Summary
We find R. Alan Cole’s Galatians a concise, focused guide to Paul’s defence of the gospel of grace. He helps us see the letter’s urgency and its pastoral aim, to guard the church from distortion and to keep our confidence in Christ alone.
The commentary is brief enough to use quickly, yet pointed enough to clarify the argument and its implications.
Why Should I Own This Commentary?
We should own this volume when we need a straightforward companion for preaching Galatians. Cole helps us follow Paul’s line of thought on justification, the promise to Abraham, the law’s purpose, and life by the Spirit.
We also appreciate the way it supports proclamation. It presses us to preach grace with clarity and to call for Spirit shaped freedom, not self made religion.
Closing Recommendation
We recommend this as a useful mid level resource for preaching and teaching Galatians, especially when we want a concise volume that still keeps the gospel edge sharp.
As pastoral next steps, we can visit the Bible Book Overview, browse Top Recommendations, and use the Reformed Commentary Index to build a wiser working library.
R. Alan Cole
R. Alan Cole was an Irish born evangelical scholar of the twentieth century, remembered for combining academic care with a pastor’s concern for the church’s understanding of Scripture.
He taught Old Testament at Moore Theological College in Sydney and also served in theological education in Singapore. Cole wrote with a gift for seeing the main line of a biblical book and then pressing it home with simplicity, especially where narrative, law, and theology interlock. His approach helps preachers keep close to the author’s argument and avoid losing the congregation in technical detail.
He remains valued for measured exposition and steady evangelical conviction. Recommended titles include Exodus in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Mark in the Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, and Galatians in the Tyndale New Testament Commentaries.
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical