Ephesians: A Theological Commentary for Preachers

by Abraham Kuruvilla

Ephesians: A Theological Commentary for Preachers engages hermeneutics for preaching, employing theological exegesis that enables the preacher to utilize all the units of the Letter to craft effective sermons. This commentary unpacks the crucial link between Scripture and application: the theology of each preaching text, that is, what the author is doing with what he is saying. Ephesians is divided into twelve preaching units and the theological focus of each is delineated. The overall theological trajectory or theme of the book deals with God's consummation of all things in the cosmos in Christ, and the role of the church in this grand and glorious divine operation. This theme is progressively developed in Ephesians, in each of the twelve passages. The specific theological thrust of each unit is captured in this commentary, making possible a sequential homiletical movement through each pericope of Ephesians. While the primary goal of the commentary is to take the preacher from text to theology, it also provides two sermon outlines for each of the twelve preaching units of Ephesians. The unique approach of this work results in a theology-for-preaching commentary that promises to be useful for anyone teaching through Ephesians with an emphasis on application. Abraham Kuruvilla is Professor of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary, and a dermatologist in private practice. He is the author of Text to Praxis: Hermeneutics and Homiletics in Dialogue (2009), Mark: A Theological Commentary for Preachers (2012), Privilege the Text! A Theological Hermeneutic for Preaching (2013), and Genesis: A Theological Commentary for Preachers (2014). He blogs regularly at www.homiletix.com.

266 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2015

About the author

Abraham Kuruvilla (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas, and is a practicing dermatologist. He is the author of several books, including Privilege the Text! A Theological Hermeneutic for Preaching, and has written a number of preaching commentaries. A past president of the Evangelical Homiletics Society, he blogs regularly at homiletix.com.

Reviews

[Nickolas Wingholt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I once heard H.B. Charles place commentaries into three categories: featherweight, middleweight, and heavyweight. Featherweights are devotional and aimed more towards Christian living. Heavyweights are scholarly, dense, and steeped in Greek and Hebrew exegesis. This commentary is squarely in the middleweight category. It's specifically written for preachers, but somehow doesn't come across like it is just a published sermon series. I really enjoyed reading this alongside Kuruvilla's Manual and Vision. He has a unique homiletical approach and I would recommend this volume for anyone willing to explore it in action. I would have loved a bit more heavyweight discussion, but I think that is just a personal preference. What left me most stunned from this study of Ephesians is the primacy and preeminence of God's plan of salvation pervading all things past, present, and future. 1st time read. 3/5.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good moderately technical commentary. What I really appreciate about this commentary is Kuruvilla's purpose in writing specifically for preachers. He surfaces other occurrences of the Greek, both biblical and non-biblical, but only as it contributes to understanding what Paul is trying to communicate to his readers. It doesn't require deep knowledge of Greek, but instead transliterates nearly every Greek word for those with no background.

It sometimes got a bit too wordy, and there were numerous typos, both Greek and English, thus the four stars. However, it was a solid commentary that I would recommend to anyone preaching Ephesians.

[George Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a five star book if not for the need for a proof reader. Far too frequent are instances of bungling of the transliterated Greek, missing prepositions, dropped copulas and misspelling generally.

That said, the content is excellent for its purpose. I appreciated many of Kuruvilla's insights and the way he interacted with other commentators. Well worth picking up by the pastor looking to bring Ephesians to their congregations.

[Cole Feix · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best all around for teaching and preaching. Kuruvilla's hermeneutic is excellent, and his pericopal theology is very helpful