Galatians (Anchor Bible) [Paperback]

James Louis Martyn (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0385513771 | ISBN-13: 978-0385513777 | Publication Date: December 23, 1997

As the early church took shape in the mid-first century a.d., a theological struggle of great consequence was joined between the apostle Paul and certain theologians who had intruded into the churches founded by the apostle in Galatia. Writing his letter to the Galatians in the midst of that struggle, Paul was concerned to find a way by which he could assert the radical newness of God’s act in Christ while still affirming the positive relation of that act to the solemn promise God had made centuries earlier to Abraham.
With the skill of a seasoned scholar and teacher, J. Louis Martyn enables us to take imaginary seats in the Galatian churches so that we may hear Paul’s words with the ears of the early Christians themselves. Listening in this manner, we begin to sense the dramatic intensity of the theological struggle, thus coming to understand the crucial distinctions between the theology of Paul and that of his opponents. We can therefore see why Galatians proved to be a momentous turning point in early Christianity: In this letter Paul preached the decisive and liberating newness of Christ while avoiding both the distortions of anti-Judaism and his opponents’ reduction of Christ to a mere episode in the epic of Israel’s history. Like the Galatians of Paul’s day, we can begin to hear what the apostle himself called “the truth of the gospel.”

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J. LOUIS MARTYN, Ph.D., is Edward Robinson Professor Emeritus of Biblical Theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He has written books and scholarly articles on various New Testament topics, notably Theological Issues in the Letters of Paul. He lives in Bethany, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 638 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday (December 23, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385513771
• ISBN-13: 978-0385513777
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,089,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Getting Because It Really Adds A Lot, September 20, 2006

By 

David A. Bielby "Ev Xpistw" (Normal, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Galatians (Anchor Bible) (Paperback)

I'm a pastor who is working through Galatians for a sermon series. I'm also taking a grad class on Galatians right now, so I've been reading lots on this book...and studying the Greek text intensely. I heard from several people that Martyn's Galatians commentary was one of the best if not the best. I have to say I was surprised when I started reading it to see how fresh of a perspective he "brings to the table". For example, he starts off by viewing Galatians as if it were a drama. His explanations are memorable, poignant, and most important for pastors, preachable!

He also has more information available than most teachers or preachers need.

Let me illustrate: Jervis (NIBC Galatians) has a nice commentary with great comments throughout...150 pages. Martin Luther, FF Bruce, and R. Fung all have around 300 pages. Martyn's Anchor Commentary has over 600 pages on Galatians. On top of the additional information, he's relatively interesting to read because he says things differently than the rest and has fresh insight often. I have not read all of it, but what I have read it has been worth reading.

I heartily recommend this volume for everyone who is working through the text of Galatians. It's a great one! At the very top of the list in my opinion...right next to Fung's NICNT on Galatians.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The gold standard, February 2, 2009

By 

Randy Travis (Kentucky) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Galatians (Anchor Bible) (Paperback)

I ordered this along with many other references when preparing to teach a class on Galatians. The others were helpful and some were impressive but without doubt, this was by far the most objective, scholarly, and best researched volume of the ones I purchased. It is truly comprehensive in its coverage of Galatians as well as all related themes (contextual, societal, theological, politico/historical, philological). Every conceivable issue connected with the Galatian epistle and the theology of the Apostle Paul must have been addressed in this volume. Be advised that if one is looking for devotional reading or "spiritualization" of the text, this is not the volume for them. For those wanting an academic volume it is money well spent. I wonder if all Anchor Bible commentaries are this meticulously written?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Consistent, Intelligent Historicism, December 27, 2010

By 

Troy Myers (Pollock Pines, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Galatians (The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries) (Paperback)

Another reviewer has described this commentary as "the gold standard," and I have to agree. My interest is understanding the NT docs in terms as close to their historical origins as I can, and this commentary does that better for Galatians than any single book on Paul I know. Martyn casually incorporates (but also goes well beyond) the New Perspective as he deals with issues and questions which encompass more than those typically addressed by the NPP (not to say the New Perspective is not important work). For an illuminating, verse by verse, graduate-level analysis of Paul's critical letter, a reading that brings us close to Paul's ancient-world mind, you cannot do better.