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For more great commentaries on Galatians, be sure to check:
Commentaries on the Epistles, Commentaries on the Whole New Testament
& Whole Bible Commentaries
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Order of Contents 45+
The Best Commentaries 14
Commentaries 25
Early Church 5
Medieval Church 4
On Galatians Generally 1
Northern vs. Southern Galatia 7
Chapters in Galatians
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On the Galatian heresy:
“Circumcision or Christ – not circumcision and Christ.”
John ‘Rabbi’ Duncan
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The Best Commentaries on Galatians
Reformers
Luther, Martin – Commentary on Galatians Reformer
One exception that may be taken to this work is Luther’s teaching that Christ Himself became sin (that is: sinful) on the cross in order to make the Atonement. On the contrary the sacrifice must be pure, righteous and without sin in order to be effectual. There is a legal imputation of sin, but not an infusing thereof. See John Murray on “The Imputation of Adam’s Sin” for a corrective to Luther on this point.
*** “‘I prefer this book of Martin Luther’s (except the Bible) before all the books that I have ever seen, as most fit for a wounded conscience.’ – Bunyan. This is a great historic work, and is beyond criticism, on account of its great usefulness. As a comment its accuracy might be questioned; but for emphatic utterances and clear statements of the great doctrine of the Epistle it remains altogether by itself, and must be judged per se.” – Spurgeon
Calvin, John – Sermons on Galatians ToC d. 1564
*** – Spurgeon
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1600’s
Dickson, David – An Exposition of all St. Paul’s Epistles together with an explanation of those other epistles of the apostles St. James, Peter, John & Jude, wherein the sense of every chapter and verse is analytically unfolded and the text enlightened (Romans-Jude) Buy 1659
Dickson was a prominent Scottish covenanter.
*** – ‘Dickson is a writer after our own heart. For preachers he is a great ally. There is nothing brilliant or profound; but everything is clear and well arranged, and the unction runs down like the oil from Aaron’s head. In this volume the observations are brief.’
Fergusson, James – A Brief Exposition of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and the Thessalonians Buy 1656-74
Fergusson was a Scottish covenanter.
*** – ‘He who possesses this work is rich. The author handles his matter in the same manner as Hutcheson and Dickson, and he is of their class–a grand, gracious, savory divine.’
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Simple & Non-Technical 1700’s
Boston, Thomas – A Paraphrase upon the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians 33 pp. in Works, 6:240-77
Riccaltoun, Robert – Notes and Observations on the Epistle to the Galatians d. 1769 480 pp.
Great preaching! Riccaltoun was one of the leading Marrow men.
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Intermediate
1800’s
Bayley, E. – Commentary on Galatians 1869
*** “Upon each portion there is a commentary, a paraphrase and a sermon and thus the author conveys a considerable amount of instruction. He is thoroughly evangelical and his style is clear.” – Spurgeon
Brown, John, of Edinburgh – An Exposition of Galatians Foreign languages are kept to the footnotes for the most part.
Brown, the grandson of John Brown of Haddington, was an eminent professor in the Scottish Secession Church.
“Perhaps one of the most satisfactory commentaries for the expository preacher.” – Cyril J. Barber
Lange’s Commentary – Commentary on Galatians by Otto Schmoller
*** – Spurgeon
Lightfoot, J.B. – Galatians, Revised Text with Introductions, Notes and Dissertations 1870 Foreign languages are for the most part kept to the footnotes.
Lightfoot was a mid-1800’s, conservative Anglican Bible scholar though he had some liberal tendencies.
*** – The Spectator says: ‘There is no commentator at once of sounder judgment, and more liberal, than Dr. Lightfoot.'” – Spurgeon
“An important study which cannot be overlooked or ignored. Without question on one of the greatest commentaries on the Greek text of this epistle. The essays included in each work are always important.” – Cyril J. Barber
MacGregor, James – The Epistle of Paul to the Churches of Galatia, with Introduction and Notes 1881 in Hand-Books for Bible Classes, ed. Dods & Whyte
MacGregor was a professor in the Free Church of Scotland.
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1900’s
Machen, J. Gresham – Notes on Galatians Buy
Machen was one of the leading founders of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and Westminster Seminary.
Pipa, Joey – Galatians: God’s Proclamation of Liberty Buy 2010 272 pp.
Dr. Pipa is a the president of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
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Advanced
1800’s
Eadie, John – Commentary on Galatians
Eadie was a renowned, Scottish professor in the United Presbyterian Church.
*** “This is a most careful attempt to ascertain the meaning of the Apostle by a painstaking analysis of his words. The author is not warped by any system of theology, but yet he does not deviate from recognized evangelical truth. As a piece of honest grammatical exegesis the value of this commentary is very great, though there is room to differ from it here and there.” – Spurgeon
“Expositions on several of Paul’s letters to the churches of the New Testament era followed [by Eadie], and it is significant that Dr. C.J. Ellicott considered them to be superior to anything in England up to that time.” “Scholarly, practical, and designed for those with a knowledge of Greek.” – Cyril J. Barber
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1900’s
Bruce, F.F. – The Epistle to the Galatians: a Commentary on the Greek Text Buy 1982 280 pp. in The New International Greek Testament Commentary
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Commentaries on Galatians
1500’s
Bray, Gerald – Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Galatians, Ephesians Buy
Prime, John – An Exposition & Observations upon St. Paul to the Galatians, Together with Incident Questions Debated & Motives Removed 1587
Prime (1550-1596) was reformed.
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1600’s
Perkins, William – A Commentary or Exposition upon Galatians 1-5 d. 1602
** “Perkins was justly esteemed by his contemporaries as a master in theology. This commentary is deeply theological, and reads like a body of divinity: truth compels us to confess that we find it dull.” – Spurgeon
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Simple, Brief & Devotional
1800’s
Hawker, John – Bible Thoughts in Quiet Hours: St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians
** “These ‘thoughts’ are sound and edifying. The book does not profess to be a thorough exposition.” – Spurgeon
Pearson, Samuel – Sermons on the Epistle to the Galatians Buy 1874
** “Discourses worthy of the successor of [T.] Spencer [from Hoxton] and [T.] Raffies [from Homerton].” – Spurgeon [For a short biographical sketch of both of these English preachers, see here.]
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1900’s
Girdlestone, Robert Blair – St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians: a Devotional Commentary Buy 1928 190 pp.
Harrison, Norman – His Side Versus Our Side, Galatians: God’s Great Antithesis Buy 1940
“A brief devotional exposition.” – Cyril J. Barber
Hamilton, Floyd E. – Epistle to the Galatians: a Study Manual Buy 1954
Rev. Hamilton was reformed. He graduated from Princeton Seminary in 1919 (Th.B.) and 1926 (Th.M.), was ordained and served as a missionary to Korea.
Hamilton was a founding member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, but transferred his credentials into the Presbyterian Church, U.S. (aka, Southern) in 1955 and served his last pastorate, 1964-1969, in a Reformed Presbyterian, General Synod church in Indianapolis.
“A helpful, brief study manual.” – Cyril J. Barber
Strauss, Lehman – Devotional Studies in Galatians and Ephesians Buy 1957
“Well-outlined devotional messages aimed at expounding the text and edifying believers. Practical, evangelical, and Christ-centered.” – Cyril J. Barber
Packer, J.I. – ‘Galatians’ in The Biblical Expositor: The Living Theme of the Great Book with General and Introductory Essays and Exposition, vol. 3 Buy ed. Carl Henry 1960
This little known commentary set by leading evangelicals (many of which were reformed) is brief (think airplane view) but helpful.
Stott, John – The Message of Galatians Buy in The Bible Speaks Today
“A brilliant series of expository messages.” – Cyril J. Barber
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Intermediate
1800’s
Godwin, John – The Epistle of St. Paul to Galatians, a New Translation with Critical Notes and Doctrinal Lessons 1871
** “A helpful translation, with good textual notes.” – Spurgeon
Haldane, James – An Exposition of Galatians, Showing that the Present Divisions Among Christians Originate in Bending the Ordinances of the Old and New Covenants 1848
Haldane was a Scottish congregationalist, and, in later years, a baptist. The latter position underlies his hard contrast between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant in the book of Galatians (and in Hebrews), which was the primary reason for him writing these commentaries: to exposit an alternate view of covenant theology that was not shared in mainstream reformed theology.
** “This work has never been popular, because the author in the third chapter discusses the question of baptism. This is a fault of which we may say as the Papist said of venial sin: ‘It deserves to be forgiven.'” – Spurgeon
Olshausen, H. – Biblical Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians 1851
Olshausen was a liberal.
** “Olshausen is mentioned by Alford as so rich in original material, that he has often cited him in his ‘New Testament for English Readers’. He is one of the most devout of the Germans, and a great scholar; but we are not enamored of him.” – Spurgeon
Pridham, A. – Notes and Reflections on the Epistle to the Galatians 1872
** “Pridham is, we suppose, of the moderate Brethren school, but he is not carried away by any theory, being essentially a man of sober mind.” – Spurgeon
Schaff, Philip – Galatians in A Popular Commentary on the New Testament 1879
Schaff (1819–1893), the famed Church historian and N.T. scholar, came from a German-Reformed background, though was also the lead proponent of the High-Church Mercersburg Theology.
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1900’s
Ramsay, William M. – A Historical Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians Buy 1900
Ramsay (1851–1939) was a Scottish archeologist, New Testament scholar and the foremost authority in his day on Asia Minor.
Ramsay was the one that first lighted upon and defended the ‘Southern Galatia View’, that the book of Galatians was written to churches primary in the southern political province of Galatia, rather than to churches in the northern geographical province of Galatia.
After a lifetime of research, from initially being skeptical of the early Church history recorded in Acts, he came to the conclusion that “it was written with such judgment, skill, art and perception of truth as to be a model of historical statement” and that “You may press the words of Luke [who wrote Acts] in a degree beyond any other historian’s and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment…”
“Surprisingly rich in background material and deals expertly with the geography, culture, and history of the times. Champions the South Galatia theory and, as such, deserves careful consideration.” – Cyril J. Barber
Williams, A. Lukyn – The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, with Introduction and Notes 1914 215 pp.
“A handy, helpful, exegetical study.” – Cyril J. Barber
Tenney, Merrill C. – Galatians, the Charter of Christian Liberty Buy 1950 193 pp.
“Designed to help students of the Word grapple with the text firsthand. Approaches the epistle from synthetic, critical, biographical, and devotional points of view. Excellent.” – Cyril J. Barber
Cole, Robert Alan – The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians Buy 1965 in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries
“Readable, informative, and suggestive.” – Cyril J. Barber
Hendricksen, William – New Testament Commentary: Galatians Buy 1968
“Prefaced with an extensive introduction giving the arguments for both the North and the South Galatian theories. As always, the writer’s exposition is very complete, and applies the text in a meaningful and practical manner. Not all will agree with the ‘two covenants’ of Galatians 4:24. A conservative exposition which deserves a place on every pastor’s bookshelf. Reformed.” – Cyril J. Barber
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Advanced
1800’s
Bagge, Henry – St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, the Text Revised and Illustrated by a Commentary 1856
** “Simply a revised text and critical notes.” – Spurgeon
Ellicott, Charles J. – A Critical and Grammatical Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians 1876 290 pp.
“A critical and grammatical handling of the text, which retains its value and can be used by preachers who are able to work from the original text.” – Cyril J. Barber
Findlay, George – The Epistle to the Galatians 1893 470 pp.
“A scholarly, succinct, and relevant exposition which may well be regarded as one of the more important treatments.” – Cyril J. Barber
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1900’s
Burton, Ernest DeWitt – A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Galatians 1921 645 pp. in The International Critical Commentary
Burton was a liberal, American Biblical scholar at the University of Chicago, known for his Greek grammar.
“A most extensive, satisfactory commentary based on the Greek text.” – Cyril J. Barber
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The Early Church on Galatians
Compilation
Edwards, Mark – Ancient Christian Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians Buy
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Individual Fathers
Ambrosiaster – Commentaries on Galatians-Philemon Buy
Chrysostom – Homilies on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews
** ‘Enough of solid truth and brilliant utterance will be found here to justify this father’s title of ‘Golden Mouth’; but still all is not gold which fell from his lips, and to modern readers Chrysostom is not so instructive as he was to his own age [A.D. 349-407].’ – Spurgeon
Marius Victorinus – Commentary on Galatians Buy
Jerome – Commentary on Galatians Buy
Augustine – Commentary on Galatians Buy Here is a review.
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The Medieval Church on Galatians
Compilation
ed. Haimo of Auxerre & Bruno the Carthusian – The Letter to the Galatians Buy Includes sections from Peter Lombard, Robert of Melun, Robert Grosseteste and Nicolas of Lyra
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Individual
Nicholas of Lyra – Literal Commentary on Galatians Buy
Aquinas, Thomas – Commentary on Galatians
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Northern vs. Southern Galatia
Intro
The traditional view from the early Church up through the late-1800’s was that the Letter to the Galatians was written to the churches in the geographic region of Galatia in Asia Minor, including the northern part.
In the late-1800’s William Ramsay, a noted archaeologist of Asia Minor, put forward a full defense of the view (which had precedents earlier in the century) that the letter was written primarily to the churches in the Roman province of Galatia which resided in the south of the larger geographical territory, and included the major cities thereof.
No doctrinal teachings are affected in taking either view, though it does affect in a small degree, besides the intended audience of the letter, its date, place of composition and how that synthesizes with Paul’s various missionary journeys and the events recorded of in Acts.
Both sides are competent positions, though the majority of N.T. scholars today have been persuaded by the Southern viewpoint (though that viewpoint is not without its difficulties). For a comprehensible (though not always easy) survey of the issues and arguments involved, see Daniel Wallace’s article below.
For more resources to look at on the topic, see our webpage section, New Testament Survey and Introduction, which works give background material (including the audience, date and composition) of each book of the N.T.
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The Northern Galatia Viewpoint
(in the order of shortest to most detailed)
Olshausen, Hermann – Introduction: §1. Of the Province of Galatia, as also of the Time and Place of the Composition of the Epistle to the Galatians 1851 7 pp. in Biblical Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Thessalonians pp. 1-7
Moffatt, James – Galatians, §4. The Destination 1911 11 pp. in An Introduction to the Literature of the New Testament, pp. 90-101
Lightfoot, J.B. – Introduction: II. The Churches of Galatia 1870 16 pp. in St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, a Revised Text, with Introduction, Notes and Dissertations, pp. 25-41 There is also information on the topic in chapter 1, starting at p. 15.
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The Southern Galatia Viewpoint
(in order of shortest to most detailed)
Wallace, Daniel – ‘I. Introduction’ 2009 31 paragraphs in ‘Galatians: Introduction, Argument and Outline’
Wallace, a N.T. professor at Dallas Theological Seminary is known for his excellent grammar on the Greek of the New Testament.
Eadie, John – Introduction: I. The Province of Galatia 1869 14 pp. in A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, pp. xiii-xxvii
Zahn, Theodore – III. The Three Oldest Epistles of Paul: §11 Galatia and the Galatians 1917 20 pp. in Introduction to the New Testament, pp. 173-193 Relevant information is also found in the preceding section: §10 The Historical Presuppositions and the Occasion of the Epistle to the Galatians, pp. 164-173
Ramsay, William M. – Historical Introduction: Society and Religion in Central Asia Minor in the Time of St. Paul 1900 234 pp. in A Historical Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians
Ramsay (1851–1939) was a Scottish archaeologist, New Testament scholar and the foremost authority in his day on Asia Minor.
Ramsay was the one that first lighted upon and defended the ‘Southern Galatia View’, that the book of Galatians was written to churches primary in the southern political province of Galatia, rather than to churches in the northern geographical province of Galatia.
After a lifetime of research, from initially being skeptical of the early Church history recorded in Acts, he came to the conclusion that “it was written with such judgment, skill, art and perception of truth as to be a model of historical statement” and that “You may press the words of Luke [who wrote Acts] in a degree beyond any other historian’s and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment…”
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On Galatians Generally
Mauro, Philip – Our Liberty in Christ: a Study in Galatians n.d. early 1900’s 210 pp.
Mauro gives chapters on 18 themes through Galatians.
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Galatians 2-3
Torshell, Samuel – The Three Questions of Free Justification, Christian Liberty, The Use of the Law, Explicated in a Brief Comment on St. Paul to the Galatians, from 2:16 – 3:26 1632
Torshell (1604-1650) was English and reformed.
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Galatians 5
Barclay, William – Flesh and Spirit: an Examination of Gal. 5:19-23 Buy 1962
“A valuable series ably contrasting the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit.” – Cyril J. Barber
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Related Pages