Galatians: Commentaries for Christian Formation (N.T. Wright) -- A Review

 

GALATIANS: Commentaries for Christian Formation. By N.T. Wright. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2021. Xix + 419 pages.

                Next to Paul’s letter to the Romans, his letter to the Galatians has perhaps been the most foundational text in Protestant self-understandings. It is here in one of Paul’s earliest letters that his vision of salvation is developed in the crucible of his debate with those known to us as Judaizers regarding circumcision. We hear in this letter about justification, grace, and faith, as well as the law. The question for modern readers, who do not find themselves in the same context, is what this means for us. For Protestants, the views of Martin Luther have colored the way the letter is read and understood. For most Protestants, this letter has to do with salvation, and salvation has to do with our heavenly destination. But what if heaven doesn’t have anything to do with this conversation? What then should we make of this text?  

                The non-specialist requires expert guidance to make sense of texts such as this. That expertise is often found in biblical commentaries, which can be highly technical that delve into the intricacies of the original language and any textual variants. These can be difficult to navigate. The interpretations found in these commentaries (as one would expect) is never neutral. The commentators bring their own theological presuppositions to the text. There are other kinds of commentaries that are rooted in scholarship but written in such a way that the non-specialist can make use of them. So, not all commentaries are alike.

                When it comes to a scholar like N.T. Wright, you kind of know what you’re going to get. You will get a well-informed critical but committed interpretation. Wright is known for his embrace of the importance of history when it comes to reading the text. He has been fully engaged in the conversation about what is sometimes called the “New Paul,” an interpretation of Paul that deviates from traditional Protestant orthodoxy. This vision seeks to understand Paul in his historical context as a Jewish Christian seeking to bring Gentiles into the fold so that together they form the new Israel of God. This scholarly approach is combined with what might be termed a moderate evangelicalism—it’s helpful to note that British evangelicals tend to be different from American types. As for Wright’s background, he is a well-regarded British New Testament scholar who has served as a Bishop in the Church of England. After leaving the episcopate he returned to the academy, serving as a professor at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

                This commentary on Paul’s letter to the Galatians written by N.T. Wright is the first volume in a new commentary series published by the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. The series carries the title Commentaries for Christian Formation. As for what that means, the editors of the series, Stephen Fowl, Jennie Grillo, and Robert Wall, write that the commentaries in this series seek to integrate the concerns of exegesis, preaching, teaching, and application. In doing so, the commentary is concerned with theology with being specifically a theological commentary series (see Westminster John Knox’s Belief series). The intended purpose for the series is the provision of a set of commentaries that will serve the church "by showing how sound theological exegesis can underwrite preaching and teaching, which in turn forms believers in the faith." (p. xi). Thus, this is a series concerned about exegesis but also theology in support of preaching and teaching.

                  In this particular commentary, Wright seeks to answer two questions. First, what did the text mean to Paul and his audience (historical)? Secondly, what does the text of Galatians have to do with Christian formation (contemporary application)? As Wright reads Galatians, Paul isn’t focusing his attention on justification by faith, which is the traditional Protestant interpretation, especially as rooted in Luther. The problem is that too often this has led to a focus on how we get to heaven, something Wright believes Paul didn't have in mind here. As he reads Galatians Paul is concerned with the emergence of the new creation in Christ, wherein Jew and Gentile become the one Israel of God. In other words, in Christ Gentiles join Jews as the seed of Abraham. AS Wright reads Galatians, Abraham isn't just an example of faith, he is the progenitor of the children of God. The concern for Paul here is the means by which Gentiles are included in the Israel of God. For Paul, inclusion comes through faith rather than circumcision. Here is the important thing, as Wright reads Paul, the issue is not, as Luther believed, faith versus works.

                If the question that Paul took up had to do with integrating Jewish and Gentile Christians into one community, what does Galatians have to say to us today since circumcision is no longer a concern for churches? As he has detailed in the commentary the traditional Protestant interpretation that focuses on getting to heaven does not seem to reflect Paul’s purpose, but rather entering the new creation/kingdom of God which is present here on earth as in heaven. Neither is Paul offering a word about tolerance, making it easier to enter the community (just faith no works). Instead, what Paul is offering here is, according to Wright, “a messianic eschatology with a messianic family at its heart” (p. 380).  For him, Jesus’ death and resurrection serve as a turning point in cosmic history, here is where Christian formation comes in, as participation in the messianic family involves  “a radical shift of lifestyle” so that Christians can, in the power of the Spirit, make a real difference in human lives and society (p. 381).

                It is difficult to summarize a biblical commentary. What I will say is that Wright offers us a different perspective on the letter that reflects his interpretation of Paul and Paul’s ministry. He believes strongly that Paul has something important to say to the church and the world. In other words, he is convinced that it is important that Christians embrace their calling to be children of Abraham, who not only follow his act of faith but fulfill Abraham’s calling to be a blessing to the nations. I will admit that I am more inclined than he is to believe that God is working on a two-track system in which Jews and non-Jews experience God’s covenant separately. But I find his emphasis on both being part of the Israel of God compelling.

                There is, therefore, much here in Wright's commentary on Galatians that is compelling, stimulating, insightful, and worthy of our attention. He brings together a theological interpretation that is fully rooted in an exegesis of the text that takes seriously Paul’s historical context as well as our own. While we all have our interpretive starting points, what is helpful here is that he is not limited by his Protestant/Reformed heritage. Wright isn't a liberal but he's not conservative either. In other words, he's hard to pin down. For the most part, I didn't have any real problems with his interpretation of Galatians. So, I believe it will prove to be quite useful. I know I will consult it as I engage with the text of Galatians. I look forward to seeing what the rest of the Commentaries for Christian Formation will look like once other volumes emerge since this is what I might expect from Wright.