The Letter to the Ephesians

Cohick’s comprehensive and up-to-date treatment which replaced F. F. Bruce’s commentary in the series affirms Pauline authorship and shows how he develops key themes in the epistle. Cohick’s expertise in first-to-third-century Roman culture enables her to set the letter firmly in its historical context. By doing so, she enlightens scholars and teachers on the cultural and familial structures that affect our understanding of Paul’s words today. [Full Review]

Cohick offers a comprehensive commentary on the letter that interacts with the secondary literature (especially in English) and the Greek text, but which does not require the reader to know them. Cohick is excellent at situating the letter within the Jewish and Greco-Roman world of Paul, making connections between Ephesians and the theology of Paul’s other letters, and offering pointed reflections about the text’s contemporary relevance. Due to its readability and more up-to-date scholarship, I found myself increasingly turning to Cohick over Lincoln or Hoehner as I worked through the Greek text of Ephesians. What I really appreciate about Cohick is her ability to discuss hot button theological matters the text raises in an irenic evangelical way. If I had to level one criticism, I wish Cohick was more thorough in matters of textual criticism, but we have other commenters for those matters.

Cohick brings her expertise in the world of first-century Christians to bear in this commentary. Knowing the culture of the author and his audience makes a huge difference in understanding the biblical text. Particularly insightful is her handling of the household codes in chapter 5. Serious exegetes and thoughtful pastors preparing to preach on marriage/family should not move forward without consulting this resource. It's also very readable! I find that rare in comprehensive commentaries like NICNT produces.

Precisely what you'd expect from the NICNT and Lynn Cohick. There are the typical categories in the intro, in which Cohick leans away from pseudonymity. The level of detail in addressing critical concerns is definitely sufficient without getting dragged into every small detail. The NICNT format makes for easy reading and finding what one is looking for in the exposition. There are tons of additional technical info and secondary source interaction in the footnotes. Cohick engages with the secondary sources (including a brief section in the intro on the NPP) without it becoming a commentary on commentaries. This is likely to become a gold standard on Ephesians.