Galatians (Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament)
Overview
Respected New Testament scholar Peter Oakes argues that in Galatians, Paul presents a gospel of “unity in diversity” in Christ. If the Galatians’ abandoned Paul’s gospel, they wouldn’t just prove unfaithful to Paul, their very fidelity to Christ would be compromised. Oakes interacts with contemporary scholarship, draws on ancient backgrounds, and attends to the theological nature of the text. Students, pastors, and other readers will appreciate the historical, literary, and theological insight offered in this practical commentary.
This commentary, like each in the Paideia series, approaches each text in its final, canonical form, proceeding by sense units rather than word-by-word or verse-by-verse. Each sense unit is explored in three sections: (1) introductory matters, (2) tracing the train of thought, (3) key hermeneutical and theological questions.
- Examines cultural context and theological meaning
- Discusses key hermeneutical and theological questions
- Provides notes, outlines, images, and tables
Top Highlights
“Just as there is a temptation for Christianity to retreat into a message that can be justified on the basis of purely human argument, there is also a temptation for Christianity to retreat into being a system of ideas, rather than being based on a revealing of Jesus.” (Page 62)
“The letter opening and narrative in Gal. 1 lay particular emphasis on the divine origin of Paul’s authority and message” (Page 6)
“, one might see a third prominent topic emerging in 5:13–6:10, in the form of discussion of ethical issues.” (Page 6)
“Paul’s challenge to Peter is that, if even Christian Jews are justified in this way, how can Christian Jews compel Christian gentiles to adopt Jewish practice (2:14)? There seems to be no reason in Galatians to exclude Jews from Paul’s ‘our’ and ‘us’ in 1:4.” (Page 42)
“Consideration of these texts shows that Ioudaïsmos was not a racial group: it was something that people could ‘continue in’ or ‘renounce.’ It sounds more like a set of practices or, more broadly, a way of life.” (Page 53)
This excellent commentary sets Paul's letter effectively within its historical context, finely illuminates the text while well illustrating and contributing to the range of discussion on the letter within contemporary scholarship, and stimulatingly concludes each section by posing issues that should provide fruitful agendas for discussion groups."
—James D. G. Dunn, Emeritus Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, Durham University
In this eminently readable and erudite commentary, Peter Oakes guides the reader through the text and argument of Paul's Letter to the Galatians with careful exegesis and theological sensitivity. His considerable knowledge of ancient Greco-Roman culture and the latest scholarship is everywhere on display. He has produced a volume from which not only students and pastors but also professional scholars and teachers will benefit."
—Martinus C. de Boer, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
In Galatians Peter Oakes combines a deep grasp of the ancient social context, a close familiarity with the exegetical issues, and an insightful identification of contemporary theological questions that are impacted and provoked by this potent Pauline letter. He couples this with a succinct style and an elegant delivery to produce an ideal vade mecum on this text."
—Philip Esler, Portland Chair in New Testament Studies, University of Gloucestershire
- Title: Galatians
- Author: Peter Oakes
- Series: Paideia Commentaries on the New Testament
- Publisher: Baker Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2015
- Logos Release Date: 2015
- Pages: 236
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Bible. N.T. Galatians › Commentaries
- ISBNs: 9781441223425, 9780801032752, 1441223428, 080103275, 080103275X
- Resource ID: LLS:PAIDEIA69GA
- Resource Type: Bible Commentary
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-10-05T17:07:58Z
Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament approaches each text in its final, canonical form, proceeding by sense units (pericopes) rather than word-by-word or verse-by-verse. Thus, each commentary follows the original train of thought as indicated by the author instead of modern artificial distinctions. Using this approach, one is able to grasp not only the exegetical-historical information of a passage, but also follow a coherent theological expression throughout. Additionally, this series is enormously helpful and practical through its usage of small visual presentations of historical, exegetical, and theological information. Highly user friendly, this is a great resource for college students, pastors, or those who want to take their Bible study to another level.
The Paideia series explores how New Testament texts inform Christian readers by:
- Attending to the ancient narrative and rhetorical strategies the text employs
- Showing how the text shapes theological convictions and moral habits
- Commenting on the final, canonical form of each New Testament book
- Focusing on the cultural, literary, and theological settings of the text
- Making judicious use of maps, photos, and sidebars in a reader-friendly format