26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Commentary In Reformed Perspective, November 16, 2006
This review is from: Galatians (Reformed Expository Commentary) (Hardcover)
First let me say that I am a pastor working through Galatians. I have looked at about at least 30 or 35 commentaries either a little or quite a bit. This one has ended up on my short list of favorites. Although I don't use it every time I work on a passage, it is one that gets used a lot.
Here's what I love about it:
This commentary lays out a review of the passage he deals with in a logical and clear fashion that is easy to follow. He gives good bullet points that are easy to follow reviewing even some theological ramifications of the passage at hand. It's practical and deals with issues most readers will want to understand. He does not spend a lot of time on difficult to follow minutia. Yet at the same time he does give a lot of good perspective. For preachers, some of his phrases will preach well.
Some of his illustrations are fresh and innovative. For example, he illustrates the addition of the law/legalism over Christ's work on the cross (Galatians 5) by talking about a baseball that is autographed by Babe Ruth. The owner of the baseball, seeing Babe's signature is faded, decides to take out a marker and write B-A-B-E R-U-T-H on it...right over the original signature. The effect is to make the ball worthless. In the same way, trying to add our works via the law or on our own has that effect to Christ's work on the cross. It obliterates it. So we should trust in Christ's work on the cross, not our own or our efforts through the law of Moses.
Now there is one weakness in this book. I would expect a commentary that says 'Reformed' on the cover to present the reformed view. He does, however, what he fails to do is present CONVINCING arguments for rejecting Arminianism. For example, in Galatians 5, he says that since eternal security cannot be lost, therefore the passage which says 'you are severed from Christ' cannot deal with eternal security. The problem with that approach is that it only works with some Calvinists. Nobody I know wants to be told a certain view cannot be true because of a hotly debated theological vantage point must eliminate ones interpretation. Especially when that is one of the hallmark verses of the whole debate!!! When a Reformed scholar deals with one of the key Arminian texts, I really am a bit disappointed to read 'it must be the Calvinists way because of other passages in the bible...therefore we have to skate away from the text here and add some additional meaning to understand it' (my own paraphrase). Surely Calvinist scholars have better arguments for their position (they do!).
He goes on to say it must mean expelled from the church or community of believers. Even though the text bears nothing that warrants this extension, he claims it must be that way, essentially because Calvinism is the truth.
So for Arminians, this is an exceptionally unconvincing approach. For Calvinists, it may not bother them, unless they are trying to persuade their Arminian friends. In spite of this flaw (what book outside the bible is perfect?), Ryken has done a tremendous job in my opinion.
Overall, this commentary is superior to most of the others for lay leaders/bible teachers, pastors and perhaps undergraduate bible students.
My copy is all marked up and I'm sure if you buy one you will enjoy it. I will continue to use it and because of this commentary will look for other books by this author.
I heartily recommend it for all bible students.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good sermons on a great Book., May 21, 2007
This review is from: Galatians (Reformed Expository Commentary) (Hardcover)
While Galatians may be one of Paul's easier epistles, the message is one that needs to be clear today as it was in Paul's day. There are absolutes and the death of Christ is one of them. We are saved by the cross and not by circumcision. Salvation is by Christ alone, plus nothing. Christians, young and old need to understand that the cross of Christ is still under attack. People still want to add something to the death of Christ. As Ryken says, we are all recovering Pharisees. But Paul is clear that you can add nothing to the work of the cross of Christ for salvation. The Judaizers were boasting in circumcision and the works of the flesh, but in contrast, Paul would boast only in the cross. In a day when the cross was a curse, Paul could say that he boasted in the Cross of Christ. I did not realized that there were 3 crucifixions. 1) Was when Christ was crucified, we were united with Him and also crucified. 2) We are crucified to the world. 3) The world was crucified to us. Paul not ony taught against heresy, but used the subject to teach Christians about the application of the cross to them.
I have taught Galatians before and I wish I had this commentary of expository sermons at that time. The next time I teach Galatians, I will have a great source that I have already read and marked.
Ryken is a wonderful author and preacher and he knows how to stay on the subject. He wants to teach the book of Galatians. He does not skip subjects and wander all over the place. This is a serious work. Ryken is good at giving you the big picture and then filling the blanks.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great book, July 30, 2009
This review is from: Galatians (Reformed Expository Commentary) (Hardcover)
This book was a very beneficial, clear, and positive presentation of the Gospel. It was also a most helpful critique of the New Perspective, Federal Vision, and Auburn Avenue-like theologies (mostly found in the footnotes). He presents the Protestant Gospel found in Luther and the Reformation (and the Bible!) as clearly as I've seen anywhere.
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