alatians is God's antidote for legalism. As no other book, it clarifies the issue of the believer's relationship to Old Testament Law and the grace provision for salvation and sanctification clearly expressed in the New Testament. Thank God for the Epistle to the Galatians: It establishes us in God's grace provision for justification, sanctification, and life of the Spirit. Sink your moorings deep into the message of this book" ("Galatians: God's Antidote to Legalism" pp.i,v). So writes able Bible-teacher Ron Merryman in his newly revised commentary on Galatians.

Many of the readers of the Grace Family Journal who are already familiar with Ron's solid, grace-oriented, expositional pulpit teaching will appreciate more of the same in his newly printed commentary on Galatians. This is a thorough, verse-by-verse, exe-getical commentary, ideally suited to assisting Bible teachers; and yet it is simple enough to be used profitably by the average believer as a guide to studying this epistle for personal enrichment.

So what makes "Galatians: God's Antidote to Legalism" a valuable commentary? First, it actually deals with the text of God's Word! Many commentaries comment very little on the Bible! Here is solid exegesis. Every verse of Galatians is examined according to sound principles of Biblical interpretation. As one might expect of Ron's adeptness in the Greek language, careful attention is paid to grammar, word meaning, and sentence structure, yet always bearing in mind the contextual flow of thought. Details are always explained in a simple, understandable fashion. The result is that the reader comes away with the confidence of "thus saith the Lord!" Secondly, this commentary is also valuable because it is written from the theological perspective of traditional dispensationalism. The combination of a commentary that is exegetical and dispensational is quite rare, unfortunately. However, this is vital in

an epistle such as Galatians, whose theme is the distinction between Law & Grace.

This commentary is divided into several major sections. Most of the commentary is a verse-by-verse analysis, as might be expected. There are also introductory sections dealing with the importance of this epistle, its historical context within the 1st Century Church, and an outline of all six chapters. It concludes with an annotated literature list for further study of Galatians. The actual volume is 130 pages in length, on large 8.5" X 11" paper, spiral bound, covered front and back with high-quality paper and plastic overlays.

"Galatians: God's Antidote to Legalism" is a revised second edition of Ron's previous commentary entitled "Analytical Notes on Galatians" published in 1979. Even if readers have the original commentary, it would be worth investing in this new edition. It has several enhancements. First, it is completely re-typeset, making it more reader friendly. There are insightful quotations sprinkled throughout by grace-oriented Bible teachers. There are 10 very helpful doctrinal summaries at various points throughout, on such topics as; "Apostleship," "7 Key Aspects of Justification," "Legalism," "The Doctrine of the Believer's Relationship to the Mosaic Law," "Understanding Spirituality," etc. In addition, Ron has added 14 new graphics, such as the one above, which illustrate the truths explained in his text.

In addition, Ron’s commentary on Galatians has been very helpful in my own teaching of Galatians recently at Word of Grace Bible Church. When I study through a passage, I consult several commentaries; but Ron’s is the best available at accurately interpreting the text and capturing the flow of thought. I recommend it highly, especially for teachers and serious students of God’s Word!

You can order "Galatians: God's Antidote to Legalism" for $13.00 (includes shipping) from: Merryman Ministries, 201 W. St. Andrews St., Duluth, MN 55803.