Best 1-2 Timothy Commentaries | Reviews for Preaching, Teaching, and Bible Study

The best 1-2 Timothy commentaries are listed below. There are exegetical commentaries, scholarly and technical commentaries, as well as commentaries that are easy to understand. The “Top 10” list is based on aggregate reviews.

This list of commentaries is intended to help the reader understand and apply Paul’s message in the book of 1-2 Timothy. They are not suggested as a replacement for prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the reader’s own diligent study of Scripture.

It is hoped that these books will aid the Christian pastor, preacher, teacher, student, as well as any Bible reader that wants to understand more about 1-2 Timothy.

May each reader’s aim be to glorify God in Jesus Christ; to strengthen Christ’s bride, the Church; and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost.

After browsing the commentaries below, see the best one-volume bible commentaries, based on aggregate reviews.

10 Best 1-2 Timothy Commentaries

Please read: The “Top 10” list below is a starting point for learning about 1-2 Timothy commentaries. It is not intended to be the “final word” because of its limitations.

Nevertheless, a list based on aggregate reviews is likely to point many people in the right direction to find the right resource for their purposes.

#1

Pastoral Epistles
Word Biblical Commentary
by William D. Mounce

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Pastoral Epistles commentary by William Mounce

Reviews and Accolades:

• Desiring God: #1 recommended commentary on 1-2 Timothy and Titus

• D.A. Carson: “best buy” on 1-2 Timothy and Titus, “more conservative than Marshall,” reflects “on pastoral issues”

• Craig Blomberg, etal: a “priority”commentary on the Pastoral Epistles

• Tom Schreiner: recommended: “a technical and conservative exposition of the pastorals”

• Keith Mathison: #3 ranked commentary on 1-2 Timothy and Titus; “thoroughly discusses all of the important issues raised by Paul (whom he believes wrote these epistles), and when dealing with controversial parts of the letters, he fairly represents those with whom he disagrees. All in all, a very good commentary.”

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Mounce takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He defends Pauline authorship. Mounce used to teach at Gordon-Conwell.

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers.

The publisher notes that the WBC series “delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation.” See more about the Word Biblical Commentary series.

Please also see Best Commentary Series: The Top 50. Based on aggregate reviews.

#2

The Letters to Timothy and Titus
New International Commentary on the New Testament
by Philip H. Towner

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Timothy Titus commentary by Philip Towner

Reviews and Accolades:

• D.A. Carson: “best buy” on 1-2 Timothy and Titus, “perhaps the best commentary on the Pastorals based on the English text”

• Craig Blomberg, etal: a “priority”commentary on the Pastoral Epistles

• Tom Schreiner: recommended: “a useful exposition by a scholar who has devoted his career to the pastorals”

• Keith Mathison: #2 ranked commentary on 1-2 Timothy and Titus; “accessible to most educated readers… Towner rejects the conclusions of critical scholars who deny Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles.”

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Towner takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He denies direct Pauline authorship. Towner is dean of the Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship at the American Bible Society.

Towner also wrote the commentary on the Pastoral Epistles in the IVPNTC series (see below).

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers.

The publisher notes that the NICNT series offers readers “an exposition that is thorough and abreast of modern scholarship and at the same time loyal to the Scriptures as the infallible Word of God.”

See more about the New International Commentary on the New Testament series.

#3

The Letters to Timothy and Titus
Pillar New Testament Commentary Series
by Robert W. Yarbrough

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1-2 Timothy commentary Robert Yarbrough

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Yarbrough takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He is Reformed. Yarbrough takes an “evangelical traditionalist” approach to passages that discuss women and church roles. He is complimentarian.

Yarbrough provides the reader with rich and reliable exegesis. He builds on that explanation with theological insight and reflection on pastoral concerns and applications.

Yarbrough also wrote the 1 John commentary in the BECNT series, which is considered one of the best 1 John commentaries.

The publisher notes that the PNTC series combines “rigorous exegesis and exposition, with an eye alert both to biblical theology and the contemporary relevance of the Bible.” See more about the Pillar New Testament Commentary series.

#4

The Pastoral Epistles
New International Greek Testament Commentary
by George W. Knight III

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Pastoral Epistles by George Knight

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tom Schreiner: recommended: “a technical commentary of the pastorals from a defender of Pauline authorship”

• D.A. Carson: “cautious, conservative, and thoughtful”

• Keith Mathison: #1 ranked commentary on 1 Timothy; “the best contemporary commentary on these books…Knight takes a thoroughly conservative and orthodox approach”

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Knight takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He defends Pauline authorship. Knight is an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Those who have been trained in Greek will maximize this commentary.

The publisher notes that “at a time when the study of Greek is curtailed in many schools of theology, we hope that the NIGTC will demonstrate the continuing value of studying the Greek New Testament.”

See more about the New International Greek Testament Commentary series.

#5

The Pastoral Epistles
International Critical Commentary
by I. Howard Marshall

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Pastoral Epistles by I. Howard Marshall

Reviews and Accolades:

• D.A. Carson: “best buy” on 1-2 Timothy and Titus, “the learned and careful exegesis will be a joy to pore over”

• Craig Blomberg, etal: a “priority”commentary on the Pastoral Epistles

• Tom Schreiner: recommended: “a massive and technical commentary that is very learned, though he rejects Pauline authorship”

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Marshall takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He is Arminian. Marshall denies direct Pauline authorship. Those who have been trained in Greek will maximize this commentary.

Marshall also wrote the Luke commentary in the NIGTC series, which is considered one of the best Luke commentaries.

The publisher notes that ICC series has “sought to bring together all the relevant aids to exegesis, linguistic and textual no less than archaeological, historical, literary and theological to help the reader understand the meaning of the books of the Old and New Testaments.”

#6

The Pastoral Epistles
Tyndale New Testament Commentary
by Donald Guthrie

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Pastoral Epistles by Donald Guthrie

Reviews and Accolades:

• D.A. Carson: “”has become something of a classic”

• Keith Mathison: #4 ranked commentary on 1-2 Timothy and Titus; “an accessible, introductory level commentary on the Pastoral Epistles”

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Guthrie takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He defends Pauline authorship. Guthrie was a British New Testament scholar (d. 1992).

This commentary best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers.

Guthrie also wrote the Hebrews commentary in the same series, which is considered one of the best Hebrews commentaries.

The publisher notes that the TNTC series “examines the text section by section, drawing out its main themes. It also comments on individual verses and deals with problems of interpretation.”

See more about the Tyndale New Testament Commentary series.

#7

1, 2 Timothy, Titus
New American Commentary
by Thomas D. Lea and Hayne P. Griffin Jr.

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Timothy Titus commentary

Reviews and Accolades:

• D.A. Carson: “competent”

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: The authors takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. They defend Pauline authorship. They are Baptist.

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers.

The publisher notes that the NAC series “has been designed primarily to enable pastors, teachers, and students to read the Bible with clarity and proclaim it with power.” See more about the New American Commentary series.

#8

1 & 2 Timothy, Titus
Understanding the Bible Commentary Series
by Gordon D. Fee

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Timothy Titus commentary by Gordon Fee

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tom Schreiner: recommended: “a brief commentary for the busy pastor”

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Fee takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He defends Pauline authorship. Fee fellowships with the Assemblies of God denomination.

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers.

Fee also wrote the 1 Corinthians commentaries, which is considered one of the best 1 Corinthians commentaries.

The publisher notes that UBCS commentaries “present a careful section-by-section exposition of the biblical books with key terms and phrases highlighted…” See more about the Understanding the Bible Commentary Series.

#9

1 and 2 Timothy
Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised
by Andreas Kostenberger

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1-2 Timothy commentary Expositor's

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tom Schreiner: recommended: “a clear exposition of the text”

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Kostenberger takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He defends Pauline authorship. Kostenberger is Research Professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers.

Kostenberger also wrote the John commentary in the BECNT series, which is considered one of the best John commentaries.

The publisher notes that the REBC series is “committed to the divine inspiration, complete trustworthiness, and full authority of the Bible.” See more about the Expositor’s Bible Commentary series, original and revised.

#10

The Pastoral Epistles
Black’s New Testament Commentary
by J.N.D. Kelly

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1-2 Timothy commentary Black's

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tom Schreiner: recommended; “a bit longer than Fee, with many insights”

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Kelly takes a moderately critical approach to Scripture. He defends Pauline authorship. Kelly taught at the University of Oxford (d. 1997).

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers. Kelly also wrote the 1 Peter commentary in the same series.

The publisher notes that the BNTC series “has been hailed by both scholars and pastors for its insightful interpretations and reliable commentary.”

More Book of 1-2 Timothy Commentaries for Christian Ministry

Please read: Why are the 1-2 Timothy commentaries below not in the “Top 10”? It’s not necessarily because they have received poor reviews or because people haven’t found them helpful. The reasons vary:

  • Some are relatively new and haven’t been widely reviewed, read, or used yet.
  • Others haven’t been widely distributed, so it is difficult to get enough information to aggregate.
  • Still others may be outdated in relation to biblical scholarship or out of print and difficult to acquire.

The “Top 10” list is reviewed annually. Readers are encouraged to consider the volumes in this section before making a purchase. These 10 are not in any particular order.


1 and 2 Timothy and Titus
Crossway Classic Commentaries
by John Calvin

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1-2 Timothy commentary John Calvin

Reviews and Accolades:

• Keith Mathison: #5 ranked commentary on 1 Timothy; “The work by Calvin on the Pastorals is particularly interesting because of the insight it gives us to the Reformation understanding of church leadership. A must-read.”

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Calvin was a leader of the Protestant Reformation. The publisher notes that “Christendom has been blessed with Bible commentaries written by great men of God highly respected for their godly walk and their insight into spiritual truth.

The Crossway Classic Commentaries present the very best work on individual Bible books, carefully adapted for maximum understanding and usefulness for today’s believers.”


The First and Second Letters to Timothy
Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries
by Luke Timothy Johnson

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1-2 Timothy commentary Luke Timothy Johnson

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tom Schreiner: recommended: “a helpful commentary from this Roman Catholic scholar who accepts Pauline authorship”

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Johnson takes a moderately critical approach to Scripture. He defends Pauline authorship. Johnson has a Roman Catholic background. He also wrote the James commentary in the same series.

The publisher notes that the Anchor series “vigorously pursues the goal of bringing to a wide audience the most important new ideas, the latest research findings, and the clearest possible analysis of the Bible.”


1 and 2 Timothy, Titus
Africa Bible Commentary Series
by Samuel M. Ngewa

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1-2 Timothy commentary Ngewa

Reviews and Accolades:

• Craig Blomberg, etal: a “priority”commentary on the Pastoral Epistles

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Ngewa takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. The publisher notes that the ABCS series is best for “use as a teaching resource for theological colleges and Bible schools while also being suited to readers who are looking for ways to preach and apply the Scriptures.”


Verse-by-Verse Expository Commentaries


1 Timothy
Reformed Expositional Commentary
by Philip Graham Ryken

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1-2 Timothy commentary Philip Graham Ryken

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Ryken takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He is Reformed. Ryken defends Pauline authorship. This commentary is best for individual study, devotional reading, Bible studies, and adult Sunday school classes.

Ryken also wrote the Galatians commentary in the same series.

The publisher notes that the REC series has “four fundamental commitments. First, these commentaries aim to be biblical… Second, these commentaries are unashamedly doctrinal… Third, these commentaries are redemptive-historical… Fourth, these commentaries are practical…” All authors are “pastor-scholars.”

See more about the Reformed Expository Commentary series.


1 & 2 Timothy, Titus
NIV Application Commentary
by Walter Liefeld

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1-2 Timothy commentary Walter Liefeld

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Liefeld takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He is Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers. Liefeld also wrote the Ephesians commentary in the IVPNTC series.

The publisher notes that the NIVAC series “helps you think through the process of moving from the original meaning of a passage to its contemporary significance.”

See more about the NIV Application Commentary series.



Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians
A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary

on Titus, 1-2 Timothy and 1-3 John
by Ben Witherington III

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1-2 Timothy commentary Ben Witherington

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Witherington takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He is Arminian.

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers. Witherington also wrote the Mark commentary in the same series.

The publisher notes that in the SRC series “the New Testament is interpreted within the context of the world in which it was written and read.”


The Message of 1 Timothy and Titus
The Bible Speaks Today
by John Stott

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1-2 Timothy commentary John Stott

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Stott takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He was Anglican and Reformed (d. 2011).

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers.

Stott also wrote the Acts commentary in the same series, which is considered one of the best Acts commentaries.

The publisher notes that “the three distinctives of The Bible Speaks Today series are (1) “BST authors are committed to a serious study of the text in its own integrity,” (2) that “expositors should not be antiquarians, living only in the remote past” but suggest application for living, and (3) “each book is intended to be both readable in style and manageable in size.”

See more about the Bible Speaks Today commentary series.


1-2 Timothy and Titus
The IVP New Testament Commentary
by Philip H. Towner

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1-2 Timothy commentary Philip Towner

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Towner takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He is dean of the Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship at the American Bible Society.

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers. Towner also wrote the commentary on the Pastoral Epistles in the NICNT series (see above).

The publisher notes that the IVPNTC series is “informed by the best of up-to-date evangelical scholarship, presents passage-by-passage commentary based on the NIV along with background information on authorship, setting, theme and various interpretive issues.”


1 and 2 Timothy and Titus
New Testament Library
by Raymond Collins

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1-2 Timothy commentary Raymond Collins

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Collins takes a critical approach to Scripture. He teaches at Catholic University of America. Collins denies Pauline authorship.

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers.

The publisher notes that NLT series provides “fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, careful attention to their literary design, and a theologically perceptive exposition of the biblical text.”


1-2 Timothy and Titus
Biblical Theology for Christian Proclamation
by Andreas J. Kostenberger

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1-2 Timothy commentary Andreas Kostenberger

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Kostenberger takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He defends Pauline authorship. Kostenberger is Research Professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers.

The publisher notes the BTCP series aims “to relate biblical theology to our own lives and to the life of the church. Our desire is to equip those in Christian ministry who are called by God to preach and teach the precious truths of Scripture to their congregations.”


1 and 2 Timothy and Titus
Two Horizons New Testament Commentary
by Robert W. Wall

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1-2 Timothy commentary Robert Wall

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Wall takes an evangelical approach to Scripture. He is Arminian. Wall defends Pauline authorship. He is Professor of Scripture and Wesleyan Studies at Seattle Pacific University.

This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers.

Wall also wrote the Revelation commentary in the UBCS series, which is considered one of the best Revelation commentaries.

The publisher notes that the Two Horizons series bridges “the existing gap between biblical studies and systematic theology, this distinctive series offers section-by-section exegesis of the New Testament texts in close conversation with theological concerns.”


1 and 2 Timothy-Titus
Smyth and Helwys Bible Commentary
by W. Hulitt Gloer

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1-2 Timothy commentary Hulitt Gloer

Theology, Audience, and Purpose: Gloer teaches at Baylor University. This commentary is best for expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, and experienced Bible readers.

The publisher notes that the SHBC series was “written by accomplished scholars with all students of Scripture in mind.”


Classic 1-2 Timothy Commentaries

1-2 Timothy and Titus
Ironside Expository Commentaries
by H.A. Ironside

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1-2 Timothy commentary H.A. Ironside

Synopsis: H.A. Ironside (1876-1951) was an internationally acclaimed Bible teacher and preacher, as well as the author of more than sixty books.

His writings include addresses or commentaries on the entire New Testament, all of the Old Testament prophetic books, and a great many volumes on other biblical topics.

For eighteen of his fifty years of ministry, Dr. Ironside was pastor of the historic Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, Ill.


Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon
Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture
edited by Peter Gorday

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1-2 Timothy commentary Ancient Christian

Synopsis: From the publisher: “This volume opens up a treasure house of ancient wisdom that allows these faithful witnesses, some appearing here in English translation for the first time, to speak with eloquence and intellectual acumen to the church today.”


Also see:

Compare 75 different commentary series on the Bible Commentary Series Comparison Chart

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