It was a distinct pleasure to read John Fesko's contribution to a body of new commentaries in Tolle Lege Press's Lectio Continua series. The introduction reminds the reader that "the greatest need of the church today is the recovery of sound biblical preaching that faithfully explains and applies the text, courageously confronts sin, and boldly trumpets forth the sovereign majesty, Law, and promises of God" (xv). Fesko's commentary is aimed precisely at accomplishing these goals.
The commentary is divided into twenty-two chapters, each dealing with a specific pericope in Paul's Letter to the Galatians. The author's introduction is brief but provides a good outline of the book. It also provides the reader with a helpful timeline, which is taken from the book of Acts. From there, Fesko launches into his explanation of this important New Testament letter. As I read, I observed a helpful balance of exposition and footnote references. The sources cited were solid scholars, and yet the footnotes were not overly scholarly, making the commentary accessible to pastor and layperson alike. It should be noted that Fesko uses footnotes sparingly, which gives him ample opportunity to explain the text within its context.
In addition, the commentary is interspersed with timely, contemporary
ecclesiastical events. For example, at the outset where Fesko comments on Paul regarding the exclusivity of the gospel, he cites Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States, who was asked, "Is belief in Jesus the only way to heaven?" Her response was sad but not surprising: "We who practice the Christian tradition understand him as our vehicle to the divine. But for us to assume that God could not act in other ways is, I think, to put God in an awfully small box."
Such a reference allows the pastor to draw a contemporary illustration about liberalism in Christianity, or what I like to call the New Religious Left. Schori's explanation does not mention faith, only practicing the Christian tradition’whatever that means. Moreover, Scripture teaches explicitly that Jesus is more than a "vehicle to the divine." Clearly, the bishop wants to open the door of salvation to those in different faiths who preach a "different gospel." Like some in the Galatian church of Paul's day, many in our own day shy away from Paul's anathema in order to posit a
"kinder, gentler, more tolerant" Christianity.
Fesko's style flows and is easy to read, which
enhances his commentary and makes it a pleasure to study. He makes ample use of both Old and New Testament texts to support his comments throughout. The reader is engaged by pertinent questions such as what is the message of the gospel (25)? Having already written a good book on the
doctrine of justification by faith alone, Fesko uses his knowledge on that subject to write on what
Galatians clearly teaches concerning this essential biblical truth, yet he does so in a way that makes the biblical concept
easily understood.
Fesko also briefly explores some important topics that are controversial in present-day discussions about covenant theology and the uses of the law. For example, he is convinced that the Mosaic covenant was a republication of the covenant of works. When dealing with Galatians 3:19’22 (why the law?), he comments that "God gave the law at Sinai indirectly, through mediators, through angels and through Moses, specifically to the nation of Israel, and he did this 430 years after he made the promise to Abraham" (72). In his view then, this means that "the Mosaic covenant was revocable, mediated through angels and Moses, and powerless to save" (73).
In a review this short, it is impossible to touch on all the chapters and comments. Let me just say that as a pastor I found the commentary helpful, containing insights I will definitely use in sermon preparation.
