Pastor's Bookshelf: Galatians

I appreciated reading the NIV Application Commentary for Galatians myself. I used it and Longenecker's commentary (mentioned above) to help prepare for a Sunday School class on Galatians that spanned several months. I recommend both books. Both were excellent and both left a mark. That study deeply affected my thinking.

I believe it was Scot's commentary that limned two circles: Spirit and flesh. Spirit = fruit of the Spirit stuff, Flesh = everything else (including my best efforts). That was like throwing a stick of dynamite under an arctic ice sheet. The rumble was small at first, but then the effects kept rippling through, changing the landscape of my thinking.

I hope I have not misrepresented or misused your work, Scot! Paul's original letter continues to be a powerful statement on its own. But I certainly recommend Scot's and Longenecker's commentaries to go along with it.

Scot,
I recommend your commentary to many! Personally, I find Richard Hays very theologically rich commentary in the New Interpreter's Bible to be most useful. He combines New Perspective elements, Salvation-historical (with focus on Paul's use of Scripture) and apocalyptic.

I would definitely add to the mix: Ben Witherington's Grace in Galatia. As well as the aforementioned Fee and Hays on Galatians. They're very helpful for preaching/teaching on this intense epistle.

Don Garlington has an excellent FREE commentary you can download from the Paul Page:
http://www.thepaulpage.com/Shorter_Galatians.pdf

Gordon Fee's "Pentecostal Commentary",
Hays in the NIB (which picks up on Martyn's apocalyptic themes but seems more balanced),
Dunn's book on the theological issues in Galatians,
Wright's "entry-level" commentary,
and some of the papers that Wright has on the web.

Now, I also read some of the typical "old perspective" commentaries and it was as if they were talking about another book!