1/2 Thessalonians, 1/2 Corinthians, Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians, 1/2 Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, James, 1/2 Peter, Jude, 1/2/3 John and Revelation.

That could be an interesting addition to look at.