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Pillar New Testament Commentary
The Letter to the Ephesians (The Pillar New Testament Commentary
From a foremost authority on the New Testament comes a major new commentary on Ephesians--a letter of truth, love, and unity to our superficial world.
This volume in the Pillar New Testament Commentary series provides a rich exposition of Ephesians, one of the most significant documents ever written. Using the fruits of recent biblical research, Peter O'Brien shows how Ephesians sums up God's magnificent plan of salvation in Christ and spells out his divine purpose for believers today.
A model of the scholarly excellence characteristic of the entire PNTC series (which now features a striking new jacket design), O'Brien's Ephesians will become the standard work on this profoundly influential book.
This volume in the Pillar New Testament Commentary series provides a rich exposition of Ephesians, one of the most significant documents ever written. Using the fruits of recent biblical research, Peter O'Brien shows how Ephesians sums up God's magnificent plan of salvation in Christ and spells out his divine purpose for believers today.
A model of the scholarly excellence characteristic of the entire PNTC series (which now features a striking new jacket design), O'Brien's Ephesians will become the standard work on this profoundly influential book.
539 pages, Hardcover
First published October 25, 1999
36 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
About the author
Peter T. O'Brien
19 books11 followersO'Brien is senior research fellow in New Testament at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia. He is well-known for his major biblical commentaries, including The Letter to the Ephesians (Apollos), and several publications on the subject of mission.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 20, 2016
This is a great commentary on the book of Ephesians. In fact, many bible scholars regard this as the best.
On the contrary, I find the writing style complex and often difficult to understand. You will have to read a sentence twice or more to understand what it's actually saying.
I prefer John Stott commentary on Ephesians. It is more straight-to-the-point, concise and easy to understand.
On the contrary, I find the writing style complex and often difficult to understand. You will have to read a sentence twice or more to understand what it's actually saying.
I prefer John Stott commentary on Ephesians. It is more straight-to-the-point, concise and easy to understand.
July 2, 2019
Good commentary. A few weird views. Incredible defense of Pauline authorship.
In his explanation of chapter one verse three he does a good job explaining the theme of “in the heavenly realms.” This helped my understanding of the idea which is mentioned throughout the book. In verse four he takes “in love” to be connected to “holy and blameless.” However, he doesn’t argue for it very well. Because of this he sees love as part of the mission of the predestination of the Father. He interprets the term “inheritance” in verse fourteen as referring to Christ’s inheritance of saints because of His death for them.
O’Brien does well in chapter two also. He does a poor job arguing for total depravity from verse one. I also wish he had better explained verse two of chapter two. After reading this section I was still confused as to what it means for Satan to be “at work in those who are disobedient.” O’Brien’s explanation of chapter two verse ten was very well done. His job with verse ten is very good. He connects “but” in verse thirteen with the one in verse four; however, he does not see this as meaning total reversal having taken place. O’Brien says the only state which was not reversed is that gentiles have not becomes members of the commonwealth of Israel.
In chapter three O’Brien does well tracing the mystery. He sees three contrasts between verse five-A and five-B. O’Brien does not connect verse eight with chapter one verses fifteen through twenty-three. He sees verse fourteen picking up where verse one left off because Paul “broke off” from his prior thought. O’Brien interpret’s Paul’s prayer that Christ would dwell in the believer’s hearts by faith as meaning that His “continual presence” would dwell in them. He says that Christ would dwell in the hearts in the sense that He is constantly in the center of the person’s thoughts, emotions, will, “and whatever else lies at the centre of our being.” Ultimately he says that this is a prayer that “the more the Spirit empowers their lives the greater will be their transformation into the likeness of Christ.”
In chapter four verse one O’Brien sees the “calling” as God’s saving of them which has been throughout the first three chapters. He connects Paul’s use of “walk” to chapter two verses one through three. O’Brien uses verses four through 6 to promote his theme of unity in the letter. He sees a duel fulfillment of Paul’s use of Psalm 68:18. O’Brien does not address the textual issue in Paul’s seemingly reverse use of Psalm 68:18. O’Brien argues that verse nine does not teach a decent into Hades, but rather a decent in reference to both His coming to earth and death on the cross. O’Brien sees “putting off the old man” and “putting on the new man” as a continual action of Christians through sanctification.
In chapter five verse twenty-five O’Brien interprets this as teaching a particular atonement motived by a love of Christ for His people which He did not have for those who are not His people. He does a good job explaining verses thirty-one and thirty-two. He answers three questions from these verses. First, “what is meant by the expression ‘this mystery?’” Second, to “what does ‘this mystery’ refer?” Third, “what is being said about it in this context?”
O’Brien’s explanation of chapter six verses eleven through seventeen is incredible. He does a great job describing the battle which is occurring in the heavenly realm in verse twelve. I wish he had spent longer explaining his view of the shoes of the gospel of peace being missions.
In his explanation of chapter one verse three he does a good job explaining the theme of “in the heavenly realms.” This helped my understanding of the idea which is mentioned throughout the book. In verse four he takes “in love” to be connected to “holy and blameless.” However, he doesn’t argue for it very well. Because of this he sees love as part of the mission of the predestination of the Father. He interprets the term “inheritance” in verse fourteen as referring to Christ’s inheritance of saints because of His death for them.
O’Brien does well in chapter two also. He does a poor job arguing for total depravity from verse one. I also wish he had better explained verse two of chapter two. After reading this section I was still confused as to what it means for Satan to be “at work in those who are disobedient.” O’Brien’s explanation of chapter two verse ten was very well done. His job with verse ten is very good. He connects “but” in verse thirteen with the one in verse four; however, he does not see this as meaning total reversal having taken place. O’Brien says the only state which was not reversed is that gentiles have not becomes members of the commonwealth of Israel.
In chapter three O’Brien does well tracing the mystery. He sees three contrasts between verse five-A and five-B. O’Brien does not connect verse eight with chapter one verses fifteen through twenty-three. He sees verse fourteen picking up where verse one left off because Paul “broke off” from his prior thought. O’Brien interpret’s Paul’s prayer that Christ would dwell in the believer’s hearts by faith as meaning that His “continual presence” would dwell in them. He says that Christ would dwell in the hearts in the sense that He is constantly in the center of the person’s thoughts, emotions, will, “and whatever else lies at the centre of our being.” Ultimately he says that this is a prayer that “the more the Spirit empowers their lives the greater will be their transformation into the likeness of Christ.”
In chapter four verse one O’Brien sees the “calling” as God’s saving of them which has been throughout the first three chapters. He connects Paul’s use of “walk” to chapter two verses one through three. O’Brien uses verses four through 6 to promote his theme of unity in the letter. He sees a duel fulfillment of Paul’s use of Psalm 68:18. O’Brien does not address the textual issue in Paul’s seemingly reverse use of Psalm 68:18. O’Brien argues that verse nine does not teach a decent into Hades, but rather a decent in reference to both His coming to earth and death on the cross. O’Brien sees “putting off the old man” and “putting on the new man” as a continual action of Christians through sanctification.
In chapter five verse twenty-five O’Brien interprets this as teaching a particular atonement motived by a love of Christ for His people which He did not have for those who are not His people. He does a good job explaining verses thirty-one and thirty-two. He answers three questions from these verses. First, “what is meant by the expression ‘this mystery?’” Second, to “what does ‘this mystery’ refer?” Third, “what is being said about it in this context?”
O’Brien’s explanation of chapter six verses eleven through seventeen is incredible. He does a great job describing the battle which is occurring in the heavenly realm in verse twelve. I wish he had spent longer explaining his view of the shoes of the gospel of peace being missions.
July 2, 2024
Another very good commentary on the book of Ephesians. O'Brien expertly exegetes the letter, providing great insight.
November 8, 2024
This started weak, in my opinion, but ended wonderfully. I found myself gravitating to O'Brien particularly through chapters 4–6. He was practical, straightforward, clear, yet still attacked every passage without glossing over any.
All my typical Independent Baptist disagreements still stand, but this was helpful in my sermon series through Ephesians.
All my typical Independent Baptist disagreements still stand, but this was helpful in my sermon series through Ephesians.
October 11, 2017
Excellent! This is one I would recommend for anyone preaching through Ephesians.
May 31, 2023
Five stars for great content. Zero stars for (accidental yet repeated) plagiarism. It’s a great pity that so helpful a commentary is out of print and de-legitimized by the authors mistakes. I appreciated O’Brien’s focus on the book’s theme and his interaction with other views. It is well written and careful in its handling of the text.
October 6, 2017
Jokes about plagiarism.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2017
Great commentary on this epistle. Accesible, thoughtful, and helpful. Some very pointed application alongside thorough exegesis.
March 12, 2020
This was one of the best commentaries on Ephesians I used. Highly recommended.
Read
May 1, 2023One cannot give a star rating to a commentary with plagiarism. However the writing style is largely warm and devotional and so it was nourishing whilst also being bittersweet.
January 23, 2024
Always worth consulting whenever doing anything with Ephesians.
November 18, 2024
Easily the best on scholarship (of the eight or so commentaries I mined), without being overly so, and still helpful beyond mere exegesis as an assist for those who have homiletics in mind.
January 2, 2015
In yet another excellent commentary to add to The Pillar New Testament Commentary series by Eerdmans we have a work that is scholarly and thoroughly evangelical. You will find it a challenge to find a better work on Ephesians!
The author, O'Brien is senior research fellow in New Testament at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia. He is well-known for his major biblical commentaries, including this particular one on The Letter to the Ephesians, and several publications on the subject of missions.
Peter O’Brien does a fantastic job in this commentary on a book full of rich theology and, in today’s culture, controversial topics.
His handling of the text is up there with other top commentators like Carson, Schreiner and Moo. The latter gives a glowing review where he states: “In keeping with his work on Colossians and Philippians, O'Brien's commentary on Ephesians is characterized above all by careful theological exegesis. O'Brien does not read his theology into the text but properly interprets the text in light of Paul's obvious theological concerns. Adding to the value of the commentary is a robust defense of the Pauline authorship of the letter.”
The introduction is a lengthy and meaty one. With 82 pages, and having just over 42 of those being on the defense of Pauline authorship, hence the aforementioned Douglas Moo quote. If you are looking for an excellent defense of Pauline authorship, with a top commentary to go with it, this one’s for you!
The introduction also touches on important topics such as the destination of the letter, life-setting, purpose and provenance, and the central message of the epistle to the Ephesians.
In his commentary of the Ephesians text he displays a wonderful skill in his interpretation and insights. He doesn’t just go along with current scholarship but exegetes the text (as best he can) for what it says, not for what the culture (see: Eph 5:21) or previous commentators would say it says.
He tackles the verses you would want him to in length and he is anything but timid in (at times) boldly expressing his view. His handling of Ephesians 5:21-33 is especially noteworthy.
He is not shy about referencing/quoting previous commentators such as F.F. Bruce, and many, many others which I appreciate as they too at times have excellent insights. Where he differs with them he for the most part explains why in detail. This also shows how well researched his commentary truly is which is to be appreciated!
Exegetically and theologically he takes a reformed stance. He is comprehensive but not tedious, and for a commentary of almost 500 pages (covering 6 chapters) this volume is exhaustive, but no excessively so.
All in all if you want to do a serious study of Ephesians, I would recommend this commentary.
I would like to thank Eerdmans Publishing Co. for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review.
The author, O'Brien is senior research fellow in New Testament at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia. He is well-known for his major biblical commentaries, including this particular one on The Letter to the Ephesians, and several publications on the subject of missions.
Peter O’Brien does a fantastic job in this commentary on a book full of rich theology and, in today’s culture, controversial topics.
His handling of the text is up there with other top commentators like Carson, Schreiner and Moo. The latter gives a glowing review where he states: “In keeping with his work on Colossians and Philippians, O'Brien's commentary on Ephesians is characterized above all by careful theological exegesis. O'Brien does not read his theology into the text but properly interprets the text in light of Paul's obvious theological concerns. Adding to the value of the commentary is a robust defense of the Pauline authorship of the letter.”
The introduction is a lengthy and meaty one. With 82 pages, and having just over 42 of those being on the defense of Pauline authorship, hence the aforementioned Douglas Moo quote. If you are looking for an excellent defense of Pauline authorship, with a top commentary to go with it, this one’s for you!
The introduction also touches on important topics such as the destination of the letter, life-setting, purpose and provenance, and the central message of the epistle to the Ephesians.
In his commentary of the Ephesians text he displays a wonderful skill in his interpretation and insights. He doesn’t just go along with current scholarship but exegetes the text (as best he can) for what it says, not for what the culture (see: Eph 5:21) or previous commentators would say it says.
He tackles the verses you would want him to in length and he is anything but timid in (at times) boldly expressing his view. His handling of Ephesians 5:21-33 is especially noteworthy.
He is not shy about referencing/quoting previous commentators such as F.F. Bruce, and many, many others which I appreciate as they too at times have excellent insights. Where he differs with them he for the most part explains why in detail. This also shows how well researched his commentary truly is which is to be appreciated!
Exegetically and theologically he takes a reformed stance. He is comprehensive but not tedious, and for a commentary of almost 500 pages (covering 6 chapters) this volume is exhaustive, but no excessively so.
All in all if you want to do a serious study of Ephesians, I would recommend this commentary.
I would like to thank Eerdmans Publishing Co. for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review.
August 18, 2008
I didn't read every bit of this but I read a good chunk of it. Left off the last two chapters of Ephesians which is a good chunk itself. ---
This is an academic commentary and therefore the style is predictably boring. With that said, the exegesis in this book is masterful. I say this without being a scholar, but from my viewpoint, O'Brien has thought long and hard about what he is writing.
The book has clarified Paul's letter to the Ephesians for me in especially one way, which is connecting the sections of the letter together thematically to the goal of summing up of all things in Christ, whether in heaven or on earth (taken from Eph. 1:10). This summing up of all things in Christ, or as O'Brien puts it, "cosmic reconciliation in Christ," has two spheres, heaven and earth. In heaven, Christ has triumphed over the rebellious spiritual powers through his resurrection and ascension. On earth, reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles through Christ's death has healed a fragmentation in humanity and created a new humanity in Christ. All this is for the purpose of having everything in the universe find its summation point in Christ. Paul maps out the telos of the universe and human history.
This is an insight that permeates how you read the letter and gives you a compass to guide you through Paul's terse writing.
This is an academic commentary and therefore the style is predictably boring. With that said, the exegesis in this book is masterful. I say this without being a scholar, but from my viewpoint, O'Brien has thought long and hard about what he is writing.
The book has clarified Paul's letter to the Ephesians for me in especially one way, which is connecting the sections of the letter together thematically to the goal of summing up of all things in Christ, whether in heaven or on earth (taken from Eph. 1:10). This summing up of all things in Christ, or as O'Brien puts it, "cosmic reconciliation in Christ," has two spheres, heaven and earth. In heaven, Christ has triumphed over the rebellious spiritual powers through his resurrection and ascension. On earth, reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles through Christ's death has healed a fragmentation in humanity and created a new humanity in Christ. All this is for the purpose of having everything in the universe find its summation point in Christ. Paul maps out the telos of the universe and human history.
This is an insight that permeates how you read the letter and gives you a compass to guide you through Paul's terse writing.
August 14, 2013
I read this while leading a 12 week Bible study of the book of Ephesians. It's a great commentary in every way. I'm going to again use this commentary series for the next study I teach (I first discovered the series when teaching the book of James). I especially loved how the author addressed Ephesians 4:9-10. He equally presents the most popular views in Christendom. Also, he eloquently argues to support his position.
September 27, 2012
Peter O'Brien's commentary on Ephesians delves into the Greek of the passage but does not get bogged down in nuances and debates. I have found his commentary to be very engaging and practically oriented, as well as theological sound.
April 27, 2009
Easy to work with compared to the more technical commentary series', the Pillar commentary remains informative for the lay person.
December 19, 2008
Reference book used to teach through the book of Ephesians
July 25, 2011
Peter O'Brien is great - I've yet to find a book of his that I don't like.
July 11, 2013
"Pound for pound' my best commentary on Paul's letter to Ephesians. O'Brien is a master scholar, writer, pastor-exegete.
December 28, 2013
Best commentary I know on Ephesians!
September 2, 2016
Read 75-80% while preaching through Ephesians - the best commentary on Ephesians, IMO.
July 7, 2015
Degelijk evangelicaal commentaar op Efeze. Met genoegen gebruikt bij de preekvoorbereiding
March 28, 2017
Definitely the best commentary on Ephesians IMHO, pastoral and technical with solid exegesis!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews