By the revelation of Jesus Christ (60 azoxadtyeus *Incod Xpicrod). Not, by Jesus Christ being revealed to me, but, I received the gospel by Jesus Christ’s revealing it to me. The subject of the revelation is the gospel, not Christ. Christ was the revealer. Rev. (it came to me) through reve- lation of Jesus Christ.
13. Conversation (avactpopyv). Better, manner of life. See on 1 Pet. i. 15.
88 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Cu. I.
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In the Jews’ religion (év T@’Iovdaicu@). Only here and ver. 14. Lit. in Judaism. It signifies his national religious condition. In LXX, 2 Mace. ii. 21; viii. 2; xiv. 38; 4 Mace. iv. 26.
Beyond measure (xa®? trepBornv). P°. Lit. according to excess. The noun primarily means a casting beyond, thence superiority, excellency. See 2 Cor. iv. 7,17. It is translit- erated in hyperbole. For similar phrases comp. 1 Cor. ii. 1; Acts xix. 20; in. 17; xxv. 28.
Wasted (érdpfouv). Better, laid waste. In Class. applied not only to things —cities, walls, fields, ete. —but also to persons. So Acts ix. 21.
14. Profited (apoéxomrov). Better, advanced. See on is Far spent, Rom. xiii. 12. Paul means that he outstripped his Jewish contemporaries in distinctively Jewish culture, zeal, and activity. Comp. Philip. ii. 4-6.
Equals (curndixwwras). N.T.°. The A. V. is indefinite. The meaning is equals in age. So Rev., of mine own age.
Nation (yéver). Race. Not sect of the Pharisees. Comp. Philip. ut. 5; 2 Cor. xi. 26; Rom.ax. 3.
Zealous (fnAw77s). Lit. a zealot. The extreme party of the Pharisees called themselves “zealots of the law”; “zeal- ots of God.” See on Simon the Canaanite, Mk. iii. 18. Paul describes himself under this name in his speech on the stairs, Acts xxii. 8. Comp. Philip. iii. 5, 6.
Traditions (zapadécewv). The Pharisaic traditions which had been engrafted on the law. See Matt. xv. 2,6; Mk. vii. 3, 13, and on 2 Th. ii. 15.
15. It pleased (evdoxncev). See on eddoxia good pleasure, (Phiri ie i
Cu. L] THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 89
Separated (adopicas). Set apart: designated. See on Rom. i. 1, and declared, Rom. i. 4. The A. V. wrongly lends itself to the sense of the physical separation of the child from the mother.
From my mother’s womb (éx xoudlas untpds pov). Before I was born. Others, from the time of my birth. A few pas- sages in LXX go to sustain the former view: Judg. xvi. 17; Isa. xliv. 2,24; xlix. 1,5. That view is also favored by those instances in which a child’s destiny is clearly fixed by God before birth, as Samson, Judg. xvi. 17; comp. xiii. 5,7; John the Baptist, L.i. 15. See also Matt. xix. 12. The usage of 逫 as marking a temporal starting point is familiar. See J. vi. 66; ix. 1; Acts ix. 33; xxiv. 10.
Called (xadécas). See on Rom. iv. 17. Referring to Paul’s call into the kingdom and service of Christ. It need not be limited to his experience at Damascus, but may include the entire chain of divine influences which led to his convers- ion and apostleship. He calls himself «Ants amdcronXos an apostle by call, Rom. i. 1; 1 Cor. i. 1.
16. To reveal his Son in me (dzroxaddwas tov viov adtod év éuol). In N. T. azroxadvrrew to reveal is habitually used with the simple dative of the subject of the revelation, as L. x. 21. Once with es unto, Rom. viii. 18: with év in of the sphere in which the revelation takes place, only here, unless ' Rom. i. 17 be so explained; but there év is probably instru- mental. Render év here by the simple in: in my spirit, according to the familiar N. T. idea of God revealing him- self, living and working in man’s inner personality. See, for instance, Rom. i. 19; v. 5; viii. 10, 11; 1 Cor. iii. 16; xiv. 25; 2 Cor. iv. 6; 1 J. ii. 5,14, etc. Lightfoot explains, to reveal his Son by or through me to others. But apart from the doubtful use of év, this introduces prematurely the thought of Paul’s influence in his subsequent ministry. He is speak- ing of the initial stages of his experience.