Commentaries serve as invaluable tools to understand the text of
Scripture. By standing on the shoulders of generations of thoughtful
believers who have studied the bible, we can attain a level of
understanding of biblical texts not possible for a reader in
isolation. Since no one commentary series has all the best volumes
for all the books of the bible, one should take an eclectic approach
when considering what commentaries to read. Below is my humble
attempt to list the best commentaries for a few books. This list is
tilted in the direction of exegetically oriented commentaries, but
pastoral commentaries are also in view. I hope to build this list up
to eventually contain all of the books of the bible.
Acts
Understanding the book of Acts well reaps benefits for understanding most of the New Testament. The product of a meticulous historian and friend of Paul, Acts is the second volume in Luke's two volume series found in the canon (the first being the Gospel according to Luke). I recommend two commentaries on this book. The first is The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary by Ben Witherington III. It is a lengthy book (944 pages), but not verbose. Witherington covers all the salient material in a fair and evenhanded fashion. He begins with important discussions on the nature of ancient historiography and Lukan use of rhetoric. I read commentaries by F.F. Bruce and I. Howard Marshall and found Witherington's to be more insightful and thorough than either. For a more pastoral commentary with application, the NIV Application Commentary on Acts by Ajith Fernando is an excellent resource. Fernando has worked in Sri Lanka since 1976 with Youth for Christ. His decades of ministry experience in a developing country (more closely resembling the world of Acts) add more insight and balance than the experience of a mere academic.
Galatians
The short book of Galatians has made tremendous impact on many people throughout history including Martin Luther and John Wesley. Yet it has also been a perennial source of misunderstanding. Carefully studying Galatians affords an understanding Paul's view of the law and how he treats the Old Testament. The two commentaries that I would recommend are Grace in Galatia by Ben Witherington and the Word Biblical Commentary on Galatians by Richard Longenecker. Both books draw heavily on the use of rhetoric by Paul; one should be prepared to delve into and understand how coherent arguments were made through the exordium, narratio, propositio, probatio, and peroratio structure. These insights greatly improve one's understanding of the overall logic of Paul's argument. Finally, much of the NIV Application Commentary on Galatians by Scott McKnight is worth reading. His section on pacifism versus just war in light of Paul's view of the Old Testament is absolutely brilliant.
1 Corinthians
Here, unlike with most books of the bible, a clear standout emerges: 1 Corinthians (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) by David Garland. Garland offers what every excellent commentary should: a scholarly foundation, concise interaction with all major views on a given issue, a clear statement of why one given view is to be preferred over others, and comments about application for today. Garland's commentary scores higher marks than the volumes by Gordon Fee or Anthony Thiselton, especially in clarity and persuasiveness. Serious exegetes and pastors will greatly benefit from this excellent commentary.