S. M. Baugh is professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary California. He is the author of A New Testament Greek Primer and A First John Reader.
Usually full-length commentaries devote much of their space to
surveying and evaluating the secondary literature--a useful but
rarely a fresh or exciting venture. Baugh's commentary is
different. Every page reflects years of exacting study of primary
sources--classical literature, inscriptions, the first-century
historical context (especially the history of Ephesus, gleaned from
both archaeological and documentary evidence), coupled with a
profound commitment to biblical theology. This does not mean he
spends so much time on the historical and literary contexts that he
fails to study the letter itself: far from it. Rather, Baugh's
impressive learning is in service of understanding Ephesians.
Baugh's comments are invariably measured, judicious, the product of
informed and careful scholarship, lightly worn. Mercifully, the
excellent scholarship comes in readable prose, making this a
thoroughly interesting and stimulating work. This is now
unquestionably the best technical commentary on Ephesians.
--D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School
"We have a number of excellent commentaries on Ephesians, and so we
might wonder if there is a need for another one. S. M. Baugh,
however, has written a fresh and independent commentary on the
letter. His expert knowledge of the Greco-Roman world shines
through his exposition, as does his facility in Greek grammar.
Students, pastors, and scholars will find Baugh to be a must read
as they study the text and theology of one of Paul's most important
letters."
--Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New
Testament Interpretation
"S. M. Baugh is the exegete's exegete and this commentary is pure
gold. Turning first to controversial passages I've preached or
written on before, I discovered, sure enough, that I had more work
to do! He doesn't just give us his answers, but shows us his work
by thorough attention to ancient sources, contexts, literary
practices, and engagement with the history of Christian
interpretation. For the pastor-scholar intent on mining the mystery
revealed in Ephesians, this commentary is indispensable."
--Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic
Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California
"This is not just an outstanding commentary, it is an important
one. Decades of study of Scripture and of many aspects of the
ancient world come together to produce a fresh and enlightening
study of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. The reader will learn,
perhaps for the first time, what really constitutes an author's
"style," with an introduction to rhythm, meter, cola, periods,
rhetoric, and literary composition, that is, to issues that help us
appreciate how ancient readers would have read and heard the text.
Illustrations are copiously supplied from Biblical and classical
literature and from ancient inscriptions. Baugh gives attention to
actual manuscripts of Ephesians, to their characteristics and the
ways they divide the text. One might expect the author of a NT
Greek Grammar to treat all relevant aspects of the Greek language
in the text of epistle, and this expectation is happily satisfied,
to the benefit of the expositor of Scripture. Excurses at the end
of the commentary enrich our understanding of various background
issues based on Baugh's wide learning in ancient language and
culture. All of these features that we might associate with an
academic commentary are joined to a theological and devotional
approach to the text as God's word for his people. Baugh's method
of treating the text according to ancient ways of reading it and
hearing it ought to form a model for much future work in Biblical
commentary."
--Charles E. Hill, John R. Richardson Professor of New Testament
and Early Christianity, Reformed Theological Seminary
"S. M. Baugh's commentary on Ephesians is a model of how
commentaries ought to be written and organized. The fruit of thirty
years of study, Baugh's Ephesians is packed with exegetical
insight, well-expressed in clarity of analysis and charity of
argument. It is also filled with pastoral wisdom and helpful
application. Baugh's defense of Pauline authorship of Ephesians in
the context of his larger discussion of the composition of such
first century epistles is compelling. If you plan on preaching
through Ephesians (or Paul's letters in general), this is a 'must
have' volume."
--Dr. Kim Riddlebarger, co-host of the White Horse Inn radio
broadcast and author of The Lion of Princeton
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