Creed, Confession, and Cooperation
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 67, No. 2 - Spring 2025
Editor: Malcolm B. Yarnell III
By Michael H. Burer. Bellingham, Washington: Lexham Academic, 2024, 575pp., $69.99.
Michael H. Burer is the Dean of Faculty Development and Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author of Divine Sabbath at Work and co-author of A New Reader’s Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. This volume on Galatians in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series provides exegetical, pastoral, and theological insights to scholars, pastors, and lay people. The content of Burer’s commentary aligns with an evangelical perspective, recognizing the authority of Scripture for the purpose of providing a guide to faithful living.
Burer addresses the critical issues in his “Introduction,” dividing the letter into twenty-one individual passages which serve as chapters for the commentary. Each chapter is given a thematic title. The chapter content follows a particular sequence: “Text Critical Notes,” “Translation,” “Commentary,” “Theological Comments,” “Application and Devotional Implications,” and a “Selected Bibliography.” On occasion supplemental sections are provided, such as “Additional Exegetical Comments” or an “Excursus.” Examples of excursuses include: “The meaning of πίστεως Ίησοũ Χριστοũ” (216–20); “Spiritualization of the Land Promises” (295–97); “Paul’s Hermeneutic in Gal. 3:6–14” (277–78).
In the Introduction (1–21), Burer divides the letter of Galatians as follows (19): “Introduction” (1:1–5), “Personal defense of Paul’s gospel” (1:6–2:21), “An exegetical, theological defense of Paul’s gospel” (3:1–
4:31), “Proper outworking of Paul’s gospel in community” (5:1–6:10), and “Benediction” (6:11–20). Burer affirms an earlier date of 49 A.D. for the letter based on Paul’s writing to the churches that he established in southern Asia Minor. The “three years” (Gal. 1:18) and “fourteen years” (Gal. 2:21) are concurrent rather than consecutive (9). Burer accepts the view that Galatians 2:1–10 = Acts 11:27–30, and in this manner, the Galatian 2 visit functions as an event increasing tension that leads to the Jerusalem Council. Paul writes his letter due to a pressing and immediate need. As to the opponents, Burer is careful not to consider them “believers” but concludes that they were likely Jews who had accepted Jesus as the Messiah but were quite different in their theology compared to Paul (14).
The Commentary follows a phrase-by-phrase analysis with verses in Koine Greek, not transliteration. Burer interacts with various exegetical commentaries when relevant, educating the reader in a balanced manner. The tone is formal, but the readability is quite fluid appealing to a range of readers, whether laypersons or academicians. In the “Exegetical” section, before Burer examines the meaning of individual phrases, he discusses Paul’s placement of each passage within the narrative, including comments on theological relevance as well as structural concerns. For example, when examining Galatians 2:15–21, Burer interacts with Betz’s rhetorical divisions and explains how this passage “summarizes and implies, concludes and previews” (169). Burer then describes how this passage informs a Protestant expression of soteriology, quoting Martin Luther, then describes how this passage is an important one for wrestling with the New Perspective on Paul. Burer also addresses the macro structure and the structure of the paragraph before offering his comments for each phrase of the passage.
Burer is careful to provide the reader with relevant information for translation accuracy. For example, when discussing Paul’s use of the verb προευαγγελίζομαι (Gal. 3:8), Burer points out how this verb is only used here in the NT, gives the results of a TLG search, and then interacts with the contemporary use of this verb in Philo, while paying close attention to grammatical elements. He concludes that Paul’s use of the verb is similar to the uses in Philo (translated “anticipates”) in an almost technical sense but building on the more common verb: “to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in advance or before in time” (254).
A representative analysis from the commentary might provide a clearer understanding of Burer’s approach, such as his comments on Paul’s use of analogy in 4:21–31. In the “Textual Notes,” the author limits his remarks to what is most relevant to meaning, giving specific information on six of the variants in six verses (4:23, 25, 26, 28, 30, and 31). In the “Commentary” portion, Burer expresses confidence in Paul’s understanding on different levels while affirming Paul’s steadfast commitment (1) to the flow of the entire narrative and (2) to the maintaining of the Old Testament author’s intent. Burer explains that Paul retells the story with assurance in history, but Paul does so with the use of analogy. To do this, Burer engages the original text, primary sources, and quality commentaries in explaining the analogous reference points to determine Paul’s “plain meaning of the text” (396). Literary devices are recognized, and the explanations are replete with grammatical detail from the text—requiring some basic training in biblical Greek. On occasion, various views of a difficult word meaning are raised, such as Paul’s use of “allegorize” (401). Allusions and echoes of Paul’s topics from the LXX and Isaiah are teased out, and brief explanations are appropriately given in tracing the history of interpretation for a specific view, such as when discussing Paul’s analogous use of “Hagar” (403). Yet all of this is done in a readable style which seems to contrast the approaches of some exegetical commentaries that often list detail or information in a less developed manner. In addition, in the “Application” section, Burer underscores Paul’s anchoring of his theology in the text and in Paul’s Damascus Road experience.
Burer does not hesitate to state his perspective giving the reader a sense that he is leading the discussion. The skill in which this volume was written is at a high level—the author synthesizes a considerable amount of material while interacting with the original language. He also presents the information in a manner that engages the reader directly. Burer has overcome the problem of a boring commentary without sacrificing exegetical expertise. The footnotes are not distracting nor overwhelming, and the organizational divisions within each chapter provide consistency. The commentary seems to be a good fit for the advanced student or pastoral leader who prizes the original text whose time is scarce and who seeks to grasp Paul’s meaning. At times the “Theological” and “Application” sections seem brief, but to advance the discussion much more would require a two-volume work. Thus, gratitude is appropriate to the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series for enlisting Michael Burer to provide this valuable resource.
