Galatians and Ephesians Through OT Eyes: A Background and Application Commentary

by Gary M. Burge

Overview

A New Testament commentary steeped in the Old Testament.

Through Old Testament Eyes is a new kind of commentary series that illuminates the Old Testament backgrounds, allusions, patterns, and references that saturate the New Testament. These links were second nature to the New Testament authors and their audiences, but today’s readers often cannot see them. Bible teachers, preachers, and students committed to understanding Scripture will gain insight through these rich Old Testament connections, which clarify puzzling passages and explain others in fresh ways.

Galatians and Ephesians are steeped in Old Testament allusions and references. The author of these epistles was trained in rabbinic tradition, raised in Jewish culture, and deeply familiar with the Old Testament. If not properly recognized, the reader is hindered in their understanding of the Scriptures. Galatians and Ephesians Through Old Testament Eyes makes these connections clear, inviting the reader to understand Galatians and Ephesians as the biblical author intended. Author Gary M. Burge offers thorough commentary and real-world application for the scholar and student alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780825445187
Publisher:	Kregel Publications
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.64(d)

About the Author

(PhD, University of Aberdeen) has served on college and seminary faculties for forty years and today is Emeritus Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and Adjunct Professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary. He is the author of many books on the New Testament, including The New Testament in Antiquity, Jesus and the Land, John: The NIV Application Commentary, and Interpreting the Gospel of John.

Editorial Reviews

Reading the New Testament ‘through Old Testament eyes’ is not only a requirement of historical exegesis but also a theological and pastoral imperative: the very identity and mission of the church is conditioned by whether and how Israel’s Scriptures become ‘our story.’ Gary Burge’s Galatians and Ephesians Through Old Testament Eyes makes an important contribution to this essential hermeneutical task. Burge’s thorough—though not overbearing—analysis of Paul’s Old Testament intertexts invites readers to track the theological substructure of Paul’s argument, and thereby to find themselves in God’s story of cosmic redemption. Highly recommended.

Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, Jessup University (Rocklin) - Max Botner

The Apostle Paul’s epistles to the Galatians and Ephesians declare the profound truth that all who are in Christ are one people, a people marked by the transforming work of the Spirit. While this reality is widely recognized, readers may overlook the fact that Paul anchors much of his instruction in these writings on the truths and promises contained in Hebrew scriptures. Drawing upon his extensive knowledge of biblical backgrounds, Gary Burge’s illuminating study of Galatians and Ephesians explores in fascinating detail the ways in which Paul grounds much of his teaching on the Law, Prophets, and Writings. Readers will be left with a greater appreciation of the roots of their faith, the work of Christ, and the power of the gospel.

Professor of Biblical Studies, John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, Liberty University - Benjamin P. Laird

Gary Burge brings his expertise as a seasoned NT scholar to bear on this helpful commentary. Refusing to treat Galatians and Ephesians as isolated Christian texts, the volume skillfully bridges any seeming cultural and theological gaps to Old Testament and Second Temple backgrounds, illuminating the rich range of ancient Jewish metaphors and echoes in these important Pauline letters. In doing so, Burge weaves a tapestry of connections between Galatians and Ephesians to the voice of the Hebrew Scriptures, displaying a unified theological framework in divine, biblical revelation. The commentary is also full of helpful insights concerning relevant Greco-Roman influences within both epistles. This volume will quickly become my go-to commentary to inform my lectures, sermons, and other projects that delve into the language, culture, religious history, and beauty of Galatians and Ephesians. A stellar contribution to Kregel’s Through Old Testament Eyes series!

Professor of New Testament, Southern California Seminary, Scholar in Residence, Revolve Bible Church - Cory M. Marsh

Those who often measure the quality of a volume by its size will be pleasantly surprised by both the academic rigor and pastoral relevance of this concise commentary. Building on a careful examination of the structure of Galatians and Ephesians—as well as a close interaction of the Greek text—Burge is able to highlight the significance of Old Testament quotations, allusions, echoes, concepts, and institutions within these Pauline epistles. Moreover, in performing such intertextual explorations, Burge opens windows for modern readers to appreciate the power of these biblical texts in contemporary intercultural and intergenerational contexts, especially within a polarized society that desperately craves to hear the gospel afresh.

Academic Dean and Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School - David W. Pao

Like a museum docent who truly understands the story and the moods that a painting is meant to capture and the varied elements that the artist has drawn upon to make that painting a rich, evocative representation of that story, Gary Burge leads us reliably through the galleries of Galatians and Ephesians. He helps us attend to the pastoral needs that called forth these written interventions, to the ways in which the author has drawn upon the shared, authoritative material in the Hebrew Bible, and to the author's interpretation of the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the ongoing, normative force of those ancient texts. He truly helps us to read these texts not only ‘through Old Testament eyes,’ but also through the eyes of Greco-Roman culture and, most importantly, through the eyes of faith in the coming of the Messiah and the new age he has ushered in for Jew and Gentile in the one Body.

Trustees' Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Greek, Ashland Theological Seminary - David A. DeSilva

Gary M. Burge provides an excellent guide to these two Pauline letters, thoroughly exploring their Old Testament background while remaining clear and accessible. Not only does the scriptural context of the epistles come into crisp focus, Burge engages aspects of Paul’s world that require special attention with precision, allowing readers to view these writings with a newfound appreciation. What readers could easily miss Burge has drawn to the fore, which deepens our awareness of and respect for the Old Testament’s influence within Galatians and Ephesians.

Adjunct Professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary - Amber M. Dillon

Kregel’s Background and Application Commentary does far more than that title suggests. It offers a succinct, persuasive, evangelical commentary on one or more biblical books, while focusing via sidebars and pullouts on Old Testament backgrounds and contemporary significance. The high-quality standard set by the series’ initial volumes is preserved in Gary Burge’s newest contribution. Fully aware of the most cutting-edge scholarship, this commentary wears its learning very lightly. Burge’s explanations of Israel and the church (Galatians), and of household codes (Ephesians) are not to be missed.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Denver Seminary - Craig L. Blomberg

Burge has gifted us an excellent resource for reading Galatians and Ephesians through the lens of relevant Old Testament contexts. Paul’s discussions on matters such as grace, Jew and Gentile relations, the Spirit, righteousness, and holy living come alive as he appeals to their deep resonances in Israel’s Scriptures. Any student of Paul’s letters should get a copy of this book!

Associate Professor of New Testament and Greek, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary - Miguel G. Echevarría

Galatians and Ephesians Through Old Testament Eyes is a fine commentary for the lay reader. It works to defeat Bible literacy in the church. Back to the basics, its emphasis on Old Testament background helps enlighten the reader with the apostle Paul’s own canon. Professor Burge’s commentary, intended for ‘preachers, teachers, and other readers,’ is based on the Greek text. Burge gives good attention to the meaning of words as well as introduces readers to critical issues. Burge is fair to both the Reformed and Wesleyan traditions. A highpoint of his commentary is his vision of ‘Paul delighting in the picture of a Roman slave-woman preaching in one of Paul’s churches as Jews, free citizens, and men sat attentively.’ Burge concludes that Paul wants to overturn ‘the old order of the Roman household.’ Christians can trust that this commentary on Galatians and Ephesians is well-balanced, sound, easy to read, and yet encouraging the reader to imitate Paul’s vision for today.

Senior Professor of New Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary - Aída Besançon Spencer

Gary Burge is a first-rate scholar with a pastoral heart. Not surprisingly, then, this volume is both well-informed and eminently readable. Those who know the scholarly debates will recognize Burge’s awareness of those discussions. He knows the background, approaches the discussions fairly, and comes to reasoned conclusions throughout.

F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary - Craig S. Keener

You cannot read long in Paul’s letters before you encounter quotations from, allusions to, or echoes of Old Testament texts or ideas. Veteran biblical interpreter, Gary Burge, attends to these features in two of the apostle’s most powerful letters, Galatians and Ephesians; and he assists those of us less in tune to hear, indeed feel, their intense biblical resonances. Unlike some work in intertextuality, Burge does not rush immediately to the New Testament readings; he lingers first to listen to the Old Testament on its own terms.

Director of Academic Programming, Lanier Theological Library and Learning Center - David B. Capes

Burge is a seasoned scholar and an able guide through these two significant letters from Paul. He deftly handles cultural context and Old Testament background, opening our eyes to much that we may miss on our own. The result: a fresh encounter with the text, and motivation and preparation for the preacher or teacher who wants to communicate this word in our day.

Pastor, First Evangelical Covenant Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan - Craig Swanson

More than a book on ‘how Paul used the Old Testament,’ Burge’s commentary demonstrates that the Old Testament is the theological lens through which Paul wrote Galatians and Ephesians. Scholarly yet accessible to all readers, Burge explains the text, listening closely for allusions and echoes to Scripture and the theological concepts from the Old Testament that illuminate Paul’s letters. Paul builds Christian theology by weaving Old Testament ideas that were natural to him.

Professor of Biblical Studies, Grace Christian University - Phillip J. Long

For two relatively short letters, Galatians and Ephesians can be overwhelming—uncommon words, major theological concepts, reflections of very different social experiences, and biblical echoes bombard the reader in verse after verse. Gary Burge’s commentary expertly guides readers through the complexity. The mix of attention to the words Paul uses, the letters’ historical and social contexts, and their intricate relationship with the rest of the Bible provide a rich resource. Even more, Burge’s own pastoral sensitivity helps readers hear the living voice of these first century letters, to connect their challenge with our world.

Westmont College - Caryn A. Reeder