EVANGELICAL EXEGETICAL COMMENTARY

GALATIANS

Michael H. Burer

Galatians

Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

Copyright 2024 Michael H. Burer

Lexham Academic, an imprint of Lexham Press

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

Print ISBN 9781683597506

Digital ISBN 9781683597513

Library of Congress Control Number 2023948049

Series Editors: Tremper Longman III, Andreas J. Köstenberger, Benjamin L. Gladd

Lexham Editorial: Derek R. Brown, John Barach, Erin Magnum

Cover Design: Brittany Schrock, Fanny Palacios

To my wife, Melony, and my children, Michael, Madeline, and Max.

Thank you for your constant love and support!

Commentary Editors

General Editor

Tremper Longman III

Senior Old Testament Editor

David T. Lamb

Assistant Old Testament Editor

JoAnna M. Hoyt

Senior New Testament Editor

Andreas J. Köstenberger

Assistant New Testament Editor

Benjamin L. Gladd

Previous Commentary Editors

General Editor (2009–2022)

H. Wayne House

Old Testament Editor (2009–2022)

William D. Barrick

New Testament Editor (2009–2020)

W. Hall Harris

Assistant New Testament Editor (2011–2020)

Andrew W. Pitts

Contents

Commentary Editors

Acknowledgments

Editors’ Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

1:1–5 Grace and Peace from God and Christ

1:6–10 The Problem of a Different Gospel

1:11–24 Paul Defends his Gospel

2:1–10 Paul’s Interaction with the Jerusalem Apostles

2:11–14 Paul’s Conflict with Peter

2:15–21 The Nature of the Gospel

3:1–5 The Proof of the Spirit

3:6–14 The Identity of “Sons of Abraham”

3:15–18 The Permanence of Promise

3:19–22 The Purpose of the Law

3:23–29 The Arrival of Faith

4:1–7 The Redemption of the Heir

4:8–11 A Challenge Not to Turn Back

4:12–20 Proper Imitation of Paul

4:21–31 Proof from the Old Testament

5:1–6 A Proclamation of Freedom

5:7–12 The Power of Paul’s Persuasion

5:13–26 Freedom in Christ, Lived by the Spirit

6:1–5 Manifestations of the Spirit (Part 1)

6:6–10 Manifestations of the Spirit (Part 2)

6:11–18 Conclusion of the Letter

Bibliography

Scripture Index

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank the following people for their gracious support throughout this project:

• the administration of Dallas Theological Seminary for sabbatical leaves during 2010–2011 and 2019–2020, which enabled substantial time for research and writing;

• my colleagues in the New Testament Department at DTS for their encouragement;

• my interns at DTS during the writing of this commentary who supplied research help and sharpened my thinking: Raymond Baclit, Greg Barnhill, Peter Battaglia, Sarah Cramer Cho, Marjorie Cooper, Chris Frost, Josh Kocher, Aaron Massey, Daniel Pfeifer, Stephen Prabhakar, Bradley Smith, Robin Thompson, Daniel Walter, and Jeff Wipplinger.

To our Lord Jesus Christ be all the glory!...