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GALATIANS COMMENTARY-MENTOR
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Retail Price:
$29.99
Price: $23.99
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| 1 - 4 | $23.99 | | 5 - 9 | $22.49 | | 10 + | $20.99 |
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Publisher:
Christian Focus
ISBN:
9781845504526
Item #:
10031
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Binding:
Hardcover
Chapters:
17
Page Count:
240
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Galatians was probably the first letter ever written by the apostle Paul. The concern with which he deals - the relationship with which he deals - the relationship of Christian believers to the Mosaic law - was a major problem in the apostolic church, and remains so today.
As then, the issue affects our understanding of the doctrines of justification (becoming right with God) and sanctification (developing a holy life). A misunderstanding and a wrong application of the relationship can result in several pastoral concerns such as the nature of assurance (basis of salvation) and the unity of the church (what is required for membership).
David McWilliams brings us to an awareness of Paul's teaching on these doctrines that will help us understand and refute errors of the new perspective on Paul.
Practically you can see how to avoid the pitfalls of legalism (on one side) and license (on the other). By learning more about Galatians you will discover the role of the Holy Spirit in a Christian's life.
David McWiliams has been the senior pastor at Covenant Presbyerian Church, Lakeland, Florida for 20 years. He has a passion for Christ-centred preaching and wished to apply the theology of the life of the church.
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Publication Date:
2009
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When is the last time you have studied, read, or preached through Galatians? I hope it has not been too long ago for Galatians is one of the most needed books for our times. Martin Luther was right when he said that Galatians could never be discussed and taught enough. As one of my seminary professors wrote, and David McWilliams also says, Galatians is an important book that deals with the fruit growing from a strong root. The root is salvation by grace through faith, not of works. The fruit is “membership among God’s people and ecclesiastical harmony.” There were false teachers attempting to reverse the root and fruit. They were the Judaizers, people who were zealous of the law as they understood it, and people were eagerly trying to persuade Gentile Christians of the need to obey the law and be circumcised in order to be among God’s people.
As McWilliams points out in his introduction, the Judaizers were not attempting to deny the cardinal Christian truth. They were simply trying to add other things to it. The author picks up a statement from J. Gresham Machen, “Paul was not devoted to the doctrine of justification by faith because of the Gentile mission; he was devoted to the Gentile mission because of the doctrine of justification by faith.” That’s what the Judaizers were attempting to reverse, and they were a threat to the truth of the doctrine of justification and they were striking at the very heart of the process of salvation.
McWilliams is to be commended for the way that he deals with the two main elements of Paul’s writing in this epistle: one, Paul’s eschatological viewpoint, referring to the fullness of time when Christ came to deliver us from this present evil age by his death and resurrection and two, setting forth clearly the doctrine of justification by faith, how a sinner can be declared to be righteous and accepted by God.
What he wanted the Galatians to understand was their freedom in Christ, which came not by works-righteousness but by justification by faith. By listening to the Judaizers, they were in the throes of giving up their freedom by insisting on adding works to God’s plan.
Now a word about McWilliam’s commentary: He states up front his desire for the reader to read through the commentary, as if he were reading a novel and then going back to consider the various parts. He writes in a way that combines obviously good scholarly exegesis and biblical redemptive theology. And, in a helpful but not too technical a manner, McWilliams deals with some of the exegetical issues surrounding Galatians, such as early dating prior to the council of Jerusalem and writing to the Northern or Southern part of Galatia.
This is a friendly commentary you will find helpful, easy to use, and full of sound biblical teaching. I was amused regarding his explanation of writing this commentary. He says in the preface that he is writing with Paul Joiner in mind. Paul is a campus minister with RUM in the PCA in south Florida. McWilliams explains how writng with Joiner in mind helped him to stay focused and to write as one reviewer wrote, briefly and with clarity. Characteristic of other commentaries in this series rhere is good Bible interpretation. They are not only useful for teaching elders, but other Christian leaders and readers as well. All through the commentary, as with the book of Galatians as well, McWilliams reminds us that Paul’s main concern was not so much to defend his apostolic authority but to defend the gospel against the false teachers and detractors.
This is good book, reasonably priced, and extremely easy to use and read.
~ Charles Dunahoo
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