Galatians, Ephesians (Reformation Commentary on Scripture Collection, NT Vol. 10 | RCS)

by Gerald Bray; Timothy George; Scott M. Manetsch

Publisher:

IVP Academic

, 2011

Overview

The Gospel of justification by faith alone was discovered afresh by the Reformers in the epistolary turrets of the New Testament: the letters to the Galatians and the Ephesians.

At the epicenter of the exegetical revolution that rocked the Reformation era was Paul’s letter to the Galatians. There Luther, Calvin, Bullinger, and scores of others perceived the true Gospel of Paul enlightening a situation parallel to their own times—the encroachment of false teachers and apostates upon the true teaching of salvation by grace through faith.

In Ephesians, the Reformers gravitated to what they understood to be the summit of Paul’s vision of salvation in Christ. Finding its source, beyond time, in the electing love of God, the Reformers disseminated the letter’s message of temporal hope for Christians living under the duress of persecution.

For the Reformers, these epistles were living, capsule versions of Paul’s letter to the Romans, briefs on the theological vision of the celebrated apostle. Probed and expounded in the commentaries and sermons found in this volume, these letters became the very breath in the lungs of the Reformation movements.

The range of comment on Galatians and Ephesians here spans Latin, German, French, Dutch, and English authors from a variety of streams within the Protestant movement. Especially helpful in this volume is Gerald Bray’s editorial presentation of the development of tensions among the Reformers.

The epistles of Galatians and Ephesians open up a treasure house of ancient wisdom, allowing these faithful Reformation witnesses to speak with eloquence and intellectual acumen to the church today.

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Provides a range of comment on Galatians and Ephesians
• Provides a deeper understanding of the Reformation and the breadth of perspectives represented within it
• Includes Gerald Bray’s editorial presentation of the development of tensions among the Reformers

Contents

Top Highlights

“The accusation of my conscience has no more relevance to me because it has been wiped out by the blood of Christ and its seal has been broken. It has no more authority or validity, because the seals have been taken away by the cross of Christ and its letters have been wiped out by his blood.” (Page 80)

“To call yourself a Christian is to say that you are a king, priest and child of God, whereas to call yourself a saint just means that you have been set apart from the world for the worship of God.” (Page 235)

“No one appreciates the medicine properly unless he fully understands the seriousness of the disease” (Page 276)

“Paul was a model of what God can do with the least promising material. Here was a man who had persecuted the church of God but who had been rescued from his folly and turned around to become the great evangelist of the early church. He was living proof not only that a person is saved by faith and not by works but also that this salvation is God’s choice and not ours. No one had been less eager to become a Christian than Saul of Tarsus, and yet God intervened to save him in spite of himself.” (Page xlii)

“We have the goal set before us, but we do not reach it until our race is done. Why do some people think of predestination as a useless and even poisonous doctrine? No doctrine is more useful, as long as it is handled properly, as Paul does here. It reveals the infinite goodness of God and gives us our knowledge of his mercy.… Election is the ultimate proof that we cannot claim any righteousness for ourselves.” (Page 241)

Endorsements

Gerald Bray has done the church a great service in preparing this commentary, as have IVP, Timothy George, and all those associated with the RCS project. I hope that this volume will be widely used and that readers will be enthused by the short selections to read more widely and deeply in the biblical interpretation of the Reformation. We look forward eagerly to further volumes in this series.

—Alistair I. Wilson, Haddington House Journal, Vol. 201

Galatians, Ephesians includes in-depth but accessible introductions by world-class Reformation scholars to Reformation interpretations of each book in the Bible.

—CBA Retailers + Resources

Product Details

• Title: Galatians, Ephesians: New Testament, Volume 10
• Authors: Gerald Bray, Timothy George, Scott M. Manetsch
• Series: Reformation Commentary on Scripture
• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Print Publication Date: 2011
• Logos Release Date: 2013
• Pages: 446
• Era: era:reformation
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible. N.T. Galatians › Commentaries; Bible. N.T. Ephesians › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780830866298, 0830866299
• Resource ID: LLS:REFORMCOMM10
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-02-09T17:09:18Z

About Gerald L. Bray

Gerald L. Bray is a professor at Beeson Divinity School of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and director of research at Latimer Trust. He has written and edited a number of books on different theological subjects. A priest in the Church of England, Bray has also edited the post-Reformation Anglican canons.