Customer Reviews

Galatians (IVP New Testament Commentary Series)

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This book is fearless and readable. It takes on some difficult theological issues without being strident. You come away with an appreciation of Paul's ferver in protecting the early church from the effects of racial and national elitism. There is no hesitation in saying that the law is temporal and that the Spirit is the force for a Christian's moral direction. Christians overcome their sin through faith in what God has accomplished through Christ's death, burial, and resurection.

Recently I preached/taught through Galatians and was shocked to find that this commentary was more useful to me than some of the more exegetical and academic tomes.

By this I mean not only was it helpful for preaching and application, but Hansen often provided more insight into the context and gave a more theologically reasoned interpretation to this admittedly difficult letter.

I recommend this commentary to the lay person, pastor, and academics.

I own a dozen commentaries on Galatians and this one surprised me by its readability and usefulness. It is not very technical. It makes common sense most of the time. It is brief and concise in comparison to some other titles I own, but full of well spoken phrases and exegetical gems. You will be tempted to quote the author. I was pleasantly surprised by depth despite the size. It is not about what doctrines the author affirms; it is about how he approaches the text and what he highlights as major issues, perhaps even useful in our day and not just in Anatolia region. I actually do not agree with quite a few points the author makes, but that is personal, not business to borrow the cliché from the Godfather movies. I still feel that most pastors and serious Bible students will find it refreshing and udefull.