PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians
Edgar Huxtable [1810-1897] · 361,419 words · 379 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 301
yo,1,1, ,nothingi'! emphatically applies fo the rites a;n,d, cereroonies of the Romish Church, which a.re not even of Divine appointment like circumcision. Trapp says," 1'hari811icat and popish. justjciariee a.e entangled in the fond conceits of their own righteousness." 6~t Clu:istr :will ,.profit none. but those who,…
1,135 wordsSECTION 302The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 302
Ver. 6.-The essential principle of Bible Ohristianity. After condemning circu'mclsion he qualifies his statement to the extent of makin~ H neither better nor worse than: uncircumcision. But then he reduces them both to the one level of religious inept- ness. Consider- - ' l. THE POWER OF CHBIST'LANITY CONSISTS NOT IN …
563 wordsSECTION 303The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 303
likewise forbids unbelief. Was there ever true love in man or woman that it did not forbid distrust? 'l'he want of mutual.confidence in the marriage relation is the death oflove. (5) Faith and love are the grea.t allied principles of Christian life. A Puritan divine says, "Faith and love are the. two arms and the two e…
1,117 wordsSECTION 304The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 304
"they always wax worse amd worse" (2 ,'l'im . .iii.:, IS);:(?) nor in the force of'hi5 own mgumentative expostulations, nor in a mere return-of that affection for him which'was, once so ardent and so self-~rificing, ;but(3)" in the-Lord" himself, who.had powei:to recover them out of their error.•~• faul may plant, and …
601 wordsSECTION 305The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 305
present.ed,,to them in circumstances of humiliation, as a crucified Man. But it was doubly so when it appeared as the very means of atonement, so that a Jew, by simply believing in Christ, might, without legal observances, be saved. The cro:;s is still an offence to more than Jews or Greeks, for it humbles the pride of…
857 wordsSECTION 306The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 306
anything, but to love one another" (Rom. xiii. 8). The counsel of the apostle seems to suggest the existence in Ga.Jatia of factious quarrels and unchristian isolations. Ver. 14.-The spirit of the Law. Mutual service was only possible 'through·rnutual 1ove, and this love was exp!'essly commanded in the Law, which sa…
877 wordsSECTION 307The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 307
Vers. 16-18.-The life and warfare of the Spi,rit in the soul. This importani passage suggests a comprehensive view of the Spirit's work in the believer's life. I. 'fHE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN THE l!ELIEVER. 1. "Walk in the Spirit." Nothin"' could be more descriptive of the natural effect of the spiritual change produced…
893 wordsSECTION 308The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 308
Yers. 19-21.-Classifiration of the works of the flesh. The picture here exhibited· by the apostle is a frightful a.byss into which he asks us to look down. We have sin in its many varieties pictured in many parts of Scripture (Rom. i. 18-32; 2 Cor. xiii. 2), bnt here we have a most complete account of the works of t…
831 wordsSECTION 309The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 309
the Spirit's·growth in ne. (8) The nine gracel'r throW' themselves n~urally into three groups, each group consisting of three-the first !(l"Oilp,· "love, joy, peace," touching our relations to God; the eecond group," long-suffering, gentleness, goodness," touching o,ur relatione to our fellow-men; the- third group, "fa…
1,134 wordsSECTION 310The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 310
Ver. 26.-No departure allowed from tfie spiritual standard. If the Spirit is our Guide and Upl;lolder, there ought tc;> be no room for the indulgence of a proud or con-, tentious or envious disposition. ,. ' , L VAIN-GLORY. "Let us not become vain-glorious." A, mild and suggestive warning against an evil only in its i…
505 wordsSECTION 311The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 311
outcome. Love to God and consequent love to men becomes the law of our lives. All that is lovely is thus evoked, and the system proves its moral magnificence and practical power. ' II. IT IB THE OHARAOTERIBTIO OF LEGALISM TO DEPRECIATE THE CROSS. (Ver. 11.) In n scheme of free grace the cross of Jesus Christ is cen…
842 wordsSECTION 312The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 312
that Christian love, which Is another name for liberty, .fnlfilir the demands of .La;w. The mee.ning of the commRndments published from Sinai was love. '!'heir essence is love to God and love to our neighbour, as well as to our "better self." Hence the gospel thro~ no slight on Law, but really secures its observance…
900 wordsSECTION 313The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 313
become a slave to himself; for' whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin' (John viii. 34; Rom, vi, 16-23). He is the dependent of self; and being thus the slave of self, he is also the slave of ple'asure, and of all those objects which it requires for its satisfaction." Man becomes. thus a distracted manifold,…
832 wordsSECTION 314The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 314
ea:11e~tly ~nd aITeclionately_ w9:rns him. Let him consider what he is doing. He is b_nngmg himself m!der ob)1p:at1on to do the whole Law, and that personally, with this risk attached, that, 1f he fails to do the whole Law, he comes under its curse. (2) Doing the whole Law excludes fi·om Christ anil grace. "Ye are s…
913 wordsSECTION 315The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 315
their heathen educatic,n to unlearn and undo. The laws of association and habit would have been working all along in their favour. And there would have been more time in which to advance to excellence and usefulness. (c) That it be pursued with enthu- Biasm. In the Galatians the warm Celtic temperament was warmed under…
896 wordsSECTION 316The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 316
their behalf, that they might be none otherwise minded. He had confidence in brin~ing proper representations before their minds, llS he had endeavoured .to do. Ho had con- fidence especially in the great Read of the Church making use or the means in the interests of the Gala.tian Churches and of the whole Church, 6.…
923 wordsSECTION 317The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 317
,nqd so it is Rpt to be to intellectual people still---to the Greeks; of the pt'csent day, to lit.crnry men, to the reading portion of the community. That is at least what all such have to surmount. 'l'he cross seems foolishness to them. They would like a difficult vroblem on which to exercise their intellects. Now,…
1,013 wordsSECTION 318The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 318
Vera. 13-26.-Freedom smtained by the Spirit. I. UsE 01" CHRISTIAN FREEDOM. •• For ye, brethren, were called for freedom." Paul, having wished the Judaizing teachers ?ff Galatian soil, justifies the strength of bis wish. They would have led the Galatians mto bondage, but God had called them for freedom. He makes e. d…
920 wordsSECTION 319The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 319
Apostle John, we only properly love our Father-God, whom we do not see, when we love our brother-man whom we see. (3) There is disaster at the opposite pokfromlove. "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." The languag@ is ta.ken from wild beasts. The fact of the Galatia…
921 wordsSECTION 320The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 320
generic word; the fi~st <rescribes a s.peoill.l form; the third describes ,a special aggravo.• t1on, namely, open d1s1•egard of propriety. 'l'here is a' sad prevalence of, these sins still I 1t can only -be se,id that they have been made more to hido their head. (13) nlicit 'intel"-, course_ "'!ith the unseen world.…
923 wordsSECTION 321The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 321
works. Fruit points to organie unity. The works of the flesh. are confused and con- fl1cting.. One lust coo tends with e,nother for the mastery. Bat the fruit of the Spirit is like well-formed fruit. All is consistent. And one grace by its growth does not take from another grace, but contributes to the richness and b…
954 wordsSECTION 322The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 322
entirely for their life on the Spiiit, 1t was their duty to,take the rule of their life simply from him. 7. Tlie (Jhristwn rule is applied to vain-glory. "Let us not be vain- glorious, provoking one another, envying one another." Vain-glory is glorying in what we do not have, or in what we have in a way that is not rea…
901 wordsSECTION 323The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 323
Ver. 5.-The hope of righteousness. I. WHAT IT IS. The hope of righteousness appears to be the hope of realizing righteousness, the hope of becoming righteous. In ·St. Paul's language a hope is not our subjective anticipation, but the thing for which we hope. Such a possession we as Christians anticipate. 1. Righteous…
801 wordsSECTION 324The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 324
Faith begins to operate in its own energy and disoovefs a field of. enterprise in love. l. Faith inspires lovt, as love also in turn inspires faith. We believe in and trust the goodness of Christ, and so we are moved to love him. If we did not believe in his love we should never return it. 2. Faith having once roused l…
841 wordsSECTION 325The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 325
Dut let us not forgot the.t if some may hinder ns there is One more mighty than a.ll tQ holp us.-W. F. A. Ver. 9.-Leaven. A familiar proverb applied in the present instance to doctrinal errors, introduced by e. small party of Juda.izers, but tending to spread through the whole community of Gale.tie.n Christians. The…
910 wordsSECTION 326The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 326
Ver. 16.-Wall.-ing by the Spirit. I. THE TRUE CHRISTIAN WILL AIM AT NOT FULFILLING THE LUST OF THE FLESH. It is the fashion of the age to decry asceticism. St. Paul was not an advocate of the monkish ideal according to which there was a virtue in restraining desires and activities which are harmless in themselves. Bu…
765 wordsSECTION 327The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 327
soul bas its meaner powers, He earthly passions, its self-regarding interests. There are times when the spiritual life is dull and feeble ; then some sudden t.emptation, or even without that the depressing atmosphere of the world, will reveal to a. man his worse side. II. THE TWO BELVEB ARE IN CONFLICT. They are not c…
1,030 wordsSECTION 328The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 328
EXPOSITION. CHAPTER VI. instances: thus: Luke xi. 8, " if (1<al) even he will not give them unto· hi.in becamie Ver. 1.-:Brethren, il (or, althoug'h) a ma.n he is a friend ; " 1 Cor. vii, ,21, " but if even be overtaken in a fault (a.o,:>..cpoi, ia.11 1<al •thou a.rt .ible to beoome free-;" 2 Cor. iv. 3; TrpOA"l)<PO…
674 wordsSECTION 329The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 329
thie statement. The treepass may be nothing howevet, with the phrase, "meek spirit," less th1m one of the works of the flesh which we havr, in 1 Pet. iii. 4. The meek- before epeoi.fled, • The preposition lv-'l in," ness· or tendernese meant ie that of one not "by "-points to the unhappy con- who, humbly CtJDscious o…
1,020 wordsSECTION 330The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 330
xv. 10.) And 10 fulfil the law of Christ ,Tvti, µ.1/lifv lfv-ru, .lv<11il(,1"f ab'ro,r . , , 11-r, (J<al 06-r .. , a.va.w"-T/P~ITrt:r< [or, cl.vaw"-T/p~o-,.-,] . . • ofov.-al .-, ,Tva, lfVTu obo,vbs 1!(101, -rov voµ.ov .-oii Xpurroii); and so fulfil ( or, ye " Something " is, by a common meiosis, put· ,hall f"~fil) th…
1,028 wordsSECTION 331The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 331
therewith. In other words, "Let ench man /la.O"-r&cr .. ); for each man ,ooU carry hia own be endeavouring in o. spirit of eelr•wo.tch- pack. A man's business is with his own fulneee to wo.lk orderly according to the pack ; and all depends upon his carrying Spirit." Thie notion of pmctical self-im- that, not putting it…
1,084 wordsSECTION 332The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 332
one o.tiotbor'e loads, and so carrying our own nate the Christian dootrlne, u 'in Mnrk ii. pac,k. The verb .,..,..,x~iv, etymologically 2; iv. 14; Acts 'Viii, 4; xi. 19; Phil. i, H. "to fill with sound," thence signifies "to So the Christian religion is sty led " the din s thing into another person's mind Way" in Ac…
991 wordsSECTION 333The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 333
conformity of your reo.l o.lme and e.otnal means of etl'ecting (see vcrs. 12-15 of the pro.otice with the dictates of GocL's Spirit, same chapter). But this does not wo.nant and in tho.t alone, can you hope for eternal our limiting the application of the word life. God ia not mooked ( 0,da ob µ.v1CT1/pl- here to the be…
1,064 wordsSECTION 334The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 334
deeds? Will the lost receive the award of the infinite benignity of his Father, whioh their good deeds? For there is no righteone loved him even then, in those very hours of m1m who hath not sinned; QI! also neither ie hie extremest ill-deserving. If these specu- there an unrighteous man whose life does lations appe…
1,007 wordsSECTION 335The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 335
and Wilkinson,' Commentary'). This wo.y 118 o.l~uding to or rather expressing a certain of oonetruing suits better in the phro.se, ,lr qno.hfico.tion of the flesh's condition, is .,.b n11,iiµa, which follows. Applying the shown by his inserting the words, 11< .,.;;, imoge of sowing genero.lly, the apostle in <1ap1<&…
1,036 wordsSECTION 336The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 336
do wisely in not attempting to determine. riddles mther than revelations : 'Ap.,.. ,-c\p We can, it is true, imaqine w11ye of con- f3>,.,1r0µ.ev i,•. foJtr-rpov iv alvl-yl"'.-r• (1 Car, joining the two notions; but it will be best xiii. 12). It is, in fact, not our mteUect, but not to positively affirm thnt this or …
1,012 wordsSECTION 337The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 337
likewise closely touch those here presented other places of the New Tcst.lment-Luke to us. But he that soweth to the Spirit xviii. 1 ; 2 Cor. iv. l, 16; Eph. iii. 13: lhall of the Spirit reap life everluting ( 6 8~ 2 TheBB. iii. 13. In every one of these six 0'1rElp01v •ls 'TO nv,iiµa, lit 'TOV nv,6µa-ros 8,plO'EI pass…
1,100 wordsSECTION 338The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 338
And boPt c~ee )Mt note). Th<> rea.ping is we ehllll be able to effect nothing." Indeed thC' Mme as that referr<>d to in the previous it ie questione.ble whethor the eense now' two venms. "If we faint not." 1'he verb pleaded for is not that which wall intended ,,,,_t',,,,..6a, in Me.tt. xv. 32 and Mark viii. 2 by the re…
1,067 wordsSECTION 339The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 339
here as in oLhor passa.ges, as e.g. I Thess. t~eir hold upon the fundamental prin- v. 15, is ono whioh flows natnra.lly from the ciples of the gospel, they had also declined proper influence UJ?OD tho mind of the great in their affectionate maintenance of the facts sta.ted in I Tim ii. 3-7, as a.lso it we.s tea.chars w…
1,042 wordsSECTION 340The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 340
briefly as he ie able. The int.errogative writing." In ordinar7 Greek it eomctimCB .,..,,;,,Joro, means "how great," as in Zech. ii. 2 denotes a p&lllle.ge o a treatise .or book (Septuagint); Heh. vii. 4. Aooordingly,..-&,ra (Liddell nnd Scott, under the word, ii. 4), o,al -rni;>,.i1ra in Polyb., i. 2, 8 ( cit.ed in…
1,081 wordsSECTION 341The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 341
of penmanship that he here draws attention. again, in Eph. ii. 11, "ye, the Gentiles in Many modern critics ho.ve acquiesced in the fteeb," that is, who in that state of things this explanation; o.nd if -ypdµ,µauw means in which men lived before the spiritual "letters," that is, charo.cters of the writing, economy in…
1,040 wordsSECTION 342The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 342
who.t for? ht>ee.nse the Jews did not like it, to be&r in mind Blso tho.t Jud11iem w1111 In e.nd 1-bcy did not "ish to get into trouble Roman jurieprudence treated as o. tolerated by offending them! A gmnd disdain prompta reli,p.on ( religio licita): and that, u long as the apostle, at the cost of impairing the Chri…
1,034 wordsSECTION 343The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 343
po.rty." Bishop Lightfoot is in f11vour of oe.lled upon to check, on the part or weak or this view, referring to "the e.pt quot11tion" insincere brethren, a tendency to dre.w to- from e.n o.pooryphe.l book, in which the wards Judo.ism at the cost of not merely phrase 11ppe11ra used in this very sense (see unseemly but …
1,104 wordsSECTION 344The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 344
of nn, so also from all the worrv and distrei!s !lave been made IMI the filth of the 'World, ot bondage to ceremonial 'prescriptions. the o:ff'scouring of all thinge." The whole And this group of truths, as well e.e those context of thoeo words in the Oorintbianll· relating to man's reconciliation with God, (vers. 0…
1,084 wordsSECTION 345The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 345
(Bee abo-ve, oh I. 4, and note.) ''Throngh bnt, since Christ died on II crose, true abso- whloh: " in vnrious ways was the cross of lutely, that for salvation neither circumcision Ollrist the me11ne of effecting this mutaal WBB aught, nor uncircnmcisioa, but only 11 druoifl:don between the apostle and the new oreatar…
1,039 wordsSECTION 346The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 346
r!owfng term& Bl!KI in Epb. i. 17-ii. 10. In the Th8981\1oni&na fot that Gu their conver- the pre!18nt Jl61!11&ge the particle " for" soome sion they proved themaelvea 1mite.tore of hi111 to point back. not exclusively to ver. 14, but (l '!he~e. i. 6).. When_ diacourelng to the TO the genen.l tenor of the 11·hole pu…
1,067 wordsSECTION 347The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 347
he eoornfully etylee a 0011ci,wn,-es being "and upon the Israel of God," 11eem to be "the onemiee of the oroee of Obrist." This an eoho of the" peace upon Israel (,,pf,.,,, wae wrHten eome yeare after the Epistle to lirl .,.b,, 'l<Tpaf/>..)," which, in the Septuagint, the GRlatlane; but it shows that it was a closes…
1,014 wordsSECTION 348The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 348
toliMl euthorit,-, imi,h M be ha4 nft:en eepeotally abhoffllnt to theit rollgioue reel• occasion to deai with, as, for exsrnple, at ingi,, than u an actual consecration of them Corinth. None SU<'h have be11n referred to to Dionysus &8 hia "1lave11." But that it in thi• Epi•tle, though he has found OOOBSion waa in so…
1,030 wordsSECTION 349The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 349
muet bnve left upon him-patent evidence poW'et-would-be po;vet they meant-of bia to nil who looked upon him of the manner letters, and the meanness and fee blenees In' whioh his fellow-men regarded &nd Of his personal appearance and his pereon,.i treatGd him; this onl:t, npa.rt from any e.dd-rese (2 Cor. x. I, 10). His…
1,023 wordsSECTION 350The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 350
Roman ecourging that immediately pre- deferential, eympathetio complianoe, whioh ceded his being handed over for crucifixion the disciple of Obrist might be expected to must have left on his sacred flesh-no part entertain towards his Lord, orucifted Cor 11pared-the entire frame pervaded alike him; suoh a sentiment a…
893 wordsSECTION 351The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 351
1. It is not a case of mere inadvertence or ignorance, but a case of fallin!J away from a Divine commam~ore probably misconduct than heresy. The doctrinal reaction at Ge.le.tie. may have bad a morally unsettling tendency. It was a case in which the offender yielded to the force of temptation, as is implied in the words…
823 wordsSECTION 352The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 352
duty implies B fuHiln1i'nt of Oh1i.st'1 l&w. This law is not to be ooncelved of ae If lb had come in the place of the moral Law, or ae if believers were now exempt from Law e\'en as B rule of life. "Lo\'e is the fulfilling of the Law." It wu so in Old Testament time~; for the sum of the Decalogue is love (Me.tt. xxi…
930 wordsSECTION 353The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 353
oven free from doubts e.nd fee.re, but to lee.cl na to the Lord for fresh pardon and grace. It ie a. useful correoUve to the merely morbid aelf-sorutiny with which men torment themselves, to he.ve the test applied to their work. Ver. 6.-0ur (J1D11, mdividuaZ 1rurden. "For ea.eh one shall bear hie own burden." He is no…
809 wordsSECTION 354The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 354
mocked." Whether the eelf-deception -riee from pride or cortuption of heart or from the pervereions of false teachel'II, some might lm&gine tha.t there would be n~ harveet after the present life ; others might suppose tha.t they would not reap the ea.me sort of 11eed they were sowing; othns, tha.t the harvest would …
913 wordsSECTION 355The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 355
must not weary in it, How much depends on perseverance I (1) God's glory is greatly promoted ; (2) the prosperity of the Church powerfully enhanced; (3) our own reward proportionately increased. 'l'herefore we ought to be open to new opportunities, to new occa.sions, to new objects, of usefulness. III. Tn111 CAUSES OF…
874 wordsSECTION 356The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 356
Ver. 11.-A :personal postscript. "Ye see In what large letters I write with mine mrn hand." There is a mystery about these large characters. It is conjectured that they may have been due to age, or to infirmity, or to weakness of eyes, or to the want of habit in writing Greek. But it is more interesting to see that,…
795 wordsSECTION 357The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 357
£hat he trusted in the atoning death of Christ for salvation. 3. It implied tne exclu- sion of all 'otbe~ elements ttt· which erto1•ists mignt trust as grounds of salvation. III. 'rJ-IE EFFE0TB OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST, " By which the world has been crucified to me, and I unto the world." It is not· material whether t…
1,137 wordsSECTION 358The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 358
Ver. 17 .-.An apostle plwding for forbearance. He now tuma round to his adver- saries, and with one parting word asks to be let alone. L A CLADI: TO BE LEFT UNMOLESTED. "Henceforth let no man cause me troubles" by gainsaying my doctrine, impugning my apostleship, or imposing· :upqii •me .the labour of a defence. He m…
492 wordsSECTION 359The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 359
word, we are led out of Pharisaic tbank(ulnee11 that we are not BI! other men into Obrletian humility and eelf-abasement,-tben are we in some measure fitted to take up the problem of other people's trespasses and to eolvo it. It is the "spiritual " who are to undertake the delicate work. II. THE LAW OF CHRIBT IS TO BE…
870 wordsSECTION 360The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 360
~ a bondafe to _the elements of t~ world. , :" ,The Law," it has be\)n pow.erfully ao..~il. was propllrly a schoolmaster to bnng them to Christ; but in so far a.sits temporl'~~ discipl_ina.cy charac~r was lost sight of➔~ _far as it was ,mado a gro,u~~, of nq.~iop,~ cxclu~1vC'nC'ss, and its observe.nee a matter ot pe…
960 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.