William Barclay (theologian)

For other men by this name, see William Barclay publishing house. Despite the series name, these com(disambiguation).
mentaries do not set a program of regular study. Rather,
they go verse by verse through Barclays own translation
William Barclay (born 5 December 1907 in Wick, of the New Testament, listing and examining every possible interpretation known to Barclay and providing all
Scotland; died 24 January 1978 in Glasgow, Scotland)
was a Scottish author, radio and television presenter, the background information he considered possibly relevant, all in laymans terms. The commentaries were fully
Church of Scotland minister and Professor of Divinity
updated with the help of William Barclays son, Ronnie
and Biblical Criticism at the University of Glasgow.
Barclay, in recent years and they are now known as the
New Daily Study Bible series.

The 17 volumes of the set were all best-sellers and continue to be so to this day. A companion set giving a
similar treatment to the Old Testament was endorsed but
not written by Barclay. In 2008 Saint Andrew Press began taking the content of the New Daily Study Bibles
and producing pocket-sized thematic titles called Insights.
The Insights books are introduced by contemporary authors, broadcasters and scholars, including Nick Baines
and Diane-Louise Jordan.[6]

Life

Barclays father was a bank manager. He attended Dalziel

High School in Motherwell and then studied classics at
the University of Glasgow 19251929,[1] before studying
divinity. After being ordained in the Church of Scotland
in 1933,[2] he was minister at Trinity Church Renfrew
from 1933 to 1946, afterwards returning to the University
of Glasgow as lecturer in New Testament from 1947, and
Barclay wrote many other popular books, always drawing
as professor from 1963.
on scholarship but written in a highly accessible style. In
The Mind of Jesus (1960) he states that his aim was to
make the gure of Jesus more vividly alive, so that we
2 Religious views
may know him better and love him more.
Barclays books include:

Barclays personal views, expressed in his own A Spiritual Autobiography (1977) and Clive L. Rawlins William
Barclay: prophet of goodwill: the authorised biography
(1998) included:

The New Daily Study Bible (17 volumes covering the

entire New Testament)
Insights (Series currently extending to 8 titles)

scepticism concerning the Trinity: for example

Nowhere does the New Testament identify Jesus
with God.[3]

The Apostles Creed

The Parables of Jesus

belief in universal salvation: in his autobiography he

wrote, I am a convinced universalist. I believe that
in the end all men will be gathered into the love of
God.[4]

The Ten Commandments

Flesh And Spirit: An Examination of Galatians 5:19
23

pacism: war is mass murder.[5]

The Plain Man Looks at the Lords Prayer

Discovering Jesus

Works

At the Last Trumpet: Jesus Christ and the End of

Time

While professor, he decided to dedicate his life to making the best biblical scholarship available to the average
reader. The eventual result was the Daily Study Bible,
a set of 17 commentaries on the New Testament, published by Saint Andrew Press, the Church of Scotlands

The Mind of Jesus

The Mind of St. Paul
The Gospels and Acts: Matthew, Mark and Luke
1

5
The Gospels and Acts: John and Acts
A Spiritual Autobiography
The Plain Man Looks at the Beatitudes
A Beginners Guide to the New Testament
Gods Young Church
The Old Law and the New Law

5 External links
Ocial site of the William Barclay Trust
Brief biography at Harper Collins (publishers)
The Enigmatic William Barclay, article in an online
Christian magazine.
"I am a convinced universalist" by William Barclay

And He Had Compassion: The Miracles of Jesus

(Judson Press)

A collection of quotations from William Barclay.

Good Tidings of Great Joy

http://www.stmarkspress.com Publisher of some of

Barclays major books

Great Themes of the New Testament

Growing in Christian Faith
Letters to the Seven Churches
The Lord is My Shepherd
The Lords Prayer
The Lords Supper
The New Testament
New Testament Words
The Promise of the Spirit
The Ten Commandments
We Have Seen the Lord!
Many Witnesses, One Lord
Fishers of Men

EXTERNAL LINKS

References

[1] A man and his God intro by Allan Galloway to The Lord
Is My Shepherd by William Barclay p1-8
[2] Martin, Ralph P. (2007). Barclay, William. In McKim,
Donald K. Dictionary of major biblical interpreters (2nd
ed.). Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic. p. 144. ISBN
978-0-8308-2927-9.
[3] William Barclay: A Spiritual Autobiography, pg 50,
William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand
Rapids, 1977. cited in Anthony Buzzard, Charles F. Hunting The doctrine of the Trinity: Christianitys self-inicted
wound 1999
[4] William Barclay: A Spiritual Autobiography, pg 65
67, William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand
Rapids, 1977.
[5] Clive L. Rawlins William Barclay: prophet of goodwill :
the authorized biography Fount, 1998 p83
[6] Barclay, William (2009). Insights: Easter. Edinburgh:
Saint Andrew Press. ISBN 978-0-7152-0860-1.

The plain mans book of prayers

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