Ephesians

"Stephen Fowl’s rich volume on this rich letter displays his careful reading of the text that yields a truly theological commentary. It focuses on the Triune God, the drama of salvation, and the church’s internal unity and faithful witness; it situates the letter within the canon and within the context of Christian theology; it engages ancient as well as recent interpreters, from Irenaeus to Aquinas to Andrew Lincoln; and it imitates Ephesians itself by calling its readers into the fullness of life in Christ. For all these reasons, I enthusiastically commend it."
—Michael J. Gorman, Raymond E. Brown Chair in Biblical Studies and Theology, St. Mary’s Seminary and University

"Stephen Fowl brings his considerable gifts in theological interpretation to the profound theological message of the Letter to the Ephesians. The result is a refreshingly irenic commentary that reflects a thorough knowledge of the critical discussions while eschewing lengthy debate. Fowl is willing to live with exegetical uncertainties and interpretative ambiguities in order to focus on the text’s illumination of Christian identity formed by God’s actions in Christ, lived out in the church and the world. Achieving this in a clear and highly readable style makes Fowl’s contribution a very worthwhile addition to the commentary literature on Ephesians."
—Andrew T. Lincoln, Portland Professor of New Testament, University of Gloucestershire

"Reading Stephen Fowl's work is always a wonderful experience. His prose is tight and clear, his thinking fresh, and his commentary on Scripture always targets the sacred text and what it may teach the church about its relationship with God and one another. The importance of his NTL commentary on Ephesians is not merely that it details the letter's history of interpretation or its critical prolegomena (although his discussion of its authorship is a thing of intellectual beauty); others have already done this work for us. Rather, Fowl's contribution is to provide us with a fine example of how careful exegesis and theological interpretation are of a piece, the one funding the other for a reading of Ephesians that will benefit both church and academy."
—Robert W. Wall, Paul T. Walls Professor of Scripture and Wesleyan Studies, Seattle Pacific University