Galatians by Peter Oakes

Abstract

Reviewed by: Galatians by Peter Oakes Daniel K. Darko peter oakes, Galatians (Paideia Commentary on the New Testament; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2015). Pp. xv + 219. $30. Peter Oakes's commentary on Galatians provides an insightful and engaging analysis of the letter. O. divides the discussion into twelve sections, including the introduction and follows the threefold rubric of the Paideia series consistently in each unit, namely, (a) Introductory Matters, (b) Tracing the Train of Thought, and (c) Theological Issues. In the introduction, O. addresses authorship, date, provenance, and theological themes/issues of the letter. He dates Galatians between 46 and 61 c.e. and situates it in the social context of "south Galatia." Dismissing partition theories, the author recounts reception history in support of Pauline authorship prior to establishing his own analysis in the undisputed Pauline corpus. A review of aspects of the New Perspective on Paul in relation to Galatians, and the Lutheran reading, follows to show some appreciation of and critique of the way these views inform interpretations, especially of Galatians 2–3. O. demonstrates a good grasp of the social history of the context, especially in his reconstruction of the composition of house churches and the religious context of the letter. The accessible style, concise [End Page 342] articulation of disputable subjects, and cogent argumentation are well suited for the target audience of this commentary. In terms of substance, O. argues that Paul's opponents in his letter to the Galatians are Jewish Christ followers—referred to as "false brothers" (2:4) and those who preach a different gospel (1:6-7)—who aim to persuade gentile Christ followers to adopt Jewish practices (e.g., circumcision). Paul seeks to counteract their efforts, according to O., to the effect that succumbing to such teachings would amount to voluntary enslavement to the "works of the law." Here, the "works of the law" is taken as terminus technicus for the Torah or Jewish practices (pp. 84-87, contra James D. G. Dunn, Michael Bachman, Douglas Campbell, and others). Paul writes to defend his apostolic authority and his gospel, arguing that a deviation from his gospel would be tantamount to deserting him personally. "What Paul argues is that the way of life under Jewish law was life dependent on doing the law. The arrival of Christ opens the possibility of a new way to life based on trust in him and, in particular, as we will see, on trust in what he achieved on the cross" (p. 112). In a relatively short commentary, O. does well to engage current scholarship closely on a wide variety of debated matters. Those who are not acquainted with modern scholarship on Galatians will be well informed by the commentary, whereas experts are more likely to find points of agreement and/or disagreement, both with the New Perspective and with Lutheran readings. It is commendable that O. locates elements that are sometimes debated in isolated passages in the macro-structure of the letter in the exegetical analysis. Some concrete features and contributions are highlighted as noteworthy in the ensuing paragraphs. Oakes utilizes the translation of certain phrases and words to highlight his positions vis-à-vis interlocutors on linguistic and theological issues in Galatians. For example, he supports a modified version of the "subjective genitive" reading of pistis Christou and translates the phrase as "trust in Christ." According to O., "a reading of pistis Christou that fits with the soteriology of Galatians as a whole is likely to be one that places the expression in the interface between people and Christ (in one direction, or the other or both), rather than in the interface of between Christ and God, as [Richard B.] Hays and, partially, [Sam K.] Williams do" (p. 89). Pistis is thus rendered "trust" consistently in the commentary from Galatians 2 onward. O. posits that "pistis is, in Galatians, a new mode of human existence that comes about when Christ arrives. … Trust in Christ is, in Paul's vision, the route to uniting Jews and Gentiles in righteousness" (p. 126). Moreover, the reader may want to observe the author's rationale for translating Ioudaismos as "Judaism" to denote a way of life, Ioudaizein (2:14...