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New American Bible Commentary, New Testament Set #29
2 Corinthians: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture (Volume 29)
THE NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY is for the minister or Bible student who wants to understand and expound the Scriptures. Notable features commentary based on THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION;* the NIV text printed in the body of the commentary;* sound scholarly methodology that reflects capable research in the original languages;* interpretation that emphasizes the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole;* readable and applicable exposition.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1999
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107 people want to read
About the author
David E. Garland
77 books12 followersDavid Ellsworth Garland (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate dean for academic affairs and William M. Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures at George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University. He is the author of numerous books, including award-winning commentaries on 1 Corinthians and Mark.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 13, 2024
This is a set I’ve come to really enjoy. They aren’t perfect. But they do leave no stone unturned. This one is worth the time if you’re preaching through 2 Corinthians.
September 25, 2013
Few commentaries successfully combine solid scholarship and depth of discussion with accessible and engaging writing but the volume on 2 Corinthians by David E. Garland (Broadman & Holman, Nashville, 1999), in the New American Commentary series, takes a prominent place among them. While clearly on the technical side of the spectrum (537 pages of text), Garland’s commentary may be read front to back.
The NAC series is based on the NIV translation, but Garland lets the reader know when and why he disagrees with the NIV’s rendering of a particular passage. Interaction with the Greek text is split between the body of the commentary, where Greek words are always transliterated, and the footnotes, where they are not, making for a best-of-both-worlds approach and leaving the body of the text accessible to laymen. Though discussion of introductory matters such as historical-political context, Paul’s mission, chronology of events, occasion, purpose, unity of the letter, etc., is brief (a mere twenty five pages), it is sufficient to give readers a solid orientation before beginning the commentary proper.
This volume is grounded in careful exegesis, frequently working through various interpretive options and consulting the broader Pauline corpus, before arguing for the author’s understanding of the text. The author converses with ancient non-canonical texts, yet uses them without giving in to the temptation of many commentators to view Paul as beholden to the literary styles and rhetorical forms of his day. Never ignoring literary and rhetorical concerns, such as Paul’s use of inclusio and chiasmus, Garland nevertheless focuses more on the theological or pastoral point Paul is making than how Paul makes it. Garland gleans from past and contemporary secondary literature in a way that adds value to the discussion of 2 Corinthians rather than distracting from it and at no point, even during excursus on famously thorny passages, does the reader lose their place in the flow of discussion of the letter itself.
In the introduction, Garland argues convincingly for the unity of 2 Corinthians rather than seeing it as a compendium of various writings, such as portions of the lost “sorrowful letter” (p. 38-44). These discussions are fleshed out in the body of the commentary as context warrants. Garland identifies 2 Corinthians 1:12-14 as the thematic statement of the letter (p. 42).
Garland’s sensitivity to Paul’s tact and his awareness of the pastoral implications of this most pastoral of Paul’s letters shows in his frequent distillation of principles and crisp summary statements of the apostle’s argument. Garland’s applications never feel forced, preferring to keep them general, and thus they are seldom tied to current cultural phenomena in such a way as to render them unintelligible to readers in different historical or cultural settings. A good example of this pastoral awareness comes in the discussion of 2:4:
“Discipline is never painless – for the one who delivers it or the one who receives it. Calvin points out that godly pastors weep within themselves before making others weep. Paul is neither ironhearted nor ironhanded. His love for them motivated his actions entirely. If they were grieved, he leaves no doubt that he was grieved more” (p. 115).
There are some places where Garland’s interpretation seems strained, most prominently his take on the nature of the challenge to Paul’s apostleship. Garland doesn’t think that Paul’s apostolic authority was being questioned by the Corinthians, only his adequacy (p. 48-49); not his mandate, only his methods.
“The epistle is about Paul’s ministry, which the Corinthians fail to understand (not about the legitimacy of his apostleship, which is not in question). They understand him only in part (1:14) because they still evaluate things from the perspective of the flesh.” (p. 32)
‘Amen’ to everything here, except what is between the parentheses. This stance resurfaces throughout the commentary and, to this reader at least, becomes somewhat tedious. Garland recognizes that some of the Corinthians, under the influence of the “super apostles”, have become “disgruntled with Paul” and have “belittled his apostolic gifts (10:10)...distrusted his motives (11:7-11)...accused him of unreliability, duplicity, and cowardice...” and “even began to call into question his gospel” (p. 55; see also p. 151, 312). In light of the varied and manifold ways Garland (rightly) sees the Corinthians’ calling into question so much of the Apostle’s person and ministry it seems like splitting hairs to repeatedly maintain that they weren’t questioning the legitimacy of his apostleship, only the manner of his apostleship.
Related to this, Garland feels that little can be known about Paul’s opponents. He does not see the “super-apostles” as related to the opponents Paul addressed in his Galatian or Philippian correspondence, a position which seems a bit too firm in light of the fact that they are clearly proud of their Jewish heritage (11:22). In Garland’s view, many commentators too often read into Paul’s arguments, assuming that he is either countering a charge against himself or some false teaching by an opponent (p. 213-4; p. 246, note 627; 272-3). Unless Paul clearly spells out the charge or opponent, Garland prefers to see Paul simply stating and clarifying the truth. Rather than building a case, however, Garland simply repeatedly reasserts this view, which leaves one with the impression that, where he accuses other commentators of assuming too much in one direction, he is guilty of assuming too much in the other. This assumption sometimes leads into false dichotomy, such as where Garland, commenting on 3:7-18, asserts that “Paul is not arguing against false apostles...He is defending his bold speech in correcting the Corinthians” (p. 167). One is left wondering why Paul couldn’t be doing both.
Garland summarizes Paul’s intentions in this letter as “defending his ministry”, accomplishing this in the main by clarifying “the implications of the gospel that they have failed to grasp” (32). He hopes the letter will move the Corinthian church to “become proud of him again (5:12)”, to give cheerfully and generously to the poor in Jerusalem, and to “understand the countercultural nature of the gospel” (32). Garland nails the concern of Paul’s heart for the Corinthians:
“If they cannot understand and appreciate his cross-centered life and ministry as demonstrated by weakness and suffering, how can they understand the cross and the weakness and suffering of Christ and apply it to their own lives?”...”Those who cannot see the glory in the cross of Christ because they are captured by the wisdom of this world will hardly see it in his suffering apostle. If they do see it, however, they will see how exceedingly glorious Paul’s ministry is. This letter is not just a personal defense; it is a restatement of the basic doctrine of the cross which Paul preached to them (1 Cor 2:2)” (32-3).
For Garland, this is at the center of the enduring relevance of 2 Corinthians.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with Garland on a particular point of interpretation (and there is far more to agree with than not), one consistently comes away from this commentary edified and challenged. Any student or teacher of 2 Corinthians would benefit from having this worthy volume close at hand.
The NAC series is based on the NIV translation, but Garland lets the reader know when and why he disagrees with the NIV’s rendering of a particular passage. Interaction with the Greek text is split between the body of the commentary, where Greek words are always transliterated, and the footnotes, where they are not, making for a best-of-both-worlds approach and leaving the body of the text accessible to laymen. Though discussion of introductory matters such as historical-political context, Paul’s mission, chronology of events, occasion, purpose, unity of the letter, etc., is brief (a mere twenty five pages), it is sufficient to give readers a solid orientation before beginning the commentary proper.
This volume is grounded in careful exegesis, frequently working through various interpretive options and consulting the broader Pauline corpus, before arguing for the author’s understanding of the text. The author converses with ancient non-canonical texts, yet uses them without giving in to the temptation of many commentators to view Paul as beholden to the literary styles and rhetorical forms of his day. Never ignoring literary and rhetorical concerns, such as Paul’s use of inclusio and chiasmus, Garland nevertheless focuses more on the theological or pastoral point Paul is making than how Paul makes it. Garland gleans from past and contemporary secondary literature in a way that adds value to the discussion of 2 Corinthians rather than distracting from it and at no point, even during excursus on famously thorny passages, does the reader lose their place in the flow of discussion of the letter itself.
In the introduction, Garland argues convincingly for the unity of 2 Corinthians rather than seeing it as a compendium of various writings, such as portions of the lost “sorrowful letter” (p. 38-44). These discussions are fleshed out in the body of the commentary as context warrants. Garland identifies 2 Corinthians 1:12-14 as the thematic statement of the letter (p. 42).
Garland’s sensitivity to Paul’s tact and his awareness of the pastoral implications of this most pastoral of Paul’s letters shows in his frequent distillation of principles and crisp summary statements of the apostle’s argument. Garland’s applications never feel forced, preferring to keep them general, and thus they are seldom tied to current cultural phenomena in such a way as to render them unintelligible to readers in different historical or cultural settings. A good example of this pastoral awareness comes in the discussion of 2:4:
“Discipline is never painless – for the one who delivers it or the one who receives it. Calvin points out that godly pastors weep within themselves before making others weep. Paul is neither ironhearted nor ironhanded. His love for them motivated his actions entirely. If they were grieved, he leaves no doubt that he was grieved more” (p. 115).
There are some places where Garland’s interpretation seems strained, most prominently his take on the nature of the challenge to Paul’s apostleship. Garland doesn’t think that Paul’s apostolic authority was being questioned by the Corinthians, only his adequacy (p. 48-49); not his mandate, only his methods.
“The epistle is about Paul’s ministry, which the Corinthians fail to understand (not about the legitimacy of his apostleship, which is not in question). They understand him only in part (1:14) because they still evaluate things from the perspective of the flesh.” (p. 32)
‘Amen’ to everything here, except what is between the parentheses. This stance resurfaces throughout the commentary and, to this reader at least, becomes somewhat tedious. Garland recognizes that some of the Corinthians, under the influence of the “super apostles”, have become “disgruntled with Paul” and have “belittled his apostolic gifts (10:10)...distrusted his motives (11:7-11)...accused him of unreliability, duplicity, and cowardice...” and “even began to call into question his gospel” (p. 55; see also p. 151, 312). In light of the varied and manifold ways Garland (rightly) sees the Corinthians’ calling into question so much of the Apostle’s person and ministry it seems like splitting hairs to repeatedly maintain that they weren’t questioning the legitimacy of his apostleship, only the manner of his apostleship.
Related to this, Garland feels that little can be known about Paul’s opponents. He does not see the “super-apostles” as related to the opponents Paul addressed in his Galatian or Philippian correspondence, a position which seems a bit too firm in light of the fact that they are clearly proud of their Jewish heritage (11:22). In Garland’s view, many commentators too often read into Paul’s arguments, assuming that he is either countering a charge against himself or some false teaching by an opponent (p. 213-4; p. 246, note 627; 272-3). Unless Paul clearly spells out the charge or opponent, Garland prefers to see Paul simply stating and clarifying the truth. Rather than building a case, however, Garland simply repeatedly reasserts this view, which leaves one with the impression that, where he accuses other commentators of assuming too much in one direction, he is guilty of assuming too much in the other. This assumption sometimes leads into false dichotomy, such as where Garland, commenting on 3:7-18, asserts that “Paul is not arguing against false apostles...He is defending his bold speech in correcting the Corinthians” (p. 167). One is left wondering why Paul couldn’t be doing both.
Garland summarizes Paul’s intentions in this letter as “defending his ministry”, accomplishing this in the main by clarifying “the implications of the gospel that they have failed to grasp” (32). He hopes the letter will move the Corinthian church to “become proud of him again (5:12)”, to give cheerfully and generously to the poor in Jerusalem, and to “understand the countercultural nature of the gospel” (32). Garland nails the concern of Paul’s heart for the Corinthians:
“If they cannot understand and appreciate his cross-centered life and ministry as demonstrated by weakness and suffering, how can they understand the cross and the weakness and suffering of Christ and apply it to their own lives?”...”Those who cannot see the glory in the cross of Christ because they are captured by the wisdom of this world will hardly see it in his suffering apostle. If they do see it, however, they will see how exceedingly glorious Paul’s ministry is. This letter is not just a personal defense; it is a restatement of the basic doctrine of the cross which Paul preached to them (1 Cor 2:2)” (32-3).
For Garland, this is at the center of the enduring relevance of 2 Corinthians.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with Garland on a particular point of interpretation (and there is far more to agree with than not), one consistently comes away from this commentary edified and challenged. Any student or teacher of 2 Corinthians would benefit from having this worthy volume close at hand.
September 1, 2021
I enjoy most of Garland's work. This is a semi-technical commentary. The layout is helpful - you can get in, find your verse, and move on. As far as just reading it...it is not very smooth. The transitions from philology, to theology, to explanation are not well designated. This shouldn't be too much of a problem as most do not read commentaries cover to cover. Don't let that one issue keep you from getting this resource for your study!
October 30, 2019
The best commentary on 2 Corinthians that I used. Would have given it 5 stars but this is the second commentary in this series that the binding has broke making it difficult to flip through and scared I will lose sections that have fallen out.
August 13, 2020
Very thorough and also consistently helps to point out the current implications of the the book for the church today. Covers all the current scholarship and holds to the unity of the letter. Garland has become one of my favorite New Testament commentators.
September 7, 2018
10 Sep 2015
Just started this commentary. This author and this series are new to me. Already, the author has engaged me with his history of Corinth, the mindset of the Corinthian Christians and Paul's struggles with and for them, and with the author's ability to bring insights to even the small nuances in Chapter 1.
I am reading the Kindle, version, and I do have one complaint. The footnotes in the chapters are linked to the footnote text. However, there is no link back to the commentary. I must rely on my last highlight or margin note to return to a place near where I was when I went to the footnote.
16 Sep 2015
Comment regarding the text or regarding the commentary? I'm not certain, but I do know that reading Garland's commentary along with the text, I keep thinking, "what a difficult church these Corinthians were." Although I have thought this before, the feeling is even stronger this time as I read Garland's commentary alongside the scripture.
Paul is in such an awkward position with them. The relationship between them is like a family relationship, and here we are viewing the aftermath of a very serious squabble where each is trying very hard not to upset the other. Of course, we are hearing from only one side as we read this letter.
A commentary on 2 Cor must be very difficult to write. The situation is so guarded as Paul tiptoes carefully in his communication with them, all the while sticking to his Truth and only gingerly telling them how he interprets the details of how to live out this Truth. I imagine to myself that Paul is thinking, "If you have ears to hear, then hear the Truth and ignore what sounds like my bumbling explanations to you." We humans often misunderstand what the other is saying. Our hearts grow hard toward each other. We don't give each other the benefit of the doubt ... especially when there has been a previous discord among the parties.
Garland gives us material from many other commentators - helpful.
While I read this, I think of our current day Pastors and evangelists and their church troubles. I sympathize with many of them, knowing their congregants may not give them any leeway in their opinions. I don't know if my thoughts are because of the text or because of Garland's writing.
Difficult letter! One reading of this commentary isn't enough, like with other commentaries. It will serve me well when I read through this epistle again.
Just started this commentary. This author and this series are new to me. Already, the author has engaged me with his history of Corinth, the mindset of the Corinthian Christians and Paul's struggles with and for them, and with the author's ability to bring insights to even the small nuances in Chapter 1.
I am reading the Kindle, version, and I do have one complaint. The footnotes in the chapters are linked to the footnote text. However, there is no link back to the commentary. I must rely on my last highlight or margin note to return to a place near where I was when I went to the footnote.
16 Sep 2015
Comment regarding the text or regarding the commentary? I'm not certain, but I do know that reading Garland's commentary along with the text, I keep thinking, "what a difficult church these Corinthians were." Although I have thought this before, the feeling is even stronger this time as I read Garland's commentary alongside the scripture.
Paul is in such an awkward position with them. The relationship between them is like a family relationship, and here we are viewing the aftermath of a very serious squabble where each is trying very hard not to upset the other. Of course, we are hearing from only one side as we read this letter.
A commentary on 2 Cor must be very difficult to write. The situation is so guarded as Paul tiptoes carefully in his communication with them, all the while sticking to his Truth and only gingerly telling them how he interprets the details of how to live out this Truth. I imagine to myself that Paul is thinking, "If you have ears to hear, then hear the Truth and ignore what sounds like my bumbling explanations to you." We humans often misunderstand what the other is saying. Our hearts grow hard toward each other. We don't give each other the benefit of the doubt ... especially when there has been a previous discord among the parties.
Garland gives us material from many other commentators - helpful.
While I read this, I think of our current day Pastors and evangelists and their church troubles. I sympathize with many of them, knowing their congregants may not give them any leeway in their opinions. I don't know if my thoughts are because of the text or because of Garland's writing.
Difficult letter! One reading of this commentary isn't enough, like with other commentaries. It will serve me well when I read through this epistle again.
July 28, 2014
This is on of those good commentary series. From what I have seen, the NAC commentaries do not disappoint and it is no different with 2nd Corinthians.
David E. Garland has established himself for some time now as one of the top commentators and he handles the text very well in this edition as usual.
Although the lay out is not my favorite, the content is great! In depth, yet not tedious as can be the case with some commentaries. A good reference for preaching/teaching through 2nd Corinthians.
I'd say my main qualm with the NAC is that it is based on the NIV but apart from that, I don't have too many complaints and thankfully, Garland corrects the NIV where it errs.
It is strong historically, exegetically, well written and concise! Just what you want from a commentary.
A definite benefit to any study of the book.
I received a review copy from B&H Publishers.
David E. Garland has established himself for some time now as one of the top commentators and he handles the text very well in this edition as usual.
Although the lay out is not my favorite, the content is great! In depth, yet not tedious as can be the case with some commentaries. A good reference for preaching/teaching through 2nd Corinthians.
I'd say my main qualm with the NAC is that it is based on the NIV but apart from that, I don't have too many complaints and thankfully, Garland corrects the NIV where it errs.
It is strong historically, exegetically, well written and concise! Just what you want from a commentary.
A definite benefit to any study of the book.
I received a review copy from B&H Publishers.
February 11, 2017
A more technical commentary but one of the best ones on 2 Corinthians in my estimation.
August 8, 2019
Brilliantly insightful commentary on what is an under preached book. Paul takes on the Corinthians temptation with power, and calls them back to the cross, and crucified Christ as the source of our power in our weakness. A vital message in our celebrity Christian culture. Garlands insights are brilliant and commentary is deep and illuminating.
January 18, 2012
Pretty good overall on 2 Cor. Worth having on shelf. His book on 1 Cor is excellent as well.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews