1 82 History of the Churches of Galatia. Chap. VIII.
Syria and Cilicia. That springs naturally from the political conditions, and it grew stronger as time passed, until the two divisions became the patriarchates of Con- stantinople and of Antioch.
At this point Luke inserts an account of Paul's action in the cities through which he was making his way. It is in his style to put this account near the beginning and expect the reader to apply it in all subsequent cases (p. 72). It does not apply to Cilicia (p. 173), and could not therefore be given sooner. In each city Paul and Silas delivered the Decree, and urged the Gentile converts to observe the necessary points of Jewish ritual ; and every- where the congregations were vigorous and growing. We cannot mistake the emphasis laid by the historian on Paul's loyal determination to carry out the Apostolic Decree, and his anxiety to go as far as was honestly possible in the way of conciliating the Jews : that is in keeping with his view that the entire blame for the rupture between Paul and the Jews lay with the latter. But, if Paul was so anxious at this time to recommend the Decree to his converts, why does he never refer to it in any of his subse- quent letters, even where he touches on points that were formally dealt with in the Decree, and why does he give advice to the Corinthians about meat offered to idols, which certainly strains the Decree to the utmost, if it be not actually inconsistent with it? The explanation lies in the immediate consequences of his action in the Gala- tian Churches.
2. THE DESERTION OF THE GALATIANS. Soon after Paul left the province Galatia, there came to it mis- sionaries of the Judaising party, who taught the Galatian Churches to take that view of the Apostolic Decree which
Sec. 2. The Desertion of the Galatians. 183
we have described on p. 172 f. They pointed out that Paul himself recognised the principle that circumcision was needed for the higher grade of Christian service ; for when he selected Timothy for a position of responsibility in the Church, he, as a preliminary, performed the rite on him ; and they declared that thereby he was, in effect, " preach- ing circumcision" (Gal. V 11). Further, they threw doubt on his sincerity in this act ; and insinuated that he was reluctantly complying with necessity, in order to " conciliate and ingratiate himself with " the mass of the Church (see Lightfoot on Gat. I 10). Above all they in- sisted on the existence of the two grades of Christians ; they pointed out that Paul had himself delivered and recommended the Apostolic Decree which recognised the distinction of weaker and stronger Brethren ; and they urged the Galatians to strive to attain to the higher, and not rest content with the lower grade, which was a mere concession to weakness.
Such teaching found a ready response in the minds of the Galatian Christians. Many of them had first heard Paul preaching in the synagogue, many had come under the influence of Judaism to some extent even before Paul entered Galatia ; all were ready to accept the belief that, as the Jews were always the first in Paul's own plans, and as Christianity came from the Jews, therefore it was right to imitate the Jews (p. 144). It was precisely the most enthusiastic and devoted, who would be eager to rise to the highest and most difficult stage of Christian life.
Further, the Judaistic emissaries urged that Paul was merely the messenger and subordinate of the Twelve, that these original Apostles and leaders of the Church must be accepted as the ultimate guides, and that where Paul
184 History of the Churches of Galatia. Chap. VIII.
swerved from their teaching he was in error; and they claimed likewise to be the messengers come direct from the Twelve to communicate their latest views. Paul had recently delivered the Decree of the older Apostles ; and now later messengers supplemented and elucidated the Decree.