This volume of the Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament contains commentaries on Galatians, Philippians, Philemon, and 1 Thessalonians.
Galatians was written in the heat of controversy. Paul believed the Gospel to be under a deadly attack that would destroy the churches he had founded and ultimately destroy the Gospel itself. He used all the arguments at his command to counteract that attack: personal experience, biblical interpretation of the Old Testament, sarcasm, personal appeal, and the apostolic tradition. In this chapter-by-chapter commentary on Galatians, Edgar Krentz reveals the urgency and importance of Paul’s message and explains the relationship between the Galatian church and modern pastoral concerns.
Philippians, unlike Galatians, portrays a congregation in harmony with the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Paul. While Paul’s letter to the Galatians is filled with polemics, statements of self-defense, and attempts to correct misunderstandings about his teachings, Philippians contains no hint of emotional, intellectual, or spiritual conflict. The church in Philippi could make the legitimate claim to being Paul’s favorite. But this doesn’t mean the Philippian church was without problems. This commentary contains exegesis and interpretation of the key sections of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, and reveals a deep and honest relationship between Paul and the church in Philippi.
The short book of Philemon contains vexing cultural questions and reveals a tense relationship between slaves and masters. The epistle to Philemon remains part of the long tradition of Judeo-Christian attempts to achieve justice. This commentary bears out the accuracy of that vision.
Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is not classified as one of his major epistles. In this relatively brief letter Paul attacked no heresies, and more than half the letter is devoted to thanksgiving, allowing Paul the opportunity to express his concern and appreciate to God for the new congregation in Macedonia. Yet this letter to the Thessalonians is important because it offers a glimpse into a side of Paul’s ministry easily missed in his major letters. This chapter-by-chapter commentary portrays Paul as a pastor deeply concerned for his parishioners and thankful for the Gospel.
