More on commentaries

Which commentary do you prefer, and why? What commentary on 1 Peter is your primary preference? Please use the comments field below.

The genre of commentary is problemtized in several ways; we see it not least in the various commentary series being publish trying to combine a more traditional exegesis with explicit theological issues, systematic theology and homiletic issues. That is not easy.

Here are some commentary series to consider:
The Two Horizons New Testament Commentary. The series has been briefly dealt with below. Its stated purpose is: "Seeking to bridge 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. Written by respected scholars, the THNTC volumes aim to help pastors, teachers, and students engage in deliberately theological interpretation of Scripture." 4 volumes have been published.

New Cambridge Bible Commentary.
Some might say that this commentary does not belong here, but I include it nevertheless since one of its features ares sections "Bridging the Horizons."
"Like the original Cambridge Bible Commentary - a collection of exegetical volumes widely read and studied in the 1960s and 1970s - the NCBC aims to elucidate the Hebrew and Christian scriptures for a wide range of intellectually curious individuals. Commentaries in the NCBC thus will be academically rigorous but will not assume the reader has a great deal of specialized theological knowledge or an impressive command of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or biblical Greek. Unlike the earlier CBC, however, the new series will take advantage of many of the rewards provided by scholarly research over the last three decades. While not mistaking trendiness for truth, volumes in the NCBC will make accessible and build upon many of the advances in theory and theology produced in universities and seminaries during the last thirty years. Utilizing recent gains in rhetorical criticism, social scientific study of the scriptures, narrative criticism and other developing disciplines, this series intends to provide a fresh look at biblical texts, taking advantage of the growing edges in Biblical Studies."
So far, 12 volumes have been published.

The NIV Application Commentary.
This is perhaps the commentary most focused on the application of the texts today. With its tripartite division of its exposition into Original Meaning, Bridging Contexts, and Contemporary Significance, it tries toi give something to most readers.
The series also demonstrates some of the inherent problems in such expository and devotional focus; the contemporizing sections easily become very much influenced by the authors' social, ethnic, geographical and denominational location. But they contain very much relevant material and good insights, not at least for busy preachers. 41 volumes have been published so far.

Paideia Commentaries on the New Testament
This is, as far as I know, the latest of this kind of commentary series to be published, and for the time being, my favorite. So far only one volume has been published: C. H. Talbert, Ephesians and Colossians (Grand Rapids, Baker Academic, 2007).
The specific characteristics of the series are described thus by the publisher: " Paideia Commentaries on the New Testament focus on the final form of each New Testament book, attending to historical setting, canonical context, and contemporary hermeneutical concerns. Authored by a diverse team of illustrious scholars, Paideia commentaries add fresh insight to consensus scholarship, focusing especially on how these theological texts use narrative and rhetorical strategies from the ancient educational world to form and shape the reader."
I tried the volume last fall in my third(=last) year of Bachelor of Theology lectures, I found it very useful.