Creed, Confession, and Cooperation
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 67, No. 2 - Spring 2025
Editor: Malcolm B. Yarnell III
By Gary M. Burge. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2025, 320 pp., Paperback, $28.99.
In this commentary, Gary Burge takes the reader on a journey through Galatians and Ephesians with constant reference to the Old Testament. He brings into the conversation numerous Old Testament characters, images, phrases, concepts, and themes. The introduction to the commentary reveals a great deal about how Burge understands these biblical books and how he will explain them. In the introduction, he describes a late ancient Jewish synagogue found at Beit Alpha. The sanctuary contains a mosaic floor which has been recovered. On the mosaic’s perimeter, one finds familiar Jewish symbols, but the largest part of the floor depicts the sun god with chariot surrounded by signs of the zodiac. This image appears out of place to most contemporary visitors who hold certain expectations for a Jewish synagogue. The meaning or significance of the image within a Jewish synagogue has been lost due to historical and cultural distance. Burge compares the books of Galatians and Ephesians to this strange image. Burge argues that just as the distance (historical, geographic, cultural, intellectual, etc.) between the synagogue building and today’s context creates barriers to understanding the original meaning of the mosaic, so also the distance between the biblical books and today’s context creates barriers to understanding the original meaning of these books, although much of what they present may seem familiar to us.
As a result, Burge spends most of his time explaining the biblical books by addressing the original context in which they were written, especially for Galatians. Part of this original context includes the Old Testament backdrop to Paul and those early churches. Burge maintains almost constant contact with Old Testament images and themes with two notable features. First, he characterizes Paul as free “to find meanings in these scriptures that were not originally intended in order to apply them in fresh contexts and give them to Jesus where we’d least expect it” (159). Second, Burge often moves beyond the Old Testament itself, addressing Second Temple Judaism and the religious and cultural developments that took place between the events of the Old Testament and those of the New. For an excellent example, see the discussion regarding Jews and Gentiles in Christ (200–1).
This interpretive and cultural backdrop influences Burge’s interpretation, especially regarding Paul, Judaism, the law, grace, and the church. Burge is quite familiar with recent scholarly conversations, influencing his understanding in significant ways as the following examples demonstrate. First, regarding the problem of the Judaizers in Galatians, he states that they are not teaching that law-keeping (e.g., circumcision) is necessary for salvation, but that law-keeping (e.g., circumcision) is a necessary entailment of salvation, marking the law-keepers as true believers (36). Second, regarding the nature of grace, he follows Barclay’s work Paul and the Gift, understanding grace as a gift freely extended, but also one that brings obligations for the one who accepts it; therefore, “God’s mercy and grace is balanced by his justice and expectations” (78). Third, because of the public political powers of imperial cult and the local temple cult as well as the deeply held beliefs about “malevolent spiritual powers” associated with mystery religions, Paul emphasizes the power of God over all authorities (164–5). Fourth, regarding the ordering of the community, Burge interprets many of Paul’s admonitions as either upending or subverting expectations of Roman hierarchy.
Burge does not limit his commentary just to comments about the historical, however. He also addresses theological formulations and contemporary applications. As far as theological formulations are concerned, he cautions against over-interpreting the biblical language. For instance, when explaining Ephesians 1:5, he addresses the term translated “predestined” by warning that it “should not be over-interpreted” (173). He continues that it is “not a finely worked out determinism but a decision from the start to bring men and women into his [God’s] family to participate in this plan” (173). As far as contemporary applications are concerned, Burge often takes aim at certain aspects of conservative evangelicalism. He criticizes certain forms of support for modern Israel, certain views of immigration policy, and patriarchal authority. Moreover, his egalitarian views regarding church and family show up often in the commentary.
Biblical commentary is an interesting genre. On the one hand, commentaries resemble reference works like dictionaries or encyclopedias. They often provide immediate help for a question regarding a specific passage. On the other hand, commentaries resemble standard monographs with a thesis and an argument running through the entire volume. This commentary resembles the latter more. It succeeds at providing a commentary of New Testament texts in constant contact with the Old Testament. At the same time, the commentary’s perspective is not limited to the Old Testament. It draws heavily on the historical and cultural background of the New Testament period, often linking aspects of the early Jewish background to the Old Testament. In line with the author’s purpose, the commentary resembles a journey through an ancient site, sometimes familiar and other times strange. Furthermore, what it does best is give a tour through these books against this backdrop.
