Galatians

Paul’s letter to the Galatians is a strong defense of the Gospel as well as Paul’s own authority. The latest in Lexham Press’ Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary series, Galatians by Matthew S. Harmon is an accurate and outstanding edition to help you understand what God is saying in Galatians.

Adoption and Sons

Harmon’s precision with the Greek is a forte. In Galatians 4:5, he specifically looks at the phrase “so that we might receive adoption as sons.” He points out that the verb translated “receive” is often used to refer to receiving something from God, sometimes even in eschatological contexts. The term “adoption as sons” is uniquely Pauline and often has a particular emphasis on the legal status of the one adopted as an heir.

Furthermore, Harmon knows how to connect the New Testament with the Old Testament. “Adoption” is present in at least two places: Genesis 16:2 and Exodus 2:10. “Adoption” is one of Israel’s blessings (Rom 9:4) and probably refers to God describing the Israelite’s as “my firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22-23). This is a small sample of how Harmon’s grasp of the text and Biblical theology is exemplary.

Salvation and Faith

My favorite part of the EBTC series is the section on Biblical and Theological Themes. Harmon presses into salvation, God, and the phrase “the servant of the Lord.” Interestingly, he concludes that this phrase is synthesized to show that Jesus is the Servant of the Lord who dwells in Paul. Paul is the servant in Isaiah 49 and Jesus is the servant from Isaiah 53. The key is in Galatians 2:20, revealing a self-understanding and a fulfillment of Scripture – to fulfill the Servant’s commission to be a light to the nations. This reveal was extremely fascinating and satisfying.

Towards the end of the book, Harmon brings up the debate on the phrases regarding faith – do they refer to “faith in Christ’ or “the faithfulness of Christ?” Harmon is persuaded that the objective genitive makes the best sense, and the phrase refers to the believers’ faith in Jesus Christ.

Believers and the Family of God

A table of Old Testament passages Paul uses in Galatians concludes the book. It is a fitting way for Harmon to showcase his strengths in observing the entire Bible – noting the primacy of the Abrahamic covenant – and an ultimate fulfillment of believers belonging to the family of God.

I received a media copy of Galatians (EBTC) and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.