Galatians

Reformed Expository Commentary

by Philip Graham Ryken

Philip Graham Ryken interprets Galatians in line with Reformation teaching on this epistle, especially with respect to the doctrine of justification by faith alone. “Properly understood, the gracious gospel of Galatians liberates us from legalism,” Ryken writes. “But since we are legalists by nature, the book challenges many of our preconceptions about what it means to have a right relationship with God.” Ryken primarily employs the ESV.

Genres: Christian, Biblical Studies, New Testament, Theology, Reference, Nonfiction, Christianity

312 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2005

About the author

Philip Graham Ryken is Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, where he has preached since 1995. He is Bible Teacher for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, speaking nationally on the radio program Every Last Word. Dr. Ryken was educated at Wheaton College (IL), Westminster Theological Seminary (PA) and the University of Oxford (UK), from which he received his doctorate in historical theology. He lives with his wife (Lisa) and children (Joshua, Kirsten, Jack, Kathryn, and Karoline) in Center City, Philadelphia. When he is not preaching or spending time with his family, he likes to read books, play sports, and ponder the relationship between Christian faith and American culture. He has written or edited more than twenty books, including Bible commentaries on Exodus, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Galatians.

Reviews

[Glenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryken is so readable and poignant. This commentary was a true pleasure to read. His joke about circumcision and the song “Father Abraham” on p. 94-95 killed me. I laughed out loud—while reading a commentary!
I had many, many highlights in this book I’ll return to. I learned so much and grew in my understanding of Scripture. The REC series is just unbeatable.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like all the volumes I have read thus far in the REC series (this is the 3rd for me), this was an excellent and highly-readable commentary on the book of Galatians. Ryken handles theological concepts directly and clearly in a way that both a teacher or a lay member could understand. It might be helpful, although not necessary, for a reader to understand some basic theological terms/ideas such as justification by faith alone, the New Perspective on Paul, etc. but it isn't necessary. I particularly loved the cultural, historical, and linguistic comments provided.

[Sean McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very helpful commentary. Cleary written with much practical application. Recommended.

[Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our men’s bible study has been working our way through the Reformed Expository Bible Study on Galatians which is based on this commentary. It made sense, therefore, to read the commentary in conjunction with the study. Given that the content of the book was first preached as a series of sermons, it is very accessible to the lay person and does an excellent job of explaining and illustrating the heart of the apostle Paul’s message to the Galatian church. I have a whole new appreciation for the book of Galatians having read this commentary. Philip Graham Ryken is to be commended for his efforts and I look forward to reading more in this series.

[Douglas Domer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent expository commentary. It is helpful for the layman or a highly educated church worker. In the back is an index of scriptures as well as an index of subject and names. I would highly recommend this work for anyone who is endeavoring to study the book of Galatians.

[Jordan Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an expository commentary. As such, it reads more like an informal discussion than a technical commentary. However, it’s use should not be underestimated for the layperson. Dr. Ryken does a nice job balancing complex and technical topics with devotional and general application (the the balance slightly tipped towards the latter). He borrows heavily from giants in the faith such as Luther, Calvin, Stott, and Perkins.

Strengths:
-approachable and devotional
-not overly technical
-short chapters that can be used for small groups or personal devotional reading
-really wonderful examples and memorable anecdotes to drive home his exposition.

Weaknesses:
-limited polemics (he occasionally touches on NPP writers, especially James Dunn). I would have loved to see him use this commentary to more thoroughly deny and refute covenantal nomism.
-limited Greek text interaction
-heavily derivative of multiple Protestant commentaries, ergo, not much new here that other commentators haven’t already dished up.

[Ruth Clemence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first commentary I have read cover to cover, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was a recommendation on Tim Challies website & I will be getting further book recommendations from him — particularly commentaries.

I started the book feeling very much like a legalistic Pharisee (I feel sad writing that here!). Ryken writes for the 'recovering Pharisee' through his study of Galatians. It has been such a readable and very helpful study on this letter from Paul to the Galatian church. More than that, it has built up my faith and strengthened me to keep on keeping on for this precious good news – Christ crucified.

[David Monreal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I don't know why anyone would give it less than five stars. Having said that, this is for pastors, students, and people who want to deeply study God's word. It is not a devotional commentary in the normal sense of the word but I found it very devotional and encouraging. He does not give the technical sense of everything from the Greek and he does not lay out every position but rather gives his interpretation and application. If you are expecting more, check out F.F. Bruce's Galatians commentary in The New International Greek Commentary.

[Chad CG · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.4)

I really liked how much depth and knowledge this devotional was able to offer! I learned a lot about Paul and definitely felt that the book brought a lot of insight and understanding to certain aspects of the text that I would have missed before. It is a little long winded, more so than it needs to be at times, and was very repetitive with certain points that didn’t need to be repeated each time.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sermons that are exegetically helpful without being overly technical. This commentary series is far more focused on sermons than it is on typical commentary concerns. I think it is useful for devotional reading and for pastors in sermon preparation as well.

[C.S. Wachter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I followed along as our church worked through the Book of Galatians using this study from Philip Ryken. This was an excellent resource to add to what I was learning in the sermons.

[Jon Pentecost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not super exegetically rigorous, but pastoral. Helpful in summarizing and giving a good example of clear explanations on even difficult passages.

Used in preparation for preaching Galatians in 2020.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this commentary as a devotional commentary. While technical commentaries can be extremely valuable, I wanted something that would complement my own study of the material in a way that wouldn't bog me down. Something from the "Reformed Expository Commentary" series seemed perfect.

It isn't surprising (or bad in any way) that this commentary is a sermon series put into book form. There is solid, helpful teaching in this commentary. However, I'm afraid that this commentary also offers a window into what passes for "expositional" preaching these days. Ryken marks off a portion of the text, then preaches/writes on the themes contained in that particular block. He refers back to the text and goes into detail here and there about the words and phrases, but I wouldn't call it "expositional" in the classic sense. This disappointed me and is the primary reason that I have only given this 2 stars. (If I was allowed to give half stars this would have earned 2.5.)

In addition to not being exactly expositional, this commentary (as well as a lot of contemporary preaching) seems safe. There doesn't seem to be a ton of passion or entreaty or even exhortation in the book. It feels a bit too distant and maybe even academic.

Let me re-emphasize that I wouldn't disagree with much of the content of the book, but for my purposes, and just an overall feel of the book, it isn't very high on my list.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this commentary. It was easy to read, insightful, and continually drew me back to the text. I loved how it had an emphasis on the reformation, meaning he quoted many of the Reformers and quite a few Puritans as well. No, he didn't go into a word-by-word study to draw out the meaning of each word, but he rather stuck to the biblical phrases and brought each section together beautifully, often with good illustrations. Very good pastoral commentary on a wonderful book of the Bible.

[Max Pappajohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great commentary for pastors who are not familiar with original languages or literary structure of the bible, and just want something that is palatable but rich in its implications. This is exactly what this commentary provides. However, I would not only recommend this to pastors, but I would also recommend this to seminary students or scholars who want to step back from the academic world (for a moment) and enjoy a solid and fruitful devotional reading.

[Greg Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend this excellent commentary. This is the second commentary I have by Philip Ryken. I previously read his commentary on First Timothy and loved it. I encourage you to read my review of it to get a feel of why I enjoyed them both.

[Omar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryken's work on Galatians is excellent. This is a book that anyone preaching through Galatians should definitely consult. He provides exegetical insight, solid illustrations, and practical application in each chapter. This is one of the strongest volumes in the series.

[Timothy Decker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I had not purchased this book. It reads more like sermons and less like a commentary. There were good quotables, but this book was not helpful for understanding Galatians on a deeper level.

[Cortney Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent for reading along with devotions, and even scripture memory. With one sermon per 4-7verses, reading through a little each day gives ample time to meditate on the passages.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful for the preacher. He preached these sermons while still at 10th Presbyterian in Philadelphia.

[Victor Labrada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like a devotional. Not intended to be a technical commentary but rather a preaching aid, and at that, it is excellent.

[John Brackbill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This commentary is a helpful example of exposition in its final form. I saw this as helpfully supplemental. One of my friends while preaching through Galatians.

[Jon Anderson]

Read for Journey Group - Winter 2018