The Message of Galatians: Only One Way: Study Guide

The Bible Speaks Today: New Testament

by John R.W. Stott

To enclaves of young converts tucked away in the mountains of Asia Minor, Paul wrote what is perhaps the oldest document in the New Testament--the letter to the Galatians. What problems were they facing? Among a variety of religious authorities espousing different teachings, how were they to know who was right? How were men and women to be put right with God? How could Christians in the midst of a pagan culture live lives truly pleasing to God? 'Only one way--' ansered Paul, 'through Jesus Christ.' His answer holds true for us as well. The details of our struggle have changed since Paul's day, but the principles he sets forth are as timeless as the Lord he exalts. In this book John Stott helpf us to understand and apply the message of Galatians in the face of contemporary challenges to our faith.

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

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

John R. W. Stott is known worldwide as a preacher, evangelist, and communicator of Scripture. For many years he served as rector of All Souls Church in London, where he carried out an effective urban pastoral ministry. A leader among evangelicals in Britain, the United States and around the world, Stott was a principal framer of the landmark Lausanne Covenant (1974). His many books, including Why I Am a Christian and The Cross of Christ, have sold millions of copies around the world and in dozens of languages. Whether in the West or in the Two-Thirds World, a hallmark of Stott's ministry has been expository preaching that addresses the hearts and minds of contemporary men and women. Stott was honored by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World."

Reviews

[Chase Riebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical and pastoral. A nice companion to one's own rigorous study!

[Ivy. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat dry in places, but overall a great commentary to accompany the book of Galatians.
I really enjoyed.

[Glenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this commentary so much. Stott’s writing is clear, convicting, sound, and so, so relevant to today. I truly grew in my understanding of Galatians as I read this commentary. I read three other commentaries which were also great, but let’s be honest: everyone is riffing off of John Stott. He’s the OG.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So wonderful - Stott’s commentaries are always so clear and concise, sticking closely to the Scripture he is expositing, while bringing forth beautiful gospel-dense gems. That is exactly what you will find here. I learned a lot, felt convicted, and was brought the gospel to bear on my life. Thoroughly recommend.

[Brad Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, good stuff from Stott in this one!

[Philip Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The cross for Paul was not something to escape, but the object of his boasting. The truth is that we cannot boast in ourselves and in the cross simultaneously. If we boast in ourselves and in our ability to save ourselves, we shall never boast in the cross and in the ability of Christ crucified to save us. We have to choose. Only if we have humbled ourselves as hell-deserving sinners shall we give up boasting of ourselves, fly to the cross for salvation and spend the rest of our days glorying in the cross. As a result, we and the world have parted company. Each has been 'crucified' to the other.” p. 179-180

Very useful.

[Peter Krol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciate Stott's commentaries. Especially in this series (Bible Speaks Today). They're very readable, yet they clearly exposit the text in a useful way. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand this important letter of Paul's!

[Omar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stott's work is readable, insightful, practical, pastoral, and biblical. It is also influential, all the commentaries I read written after this one engage with Stott's thought. If you are only going to read one commentary on Galatians this would be an excellent choice.

[Jenkins]

thoroughly enjoyed this commentary. if you are looking for in depth technical expository, maybe not this one...but epic for what it is.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of Stott's strongest offerings. And yet, even when he's subpar on his own scale, he's still well above average!

[Tom Olmsted · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always understand the Bible better with John Stott's commentaries. He make difficult versus understandable and relates them to our daily walk in Christ.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Stott was one of the most recognizable names in modern Evangelical Christianity. His works are almost countless and anything that he wrote was a gold mine for great exegesis and personal application. One of the positions that Stott held in his lifetime was New Testament editor of the Bible Speaks Today series of books produced by IVP Academic.

This series is a long lasting series which is the standard for Pastor’s and Laymen to use as an introduction to a specific book of the Bible. Furthermore this series is stalwart in its tight grasp of orthodox theology and steadfast to the inerrancy as well as the infallibility of scripture. Stott not only was the editor of the series but wrote a great many volumes in it as well. One of the better volumes he pend was, The Message of Galatians, originally published under the name, Only One Way, in 1968.

This work is a very through work for its size, 191 pages. Stott for the most part breaks down each section into a pericope and then deals with the pericope mostly a handful of verses at a time, sometimes looking at a specific verse at length for a few pages. I am currently teaching though a series on Galatians with some teenagers and have found this work to contain a plethora of practical application to the modern day as well as containing great turns of phrases to sum up particular doctrines.

This is the first work I consult before I dive deeper into a specific passage with mid-tear or more technical commentaries, it is well worth the consideration for pastors, Bible study leaders, or even laymen looking for a more in-depth personal devotion.

This book was provided to me free of charge from IVP Academic in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.

[Todd Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good "mid-level" commentary. I wouldn't call this one "deep", but it is a good introduction to each section, for sure.

I will add this note: I almost think there was a Baptist church sitting next door to Stott's church. Two times out of the blue he launches into an attack of the historic Baptist approach to the ordinances. He cares little for adhering staunchly to immersion as well as the fencing of the Lord's Table. It's two paragraphs in the book. And, as a Baptist, I'd like to have just ripped those two paragraphs out.

That said, this book remains a must-read if a guy is preaching through Galatians.

[Cale Manley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent commentary with Stott's typical warmth, depth, and clarity. This is not a long volume, nor particularly technical; but well-reasoned and researched. I've yet to hear of or read after a better pastoral expositor than John Stott.

"Nothing in history or in the universe cuts us down to size like the cross. All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size."

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great single volume commentary on the epistle to the Galatians. The author goes in depth enough but keeps his message succint. I have read Galatians many mnay times but I certainly walked away with a much deeper understanding of the message Paul was trying to convey. The author is also very good at bringing the whole point back around to the finished work of Christ. Highly reccomend for lay people who want a deeper understanding of Galatians and serious Bible students.

[Caleb Falbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic exposition of Galatians. It is both easily digestible and sufficiently thorough as a source to helping one better understand the book. The only reason that I would give it 4 stars, instead of 5 is because it does not dive as deeply into some of the subject material for one really looking to delve deeper. I also would have liked to have seen a little more interaction with the New Perspective on Paul.

[Sierra Cusson · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Only One Way' was my first introduction to 'the Bible Speaks Today' commentary series edited by John Stott. This book on Galatians was actually written by John Stott and I loved it! It is a great book to pick up and read alongside of morning devotions, as each chapter is only a few pages long. By reading one chapter each time, you can segment reading (and taking a deeper dive into) the book of Galatians through a few weeks.

There is so much rich teaching in this book, and it is very understandable for a lay person - which I'm sure was one of the goals of this commentary series. Not only is the background and setting of the book of Galatians explained, but the theology throughout is expounded by John Stott and then shown how those concepts can be applied to the modern church and to our lives today.

Some of the large themes in the book of Galatians include the confirmation of Paul's apostleship and authority, justification being by faith alone, and the work of the Spirit in a believer's life. The way that Stott drove home Paul's points on justification by faith was impactful, and he made it obvious that if you believe the Scriptures, there cannot be any other way to salvation. To attack this doctrine is to attack the Gospel itself:
"Salvation is possible only through the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross...If we contribute our works to the winning of salvation, then we detract from the adequacy of Christ's work." (187,188).

I highly recommend this book & I look forward to reading more from this series.

[James Tetley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent commentary. Stott was a marvelous preacher and expositer. This commentary gives a succinct overview of the book of Galatians. I disagreed with his focus on progressive sanctification in Chapter 5. Rather the one thing that matters is love and the Spirit will bring conviction in this area. Recommended

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a concise yet thorough explanation of all the verses and themes (authority; salvation; and holiness) in Galatians. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in better understanding Galatians or leading a bible study on the same.

[Bryn MacPhail · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my view, John Stott's commentary on Galatians is the best of the best. Stott effectively balances providing appropriate historical context and present-day application. I leaned heavily upon this resource.

[Petermathieson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This commentary on Galatians was excellent. It was engaging, easy to read and well explained.

[Jon Pentecost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great brief commentary. Wonderful concise devotional mediation on Galatians.
I had more differences with Stott in terms of structure than I expected. But substance is superb.

Used in preparation for preaching Galatians in 2020

[John Brackbill · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my friends while preaching through Galatians. Helpful at times. Be rarely in a unique way compared to other commentaries.

[Sean McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this commentary very insightful and full of application.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relire en même temps que Galates

[jacob van sickle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Used a number of commentaries with Galatians but this was the go to. Stott unlocks the text with ease. Always so clear and profound.

[Ian Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful exegesis of Paul's letter to the church at Galatia.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very well written. The author has some keen insights about Jesus Christ choosing Paul to lead the church in the new covenan

[Yuan Mejía · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the best commentaries on Galatians

[Ian Rees · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a real revelation to read John Stott's commentary on Galatians. He breaks it down extremely helpfully and his summaries get to the heart of what it is about. The summary at the end is masterful, too. There are indications that it was written 50 years ago - he makes reference to people now forgotten and controversies long past - but this does not dilute its value.