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Rating: 
Summary: A Monumental Work!!
Review: A monumental work on Luke by Darrell Bock. The format of this series is excellent. Bock has provided us with one of the most thorough works on this gospel. Technical, yet lucid. Tremendous background information. Much synoptic interaction. A veritable feast of Greek helps. Critical interaction, including direct interaction with the "Jesus Seminar" at many points. These volumes are worth the price and will provide you with a wealth of information on Luke's gospel.
Rating: 
Summary: an ok commentary
Review: The question of how the gospels are best approached is a difficult one- do we focus on the sources underlying the gospels, do we try to understand how they changed their sources to better fit their own purposes in writing, do we harmonize them into one big messy gospel, or do we read them as literature?The last approach, in my opinion, results in the most accurate interpretation of the text. Bock's commentary (as is Stein's NAC contribution) is weak in this area. After reading it, you might be able to explain some of the pesky details of Luke that were unclear before, but you won't understand why Luke included what he did in his gospel, and why he put the stories in the order he did (It should not be assumed that any of the gospels are chronological. In Mark, practically the first thing Jesus does is call his disciples, but in Luke Jesus has a highly successful ministry going on already.) And, for the record, "orderly" doesn't necessarily mean chronological order. For these reasons, the following commentaries would make better choices: Charles Talbert: Reading Luke: A Literary and Theological Commentary. This commentary answers the question of why Luke placed the calling of the disciples where he did, along with other vexing problems. A very good commentary. Robert Tannehill: The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts: A Literary Interpretation. Vol. 1. This commentary approaches Luke thematically, and shows how Luke weaves several literary strands throughout Luke and Acts. He also does an excellent job showing how Luke and Acts help interpret each other. However, because it is thematic, it should be combined with other commentaries. Joseph Fitzmyer: The Gospel According to Luke. This commentary provides some literary analysis, along with some good redactional work. Use this to flesh out the other two commentaries.
Rating:
Summary: A Mess of Excellent Material, but Could Use Better Structure
Review: There is much to like and much that is useful in Bock's commentary on the Gospel of Luke. Bock obviously has done his homework. One feature of his commentary that is first rate is that when he approaches difficulties in the text or areas where scholars disagree, Bock provides lists of the alternative explanations, who advocates them, and his view of their respective strengths and weaknesses. If Bock does not see a clear winner, he is candid about it.
Bock's practice of providing clear explanation as to different approaches to the text or problems of history or sources extends to an excellent series of "Excursuses" at the end of the book. Topics covered include the Census of Quirinius, Sources and Synoptic Relationships, The Genealogies of Matthew and Luke, and discussions about the Son of Man sayings. Each section is well written and provides the reader with a clear picture of the possible conclusions. Bock is more emphatic in his own conclusions in some sections than others. This section greatly enhances his commentary.
Another feature that distinguishes this book from other commentaries on Luke is its focus on sources and historicity. Bock spends more time on these issues, obviously linked in his mind, than most other commentaries. He also highlights the discussions in their own sections. Though they are well written, the degree of satisfaction I felt after reading each one varied. Some left me wanting much more discussion. I realize that there are space limitations in gospel-specific commentaries, but sometimes felt that Bock had bitten off more than he could chew. Not that he could not handle the issues in an informed manner, but that he simply had insufficient space to do so.
The introduction is well written, but did not spend as much time on issues like authorship and dating than I would have liked. I am sure Bock has more to offer on those issues. Instead, the introduction spends more time dealing with specific topics in the Lucan text, such as Jerusalem: The Innocent One Slain and Raised, Faith and Dependence, and Prayer. Most commentaries introduce the reader to some of the gospel's authors theology and focus, but I thought some of these discussions would have been better served as Special Notes within the general discussion of the text, or as more Excursuses on the end. This is simply an organizational preference of mine. The sections are well written.
Finally, I have one other organizational criticism. He usually begins his discussion of a particular set of passage with an overview of his opinions on the passages. Then he discusses "Source and History", and includes an examination of the structure and outline of the passage. Only then does he actually repeat the text in full in a section on "Exegesis and Exposition." Bock then includes a Summary and Additional Notes. Placing the actual text in the middle of the discussion seemed odd to me and bugged me throughout. Again, this is just an organizational, ergonomic, preference of mine. The actual discussions were good. I simply believe they could have been enhanced with a different organization.
Overall, though I have my organizational quibbles, a valuable commentary that exposes the reader to many different perspectives on and potential solutions to problematic passages in Luke.
Rating: 
Summary: This is definitely the best commentary on the Gospel of Luke
Review: This commentary is great for pastors and scholars. I was using lots of other commentaries in Luke until i got this one. And this one by far has the better insights. And the print is really large for an academic book like this, too. Which is another big plus if your eyes get tired.
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