Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians

Paul for Everyone series has been such a blessing for the average layman who wants practical information/ideas rather than scholarly work.

Revd. Wright is one of the best of the advocates of the New Perspective on St. Paul and his insights on these letters area happy corretive to several centuries of erroneous interpretation. This book is accessible to the educated layman and pastorally helpful. Highly recommended.

N.T. Wright is among the very best Biblical scholars in the world. His genius is evident in how clearly he brings Paul's letters alive for us today. Rememnber, this stuff isn't rockewt science and the enduring truth of Paul's theology and counsel has always been meant for EVERYONE.

Tom Wright (aka N T Wright)is the most insightful and unique conservative scholar to come along. He has shared with us his great gift of, not only his theology, but his whimsical writing, anectdotes, story telling and of course the most important of all correct interpretion of the text itself. Wright is not only a theologian, but is as much a historian. I recommend the entire everyone series from him. You will not regret buying these easy to read, entertaining, and remarkably insightful books. When it comes to interpreting Galatians Wright is right on. He recognizes the problem in Galatia not to be Law verses Grace (categories of the reformation), but rather table fellowship or in other words who is accepted into the family of God and who is not? Who do we eat with? Wright shows the opponents of Paul to be those who had said that Paul, who is not really full Apostle, has missed it by not telling the Galatians that they needed to be circumcised along with faith in Jesus as Messiah in order to be full fledged members of the family of God. Paul argues for his full Apostleship and challenges the notion of circumcision as a badge of fellowship. Galatians moves from the idea of circumcision to faith as the true badge as demonstrated through baptism and the Holy Spirit as the seal on the deal and not any works of the flesh. Wright also deals responsibly with First and Second Thesalonians, giving good, though not exhaustive interpretations of some very difficult passages that deal with the parousia appearing or coming of the Lord. It is refreshing for me to see someone who does not take the Left Behind rapture theory deal adequately and responsibly with 1 Thessalonians 4:13 and following. He also does a good job with "the man of sin" of 2 Thessalonians. Perhaps (for me personally at least) the most important thing the Church can hear from Wright's comments has to do with the call to holiness. Wright sees Paul as calling upon Christians to live life as thinking of themselves as always being in the Temple or in the presence of the Lord.

These series of books by Tom Wright is an excellent easy to read and understand study of scripture. I've done several of the books and they're all filled with anecdotes and enlightened commentary.