Galatians: A Commentary (A Comprehensive Cultural & Contextual Exegesis of the Epistle to the Galatians)

Leading New Testament scholar Craig Keener is widely respected for his thorough research, sound judgments, and knowledge of ancient sources. His four-volume magnum opus on Acts has received high praise from all quarters. This commentary on Paul's Letter to the Galatians features Keener's meticulous and comprehensive research and offers a wealth of fresh insights. It will benefit students, pastors, and church leaders alike. Excursuses: A Closer Look Acknowledgments Abbreviations Translation of Paul's Letter to the Galatians Outline of Galatians Introduction: Interpreting Galatians Luther's Influential Approach Galatians and Pauline Theology An Apocalyptic Letter? Some Dominant Themes Author, Provenance, and Date Paul's Audience in Galatia North or South Galatia? Paul's Opponents Structure of the Letter Rhetoric and Galatians Letters and Epistolary Interpretation Polemic Was Paul's Letter to the Galatians Effective? Galatians 1:1-5 Epistolary Prescript: Gospel Greetings (1:1-5) Galatians 1:6-12 Thesis and Refutation: No Other Gospel (1:6-12) Galatians 1:13-2:21 Narrative Defense of the Gospel (1:13-2:21) God Reveals the Gospel to Paul (1:13-17) Far from Judea (1:18-24) Consensus in Jerusalem (2:1-10) Kephas Compromises Gospel Truth (2:11-14) Made Right with God through Christ Alone (2:15-21) Galatians 3:1-5:12 Argument Especially from Scripture (3:1-5:12) Trading God's Presence for Rules (3:1-5) Either Abraham's Blessing or the Law's Curse (3:6-14) Stick with the First Agreement (3:15-20) The Formal Law as a Stopgap (3:21-25) You Are All Heirs Already (3:26-29) A More Mature Era in Christ (4:1-7) Returning to Empty Practices (4:8-11) Plea to Return to Earlier Relationship (4:12-20) Abraham's Free Heirs versus His Slave Children (4:21-5:1) Circumcision Cannot Supplement Christ before God (5:2-6) Beware of Your Deceivers (5:7-12) Galatians 5:13-6:10 The True Basis for Ethics (Refuting Detractors) (5:13-6:10) Serving One Another (5:13-15) Following the Spirit's Steps (5:16-25) The Ways of Christ's Law (5:26-6:10) Galatians 6:11-18 Closing Appeal (6:11-18) "This commentary by leading New Testament scholar Craig Keener features meticulous and comprehensive research and offers a wealth of fresh insights"-- "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. "This commentary by leading New Testament scholar Craig Keener features meticulous and comprehensive research and offers a wealth of fresh insights"-- Provided by publisher