New Testament

Michael H. Burer and David B. Kieffer, 1 Corinthians (Kerux)

Burer, Michael H. and David B. Kieffer. 1 Corinthians. A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching. Kerux Commentaries. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Ministry, 2026. 367 pp. Hb. $34.99   Link to Kregel Ministry  

Kregel’s Kerux commentary series combines an exegetical commentary with preaching pointers to help pastors and teachers prepare sermons and lessons for the church. In this new commentary on 1 Corinthians, Michael H. Burer (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) has served as dean of faculty and professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. Lexham published his commentary on Galatians in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series (reviewed here). He was an editor and assistant project director for the NET Bible and edited John Glynn’s Best Bible Books (Kregel 2018, reviewed here). David B. Kieffer has a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary with an emphasis in homiletics. He served as pastor of Redemption Bible Church in McKinney, Texas.

Burer 1 Corinthians Kerux

The authors divide 1 Corinthians into eight sections (including an introduction and conclusion, so really six major sections). First Corinthians has a very clear outline, and these sections are not unusual. They further subdivide these sections into twenty-six preaching units. In the brief nine-page introduction, they state that 1 Corinthians is best seen through a pastoral lens rather than a single theological theme (43). Members of the Corinthian church struggled with their identity in Christ and with how to live it out in a cosmopolitan city like Corinth.

That Paul is the author of the letter is not controversial, nor is their assertion that it is the second letter written to the church. The first is lost and not interpolated into 1 Corinthians (38). After briefly reviewing the church’s founding (Acts 18), the introduction offers a short overview of Corinth’s history (both Greco-Roman and Jewish backgrounds). Since Greco-Roman culture plays a critically important role in interpreting 1 Corinthians, more than any other of Paul’s letters, this section should have been more developed. This is especially true since the church struggled with its Christian identity while living in a thoroughly Roman context.

The exegetical sections of each preaching unit move through the text several verses at a time, commenting on key words and phrases. Burer’s exegesis is not overly technical, although he must occasionally deal with Greek syntax. Occasionally, this is accomplished in sidebars. For example, he comments on the phrases “faith in the Spirit” or “faith (given) by the Spirit” in 12:9, discussing the difference between the two prepositions (267). More often, Burer compares English translations in a different-looking sidebar entitled “Translation Analysis.” These will be very helpful for pastors, since most congregations use several translations that can differ at times. These sidebars help a busy pastor explain why the NIV uses one phrase, while the ESV uses a slightly different one. Even though Greek is not transliterated, the body of the commentary will not be difficult for readers without Greek training. Although Burer interacts with major commentaries, they are cited briefly in the text and do not disrupt the commentary’s flow.

Although Kieffer’s homiletical section is briefer than those of other recent Kerux commentaries, it is still helpful because it draws out the key theological themes from the preaching unit and offers an outline for a sermon. Each preaching and teaching strategies section concludes with  “creativity in presentation.”  Here, Kieffer suggests several illustrations to help draw people into the sermon. There is less “pop culture” than usual (no C.S. Lewis, Lord of the Rings, or superhero movies). Many suggestions are more “active,” asking the audience to consider something (and at one point, even assigning homework!)

There are several controversial passages in 1 Corinthians that some readers will immediately check to gauge the commentators’ theology. I am not sure this is fair, but it often helps. For example, Paul makes some difficult comments on the veiling of women in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. After reviewing some Greco-Roman background, Burer suggests that Paul makes a Reductio ad absurdum argument: if a woman is going to ignore cultural norms, she should go all the way and “appear mannish” (239). Commenting on 11:3, “Man has authority over woman in the church” (240), and a woman removing the veil for prayer is disrespectful toward those in authority over her. In the preaching strategies section, Kieffer observes that this is indeed one of the most difficult passages to preach in the New Testament because it concerns cultural standards at the time. He states that the passage focuses on the hierarchy between men and women, but also on how men and women glorify God in complementary ways.

A similar difficult passage is 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, where Paul says women ought to remain silent in church. Burer dismisses Fee’s argument that these verses are a later interpolation into the text in a footnote. “I do not agree with his conclusions, but any serious student must understand and wrestle with his arguments” (303). For Burer, silence is contextual, not absolute. Paul is addressing disruptions during worship, leading to chaos in the church. Since the context is “leading and guiding the church,” women need to be subject to male leaders. Earlier in the chapter, Paul tells people to speak in tongues one at a time, with the rest remaining silent in order to avoid chaos during worship (303). In this passage, he tells women who are asking disruptive questions to remain silent. He points out that both men and women learn during a church service, but it is shameful to be disruptive. Kieffer addresses this in the preaching strategies section by focusing exclusively on orderly worship (as Paul does) to attract outsiders.

For both issues, the culture of Roman Corinth sheds more light than this commentary allows. Although there is some recognition of this fact, sidebars might have been used to develop relevant cultural issues more fully. For 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, there is one sidebar on Paul’s Argument from Culture, but nothing illustrating the culture of Rome. Burer approves of Keener’s argument that women were less educated in a footnote, but also points out that Paul is not discussing educating women in this passage. This shortage of cultural data is likely a result of constraints on commentary size and series requirements. I also recognize this critique is “that’s not what I would have done,” which is not always appropriate in a book review.

Conclusion. Bruer and Kieffer achieve the goals of the Kerux series by providing quality exegesis and relevant preaching tips. Busy pastors will find much in this commentary to help them prepare sermons or Bible studies.

Other volumes reviewed in this series:

NB: Thanks to Kregel for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.

John M. Soden and Randal Emery Pelton, Genesis (Kerux)

Soden, John M. and Randal Emery Pelton. Genesis. A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching. Kerux Commentaries. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Ministry, 2025. 752 pp. Hb. $54.99   Link to Kregel Ministry  

Kregel’s Kerux commentary series combines a rich exegetical commentary with timely preaching in order to help pastors and teachers prepare sermons and lessons for the church. In this new commentary on Genesis, exegete John M. Soden (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) combines pastoral experience and academic credentials. Soden previously published In the Beginning… We Misunderstood: Interpreting Genesis 1 in Its Original Context (with Johnny V. Miller, Kregel, 2012). The preaching sections are written by Randal Emery Pelton (PhD, Capital Seminary & Graduate School; DMin, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary). Pelton serves as senior pastor at Calvary Bible Church in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania (since 2003), and adjunct faculty at Lancaster Bible College, Capital Bible Seminary, and Gordon-Conwell. He previously published Preaching with Accuracy (Kregel Ministry, 2015, reviewed here). His website, Pelton on Preaching, aims to help pastors preach with precision and passion.

Kerux Genesis

Soden and Pelton divide Genesis into four major sections and forty-five preaching units.

  • Genesis 1:1-11:9—The Primeval Narratives
  • Genesis 11:10-25:11—The Abraham Narratives
  • Genesis 25:19-37:1—The Jacob Narratives
  • Genesis 37:2-50:26—The Fourth Generation Narratives

Notice that the genealogy in Genesis 25:12-18 is missing. They call this “Family History of Ismael.” They provide three paragraphs of explanation, but do not consider the genealogy a preaching unit. Each major section is introduced with several pages on its literary structure, theological themes, and preaching suggestions. This will be helpful, since most pastors and teachers will not teach the entire book of Genesis in a single long series. Pastors should select one of these four units as a sermon series (your congregation will appreciate this). Weird observation: these sections are a single column, while most of the rest of the commentary is two-column.

A “preaching unit” is a section that can reasonably be covered in a single sermon or teaching session. The authors provide a one-sentence exegetical idea, a theological focus, and a preaching idea for each unit. These should look familiar to those who have read Haddon Robinson on preaching. These are one-sentence summaries of what the sermon should look like. Following this are two paragraphs of “preaching pointers.” This material is gathered on pages 13-48 and repeated at the beginning of each preaching unit.

The twenty-page introduction seems brief, considering seven pages discuss structure and outline (contrasting the Tolodoth structure with Gary Rendsburg’s work on Genesis). This is the nature of the Kerux series; the commentary is much more interested in the text of Genesis than in typical introductory issues. If the book is taken at face value, Moses is the author. But this does not imply that Moses wrote every word in the book (although this introduction does not discuss source criticism, traditional history, etc.) A decision on authorship will affect the date and place of writing. Even if the traditional authorship is accepted, the date of the Exodus is an open question. Nevertheless, they conclude that the occasion and the original recipients were Israel after coming out of Egypt, likely during the wilderness period.

As with other volumes in the Kerux series, there are numerous sidebars discussing cultural and historical issues. In this, there are interesting sidebars on cosmic conflict, surrogate wives, dreams, Levirate marriage, covenant meals, the adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh, the identity of Jacob’s assailant, household gods, and marriage contracts (and many, many more). In addition to these, there are extensive “translation analysis boxes. In these sections, Sodon discusses Hebrew lexical and syntactical issues by comparing popular English translations. This is helpful, especially for pastors, who must deal with a variety of translations in their congregation. Sodon explains the reasons why some translations choose a particular English word based on the Hebrew text.

The exegetical section proceeds through the text by paragraphs. Even in a commentary of this length, it is impossible to deal with every word and phrase in the book of Genesis. Soden comments on the Hebrew text, which often appears without a transliteration. Secondary sources are cited with in-text citations rather than footnotes. Each exegetical unit concludes with a comment on the text’s theological focus.

Pelton’s Preaching and Teaching Strategies begins with an exegetical and theological synthesis. These short reflections on the main point of the passage are followed by a repetition of the preaching idea. He then provides a series of comments on contemporary connections, the sorts of things an interpreter needs to consider before they preach or teach the passage. Sometimes these are canonical connections, others are warnings or advice to preachers as they prepare. The final section is “Creativity in Presentation.” These sections offer suggestions for drawing the congregation into the text (illustrations, for example). These seem shorter to me than other Kerux volumes, but also less gimmicky. The “Creativity” sections often include contemporary movies (The Lord of the Rings) or famous Christian writers (C. S. Lewis, and a host of ancient church writers). Pelton does some of that, but these sections are more concerned with how the narrative works within the larger story of Genesis and the Bible.  Each preaching unit concludes with discussion questions that guide the sermon’s application.

Conclusion. Soden and Pelton’s commentary on Genesis will be a valuable resource for pastors and teachers presenting the first book of the Bible in the local church. They do not get bogged down in the fine details, which distract many (especially in the first eleven chapters). By focusing on the text’s meaning and narrative flow, Soden and Pelton provide a solid foundation for reading Genesis with clarity.

Other volumes reviewed in this series:

 

NB: Thanks to Kregel for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.

Darrell L. Bock and Timothy D. Sprankle, Matthew (Kerux)

Bock, Darrell L. and Timothy D. Sprankle. Matthew. A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching. Kerux Commentaries. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Ministry, 2025. 799 pp. Hb. $43.99   Link to Kregel Ministry  

Kregel’s Kerux commentary series combines exegesis from a leading scholar with a preaching pastor. This is a unique blend of academic rigor and pastoral heart, which is rare in a commentary series. In this new commentary on Matthew, the exegetical sections are written by a top New Testament scholar, Darrell Bock. He previously published several excellent commentaries (Luke, 2 vols. and Acts in the BENTC; Mark in the NCBC) and monographs on Jesus and the Gospels, such as A Theology of Luke and Acts (Zondervan, 2012) and edited volumes such as Parables of Enoch: A Paradigm Shift (with James Charlesworth; T&T Clark 2014); Who is This Son of Man? (with Larry Hurtado; LNTS 390, T&T Clark, 2011), and Key Events in the Life of the Historical Jesus (WUNT 247, Mohr Siebeck 2009). He serves as Executive Director of Cultural Engagement and Senior Research Professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. Timothy D. Sprankle is the senior pastor at Leesburg Grace Brethren Church in Northern Indiana. He contributed the preaching sections to the Philippians Kerux volume.

Kerux Matthew

There are many strategies for outlining the book of Matthew. Often these focus on the five teaching units in the book, such as the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7). Bock and Sprankle divide the Gospel of Matthew into four major sections and fifty-one preaching units. Matthew 1:1-4:11 in an introduction to Jesus and John the Baptist (five units); in Matthew 4:12-12:50, Messiah confronts Israel in Galilee and meets rejection (fifteen units); Matthew 13:1-20:28, Jesus presents Kingdom, Provision, Acceptance-Call, and the Rejection by Israel (sixteen units); in Matthew 20:29-28:20, the Rejection and Vindication of the Messiah-Son in Jerusalem (fifteen units). Fifty-one preaching units make it unlikely any pastor will preach through Matthew in a single series (as one might for Philippians). Any one of the major sections would do for a shorter series. Sometimes Jesus’s long sermons make a good series. In this commentary, the Sermon on the Mount is subdivided into seven preaching sections, all part of the Messiah’s confrontation of Israel in Galilee.

The commentary begins with a brief introduction to the Gospel of Matthew. Beginning with Papias, Bock defends the traditional view that the Apostle Matthew Levi, the tax collector, was the author of the book. He is less confident about the place or writing, although Antioch in Syria has the most evidence. For Bock, “Matthew wrote his gospel for churches near the Judean homeland” (67). This means that Mathew was in touch with the earliest disputes between the emerging church and its Jewish neighbors. “Mathew is claiming to be a legitimate extension of Jewish hope in line with the promises God made long ago” (67).  The original readers of the gospel were both Jews and Gentiles. Since the gospel and the church are rooted in the promises of Israel, separation from the synagogue is not the fault of Christians; the Jews have forced them out.  With respect to date, Bock is confident that Matthew has made use of the gospel of Mark, which he dates to the late 50s or early 60s. He favors a mid to late 60s for Mathew. Because this is late in Nero’s reign, he briefly reviews Nero’s reign because Nero “generated problems in Judea” (69). This means the Olivet Discourse anticipates the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

The purpose of Matthew’s gospel is apologetic, both as legitimation and proclamation. “Jesus is the promised one of God according to the scripture and prophetic claims” (70). Mathew defends Jesus’s support of the law, but opposition to Jesus arose because of his actions and self-claims, specifically, how he handled the Sabbath and purity, among other issues. Objections to Jesus missed the point of the signs of his ministry, and this opposition is what led to his crucifixion. The Jewish focus of Matthew’s gospel suggests primary readers were Jewish Christians who interacted with the Jews (70). Matthew wants to equip Jewish Christians to tell the story of Jesus and how to interact with Jewish neighbors. They should deal with hostility by demonstrating Jesus’s connection to the messianic hope of Jewish Christians (70).

Exegetical portions of the books are based on the group text, although Bock does not often use Greek in the commentary itself. There is less focus on Greek grammar and syntax compared to other volumes in this series. There are no Translation Analysis sidebars (frequent in other Kerux volumes). One unusual aspect of this commentary is the use of sidebars. The majority are used for Old Testament verses to which Matthew may allude, or comparable literature from the Second Temple period (Apocrypha, pseudepigrapha, rabbinic literature). For example, in the commentary on Matthew 19:18-19, Bock provides several uses of Leviticus 19:18 in Judaism, including texts from Sirach, Jubilees, and the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, demonstrating how the “golden rule” was used in Jewish literature written before the time of Jesus. Commenting on oaths in Matthew 23:16-19, Bock offers three lengthy examples from the Mishnah, another page of references on tithes for Matthew 23:23-24, and uncleanliness for Matthew 23:27-28. In all these cases, the text is conveniently printed in the sidebar rather than a list of references. These will be valuable illustrations of Jewish thought at the time of Jesus for those teaching and preaching the text who do not have easy access to this Jewish literature.

Since Bock is a premillennialist (often associated with progressive dispensationalism), some readers may be interested to learn how he treats the Olivet Discourse. In the introduction to Matthew 24, Bock briefly defines three possible approaches: preterist (Jesus refers only to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70), futurist (Jesus refers to his future second coming), or typological (both timings are present since one event provides the pattern for the other). Bock suggests that typological is the best approach. Jesus does predict the fall of Jerusalem, but Matthew 24:6-13, 12-22, and 27-31 “discuss events of the end and look beyond A.D. 70” and Matthew 24:14-22 “may well point to both times at once” (658).

Bock suggests “great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be” can refer to the short-term events of the fall of Jerusalem, “yet reserve full fulfillment for the end with Jesus’s return. This is actually how typological-prophetic fulfillment works” (665). Bock does not think there is a hint of the Rapture in 24:38-41, (rightly) disconnecting the judgment of Matthew 24 from Paul’s revelation of a mystery in 1 Thess 4:13-18 (677).

Matthew 25 is unique to the first gospel: Matthew “was going out of his way to reassure his readers that God had a program in the midst of seemingly emerging chaos and rejection of much of Israel” (658). Bock’s comments on the Olivet Discourse are richly illustrated with Second Temple texts, showing that Jesus’s teaching stands within Jewish eschatological teaching from the first century.

Bock interacts with secondary literature with in-text citations. The commentary concludes with selected references with key commentaries marked with an asterisk. He most frequently refers to Davies and Allison (ICC), but he interacts with a range of academic commentaries.

Each preaching unit is outlined on one page (exegetical idea, theological focus, preaching idea, and preaching pointers) at the beginning of the commentary (pages 14-52). This material is repeated at the beginning of each unit in the body of the commentary. The Kerux series uses Haddon Robinson’s “big idea” method for sermon preparation (hence the exegetical, theological, and preaching ideas). Sprankle’s preaching notes are excellent. For example, his “contemporary connections” for Matthew 19:1-12 (on divorce), he illustrates first-century Jewish views on divorce with a short script for role-playing of Hillel and Shammai and a chart contrasting what he calls “maximalists and minimalists views of marriage (and other aspects of life). He also includes a sidebar suggesting several books as additional resources. On Matthew 5:21-48 (which he calls Jesus’s Six Elaborations), Sprankle offers case studies for each to help a pastor illustrate Jesus’s main point. Throughout the commentary, Sprankle points to various media that pastors can adapt and use in their presentations.

Conclusion. Bock’s commentary is excellent, and Sprankle’s preaching guides will be valuable for any preacher or teacher presenting the first Gospel to their congregations.

Other volumes reviewed in this series:

 

NB: Thanks to Kregel for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.

Michael F. Bird, Romans: Lexham Interpreter’s Translation

Bird, Michael F. Romans. Lexham Interpreter’s Translation. Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2024. xvi+161 pp.; Pb.; $15.99. Link to Lexham Press

The Lexham Interpreter’s Translation is a new series that Michael Bird describes as an “exegetical first responder.” This inaugural volume in the series is Romans. Bird completed the Story of God commentary on Romans in 2016. He is well-known for his work in Pauline Theology, the Gospels, and his Evangelical Theology (now in a second edition).

Bird wants to tease out the historical and cultural “otherness” of the ancient text through a literal (interlinear) translation, as well as to paraphrase the text with gloss and “creative catchphrase,” resulting in a contemporary reading of an ancient document. Bird acknowledges there is no need for another English translation or paraphrase, and this resource is not an attempt at creating competition for the NIV or ESV Bibles.

Lexham Interpreter's Translation

As he explains in his introduction to the series, he has three goals. First, Bird provides a preliminary interpretation of the text. Second, Bird sees this book as a “paratextual reading aid.” This does not replace one’s regular Bible. He expects people to use this resource alongside a “real Bible.” Third, he wants to present a tradition of interpretation known as “gloss and paraphrase.”

Even-numbered pages print lines from the SBL Greek text with Bird’s literal translation paired with the Greek. His literal translation is occasionally “weirdly literal.” For example, for justification in Romans 5:12, Bird literally translates dikaiosynē as “we have been righteoused by faith” in order to avoid the old (erroneous) definition of justification as “just as if I never sinned.” Proper names are transliterated, so Jesus is Iēsous in his literal translation.

The facing odd-numbered pages are Bird’s “gloss and paraphrase” of the unit in paragraph form. His goal is to be creative and use contemporary catchphrases to make the ancient, distant text come alive. In Romans 5:12, “we have been righteoused by faith” becomes “we are declared righteous” (the proper definition of justification). In Romans 1:1, Paul is a “slave of Jesus Messiah.”  He translates nomos, “law,” as Torah to ensure the reader knows Paul refers to the Mosaic Law. In the greetings sections (Romans 16), he paraphrases each greeting as “Say hi to….” In 16:17, “avoid them” becomes “avoid them like the plague.” Bird calls Andronicus and Junia “special envoys” rather than apostles. In a footnote, he explains that he doubts they are “big-A Apostles” but rather “little-A apostles” sent as delegates from some church (155).

Included on each page are a series of notes. These are not really footnotes since there is no indication in the text, but rather Bird’s exegetical insights and comments on the text. The fall into six categories:

  • GK discusses Greek vocabulary and grammar. All Greek appears transliterated, and non-Greek readers will have no trouble following these notes.
  • INT covers matters of interpretation, including key interpretive issues anyone reading Romans will need to wrestle with. For example, in Romans 3:22, Bird (briefly) discusses the nettlesome pistis Christou debate (the faith of Jesus, or faith in Jesus?) ;
  • BKG often are mini-word studies. For example, in Romans 3:20, he mentions the meaning of erga nomou (what are the “works of the Law).
  • OT identifies Old Testament quotations and possible allusions.
  • NT identifies themes common in the New Testament. For example, in the rare mention of the Kingdom of God in Romans 15:17, Bird gathers other references to the Kingdom of God in Paul’s writings.
  • TXT comments briefly on textual critical issues in the verse. There is little detail given for these notes. In Romans 11:33-36, he merely observes that the place of the doxology appears in different places in different manuscripts.

In addition to Bird’s own caveats, let me add two observations about what this book is not. At first glance, one might think this is a translation guide like B&H’s Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament (see a review here), the Baylor Handbook on the Greek New Testament, or Kregel Academic’s Big Idea Greek Series (see a review here). Although he occasionally comments on Greek syntactical or lexical issues, this book will not help students translate the Greek text of Romans. Second, it is not really an interlinear, either. Although the literal Greek translation is printed directly under the SBL Greek text, there is no attempt to line up the translation with the corresponding Greek word. For example, in Romans 5:14, the word Adam is repeated twice in English, and the Greek Ἀδάμ appears only once and then in the next line.

Conclusion. Bord’s “gloss and paraphrase” style is fun to read. This book does indeed function as an “exegetical first responder” that will aid any Bible reader as they work their way through Romans. I look forward to more volumes in this interesting series.

 

NB: I appreciate Lexham Press’s generous offer of a review copy of this book, but this did not influence my thoughts about the work.

Douglas J. Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (Second Edition; PNTC)

Moo, Douglas J. The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon. PNTC. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2024. xlix+478 pp.; Hb.; $53.99. Link to Eerdmans.

This second edition of the Pillar New Testament Commentary on Colossians and Philemon replaces Moo’s 2008 volume. In his brief preface to the second edition, Moo indicates that this new edition updates the commentary with secondary literature written over the last fifteen years. The original commentary had a select bibliography (twenty-one pages), while the second edition has a full bibliography (thirty-six pages). In the introduction to Colossians, the first edition had 87 footnotes; the second edition had 107. Many older notes have been updated with newer literature.

Colossians Philemon

In his introduction to Colossians (pages 3-54), Moo begins where most commentaries on Colossians must begin, by discussing the authorship of the letter. Did Paul write Colossians, or is it pseudepigraphic? Colossians appears quite different from Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, and Galatians in style and theology. Moo interacts with Luke Timothy Johnson’s suggestion that Paul authored the letter but did not write it. He “supervised” the production of the letter. Similarly, James Dunn suggested Timothy wrote the letter with loose supervision by Paul. Although these are possible ways to avoid Colossians as a late pseudepigrapha, Moo rejects both. “Paul must be seen as the real author” (20). Concerning provenance, Moo recognizes that the letter may be written from a hypothetical Ephesian imprisonment, but he slightly prefers Rome as the place of writing (26). This introductory material remains more or less the same as the first edition of the commentary.

Commentaries on Colossians also need to deal with the nature of the false teaching Paul responds to in the letter. As Moo observes, there are a bewildering number of scholarly reconstructions of the so-called Colossian Heresy (27). He rejects the view of older commentators that Colossians is walking about Gnostics. If Paul wrote the book, then Gnostics as we know them do not exist yet. Nor does he think calling the opponents proto-Gnostics is helpful. Any Gnostic or Stoic elements in Colossians are simply part of the general first-century intellectual environment. Moo suggests the best solution is to admit there are two or more perspectives behind the false teachers. He summarizes what Colossians 2:8-23 implies about the false teachers in eleven points, none of which are controversial. Following this list, he makes three more controversial points. First, the false teachers use the language of “fullness.” But this is not drawn from Gnostic or Stoic thinking. Second, the false teachers advocate circumcision, implying Jewish influence. Third, the false teachers denigrate Christ or at least question the sufficiency of Christ.

Based on this evidence, Moo surveys several possible solutions for the identity of the false teachers. First, the Colossian Heresy was some form of Jewish mysticism. This was most recently Scot McKnight’s solution in his NICNT commentary. Second, James Dunn suggested that false teaching is nothing more than Judaism. Third, Clint Arnold thought the opponents represented a syncretic mix of local Phrygian folk belief, Judaism, and Christianity. Moo is convinced by Arnold (especially since it also includes the first two elements). This conclusion remains unchanged from the first edition.

In his introduction to Philemon (pages 351-370), Moo observes that Pauline authorship is rarely doubted for this short letter. The introduction to commentaries on Philemon uses mirror reading to construct a plausible story explaining why Paul is sending a letter about a slave named Onesimus to Philemon. Moo lists out several points that seem clear from the letter and then summarizes several suggested scenarios. Two merit discussion. First, Onesimus was an escaped slave who arrived where Paul was in prison (whether Ephesus or Rome) and somehow encountered Paul. Paul led him to Christ and now sends him to his master to ask forgiveness. The letter is a “letter of recommendation” for Onesimus, in which Paul advocates clemency. A second solution is to argue Onesimus is not an escaped slave. He was wronged in some way by his master and knew Philemon was a Christian under Paul’s influence. Onesimus purposefully traveled to visit Paul and enlist his help as an advocate. Like the first edition, Moo finds deciding between these two likely scenarios challenging.

The problem for modern readers of Philemon is that Paul did not ask Philemon to set his slave Onesimus free. Why did Paul not tell Philemon to free his slave now that he was a brother in Christ? To answer this question, Moo discusses slavery in the Roman world and early Christian attitudes toward slavery. Even though it appears that there is no explicit command to free Onesimus, Moo wonders if a master/slave relationship is appropriate now that he is a “dear brother.” Moo observes that slavery is “not what Philemon is ultimately about.” Following N. T. Wright, he concludes that the book is about fellowship in Christ. “In Christ, we belong to one another; we enjoy each other’s company and support; and we are obliged to support, to point to the point of sacrificing our own time, interests, and money, [on behalf of] our brothers and sisters” (370).

The body of the commentary follows the pattern of other Pillar commentaries. Moo proceeds through the text verse-by-verse, commenting on the English text. Although the commentary is based on the NIV, he does refer to the Greek text with all Greek words transliterated, so readers without Greek training will have no trouble with the commentary. Interaction with secondary sources appears in footnotes. The notes are often updated with additional secondary sources published since the first edition. Like the introduction, there are slightly more footnotes in the section edition. For example, the first edition covers Colossians 2:6-4:6 in 156 pages (175-331), and has 522 footnotes. The second edition covers the same section in 163 pages (162-325), with 565 footnotes. The first edition reset note numbering for each section; the second edition has continuous numbers throughout the 163-page section. I also noticed one other helpful cosmetic change. Passages in Colossians are now given as chapter and verse (3:12-17) rather than vv. 12-17.

Conclusion. Twelve years ago, when I wrote a post on the top five Colossians commentaries, I included Moo’s first edition in the Pillar New Testament Commentary series. After reviewing what I said, I still think this commentary is excellent. Along with Scot McKnight’s NICNT volumes on Colossians and Philemon, this is one of the first commentaries I pull off the shelf when I study Colossians. It will serve academics, pastors, and Bible teachers as they prepare to present this essential but often overlooked Pauline letter.

If you already own the first edition, do you need the second edition? Maybe. The updated bibliography makes this new edition essential to scholars working on Colossians. However, the content of the exegesis has not changed much, so pastors and teachers may not need to upgrade to the second edition.

 

NB: Thanks to Eerdmans for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.