tion of the Law, by union with His life they have become partakers of His Spirit. They are therefore freed in Christ from the dominion of the Law unless they wilfully submit themselves to its yoke afresh by embracing circumcision. For the spirit within them stedfastly resists every sinful lust of the flesh, and brings forth of itself good fruit abundantly.
Summary ΟΕ Contents. The principal heads of the argument are as follows :—
i, 1-5. Address, blessing, ascription of glory to God.
i. 6-9. Rapid defection of the Galatians from their faith; denunciation of spurious Gospels.
i. I0-ii. 14. Repudiation of corrupt motives; attestation of the author’s apos- tolic commission and of his independence of the Twelve and of human teaching ; his championship of Gentile rights; and the recognition of his ministry to the Gentiles by the acknowledged pillars of the Church.
ii. 15-21. Israelites had themselves: confessed by seeking salvation in Christ through faith that no flesh can attain to the righteousness of the Law. Paul himself had died to Law with Christ that he might be quickened with Him to the new life of Christ within him.
iii. 1-14. Spiritual blindness of the Galatians. Was it faith or obedience to Law that had procured for them the gifts of the Spirit? By faith men become children of Abraham and inherit his blessing. The Law entails a curse and not a blessing, but Christ has redeemed us all from the curse of the Law by bearing it Himself.
ili. 15-iv. 7. The publication of the Law from Sinai could not annul or modify God’s earlier covenant with Abraham. It was merely a preparatory disci- pline like that of childhood and a temporary provision against the lusts of the flesh, ordained for children of the flesh till the world was ripe for the Advent of Christ the true seed. All that are His are one with Him, and so are the seed of promise: they have outgrown the restraints of spiritual childhood and regained their birthright of freedom in the House of God.
iv. 8-10, Protest against the revival of ignorant superstitions.
iv. 11-20. Appeal to the remembrance of former affection.
iv. 21-30. Illustration out of patriarchal history of the mutual relations between Jews and Christians.
iv. 31-v. 12. Assertion of Christian freedom; protest against renewed bondage by circumcision; threats of punishment against these devotees to the flesh.
ν. 13-vi. το. Warning against the abuse of freedom; antagonism of the spirit to the flesh; its perfect harmony with Christ’s law of love and excellence of its fruits; practical exhortation.
vi. 11-18, Peroration, and farewell blessing.
CompsARIsoN ΟΕ GataTians ul. 1-10 witH Acts xv. 1-29. In Gal. ii. 1-10 is recorded a conference of Paul and Barnabas with the Church of Jerusalem and its members. It appears from the narrative that they went up to Jerusalem for the express purpose of vindicating their right in virtue of their office as ministers of