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Reading Galatians, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians
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Galatians
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Summary: "This commentary by leading New Testament scholar Craig Keener features meticulous and comprehensive research and offers a wealth of fresh insights"-- Provided by publisher. Summary: "This commentary offers a concise, incisive view of Galatians, Paul's most polemical letter. Here, Paul is fighting for the spiritual life and loyalty of some of his hard-won converts. Taking advantage of a range of persuasive rhetorical approaches, his letter appears to bristle with anger at the interlopers and the anguish of spurned affection. In this commentary, Craig S. Keener mines insights from the ancient world to highlight Paul's persuasive tactics and how the Galatian Christians would have heard his intense yet profound message. In so doing, Keener also helps readers to confront Galatians afresh today, so they can hear more closely what Paul is and is not saying for the church universal. Drawing on a wide range of ancient Mediterranean sources to reconstruct the context of Galatians, Keener helps us to grasp the issues that Paul was addressing, the reasons that Paul wrote the letter, and its continuing relevance for contemporary audiences."--Page 4 of cover.
Galatians
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This new commentary in the New Testament Library series is not a systematic study of Pauline theology; rather, the aim of this study is to trace Paul's theology as it unfolds in his letter to the church at Galatia, and to attempt to illuminate, as far as possible, how the Galatians likely comprehended it, at the time they received it. The author asks readers to imagine themselves as silent witnesses to Paul's dictation of the letter and to observe, through a historical perspective, how the Galatian Christians might have understood Paul's words.
Galatians
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"This commentary offers a concise, incisive view of Galatians, Paul's most polemical letter. Here, Paul is fighting for the spiritual life and loyalty of some of his hard-won converts. Taking advantage of a range of persuasive rhetorical approaches, his letter appears to bristle with anger at the interlopers and the anguish of spurned affection. In this commentary, Craig S. Keener mines insights from the ancient world to highlight Paul's persuasive tactics and how the Galatian Christians would have heard his intense yet profound message. In so doing, Keener also helps readers to confront Galatians afresh today, so they can hear more closely what Paul is and is not saying for the church universal. Drawing on a wide range of ancient Mediterranean sources to reconstruct the context of Galatians, Keener helps us to grasp the issues that Paul was addressing, the reasons that Paul wrote the letter, and its continuing relevance for contemporary audiences."--Page 4 of cover.
Galatians
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Summary: In this incisive commentary, Nancy Bedford explores Paul's Letter to the Galatians as it addresses pressing issues in the earliest Christian churches. Paul argues that it is not necessary for Gentiles to become full-fledged Jews in order to follow Jesus. In Jesus Christ, differences among people will continue. Bedford sees that equality in Christ (Gal. 3:28) does not erase differences but instead breaks down hierarchical relationships among many different people and groups. She considers the implications of these convictions for Christian faith today, particularly for those outside western Christian traditions. - from the back of the book.
Galatians
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Summary: "In this addition to the award-winning BECNT series, highly regarded New Testament scholar Douglas Moo offers a substantive yet accessible commentary on Galatians. With extensive research and thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, Moo leads readers through all aspects of the book of Galatians--sociological, historical, and theological--to help them better understand its meaning and relevance.As with all BECNT volumes, this commentary features the author's detailed interaction with the Greek text and an acclaimed, user-friendly design. It admirably achieves the dual aims of the series--academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility--making it a useful tool for pastors, church leaders, students, and teachers" -- Publisher description.
Galatians
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In this volume, respected New Testament scholar Peter Oakes offers a translation and reading of Galatians as presenting a gospel of unity in diversity in Christ. He shows that Paul treats the Galatians' possible abandonment of his gospel as putting at stake their fidelity to Christ. As with other volumes in the Paideia series, this volume is conversant 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.
Galatians
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Designed for the pastor and Bible teacher, this series brings together commentary features rarely gathered together in one volume. Written by notable evangelical scholars, each volume in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series treats the literary context and structure of the passage in the original Greek. The series consistently provides the main point, an exegetical outline, verse-by-verse commentary, and theology in application in each section of every commentary. Critical scholarship informs each step but does not dominate the commentary, allowing readers to concentrate on the biblical author’s message as it unfolds. While primarily designed for those with a basic knowledge of biblical Greek, all who strive to understand and teach the New Testament will find these books beneficial. The ZECNT series covers the entire New Testament in twenty volumes; Clinton E. Arnold serves as general editor.In this volume, Thomas R. Schreiner offers pastors, students, and teachers a focused resource for reading Galatians. Through the use of graphic representations of translations, succinct summaries of main ideas, exegetical outlines and other features, Schreiner presents Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians with precision and accuracy. Because of this series’ focus on the textual structure of the scriptures, readers will better understand the literary elements of Galatians, comprehend the author’s revolutionary goals, and ultimately discover their vital claims upon the church today.
Galatians
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Galatians, the second of the Hippo/Africa Bible Commentary Series preaching commentaries written by Samuel Ngewa, is both a teaching resource for theological colleges and Bible schools all over the country as well as a book suited to lay readers who are looking for ways to preach and apply the Scriptures all over the world.This commentary is divided into preaching units that contain detailed exposition of the passages. It also features contemporary applications that the churched and the unchurched alike can apply today. Each unit is not intended to be preached as a sermon; rather, it provides material church leaders can draw from for sermon preparation. Each unit is then followed by two or three questions that are ideal for a small group or personal study for you as a church leader or a lay reader. Academic issues relating to the Greek text, disputes about interpretation, and other issues of academic importance are clarified in the extensive end notes within this one-of-a-kind commentary and trustworthy teaching and scriptural resource.
Galatians - the Lectio Continua
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The Lectio Continua Expository Commentary on the New Testament is not meant to be an academic or highly technical series. There are many helpful exegetical commentaries written for that purpose. Rather, the aim is to provide lectio continua sermons which clearly and faithfully communicate the context, meaning, gravity and application of God's inerrant Word. Each volume of expositions aspires to be redemptive-historical, covenantal, Reformed and confessional, trinitarian, person-and-work-of-Christ-centered, and teeming with practical application. Therefore, the series will be a profound blessing to every Christian believer who longs to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18).
NBBC, Galatians
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The New Beacon Bible Commentary is an engaging, indispensable reference tool to aid individuals in every walk of life in the study and meditation of God’s Word. Written from the Wesleyan theological perspective, it offers insight and perceptive scholarship to help you unlock the deeper truths of Scripture and garner an awareness of the history, culture, and context attributed to each book of study. Readable, relevant, and academically thorough, it offers scholars, pastors, and laity a new standard for understanding and interpreting the Bible in the 21st century.Each volume features:Completely New Scholarship from notable experts in the Wesleyan traditionConvenient Introductory Material for each book of the Bible including information on authorship, date, history, audience, sociological/cultural issues, purpose, literary features, theological themes, hermeneutical issues, and moreClear Verse-by-Verse Explanations, which offer a contemporary, Wesleyan-based understanding derived from the passage’s original languageComprehensive Annotation divided into three sections, which cover background elements behind the text; verse-by-verse details and meanings found in the text; and significance, relevance, intertextuality, and application from the textHelpful Sidebars, which provide deeper insight into theological issues, word meanings, archeological connections, historical relevance, cultural customs, and moreExpanded Bibliography for further study of historical elements, additional interpretations, and theological themesThis letter claims the apostle Paul wrote it. No serious contemorary scholar questions that claim. In fact, most appeal to Galations to assYNbeaThe New Beacon Bible Commentary is an engaging, indispensable reference tool to aid individuals in
Death and Life
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The resurrection of Jesus is arguably the most significant component of the Christian narrative and is critical for Paul's presentation of the Gospel. Yet it is routinely marginalized in study of the polemics of Galatians, largely because it is explicitly mentioned only once, and even then, only obliquely. This investigation redraws the boundaries of its impact in the letter, showing the risen Christ to be an indispensable feature of how Paul's argument unfolds and achieves its ultimate objective--establishing a rationale for the creation of a multiethnic eschatological family of God, which is grounded in Israel's biblical tradition.
From Law to Logos
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St. Paul's epistle to the Galatians offers a fascinating window into the life of the Christian church in its earliest days. We see in this letter a pastor guiding his people through questions of salvation, theology, and ethics. The more we read, the more we realize that many of the same questions facing the Galatian Christians continue to face us today: Are we still under the Old Testament Law? What happened to the Law when Jesus came? Who are the people of God? From Law to Logos: Reading St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians is a primer for reading Galatians for all it is worth. The focus of this book is preparing lay Christians to understand Galatians by reading it as a letter, in its entirety, over and over again. At the end of each chapter, the reader is better prepared to read and study Galatians in its literary, historical, and theological context.
Galatians
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Paul's letter to the Galatians, sometimes known as the Magna Carta of Christian liberty, is central to the understanding of the relation of Paul and the Law and is packed with crucial historical, social and theological material. Philip F. Esler provides a detailed and accessible interpretation of the text, which draws on contemporary and modern literary models. He outlines the problems often associated with reading Galatians, the context of the text, the rhetoric of the text and the intercultural and social implications of Galatians. Galatians includes comprehensive indices of ancient sources and modern sources, detailed references and an appendix discussing Paul's attitude to the Law in Romans 5.20-21. Galatians presents a succinct and emminently readable analysis of a dense and important New Testament text.
Galatians
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Paul's letter to the Galatians, sometimes known as the Magna Carta of Christian liberty, is central to the understanding of the relation of Paul and the Law and is packed with crucial historical, social and theological material.Philip F. Esler provides a detailed and accessible interpretation of the text, which draws on contemporary and modern literary models. He outlines the problems often associated with reading Galatians, the context of the text, the rhetoric of the text and the intercultural and social implications of Galatians. Galatians includes comprehensive indices of ancient sources and modern sources, detailed references and an appendix discussing Paul's attitude to the Law in Romans 5.20-21.Galatians presents a succinct and emminently readable analysis of a dense and important New Testament text.
The Law in Galatians
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An investigation of Paul's theology of the law in Galatians, in the light of recent hermeneutical developments. Part I analyses the structure of the letter, the theological perspective of Paul, and the argument and identity of the opponents. On the basis of these three preliminary considerations, Part II treats Paul's view of the law in Galatians. The thrust of the author's argument is that the term nomos refers to the Mosaic law imposed upon Israel at Mount Sinai, and that this law functions on three distinctive levels: as the obligation of the Sinai covenant, as an enslaving power and as an expression of love.
Live in Liberty
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A systemic problem plagues the local and global church: We habitually lose the gospel. In its place, we substitute personal prosperity, legalism, politics--and we end up paralyzing the mission of the church.Galatians contains Paul's passionate defense of the gospel. It shows us how to enjoy God's presence and everlasting peace, setting us free to love and be loved. In Live in Liberty, Daniel Bush and Noel Due help you apply the spiritual message of Galatians so that you may experience the liberating presence of God.
Paul and the Gentile Women
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For hundreds of years, Paul's letter to the Galatians has been a flashpoint of controversy among Christians. Why did Paul write the letter, and what was at issue in the controversy over Torah observance, particularly male circumcision? Has the letter with its classic contrast of faith in Christ and works of the law served to divide Jews from Christians and Christians from one other? Radically reframing the debate, Tatha Wiley's fresh approach decisively shifts the Galatian question to focus on the social consequences of Paul's bitter disagreement with the circumcision preachers and specifically the implications of the dispute for Gentile women in the community. Wiley maintains that Paul's argument of equality in Christ was directed to and for the situation of women, whose newly won status was jeopardized by the preaching of Paul's opponents. By looking at the issue of circumcision from the angle of the Gentile women of Galatia, Wiley cuts to the core concerns of the dispute: gender privilege, religious authority, and the life-changing implications of Christian commitment.
Paul and the Stories of Israel Grand Thematic Narratives in Galatians
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Much recent scholarship on Paul has searched for implicit narratives behind Paul’s scriptural allusions, especially in the wake of Richard B. Hays’s groundbreaking work on the apostle’s appropriation of Scripture. A. Andrew Das reviews six proposals for “grand thematic narratives" behind the logic of Galatians—potentially, six explanations for the fabric of Paul’s theology: the covenant (N. T. Wright); the influx of nations to Zion (Terence Donaldson); Isaac’s near sacrifice (Scott Hahn, Alan Segal); the Spirit as cloud in the wilderness (William Wilder); the Exodus (James Scott, Sylvia Keesmaat); and the imperial cult (Bruce Winter et al.). Das weighs each of these proposals exegetically and finds them wanting—more examples of what Samuel Sandmel famously labeled “parallelomania" than of sound exegetical method. He turns at last to reflect on the risks of (admittedly alluring) totalizing methods and lifts up a seventh proposal with greater claim to evidence in the text of Galatians: Paul’s allusions to Isaiah’s servant passages.
Rhetoric and Galatians
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This monograph challenges the accepted notion that Galatians is either a sample of classical rhetoric or should be interpreted in light of Graeco-Roman rhetorical handbooks. It demonstrates that the handbooks of Aristotle, Cicero, et al. discuss a form of oratory which was limited with respect to subject, venue and style of communication, and that Galatians falls outside such boundaries. The inapplicability of ancient canons of rhetoric is reinforced by a detailed comparison of Galatians with the handbooks, a survey of patristic attitudes towards Paul's communicative technique, and interaction with twentieth-century discussions of the nature of New Testament Greek. Dr Kern concludes that rhetorical handbooks were never a tool of literary criticism and that they cannot assist the search for a distinctly Pauline rhetoric. Thus this study has implications not only for Galatians, but also for other New Testament epistles.
She Must and Shall Go Free
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Scholars have long recognized the importance of Paul's citations from the Pentateuch for understanding the argument of Galatians. But what has not been fully appreciated is the key role that Isaiah plays in shaping what Paul says and how he says it, even though he cites Isaiah explicitly only once (Isaiah 54:1 in Galatians 4:27). Using an intertextual approach to trace more subtle appropriations of Scripture (i.e., allusions, echoes and thematic parallels), Harmon argues that Isaiah 49-54 in particular has shaped the structure of Paul's argument and the content of his theological reflection in Galatians. Each example of Isaianic influence is situated within its original context as well as its new context in Galatians. Attention is also paid to how those same Isaianic texts were interpreted in Second Temple Judaism, providing the larger interpretive context within which Paul read Scripture. The result is fresh light shed on Paul's self-understanding as an apostle to the Gentiles, the content of his gospel message, his reading of the Abraham story and the larger structure of Galatians.
Christ Has Set Us Free
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How can a sinful human stand before a holy God? The New Testament book of Galatians deals with this question―a question that stands at the heart of the gospel. In Christ Has Set Us Free, nine seasoned Bible teachers walk through the entirety of Galatians, offering insights on how to interpret and apply its important message about justification by faith. This book will help all who teach or study the Bible better understand what Christ has done to set us free from the power of sin through his death and resurrection.
Galatians
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Galatians: A Handbook on the Greek Text offers teachers and students a comprehensive guide to the grammar and vocabulary of Galatians. A perfect supplement to any commentary, this volume's lexical, analytical, and syntactical analysis is a helpful tool in navigating New Testament literature. David A. deSilva leads students toward both a greater understanding of the Greek text and an appreciation for the textual and rhetorical intricacies not available in English translations.
Galatians and Christian Theology
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Some of the top Christian scholars in the world offer cutting edge scholarship on how Galatians relates to theology and ethics.
Galatians and the Rhetoric of Crisis
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The Apostle Paul employed strategies to win over his audiences. At times his desire to oust his opponents overrode any loyalty he may have felt toward any particular reading of the Jewish scriptures. Indeed, Paul exhibits no angst over adapting scriptures to suit the needs of his situation. In this close reading of Paul's letter to the Galatians, Livesey draws upon classicist Cecil Wooten's "rhetoric of crisis" to compare Paul's strategies to those of his predecessors, the Greek orator Demosthenes and Roman consul Cicero.
Galatians for You
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Timothy Keller’s expository guide to Galatians is a personal and group curriculum that will excite ordinary Christians in their faith and equip teachers and preachers in their work. Galatians For You is a new curriculum tool you can use to learn or teach from the book of Galatians. Both student and teacher can use it to walk through Galatians, learning how the gospel message changes the whole of our lives. Combining a close attention to the detail of the text with Tim Keller’s trademark gift for clear explanation and compelling insights, this is a uniquely flexible curriculum resource. It can be utilized by anyone who has a teaching ministry, to help small-group leaders understand and apply the text in their study groups, and to give preachers helpful ways of connecting timeless Bible truths to today’s world. It can be used as a daily devotional, complete with reflection questions. Or it can be read for personal study and edification. Galatians For You has an accompanying small-group study guide, Galatians: Gospel Matters: Seven Studies for Groups or Individuals, which can be bought separately.
Keys to Galatians
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Over the course of five decades of scholarly work on the New Testament, Jerome Murphy-O'Connor has never been afraid to explore and question ideas that other scholars have simply presumed. In Keys to Galatians, he offers fresh perspectives on a rather neglected New Testament letter. This book includes new thinking on the origins of the letter and new insights into its purpose. The author explains why he dates the letter much earlier than most scholars and why Paul's rhetorical technique should be considered nothing short of remarkable. He also explores illuminating hints about Paul's personality. Murphy-O'Connor recognizes in Paul a notable openness to new ideas and what he calls a daring strategy that would have been unthinkable for one less confident in his rhetorical skills.
No More Law!
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A no-nonsense, accessible, contemporary commentary on Paul's letter to Galatians by a foremost Pentecostal pastor & Bible scholar. Bruce Atkinson concentrates on the work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life; walking in the Spirit, how this brings freedom and produces godliness. He maintains a good theological balance between the Word and the Spirit, the gospel and the place of the Mosaic Law, freedom from that Law, but with an emphasis upon our responsibility to live godly lives in today's world.
Paul's Spirituality in Galatians
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Spirituality is a hot topic in today's culture. Spirituality is essentially how one's beliefs and experiences influence the way one lives their life. Such influences for living are of critical importance to one's faith within the Christian community. What role does the Bible play in developing an expressed spirituality among the Christian community? How do one's religious traditions, cultural influences, and personal preferences influence the way Christian spirituality is perceived and expressed? All too often, and at times unintentionally, the foundational truths of the Bible are subordinated to tradition, culture, and personal preference. This book provides a context for understanding Paul's foundational components for Christian spirituality within the book of Galatians while showing how an accurate understanding of these components can and should serve as a corrective lens to various aspects of Christian spirituality as expressed and experienced today.
Paul and the Stories of Israel
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Much recent scholarship on Paul has searched for implicit narratives behind Paul's scriptural allusions, especially in the wake of Richard B. Hays's groundbreaking work on the apostle's appropriation of Scripture. A. Andrew Das reviews six proposals for "grand thematic narratives" behind the logic of Galatians—potentially, six explanations for the fabric of Paul's theology: the covenant (N. T. Wright); the influx of nations to Zion (Terence Donaldson); Isaac's near sacrifice (Scott Hahn, Alan Segal); the Spirit as cloud in the wilderness (William Wilder); the Exodus (James Scott, Sylvia Keesmaat); and the imperial cult (Bruce Winter et al.). Das weighs each of these proposals exegetically and finds them wanting—more examples of what Samuel Sandmel famously labeled "parallelomania" than of sound exegetical method. He turns at last to reflect on the risks of (admittedly alluring) totalizing methods and lifts up a seventh proposal with greater claim to evidence in the text of Galatians: Paul's allusions to Isaiah's servant passages.
Persecution and Participation in Galatians
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Summary: Back cover: John Anthony Dunne argues that, in Galatians, Paul puts forth suffering, rather than receiving circumcision, as a badge that demarcates the true people of God who are set apart in Christ for future blessing and vindication. Summary: "In his letter to the Galatians, Paul writes that his Gentile audience should not illegitimately appropriate Jewish customs, especially circumcision. As a way to understand why Paul deems circumcision in this context to be so egregious, being a matter of apostasy rather than simply an adiaphoron, John Anthony Dunne argues that the themes of suffering and persecution point to the coercive nature of the conflict in Galatia. What is at stake for Paul is allegiance to the crucified Christ. Due to the realities inaugurated by the Christ-event and the implications of participating in the Messiah's death and resurrection, suffering for the sake of the cross is to be endured instead of succumbing to the compulsion to be circumcised. Suffering persecution, rather than receiving circumcision, demarcates the true people of God who are set apart in Christ for future blessing and vindication." -- {u2021}c From publisher's description.
