Sacra Pagina: Galatians (SP)
Overview
Paul’s Letter to the Galatians has played a major role in the history of theology, especially in the Church’s teaching on grace, faith, and justification. This commentary argues that Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith is essentially social in nature and has important ecumenical implications for the Church today. In its original setting, Galatians established a foundation for the unity of Jewish and Gentile Christians: all are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ.
In addition to illuminating the historical situation that led Paul to write his Letter to the Galatians, this commentary pays careful attention to the rhetorical structure of this letter and its theological message. The author provides a fresh translation of Galatians, critical notes on each verse of the text, and a careful commentary of the letter in light of Paul’s theology.
Theories abound on the question of Galatians, why it was written, what it says, and what the implications of that message are. Yet few scholars have devoted themselves at length to this letter. What sets this work apart is its extent and detail, and its academic rather than popular intent.
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- Explores the doctrine of justification by faith
- Examines the unity of Jewish and Gentile Christians
- Presents the rhetorical structure and theological message of Galatians
Top Highlights
“He proclaims the divine origin of his apostleship in order to establish the divine origin of the Torah-free gospel that he preaches among the Gentiles.” (Page 41)
“For Paul, Christian morality is a matter of living in the correct realm. Those who dwell in the realm of the flesh will inevitably do the works of the flesh, while those who live in the realm of the Spirit—and obey the urging of the Spirit—will enjoy the fruit of the Spirit.” (Page 205)
“it appears that the agitators were Jewish Christians from Jerusalem who espoused circumcision and Law observance” (Page 4)
“Third, tę̄ eleutherią can be understood as a dative of instrument (‘by freedom,’ ‘with freedom’) in which case the sense is: by freeing us from the Law, Christ set us free. Or it can be understood as a dative of purpose (‘for freedom’), i.e., Christ set us free for the purpose of being free from the Law.” (Page 180)
“While the primary sense of the verb dikaioun is forensic (God acquits humanity), Paul’s statement that Christ lives in him (v. 20) indicates that this acquittal results in a new life for the believer.” (Page 93)
Jan Lambrecht is currently the Andrews-Kelly-Ryan Professor of Biblical Studies and a professor of New Testament at the Catholic University of America. His dissertation, The Kingship of Jesus: Composition and Theology in Mark 15, was subsequently published by Scholars Press. Professor Matera taught at St. John’s Seminary in Boston from 1982 to 1987 and has taught at the Catholic University of America since 1988, and is also a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford.