ESV Expository Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (volume 11)

ESV Expository Commentary: Ephesians–Colossians, Volume 11 (Crossway, 2018).

As the fourth NT entry in the ESV Expository Commentary series, this volume treats the latter half of the Pauline letter collection (on the first half, see my review of volume 10). It features an exposition of Ephesians by Benjamin Merkle, Philippians by Jason Meyer, Colossians and Philemon by Alistair Wilson, 1–2 Thessalonians by David Chapman, the Pastoral Epistles (1–2 Timothy, Titus) by Denny Burk. 

Ephesians in particular gets an extended treatment by Merkle with an emphasis on Paul's soaring Christology, his thick ecclesiology, and his stress on godly living for believers. Merkle also highlights the structure of Ephesians with Eph 1–3 articulating theological foundations and Eph 4–6 applying this truth for the life of the churches. Merkle notes that because Ephesians is such a richly theological letter, it is often preached over an extended period of time. In these scenarios, Merkle urges preachers who are spending extra time on the exhortations of chapters 4–6 "to ground the imperatives (commands) in the finished work of Christ" that Paul elaborates in chapters 1–3. 

Meyer's exposition of the joyful letter to the Philippians is appropriately devotional. As he declares, "Philippians burns with the blazing centrality of the gospel of Christ" (123). Meyer locates the interpretive core of this little letter in the nature of the proclaimed message about Jesus: "The gospel provides a strong sense of coherence and unity to the whole letter" (123; he traces this theme throughout the logic of Paul's argument). Similarly, Wilson notes that Paul's Christology in Colossians is striking but also not out of step with Paul's broader theology. One of the distinctive aspects of Paul's Colossian argument is his articulation of the "cosmic Christ" who can be trusted for ultimate eschatological victory. Christ is also the truth that can be trusted "in the face of all competing claims" (200). 

In his treatment of 1–2 Thessalonians, David Chapman addressees the significance of Paul's co-workers, counters the arguments against Paul's authorship, and demonstrates that the discussion of eschatology in these two letters is coherent and powerful when viewed alongside one another. Notable as well is Burk's staunch defense of both Pauline authorship of 1–2 Timothy & Titus and a strong complementarian approach to the admonitions in 1 Tim 2:8–15 (see 359–64, 397–402; cf. Merkle's thoughtful treatment of Eph 5:22–33, 97–103). 

All in all, this volume is another solid and reflective entry on the Pauline Epistles in this commentary series. 

Some Notes:

• See details on the other volumes in the ESV Expository Commentary series; Cf. my goodreads  & reviews of other volumes in this series; Thanks to Crossway for this review copy.