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This commentary of Galatians is a thorough examination of the text of the letter by Mark J. Keown. It includes an introduction to the letter and a verse by verse analysis of Paul's letter. It is designed to be a readable, thorough exploration of Galatians without being overly laden with engagement with secondary literature. The Greek of Galatians is transliterated throughout the commentary, including in the translations, making the Greek accessible to all readers. The real emphasis is engagement with the text, the meaning of the Greek, especially in regards to primary sources, and the flow of Paul's argument against the Judaizers challenging his churches. Yet, as is usual in Mark Keown's work, it is all presented in an easily understandable and readable way. At points, the author pauses to share a personal story or two, adding flavor to the commentary. While it is comprehensive and thorough, It is ideal for preachers who are looking to really grapple with the meaning of Galatians for Christians today. Special emphasis is given to Paul's summons in the letter that readers live by faith and not works and embrace God's call in the gospel to lay aside all forms of prejudice under God's reign. In the discussion of Galatians 5, in-depth consideration is given to the ethical issues it raises, a helpful tool for Christians grappling with how to live by the Spirit in a twenty-first-century world full of challenges.
About the author
Mark J. Keown is a Presbyterian minister, biblical scholar, and the Director of Evangelistic Leadership at Laidlaw College, New Zealand. Other writings include Congregational Evangelism in Philippians (2008), What's God Up to on Planet Earth? (2010), Jesus in a World of Colliding Empires (2018), Discovering the New Testament (2018-2022), Romans and the Mission of God (2021), Understanding Mark's Gospel (2022), and Galatians (2024).
