David Garland is a master at writing commentaries. His recently updated volume on 2 Corinthians is smashingly good, and under the editorial hand of Nijay Gupta. The new Word Biblical Themes series is a revamping of the original, incomplete Word Biblical Themes series, which was meant to coexist with the Word Biblical Commentary (WBC) series. Volumes in the WBC series are notoriously long and detailed, so the WBT volumes will pluck out the key theological themes in the books of the New Testament.
Garland begins with an introduction where he covers history and details about the city of Corinth, Paul’s history there, the occasion for the Corinthian letters, and closes with some comments about Paul’s theology in 2 Corinthians. He ends with a terrific note that 2 Corinthians was not some “occasional letter that battles those inside and outside of the congregation who have belittled Paul for lacking power and glory” (16). Instead, “While Paul indeed writes as a pastor dousing the flames of dissension, disgruntlement, and deviant theology, this does not mean that he does pastoral theology off-the-cuff. Rather, Paul responds to the various situations he addresses in his letters from a well-developed theological substructure… Moreover, the gospel is always greater than the problems he adresses, so that the letter must be understood as a theological exercise of witness and not merely in light of its problems, however trenchant and serious they may be” (16–17). All that Paul wrote came out from the gospel message in Christ, and he had plenty to work from with all the problems that rose up.
Before he covers six chosen themes from this letter, Garland ties together what Paul teaches us about the Godhead. Garland not only takes us through the relevant contents of the letter, but how what Paul wrote would have both jived with and grated against the Corinthians based on their cultural influences. Influenced by their pagan culture, the gospel clashes with their values. Seen through new eyes of faith, the Corinthians see that one of suffering’s purposes in Paul’s life: continuous comfort from God for their sake. Garland also shows that Jesus gave himself up for us in the incarnation (and thus his death too) in 8:9 because he is God (see replace “though” with “because” in Phil 2:6).
Garland then covers six important themes in 2 Corinthians:
- New Covenant Ministry in the Spirit;
- The Cruciform Manner of New Covenant Ministry;
- Divine Power Shrouded in Weakness;
- A New Creation in Christ;
- The New Community Living under Grace;
- A New Hope: Resurrection from the Dead.
Garland helps us understand key insights, like how Paul reads Moses’ veiling and unveiling his face through a “Christocentric key that unlocks new meaning” (71). He connects the Roman triumph with Paul’s cross-shaped life. He shows how new creation is connected with those texts about being “in Christ,” reconciliation, and transformation. He connects the dots between how this new community should live holy lives in unity together as God’s eschatological temple, which includes discipline and forgiveness. And he discusses that the resurrection, not a disembodied existence, is what waits right on the other side of death for the Christian. Garland offers suggestions for further reading after each chapter.
Recommended?
Again, Garland is a master. This is a superb contribution to this series, even if you already have Garland’s commentary on 2 Corinthians. Keep your eye on upcoming volumes in this series. Highly recommended!
Buy it on Amazon or from Zondervan Academic!
Lagniappe
- Series: New Word Biblical Themes
- Author: David E. Garland
- Paperback: 242 pages
- Publisher: Zondervan Academic (March 2025)
- Read the introduction + chapter one
Review Disclosure: I received this book free from Zondervan Academic. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
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