An Exposition of Galatians: A Reading from the New Perspective
Overview
Featuring the in-depth analysis of a technical commentary, and the accessibility of a popular treatment, this exposition by Don Garlington focuses on the salvation-historical argument of Galatians. Writing for pastors, students, and Pauline scholars, Garlington holds to a variation of the New Perspective on Paul. Garlington emphasizes the historical context of Second Temple Judaism and the Greco-Roman environment.
However, far from challenging the foundational concerns of the Reformation, this reading of the Galatian letter is fully supportive of the great doctrines of the Reformers. In this revised edition, Garlington relies on recent scholarship by James D. G. Dunn, N. T. Wright, and numerous others.
For more by Don Garlington, see Don Garlington New Perspective on Paul Collection (3 vols.).
Key Features
- In-depth commentary that is simulanteously accessible
- Commentary on Galatians focussing on its salvation-historical characteristics
- Emphasizes historical context of Second Temple Judaism and the Greco-Roman environment of Galatians
Top Highlights
“Paul brought them the message of a loving and merciful God who has finally and forever forgiven their sins.” (Page 34)
“The core issue of Galatians thus boils down to a simple but profound choice—Christ or the Torah.” (Page 8)
“From Romans 14, it is clear enough that Paul was willing to allow Jewish Christians (and others) to practice the law as a matter of personal lifestyle, if they chose. But he drew the line when Torah observance was made the indispensable condition for entering and remaining within the people of God. In short, he repudiated the law as the ‘Jewish gateway to salvation’” (Page 8)
“For these ‘Judaizers,’ it was self-evident that God was ready and willing to receive believers in God’s Messiah; but such faith could never remain alone—it had to be attended by ‘the works of the law’ (see on 2:16) in order to be valid. But Paul disagreed, and disagreed vociferously. In light of what God has done in Christ in the fullness of the time (Gal 4:4), the law has served its purpose in salvation history, the dividing wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile has come down (Eph 2:14), and God has now received all who place their trust in Christ irrespective of ethnic distinctives and devotion to the law of Moses. In a nutshell, the only distinction that postdates the resurrection of Christ is faith versus unbelief.” (Page 5)
“Stated simply, ‘the works of the law’ have reference to ‘the obligations laid upon the Israelites by virtue of their membership of Israel,’ whose purpose was ‘to show covenant members how to live within the covenant’ (Dunn, Galatians, 135–36). These are covenant works—‘those regulations prescribed by the law which any good Jew would simply take for granted to describe what a good Jew did’” (Page 149)
- Title: An Exposition of Galatians: A Reading from the New Perspective
- Author: Don Garlington
- Edition: Third Edition
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 2007
- Logos Release Date: 2015
- Pages: 452
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Bible. N.T. Galatians › Commentaries
- ISBNs: 9781597527798, 1597527793
- Resource ID: LLS:NXPGLTNSTHRDDTN
- Resource Type: Bible Commentary
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:01:42Z