I have always found commentaries useful. My eyes light up
when I come across a new commentary especially by an author I respect. Such was
the case with Phil Long’s new commentary, Galatians:Freedom through God’s Grace, published by Wipf & Stock.
Commentaries come in all types but can often be broken down
into two types. Those that are technical (exegetical and expositional) which
are often scholarly, go deep into historical data, will often have Greek
translations of specific words or variants, and more that will aid in an in-depth
study for pastors and teachers. Long’s commentary falls in the other category
which is more devotional. It contains little of the above but is rich with
material for the laymen although may still be utilized by pastors and teachers.
Long breaks down his commentary into convenient chunks for
personal or group study. Each chapter concludes with helpful study questions.
The writing is not technical in the least which again, makes it ideal for
personal study. Long’s goal is to emphasize Paul’s overall point in the letter
and he does it well.
At 156 pages this is not a difficult read. A good suggestion
would be to study along with the author in each section as he has them laid
out. To give the reader an idea what to expect, below is the table of contents:
1 Introducing
Galatians | 1
2 One Gospel
| 9
3 Paul and
Judaism | 17
4 Paul and
the Apostles | 27
5 The
Antioch Incident | 37
6 Crucified
with Christ | 48
7 Law and
Faith | 60
8 Law and
Promise | 72
9 Being
Children of God | 84
10 Stop
Acting Like a Slave | 91
11 Sarah and
Hagar | 101
12 Freedom in
Christ | 110
13 Life in
the Spirit | 119
14 Doing Good
to All | 135
15 Bearing
the Marks of Jesus | 145
Bibliography | 155
Highlights? Yes! There are too many to mention in this brief
review but I found that throughout the work Long’s emphasis on Paul’s point is
worth noting, such as what we find on page 132:
Paul
argues throughout the letter the Gentiles are not converting to Judaism and
they are therefore not under the Mosaic covenant. But Paul does not release
Gentiles from all moral responsibility.
Also worth noting is Long’s explanation of each Fruit of the
Spirit.
This is a 5-star work. I benefited greatly from the author’s
insights. Galatians: Freedom through God’s Grace would be an excellent study for any men’s study, women’s study, adult
Sunday School class or personal study. I highly recommend it.
Wipf & Stock has provided a complimentary copy of this book. Thoughts and
opinions are my own.
