Reading Galatians, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians

Charles Cousar interprets three letters of Paul, each of which shows the apostle in a different light. In Galatians, Paul contends for the gospel against a group of Jewish-Christian missionaries who have come into the congregations. In Philippians, Paul addresses his favorite community in intimate terms to offer thanks for a gift they have sent him and to urge them to maintain unity in the face of opposing forces. The first letter to the Thessalonians is written to encourage the congregation in that city to lead lives worthy of the gospel. The commentary traces the movement of the letters, paragraph by paragraph, and pays particular attention to the literary character of the writing and to the theological implications of the text for the church today.