THE SECOND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS
By Mark A. Seifrid
IVP Apollos. 535 pages. £29.99
ISBN 978 1 783 591 619
This is the latest addition to the highly acclaimed Pillar New Testament Commentary series.
As the blurb on the dust cover indicates, the commentaries in this series are ‘designed for serious readers of the Bible’ such as pastors, teachers and students. The commentary on 2 Corinthians is no exception, written by a leading New Testament scholar, best known for his work on justification, who uses his expertise to open up the meaning of the text in a helpful and God-honouring way.
The introduction is not lengthy, but adequate. Sound reasons are presented for rejecting the theory of a corporate letter, and the reader is guided skilfully through the various stages in Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian church via letters and visits. There is also a discussion of the theology that lies at the heart of this intensely personal epistle.
No clutter
The various sections of the Letter are handled well, showing how one subject leads into the next. Seifrid grapples competently with the difficulties of the Greek text and in a way that those unfamiliar with the original language can appreciate. He does not clutter his comments with pages of argument countering the opinions of modern scholars with whom he disagrees. Where necessary, such material is generally relegated to the footnotes. One of his main opponents is Tom Wright. There is a very fulsome treatment of 5:18-21 where Seifrid makes a good job of demolishing Wright’s understanding of verse 21.
It is clear that the author has gained much from Martin Luther’s lively appreciation of what Paul wrote and has made extensive use of Oswald Bayer’s understanding of the German reformer. Seifrid, however, lacks Luther’s clarity in expressing the ‘wonderful exchange’ whereby the believer’s righteous status involves the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. Surprisingly, Calvin’s comments are nowhere to be seen. There are occasions where Seifrid stops to consider in more detail particular issues such as ‘Paul’s Opponents in Corinth and the Purpose of the Letter’, ‘Paul’s Understanding of “Covenant”’, ‘The Letter and the Spirit in Recent Interpretation’ and ‘Paul’s List of Hardships – and the Works of God’.
Overall, this is a stimulating commentary that is full of fresh theological insights. Paul’s message of the cross is especially emphasised: it is a message that speaks powerfully to our own day and age.
