ON A COLD, RAINY NOVEMBER NIGHT in 1971, in Freeport, Illinois, I entered into our local Christian bookstore with my girlfriend to peruse the bookshelves. After a few minutes, I lit upon a yellow and black bound commentary on Galatians by William Hendriksen. I purchased it, not knowing that Galatians would become a fascination of mine for the next twenty years, climaxing in the book before you. That night I began to work through Galatians, verse by verse and passage by passage, until, about a year later, I finished my first inductive Bible study of an entire book. Since then I have preached on, taught, and read through many books on Galatians. It remains my favorite of the Pauline letters. I am thankful to Jack Kuhatschek and Terry Muck for giving me the opportunity of trying my hand at a commentary on this letter. I am thankful because I have stepped out of my area of expertise (Jesus and the Gospels) and have been trusted to walk my own way.
I also did not realize that night that the girlfriend who entered that bookstore with me would become my wife and that she, too, has been with me for over twenty years. From Kristen I have learned more than can be put into many books, but two items must be mentioned. Kris, more than any other human being, has taught me what it means to live both in Christ and through the Spirit, the two main themes of Galatians. As a token of my love for her and as a memorial of thanksgiving for what I have learned from her, I dedicate this book to her. Since the publication of my first book I have waited to dedicate a book to her—a book, I promised her, that would be as practical as it would be appropriate for one dedicated to her. I also hoped that this one would stay in print longer than my previous academic books.
Several others deserve mention for their help in various stages of the progress of this book. David Paul King, now since passed to his eternal reward, was our youth pastor when I began studying Galatians; he suggested Galatians as a suitable book for me to study. George Stiekes was my college pastor and he recommended that I work systematically through Galatians with a high school Sunday school class. That first struggle at trying to make sense of Galatians for others has influenced this book more than I shall ever know. My students at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, particularly those in our NT 741 Galatians class, have provoked me to further reflection (especially on the relationship of my views of Galatians to Romans) and have frequently forced me to reconsider other options; to them I am deeply indebted. Two Sunday school classes at our current church, Libertyville Evangelical Free Church, have asked me questions and listened to my views in the last year, both with encouragement and queries that have sharpened the contours of my thinking. I am particularly thankful to Roger Scott and Bob Dudley for invitations to address their classes. Our good friend and neighbor, Willa Williams, read the manuscript and asked questions that have been answered in the revisions.
Two scholars deserve special mention for the way in which they have influenced my thinking over the last decade: Professor James D. G. Dunn and E. P. Sanders. The former was my dissertation supervisor, has himself written at length on Galatians in different academic publications, and deserves my heartfelt thanks for his stimulating studies and personal guidance on “matters Galatian.” E. P. Sanders, with whom I have breakfasted but once, has influenced my work in massive ways through his major publications. I have followed the light that these two scholars have shed on Galatian problems and theology to the degree that they have become my mentors.
In the first writing up of this book I was also enjoying a marvelous summer with fourteen boys who comprised the Libertyville Little League (Majors Division) All-Star team (for twelve-year-olds). Hardly a practice went by without them asking me if I was done with my book. At one session I promised them that, if they qualified for the Illinois State Tournament in Taylorville, I would mention each of their names. Not only did they qualify, they finished third place. As a tribute to each of these courageous boys who fulfilled part of their dreams to go to the Little League World Series, and for “freeing” me from the computer on sunny afternoons, I mention each of their names: Justin Anderson, Jason Berngard, Scott Carberry, Brad Fiore, Matt Hansen, Mike Lowry, Lukas McKnight, Barth Morreale, Tim Nied, Jim Oboikowitch, John Paraszczak, George Poulos, Jamie Ronin, Mike Ronin, and Mike Ward. I like coaching these boys because of the company it allows me to keep.
Finally, I want to thank the editors of this series who have explored with me the tricky issues of moving from a first-century Diaspora world, struggling to figure out the difference between Christianity and Judaism, to a modern Western society which I struggle to keep up with. I thank Jack Kuhatschek, Marianne Meye Thompson, and Terry Muck, along with the encouragement I received from Eugene Peterson, Klyne Snodgrass, and Stan Gundry. Verlyn Verbrugge looked after the book carefully, from beginning to end, and his insights both as editor and theologian have improved my ideas. To him I am grateful.
Looking back over the gestation and birth of this book makes me pause to give thanks to God for the gift of Christian community. Without these various people and the Christian communities mentioned, this book would never have been written.
—Scot McKnight
Deerfield, Illinois